VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR AUTOMATED LANE CHANGES

Abstract

An example of a vehicle control system for automated lane changes includes front and rear cameras of a host vehicle and a vehicle control module configured to: identify an auxiliary lane position along a target path of the host vehicle; determine a start and end point position associated with the auxiliary lane position; determine a current merge-determination score based on the current position of the host vehicle between the start and end point positions, with the current merge-determination score decreasing in response to a decreasing distance between the host vehicle and the end point position, and in response to the current merge-determination score falling below a specified threshold for aborting the maneuver; and control an automated driving system of the host vehicle.to abort an automated lane-change maneuver of the host vehicle into an additional lane of the road at the additional lane position.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The information in this section serves to present the general context of the disclosure. Works of the inventors mentioned herein, insofar as they are described in this section, as well as aspects of the description that may not have been prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor implicitly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle control systems for controlling automatic lane changes, including automated lane changes on an additional lane section of a road.

[0003] Some vehicles are equipped with cameras configured to capture images from the front of the vehicle along its path. Automated driving systems can be configured to control the vehicle's acceleration, braking, and other actions based on objects in front of the vehicle. Autonomous driving can also include changing lanes. SUMMARY

[0004] An example of a vehicle control system for automated lane changes comprises: at least one front-mounted camera of a host vehicle, wherein the at least one front-mounted camera is configured to take pictures of a road with one or more lanes; a rear-mounted camera configured to take pictures of a target vehicle behind the host vehicle; and a vehicle control module configured to: identify an auxiliary lane position along a target path of the host vehicle; determine a start point position associated with the auxiliary lane position and an end point position associated with the auxiliary lane position; determine a current position of the host vehicle between the start point position and the auxiliary lane position; and determine a current merge determination score based on the current position of the host vehicle.wherein the current merging determination score decreases in response to a decreasing distance between the host vehicle and the endpoint position, comparing the current merging determination score with a specified maneuver abort threshold, wherein the specified maneuver abort threshold indicates a minimum distance from the endpoint position to safely execute an automated lane change maneuver before reaching the endpoint position, and in response to the current merging determination score being below the specified maneuver abort threshold: controlling an automated driving system of the host vehicle to abort an automated lane change maneuver of the host vehicle intended to be executed into an additional lane of the road at the additional lane position.

[0005] In some examples, the control of the host vehicle's automated driving system includes at least one of the following actions: controlling an engine of the host vehicle to automatically adjust the acceleration of the host vehicle, controlling the brakes of the host vehicle to automatically adjust the braking of the host vehicle, or controlling a steering mechanism of the host vehicle to automatically adjust the steering of the host vehicle.

[0006] In some examples, identifying the additional lane position involves at least one of the following actions: obtaining an image of the road via the front vehicle camera and processing the image to identify an additional lane being added to the road at a greater distance along the target route, or identifying the additional lane being added to the road at a greater distance along the target route using a road navigation map stored in memory and the current position of the host vehicle obtained from a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver in the host vehicle.

[0007] In some examples, the vehicle control module is configured to: receive one or more images of the target vehicle behind the host vehicle via the rear-view camera, and determine a rear vehicle intent score based on the one or more images, where the rear vehicle intent score indicates a probability that the target vehicle will perform an overtaking maneuver with respect to the host vehicle at the auxiliary lane position.

[0008] In some examples, determining the evaluation score for the intent of the following vehicle involves determining the distance between the host vehicle and the target vehicle.

[0009] In some examples, determining the intent score of the rear vehicle involves determining the relative speed between the host vehicle and the target vehicle.

[0010] In some examples, determining the assessment score for the intention of the following vehicle involves: recording the lateral movement of the target vehicle relative to the one or more lanes of the road over a specified period of time, and determining a vehicle stability score based on the recorded lateral movement of the target vehicle, with the vehicle stability score increasing as the lateral movement of the target vehicle increases within the specified period of time.

[0011] In some examples, the vehicle control module is configured to: compare the vehicle stability value with a specified overtaking intent threshold, and in response to the vehicle stability value exceeding the specified overtaking intent threshold: execute a host vehicle lane-shifting maneuver to move the host vehicle laterally toward an added lane of the road prior to executing the automated lane-change maneuver intended for execution, in order to prevent the target vehicle from overtaking using the added lane of the road.

