A method and system for supporting ramp merging using V2I communication

Abstract

This invention provides a method and system for supporting ramp merging. The method includes: acquiring vehicle information and driving status information parameters of each main road vehicle at a distance from the ramp merging point, wherein the vehicle information includes vehicle speed and vehicle length information, and the driving status information parameters include driver profile parameters and driving context parameters; estimating road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the acquired vehicle information, wherein the road traffic information includes vehicle arrival time, vehicle speed, and inter-vehicle distance; inferring the natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle based on the acquired driving status information parameters of the main road vehicles; verifying the estimated road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the inferred natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle; and broadcasting the verified information via a roadside station to one or more ramp vehicles communicating with the roadside station to notify the one or more ramp vehicles to adjust their speed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of road traffic safety technology, and more specifically, to a ramp merging support method and system using V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure) communication. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the development of the automobile industry, the total number of vehicles has continued to increase, leading to a significant rise in the average traffic volume on highway main roads and entrance ramps, putting pressure on surface traffic congestion. Especially during peak commuting hours, excessive merging traffic on ramps easily causes highway traffic congestion and frequent accidents.

[0003] With the development of 5G and intelligent connected vehicle technologies, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and vehicle-road cooperative technologies have gained widespread recognition in the field of intelligent transportation, effectively ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient vehicle passage. For existing ramp merging scenarios, the main methods involve setting up static merging warning signs on the ramps, or using vehicle-road information coordination. Roadside equipment calculates the estimated arrival time of main road vehicles at the merging point based on driving environment information, thus reminding merging vehicles to adjust their speed to ensure safe passage. However, most of these methods only estimate based on the current speed of main road vehicles, without considering other vehicle driving information (such as acceleration, deceleration, and lane changes). This makes it difficult to provide accurate information about the arrival time of main road vehicles at the merging point in complex traffic environments.

[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved ramp merging support system that provides vehicles about to merge onto the main road with information about the main road traffic group approaching the merging point, so as to prompt merging vehicles to adjust their speed in time and thus achieve safer passage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This summary is provided to introduce, in a simplified form, some concepts that will be further described in the following detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] To address the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a ramp merging support method is provided, the method comprising:

[0007] Obtain vehicle information and driving status information parameters for each main road vehicle located at a distance from the ramp merging point. The vehicle information includes vehicle speed and vehicle length information, and the driving status information parameters include driver profile parameters and driving context parameters.

[0008] Based on the acquired vehicle information, the road traffic information at the ramp merging point is estimated, wherein the road traffic information includes vehicle arrival time, vehicle speed and inter-vehicle distance;

[0009] The natural driving behavior of each vehicle on the main road is inferred based on the obtained driving status information parameters of the main road vehicles.

[0010] The estimated road traffic information at the ramp merging points is verified based on the inferred natural driving behavior of vehicles on each main road; and

[0011] The verified information is broadcast via a roadside station to one or more ramp vehicles in communication with the roadside station to notify the one or more ramp vehicles to adjust their speed.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the driver profile parameters include one or more of driving experience, driving style, and driving mood.

[0013] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the driving context parameters include one or more of road conditions, road network type, weather conditions, and traffic density.

[0014] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, estimating the road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the acquired vehicle information further includes:

[0015] Based on the acquired information on vehicle speed and length of each main road vehicle, the arrival time, speed, and inter-vehicle distance of each main road vehicle to the merging point are estimated at a constant speed.

[0016] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the natural driving behavior includes one or more of speed change behavior and lane change behavior, wherein the speed change behavior includes acceleration behavior and deceleration behavior.

[0017] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, verifying the estimated road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the inferred natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle further includes:

[0018] The inter-vehicle distance at the ramp merging point is adjusted accordingly in response to the inferred driving behavior being a lane change.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, verifying the estimated road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the inferred natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle further includes:

[0020] In response to the inferred driving behavior being a gear shift, the arrival time and vehicle speed at the ramp merging point are adjusted accordingly.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, a ramp merging support system is provided, the system comprising:

[0022] A sensor module configured to collect vehicle information of vehicles on the main road at a distance of one level from the ramp merging point, wherein the vehicle information includes vehicle speed and vehicle length information; and

[0023] A roadside station communicatively coupled to the sensor module, the roadside station further includes an information processing module and an information verification module.

[0024] The information processing module is configured to:

[0025] The sensor module acquires the collected vehicle information and obtains the driving status information parameters of each main road vehicle, wherein the driving status information parameters include driver profile parameters and driving context parameters.