[0012] In some examples, the vehicle control module is configured to: compare the following vehicle's intent score with a specified overtake intent threshold, and in response to the following vehicle's intent score being less than the specified overtake intent threshold and the current merge intent score being greater than the specified abort maneuver threshold: control the host vehicle's automated driving system to execute the host vehicle's designated automated lane change maneuver onto the added lane of the road at the additional lane position.

[0013] In some examples, the vehicle control module is configured to: compare the following vehicle's intent score with a specified overtaking intent threshold, and in response to the following vehicle's intent score being below the specified overtaking intent threshold, or exceeding the specified overtaking intent threshold: execute a host vehicle lane-shifting maneuver to move the host vehicle laterally toward an added lane of the road before executing the automated lane-change maneuver intended for execution, in order to prevent the target vehicle from overtaking using the added lane of the road.

[0014] An exemplary procedure for controlling automated lane changes by a host vehicle includes: identifying, by a vehicle control module, an auxiliary lane position along a target path of the host vehicle on a road with one or more lanes; determining a start point position associated with the auxiliary lane position and an end point position associated with the auxiliary lane position; determining the current position of the host vehicle between the start point position and the auxiliary lane position; determining a current merge-determination score based on the current position of the host vehicle, the current merge-determination score decreasing in response to a decreasing distance between the host vehicle and the end point position; and comparing the current merge-determination score to a specified threshold for aborting the maneuver.where the specified threshold for aborting the maneuver indicates a minimum distance from the endpoint position to safely execute an automated lane change maneuver before reaching the endpoint position, and in response to the current merging determination score being below the specified threshold for aborting the maneuver: controlling an automated driving system of the host vehicle to abort an automated lane change maneuver of the host vehicle intended to be executed into an additional lane of the road at the additional lane position.

[0015] In some examples, the control of the host vehicle's automated driving system includes at least one of the following actions: controlling an engine of the host vehicle to automatically adjust the acceleration of the host vehicle, controlling the brakes of the host vehicle to automatically adjust the braking of the host vehicle, or controlling a steering mechanism of the host vehicle to automatically adjust the steering of the host vehicle.

[0016] In some examples, identifying the additional lane position involves at least one of the following measures: capturing an image of the road via a front-vehicle camera and processing the image to identify an additional lane being added to the road at a greater distance along the target route, or identifying the additional lane being added to the road at a greater distance along the target route using a road navigation map stored in memory and the current position of the host vehicle obtained from a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver in the host vehicle.

[0017] In some examples, the procedure includes: capturing one or more images of a target vehicle behind the host vehicle via a rear-mounted camera, and determining an intent score for the rear vehicle based on the one or more images, where the intent score for the rear vehicle indicates a probability that the target vehicle will execute an overtaking maneuver with respect to the host vehicle at the additional lane position.

[0018] In some examples, determining the evaluation score for the intent of the following vehicle involves determining the distance between the host vehicle and the target vehicle.

[0019] In some examples, determining the evaluation score for the intent of the rear vehicle involves determining the relative speed between the host vehicle and the target vehicle.

[0020] In some examples, determining the intention score of the following vehicle involves recording the lateral movement of the target vehicle relative to the one or more lanes of the road over a specified period of time, and determining a vehicle stability score based on the recorded lateral movement of the target vehicle, with the vehicle stability score increasing as the lateral movement of the target vehicle increases within the specified period of time.

[0021] In some examples, the procedure includes: comparing the vehicle stability value with a specified overtaking intent threshold, and in response to the vehicle stability value exceeding the specified overtaking intent threshold: performing a lane-shifting maneuver of the host vehicle to move the host vehicle laterally towards an added lane of the road prior to the execution of the automated lane-change maneuver intended to be performed, in order to prevent the target vehicle from overtaking using the added lane of the road.

[0022] In some examples, the procedure includes: comparing the following vehicle's intent score with a specified overtake intent threshold, and in response to the following vehicle's intent score being less than the specified overtake intent threshold and the current merge intent score being greater than the specified abort maneuver threshold: controlling the host vehicle's automated driving system to execute the host vehicle's designated automated lane change maneuver onto the added lane of the road at the additional lane position.

[0023] In some examples, the procedure includes: comparing the rear vehicle's intent score with a specified overtaking intent threshold, and in response to the rear vehicle's intent score being below the specified overtaking intent threshold, or exceeding the specified overtaking intent threshold: performing a lane-shifting maneuver of the host vehicle to move the host vehicle laterally toward an added lane of the road prior to executing the automated lane-change maneuver intended for execution, in order to prevent the target vehicle from overtaking using the added lane of the road.

[0024] Further applications of this disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims, and the drawings. The detailed description and specific examples serve only for illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, whereby the following applies: Fig. Figure 1 is a diagram of an exemplary vehicle with front and rear cameras for use in controlling automated lane changes of the vehicle. Fig. Figure 2 is an example diagram of a vehicle traveling in an additional lane position on a road. Fig. Figure 3 is another example diagram of a host vehicle traveling in an additional lane position on a road with a target vehicle behind the host vehicle. Fig. Figure 4 is a flowchart that illustrates an exemplary process for controlling automated lane changes for a host vehicle. Fig. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for the selective execution of a lateral offset by a host vehicle to prevent an overtaking maneuver by a rear target vehicle. Fig. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for determining a rating score for the overtaking intention of a vehicle behind.

[0026] Reference numbers can be reused in the drawings to designate similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In some embodiments, a vehicle control system is configured to detect and mitigate maneuvers by other target vehicles traveling behind a host vehicle during an automatic or automated lane change for the host vehicle. An example of a vehicle control algorithm might formulate an automated sequence of behaviors (e.g., controlling the turn signal activation, lateral movement of the vehicle, a course change, a curve change, etc.) to execute an automated lane change at a point with an additional lane on a road.

[0028] The driving actions of a rear target vehicle (e.g., a vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle on a road) can be compared with a driving navigation plan formulated for the host vehicle. The correlation between the driving activity of the rear target vehicle and the navigation of the host vehicle can be used to determine whether a lateral movement of the host vehicle should be initiated to move the host vehicle toward the added lane before the added lane is physically available for the host vehicle to enter, in order to prevent a maneuver by the rear target vehicle (e.g., the rear target vehicle attempting to immediately overtake the host vehicle at a higher speed as soon as there is a minimum amount of space for the rear target vehicle in the added lane).

[0029] In some examples, a vehicle control module facilitates the ability to correlate the driving behavior of a following target vehicle with a host vehicle's driving plan, which can be formulated by the host vehicle's planning system near additional lane and / or junction points (e.g., points on the road where a new lane is added, such as an exit, or where a lane splits in two directions, such as a highway interchange). An initial movement plan of the host vehicle can be adjusted based on the detected behavior of the following target (e.g., "steering from behind").

[0030] Exemplary vehicle control procedures can involve the physical initiation of a lateral movement by the host vehicle to prevent an overtaking attempt by a following vehicle, such as preparing to cross to an approaching additional lane before the lane physically adjoins the host vehicle's current position. This can prevent following road users from attempting to overtake the host vehicle before the host vehicle automatically changes lanes.

[0031] For example, a behavior sequence for automatic lane changes at the point where the lane is added can be correlated by the vehicle control module with the host vehicle's trajectory, including a sequence of actions to perform the automatic lane change at the additional lane position, or the point where the lane is added. The vehicle control module can use cameras, sensors, other vehicle data, road or lane data, etc., to determine a degree of freedom for the host vehicle in selecting the next automated driving maneuver.

[0032] In some examples, comparing the driving action of a rear target vehicle with a navigation plan formulated for the host vehicle can involve correlating the behavioral stability of the rear target vehicle with the automated driving sequence of the host vehicle. This correlation with the formulated navigation plan of the host vehicle can be used to trigger the detection of a rear target vehicle avoiding the obstacle based on lateral and longitudinal movements near a point with an additional lane. The vehicle control module can be configured to perform model calculations based on the behaviors described here (or others) to detect an attempt at an avoidance maneuver by the rear target vehicle.

[0033] For example, a method to prevent a bypass maneuver by the rear vehicle may involve the use of correlation data as described above to cause a lateral movement of the host vehicle, which is offset in the direction of the added lane before the added lane is physically available for the host vehicle to enter (e.g., before the host vehicle is physically adjacent to the added lane).