[0026] Based on the acquired vehicle information, road traffic information at the ramp merging point is estimated, including vehicle arrival time, speed, and inter-vehicle distance; and

[0027] The natural driving behavior of vehicles on each main road is inferred based on the acquired driving status information parameters; and

[0028] The information verification module is configured as follows:

[0029] The estimated road traffic information at the ramp merging points is verified based on the inferred natural driving behavior of vehicles on each main road; and

[0030] The verified information is broadcast to one or more ramp vehicles that are in communication with the roadside station to notify the one or more ramp vehicles to adjust their speed.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sensor module is an infrastructure sensor deployed on the roadside, including one or more of a camera, millimeter-wave radar, and lidar.

[0032] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the driver profile parameters include one or more of driving experience, driving style, and driving mood.

[0033] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the driving context parameters include one or more of road conditions, road network type, weather conditions, and traffic density.

[0034] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, estimating the road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the acquired vehicle information further includes:

[0035] Based on the acquired information on vehicle speed and length of each main road vehicle, the arrival time, speed, and inter-vehicle distance of each main road vehicle to the merging point are estimated at a constant speed.

[0036] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the natural driving behavior includes one or more of speed change behavior and lane change behavior, wherein the speed change behavior includes acceleration behavior and deceleration behavior.

[0037] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, verifying the estimated road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the inferred natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle further includes:

[0038] The inter-vehicle distance at the ramp merging point is adjusted accordingly in response to the inferred driving behavior being a lane change.

[0039] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, verifying the estimated road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the inferred natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle further includes:

[0040] In response to the inferred driving behavior being a gear shift, the arrival time and vehicle speed at the ramp merging point are adjusted accordingly.

[0041] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a ramp merging support system using V2I communication, which has at least the following advantages:

[0042] 1. By utilizing vehicle-road-cloud collaborative technology, driver preference information and driving status information such as road conditions and weather conditions can be obtained from the vehicle and / or cloud to more accurately estimate the arrival time and distance of vehicles on the main road to the merging point. This allows for timely speed adjustments to on-ramp vehicles to ensure safe merging; and

[0043] 2. It fully considers the natural driving behavior of vehicles traveling on the main road (including speed changes, lane changes, etc.), and can obtain more accurate driving information of vehicles on the main road when they arrive at the merging point, so that vehicles on the ramp can receive more accurate safety prompts in complex traffic environments.

[0044] These and other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description and with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are illustrative only and do not limit the scope of the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0045] To gain a more detailed understanding of the manner in which the features of the present invention are described above, reference can be made to various embodiments to provide a more specific description of the above-briefly summarized aspects, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of the invention and should not be considered as limiting its scope, as this description may allow for other equivalent and effective aspects.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a ramp merging support system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a ramp merging scenario using a ramp merging support system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a ramp merging support method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and its features will become further apparent in the following specific description.

[0050] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a ramp merging support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the ramp merging support system 100 may include at least a sensor module 101 and a roadside station 102.

[0051] Sensor module 101 can be configured to collect information on main road vehicles at a certain distance from the ramp merging point, including, for example, vehicle speed and length information. Sensor module 101 can be deployed on the side of the highway main road at a certain distance (e.g., 200m) from the ramp merging point. Sensor module 101 can be a roadside infrastructure sensor, such as a camera, millimeter-wave radar, lidar, or other sensor devices. These sensor devices are isomorphic to the vehicle-side sensors, thus facilitating data transmission and interaction. (Reference) Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a ramp merging scenario utilizing a ramp merging support system. In this scenario, an infrastructure sensor is deployed at location A on the highway side. This sensor measures the speed and length of vehicles passing through location A on the main road.

[0052] The roadside station 102 may further include an information processing module 103 and an information verification module 104 mounted thereon. The roadside station 102 may be deployed at a certain distance (e.g., 200m) from the merging point of the ramp on the side of the road to communicate with ramp vehicles, such as... Figure 2As shown. The information processing module 103 can acquire the collected vehicle information from the sensor module 101, and calculate the road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the acquired vehicle information. This road traffic information at the ramp merging point includes the estimated arrival time, speed, and inter-vehicle distance for each main road vehicle arriving at the ramp merging point. Specifically, the information processing module 102 can acquire the speed and length information of main road vehicles at a certain distance (e.g., 200m) from the ramp merging point, and estimate the arrival time and inter-vehicle distance for each main road vehicle arriving at the ramp merging point at a constant speed based on the acquired information. Figure 2 In the example scenario, the ramp merging support system can obtain measured vehicle speed and vehicle length information from sensors, and then estimate the arrival time and vehicle distance of each main road vehicle at the arrival location B (i.e., the ramp merging point) at a constant vehicle speed.

[0053] Furthermore, the information processing module 103 can also acquire driving status information parameters of vehicles on the main road within the ramp merging area. These driving status information parameters include, for example, driver profile parameters and driving context parameters. The driver profile parameters are used to identify the driver's personal preferences, including but not limited to driving experience, driving style, and driving mood. The driving context parameters are used to convey information related to the surrounding environment, including but not limited to road conditions, road network type, weather conditions, and traffic density. These driving status information parameters can be acquired from the vehicle and / or cloud platform. The information processing module 103 can further infer the natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle based on the acquired driving status information parameters. These natural driving behaviors include, for example, gear shifting and lane changing behaviors, where gear shifting behaviors include acceleration and deceleration.