[0034] The behavior of the target vehicle behind can be correlated with the host vehicle's modified navigation plan (e.g., including the host vehicle's initiated lateral movement within its current lane). The timing of the host and target vehicles can be compared for the next sequential execution of a sub-maneuver, and the vehicle control module can be configured to abort the planned automatic lane change maneuver in situations where the target vehicle behind is overly aggressive (e.g., if the target vehicle behind continues to exhibit detected high acceleration, lateral movement, or relative speed even after the host vehicle has initiated a lateral movement to prevent an overtaking attempt).

[0035] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a vehicle 10 with front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13. A drive unit 14 provides power to... Fig. 1 selectively transmits torque to the front wheels 12 and / or the rear wheels 13 via drive lines 16 and 18, respectively. The vehicle 10 can contain various types of drive units. For example, the vehicle can be an electric vehicle such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, a vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICE), or another type of vehicle.

[0036] Some examples of the drive unit 14 can include any suitable electric motor, an inverter, and a motor controller configured to control circuit breakers within the inverter to adjust the motor speed and torque during drive and / or regeneration. The battery system supplies power to or receives power from the electric motor of the drive unit 14 via the inverter during drive or regeneration.

[0037] While the vehicle 10 in Fig. While vehicle 10 comprises a drive unit 14, it can also have other configurations. For example, two separate drive units can power the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13, one or more individual drive units can power individual wheels, and so on. It is clear that other vehicle configurations and / or drive units can also be used.

[0038] The vehicle control module 20 can be configured to control the operation of one or more vehicle components, such as the drive unit 14 (e.g., by controlling the torque settings of an electric motor of the drive unit 14). The vehicle control module 20 can receive inputs to control vehicle components, e.g., signals from a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, vehicle camera, etc. The vehicle control module 20 can monitor the vehicle's telematics data for safety purposes, e.g., vehicle speed, vehicle location, vehicle braking and acceleration, etc.

[0039] The vehicle control module 20 can receive signals from all suitable components to monitor one or more aspects of the vehicle, including one or more vehicle sensors (e.g., cameras, microphones, pressure sensors, wheel position sensors, position sensors such as GPS antennas, etc.). Some sensors can be configured to monitor the vehicle's current movement, acceleration, steering torque, etc.

[0040] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 10 has a front-facing camera 26 configured to capture images of a field of view in front of the vehicle 10. The field of view can be wide (e.g., a field of view of at least thirty degrees, a field of view of forty-five degrees, a field of view of sixty degrees, a field of view of ninety degrees, etc.) to capture objects at the sides of a road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling.

[0041] Vehicle 10 is equipped with a rear-mounted camera 24, which can be configured to capture images within a field of view of the rear of vehicle 10. For example, the rear-mounted camera 24 can capture images of a target vehicle following vehicle 10 to determine the driving behavior of the vehicle behind (e.g., the relative speed of the vehicle behind, the lateral movement of the vehicle behind, whether the vehicle behind will attempt to overtake vehicle 10, etc.).

[0042] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 10 has an optional side-mounted vehicle camera 28. Depending on the configuration, the vehicle 10 may include more or fewer of these optional vehicle cameras. The vehicle 10 can be equipped with any suitable laser, lidar sensor, etc., used to detect objects in the vicinity of the vehicle 10.

[0043] In some embodiments, a vehicle object detector can be configured to detect a closest inpath vehicle (CIPV, or closest inpath) (e.g., another vehicle ahead of the current path of vehicle 10), a vulnerable road user (VRU, or vulnerable road user) (e.g., a pedestrian or cyclist), etc. The vehicle control module 20 can be configured to control the movement of vehicle 10 based on a detected CIP target vehicle, the detected driving behavior of a rear target vehicle, etc., e.g., by increasing or decreasing the automatic acceleration of vehicle 10 (e.g., by controlling the power or torque delivered by an engine), by automatically braking vehicle 10 (e.g., in response to an impending braking event before a collision), by setting an automatic steering mechanism of vehicle 10 to perform a lane change maneuver, etc.