[0054] The information verification module 104 verifies and adjusts the calculated road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the inferred natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle, to obtain verified road traffic information at the ramp merging point. As an example, if it is inferred that a main road vehicle has a lane-changing behavior (changing from the outermost lane to the innermost lane), then that main road vehicle no longer affects the merging vehicles on the ramp, and therefore the arrival time of that main road vehicle at the ramp merging point is no longer considered. As another example, if it is inferred that a main road vehicle has an acceleration behavior, then the time required for that main road vehicle to reach the ramp merging point is correspondingly reduced (i.e., the arrival time of that main road vehicle at the ramp merging point is correspondingly advanced), and the speed of that main road vehicle at the ramp merging point is correspondingly increased. As another example, if it is determined that a main road vehicle has a deceleration behavior, then the time required for that main road vehicle to reach the ramp merging point is correspondingly increased (i.e., the arrival time of that main road vehicle at the ramp merging point is correspondingly delayed), and the speed of that main road vehicle at the ramp merging point is correspondingly reduced.

[0055] Roadside station 102 can obtain verified road traffic information at the ramp merging point from information verification module 104, and broadcast this information to one or more ramp vehicles communicating with it to notify them to adjust their speed in a timely manner. As an example, roadside station 102 broadcasts a safety warning message to one or more ramp vehicles communicating with it, such as "Attention to oncoming traffic from the main road, the other party will arrive at the merging point at... time, speed...", to assist ramp vehicles in safely merging into the main road at an appropriate speed and ensure driver safety in the ramp merging area.

[0056] Therefore, in Figure 2 In the example, the ramp merging support system can obtain driver profile information (e.g., driving experience, driving style, and driving mood) and driving context information (e.g., road conditions, road network type, weather conditions, and traffic density) of vehicles passing through location A on the main road from the vehicle and / or the cloud, and infer the natural driving behavior (e.g., acceleration, deceleration, or lane-changing behavior) of each main road vehicle based on this information. In one example, if the obtained information indicates that the driver has little driving experience, the road conditions are congested, and the traffic density is high, it can be inferred that the vehicle is likely to decelerate. In another example, if the obtained information indicates that the driver has long driving experience, the road conditions are smooth, and the traffic density is low, it can be inferred that the vehicle is likely to accelerate and change lanes. The ramp merging support system can then verify and adjust the estimated arrival time and inter-vehicle distance to location B based on the inferred natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle. For example, if it is determined that vehicles on the main road are likely to slow down and not change lanes, the estimated arrival time at location B is correspondingly delayed; conversely, if it is determined that vehicles on the main road are likely to accelerate and change lanes, the estimated inter-vehicle distance is correspondingly increased. The ramp merging support system can, after verifying and adjusting the estimated information, broadcast verified information (e.g., a safety warning about "Attention oncoming traffic from the main road, the other vehicle will arrive at the merging point at... time, speed...") via a roadside station to one or more ramp vehicles communicating with that roadside station. Upon receiving this information, the one or more ramp vehicles adjust their speed between the roadside station and the ramp merging point to safely merge onto the main road.

[0057] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a ramp merging support method 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Method 300 begins at step 301, where the information processing module 103 acquires main road vehicle information and driving status information parameters of the main road vehicles at a certain distance from the ramp merging point. The vehicle information includes vehicle speed and vehicle length information, and the driving status information parameters include driver profile parameters indicating the driver's personal preferences and driving context parameters indicating information related to the surrounding environment (e.g., whether there is congestion).

[0058] In step 302, the information processing module 103 estimates the road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the acquired main road vehicle information. The road traffic information at the ramp merging point includes the estimated arrival time, speed and distance of each main road vehicle to the ramp merging point. The arrival time and distance of each main road vehicle to the ramp merging point are estimated at a constant speed.

[0059] In step 303, the information processing module 103 infers the natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle based on the acquired driving status information parameters of the main road vehicles. This natural driving behavior includes acceleration and lane-changing behaviors. In one scenario, if the current road conditions are congested, the main road vehicles will travel at a slower speed and are less likely to change lanes, thus it can be inferred that the main road vehicles exhibit deceleration behavior. In another scenario, if the current traffic density is low, the current road conditions are smooth, and there is no congestion, the main road vehicles will travel at a faster speed and are more likely to change lanes, thus it can be inferred that the main road vehicles exhibit acceleration and lane-changing behaviors.