[0044] The vehicle control module 20 can communicate with another device via a wireless communication interface, which may include one or more wireless antennas for transmitting and / or receiving wireless communication signals. For example, the wireless communication interface can communicate using any suitable wireless communication protocol, including but not limited to vehicle-to-everything (V2V) communication, Wi-Fi communication, wireless area network (WAN) communication, cellular communication, personal area network (PAN) communication, short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth), etc. The wireless communication interface can communicate with a remote computer device via one or more wireless and / or wired networks.With regard to vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) communication, the vehicle 10 can contain one or more V2X transceivers (e.g. V2X signal transmit and / or receive antennas).

[0045] Vehicle 10 also features a user interface. The user interface can include any suitable display (e.g., on a dashboard, console, or elsewhere), a touchscreen or other input devices, speakers for sound generation, etc.

[0046] Fig. Figure 2 is an example diagram of a vehicle 210 navigating an additional lane position, or a point on a road where a new lane begins. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, vehicle 210 is traveling on a current lane 202 of a road. The road includes an additional lane 204 in front of vehicle 210. For example, the current lane 202 may split into two lanes at a motorway junction, or a turning lane may be added next to the current lane 202, etc.

[0047] Depending on a navigation plan for automated driving, vehicle 210 can follow a first route 207, on which vehicle 210 automatically performs a lane change maneuver into the added lane 204. Alternatively, as explained below, vehicle 210 can abort the lane change maneuver (e.g., due to a vehicle behind it overtaking vehicle 210, due to vehicle 210 approaching an endpoint 226 of the additional lane position where vehicle 210 might otherwise collide with a barrier 206, etc.) and follow a second route 205, thus keeping vehicle 210 in its current lane without changing to the added lane 204. Fig. 2 Other exemplary routes 208 and 209 are also shown, which can be used when the vehicle 210 is traveling on a different lane than the current lane 202.

[0048] A vehicle control module of vehicle 210 can control the automatic lane change based on the current location of vehicle 210 relative to one or more points linked to the additional lane position. For example, an absolute starting point 220 can be linked to a point where the added lane 204 begins to extend away from the current lane 202, and an absolute endpoint 226 can be linked to a point where the added lane 204 diverges from the current lane 202, beyond which vehicle 210 could leave the road or collide with an obstacle 206.

[0049] To increase safety during automated driving, the vehicle control module can shift the start and end points of the lane change, e.g., a start point 222 (e.g., an absolute start point with a safety distance offset of ten feet, fifty feet, etc.) and an end point 224 (e.g., an absolute end point with a safety distance offset of ten feet, fifty feet, etc.).

[0050] The vehicle 210 can detect the added lane 204 based on suitable lane detection methods, e.g. by taking pictures of the added lane 204 with a front camera, by comparing the current location of the vehicle 210, determined via a GPS receiver, with a stored navigation map showing the upcoming added lane 204, etc.

[0051] Fig. Figure 3 is another example diagram of a host vehicle navigating an auxiliary lane position on a road with a target vehicle 312 behind the host vehicle 310. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the host vehicle 310 can attempt to perform an automatic lane change from a current lane 302 to an additional lane 304 before reaching a barrier 306.

[0052] The host vehicle 310 can monitor the driving behavior of the following vehicle 312 (e.g., via a rear-view camera on the host vehicle) to predict whether the following vehicle 312 is likely to attempt to overtake the host vehicle 310 in order to enter the added lane 304. As described here, the host vehicle 310 can optionally perform a lateral movement within the current lane 302 toward the added lane 304 before there is sufficient space for the host vehicle 310 to actually enter the added lane 304. This lateral movement can prevent the following vehicle 312 from attempting an immediate overtaking maneuver around the host vehicle 310 on the added lane 304 as soon as the following vehicle 312 reaches the added lane 304.

[0053] Referring again to Fig. 2. In some examples, the host vehicle 210 can determine a lane change commitment score based on, among other factors, its current position between the starting point 222 and the endpoint 224 of the auxiliary lane position. For example, the host vehicle 210 can set a commitment score to a maximum value (e.g., a value of one) before the vehicle 210 reaches the starting point 222.

[0054] After vehicle 210 passes starting point 222, the lane change setting score can decrease (e.g., as a percentage of the distance traveled) until vehicle 210 reaches endpoint 224, where the lane change setting score can be a minimum (e.g., zero). The vehicle control module can, for example, calculate the degrees of freedom of vehicle 210 to select different driving maneuvers.

[0055] The degree of freedom value can represent options for vehicle 210 to remain in the current lane 202 or to merge into the added lane 204. The degrees of freedom can be lowest when vehicle 210 is heading directly towards barrier 206 (e.g., when vehicle 210 changes direction from the current lane 202 to the added lane 204).

[0056] In some examples, the degree-of-freedom value can be considered a factor that makes it less likely for vehicle 210 to abort a planned lane-change maneuver while it is between starting point 222 and endpoint 224 (e.g., compared to positions before starting point 222). The commitment score can be implemented such that the further vehicle 210 progresses through the lane-change maneuver, the less likely it is to abort the planned lane change.

[0057] In some embodiments, a linear normalization and classification method can be used: xi=kixi−min(K)max(K)−min(K) where weightings k cal = calibration constants include and K = [k cal,k , k cal,j , ... k cal,n A model output could, for example, Oraw = [k cal,k *Xi, K cal,j *X j , ... k cal,n *X n ] and O = sum(linearNorm(O raw )) include. An example of a scenario classification is alt_host_not_clear = O < Calibration [0...1], or min[ttc] < Calibration 2, is equal to True.

[0058] Fig. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for controlling automatic lane changes for a host vehicle. The diagram in Fig. The process shown in section 4 can be carried out, for example, by the vehicle control module 20. Fig. 1. At 404, the process begins with the identification of an upcoming additional lane position.

[0059] The vehicle control module is configured to determine a start and end point for the additional lane position at 408. The control unit then sets a fixed value to a maximum value, e.g., one, at 412. The vehicle control module is configured to determine the vehicle's current position between the start and end points at 416.

[0060] The controller then updates a value of the commitment score at 420, based on the distance traveled by the vehicle between the starting point and the endpoint. The vehicle control module is configured to compare the commitment score to a maneuver abort threshold at 424. If the maneuver abort score is below the threshold at 428, the controller aborts the lane change maneuver at 432.

[0061] If, at command 428, the maneuver evaluation score above exceeds the defined threshold for aborting the maneuver, the control system proceeds to command 436 to obtain updated data about the rear vehicle via the rear-mounted camera. The vehicle control module is configured to optionally execute a lateral offset movement of the host vehicle at command 440. Further exemplary details of the lateral offset movement are described below with reference to... Fig. 5 described.

[0062] The vehicle control module is configured to calculate a rear vehicle intent score at 444. Further examples of rear vehicle intent score calculations are described below with reference to... Fig. 6 described.

[0063] The vehicle control module is configured to determine at 448 whether the intent score is lower than a merging safety threshold (which indicates, for example, that it is safe to perform the merging maneuver into the added lane without any chance of the following vehicle attempting to overtake the host vehicle simultaneously). If, at 448, the intent score is not higher than the merging safety threshold, the control returns to 416 to obtain a new current position of the vehicle between the starting point and the endpoint of the added lane position. This can be updated at regular intervals (e.g., every 10 milliseconds, every 100 milliseconds, every 500 milliseconds, every second, etc.) until the vehicle either performs the automatic lane change maneuver into the added lane or aborts.If the intent score of 448 is below the merging safety threshold, the control system can then proceed to 452 to perform an automatic lane change maneuver into the added lane.

[0064] In some examples, the vehicle control module can be configured to perform a function that combines five (or more or fewer) individual parameters of the host vehicle and the target vehicle into a final overall objective function. Each parameter can have a weight (e.g., calibration) that is multiplied by a raw score and then divided by the sum of all weights. This can result in a possible range between 0 and 1, regardless of the individual weighting.

[0065] A cost function can be defined that results in an overall model output value. If this value falls below a minimum threshold, the raw output may be incorrect. For example, if the value is too low, the vehicle control module may block automatic lane changes.

[0066] A redundant path can also set the output to false (e.g., blocking a merging maneuver). This redundancy can be triggered if the minimum time until all merged destinations are longitudinally close is too short. A third path can be set to false. This third path can be triggered if the host vehicle is in an error state while lane changing is enabled (e.g., a navigation map error).