[0060] In step 304, the information verification module 104 verifies the estimated road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the inferred natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle, to obtain verified road traffic information at the ramp merging point. For example, if a main road vehicle is changing speed, it is predicted that the main road vehicle will arrive at the ramp merging point earlier or later; if a main road vehicle is changing lanes, the impact of the main road vehicle on the merging vehicle is no longer considered, and the expected inter-vehicle distance will increase.

[0061] In step 305, the verified information is broadcast via roadside station 102 to one or more ramp vehicles communicating with that roadside station 102 to notify them to adjust their speed. For example, the one or more ramp vehicles may receive information about the arrival time, speed, and distance between vehicles on the main road at the ramp merging point, and adjust their speed accordingly to safely merge onto the main road.

[0062] The foregoing description includes examples of various aspects of the claimed subject matter. It is certainly impossible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methods for the purpose of depicting the claimed subject matter, but those skilled in the art will recognize that many further combinations and arrangements of the claimed subject matter are possible. Thus, the disclosed subject matter is intended to cover all such changes, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A ramp merging support method, the method comprising: Obtain vehicle information and driving status information parameters for each main road vehicle at a distance of one level from the ramp merging point. The vehicle information includes vehicle speed and vehicle length information. The driving status information parameters include driver profile parameters and driving context parameters. The driver profile parameters include one or more of driving experience, driving style, and driving mood. The driving context parameters include one or more of road conditions, road network type, weather conditions, and traffic density. Based on the acquired vehicle information, the road traffic information at the ramp merging point is estimated, wherein the road traffic information includes vehicle arrival time, vehicle speed and inter-vehicle distance; The natural driving behavior of each main road vehicle is inferred based on the obtained driving status information parameters of the main road vehicles. The natural driving behavior includes one or more of the speed change behavior and lane change behavior. The speed change behavior includes acceleration behavior and deceleration behavior. The estimated road traffic information at the ramp merging points is verified based on the inferred natural driving behavior of vehicles on each main road. as well as The verified information is broadcast via a roadside station to one or more ramp vehicles in communication with the roadside station to notify the one or more ramp vehicles to adjust their speed. The estimation of road traffic information at the ramp merging point based on the acquired vehicle information further includes: estimating the arrival time, speed, and inter-vehicle distance of vehicles on each main road to the merging point at a constant speed, based on the acquired vehicle speed and vehicle length information of each main road.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The road traffic information at the estimated ramp merging points is further validated based on the inferred natural driving behavior of vehicles on each main road, including: The inter-vehicle distance at the ramp merging point is adjusted accordingly in response to the inferred driving behavior being a lane change.

3. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The road traffic information at the estimated ramp merging points is further validated based on the inferred natural driving behavior of vehicles on each main road, including: In response to the inferred driving behavior being a gear shift, the arrival time and vehicle speed at the ramp merging point are adjusted accordingly.

4. A ramp merging support system, the system comprising: A sensor module configured to collect vehicle information of vehicles on the main road at a distance of one level from the ramp merging point, wherein the vehicle information includes vehicle speed and vehicle length information; and A roadside station communicatively coupled to the sensor module, the roadside station further includes an information processing module and an information verification module. The information processing module is configured to: The sensor module acquires the collected vehicle information and obtains the driving status information parameters of each main road vehicle. The driving status information parameters include driver profile parameters and driving context parameters. The driver profile parameters include one or more of driving experience, driving style and driving mood. The driving context parameters include one or more of road conditions, road network type, weather conditions and traffic density. Based on the acquired vehicle information, road traffic information at the ramp merging point is estimated, including vehicle arrival time, speed, and inter-vehicle distance; and The natural driving behavior of vehicles on each main road is inferred based on the acquired driving status information parameters. This natural driving behavior includes one or more of the following: gear shifting and lane changing behaviors. Gear shifting behaviors include acceleration and deceleration. The information verification module is configured as follows: The estimated road traffic information at the ramp merging points is verified based on the inferred natural driving behavior of vehicles on each main road. as well as The verified information is broadcast to one or more ramp vehicles communicating with the roadside station to notify them to adjust their speed. The natural driving behavior mentioned therein includes one or more of the speed change behavior and the lane change behavior, and the speed change behavior includes acceleration behavior and deceleration behavior.

5. The system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The sensor module is an infrastructure sensor deployed on the roadside, including one or more of cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and lidar.

6. The system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The road traffic information at the estimated ramp merging points is further validated based on the inferred natural driving behavior of vehicles on each main road, including: The inter-vehicle distance at the ramp merging point is adjusted accordingly in response to the inferred driving behavior being a lane change.

7. The system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The road traffic information at the estimated ramp merging points is further validated based on the inferred natural driving behavior of vehicles on each main road, including: In response to the inferred driving behavior being a gear shift, the arrival time and vehicle speed at the ramp merging point are adjusted accordingly.

Images