[0067] The main path (e.g., the cost function path mentioned above) can include five (or more or fewer) individual contributions, divided along the parameters of "host" vehicle and "target" vehicle. The host vehicle parameters can relate to the geometry of the lane change maneuver and the host vehicle's position along the lane change. The target vehicle parameters can relate to the surrounding vehicles. All parameters can be weighted relative to each other through calibrations or individually disabled.

[0068] Fig. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for the selective execution of a lateral offset by a host vehicle to prevent an overtaking maneuver by a target vehicle behind it. The Fig. The process shown in section 5 can be carried out, for example, by the vehicle control module 20. Fig. 1. At 504, the process begins with the identification of the location of a rear vehicle via a rear-view camera of the host vehicle.

[0069] The vehicle control module is configured to determine at command 508 whether the trailing vehicle is approaching one side of the host vehicle. If the trailing vehicle is not approaching one side of the host vehicle at command 512, the control module can proceed at command 532 to perform the automatic lane change to the added lane without a prior lateral offset maneuver.

[0070] If the trailing vehicle is approaching the side of the host vehicle or poses an overtaking hazard at 512, the control system proceeds at 516 to determine the current lane width of the host vehicle's lane. The vehicle control module then determines the host vehicle's position relative to the host lane at 520.

[0071] The vehicle control module is configured to calculate the extent of the lateral offset on command 524 based on the lane width and the position of the host vehicle (e.g., to determine how far the host vehicle should move laterally within its current lane to prevent a following vehicle from overtaking). The vehicle control module is configured to execute the lateral offset maneuver on command 528 (e.g., by moving laterally within the host vehicle's current lane) before actually merging into the added lane to prevent the following vehicle from attempting to overtake.

[0072] In some examples, the vehicle control module can be configured to first determine whether route navigation is activated and whether a lane change is imminent at an upcoming auxiliary lane position. The vehicle control module can then determine whether there is a hazard (e.g., an approaching vehicle behind) in the direction of the intended lateral shift in order to perform the automatic lane change to the auxiliary lane.

[0073] If a hazard exists, the vehicle control module can perform a lateral offset to prevent the vehicle behind from swerving around it. The magnitude of the lateral offset can be a function of the lane width and the relative lateral position of the host vehicle within the host lane (e.g., via a lookup table). The vehicle control module can assign a sign to the magnitude of the lateral offset that depends on the intended side of the lane change.

[0074] Fig. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for determining a rating score for the overtaking intention of a following vehicle. The diagram in Fig. The process shown in section 6 can be carried out, for example, by the vehicle control module 20. Fig. 1. At 604, the process begins by capturing data from a rear vehicle via a rear-facing camera on the host vehicle.

[0075] The vehicle control module is configured to calculate the distance between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle at 608. The control unit then determines the relative speed between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle at 612. The vehicle control module is configured to access the current lateral movement profile of the vehicle at 616.

[0076] The vehicle control module is configured to determine a stability value for the following vehicle at 620 based on the history of its lateral movement (e.g., within a specific time period such as the last five seconds, the last ten seconds, the last thirty seconds, etc.). At 624, the vehicle control module compares this stability value to a threshold indicating an overtaking intention. For example, if the following vehicle moves far from the center of its lane, repeatedly weaves back and forth within its lane, or moves rapidly back and forth within its lane, this may indicate that the following vehicle is impatient and planning to overtake as soon as possible.

[0077] If the stability value at 628 is above a threshold for overtaking intent, the control system proceeds to 636 to set the overtaking intent for the following vehicle to true (or a maximum value). If the stability value at 628 is below the threshold for overtaking intent, the control system proceeds to 632 to calculate the overtaking intent value for the following vehicle, based on a combination (e.g., a weighted combination) of the distance between the following vehicle and the host vehicle, the relative speed of the host vehicle and the following vehicle, and the lateral stability value of the following vehicle.

[0078] In some examples, the vehicle control module may be configured to first determine a "worst-case rear target vehicle." The worst-case rear vehicle may be defined as a rear target vehicle that has a minimum time to close the relative longitudinal gap between the host vehicle and the target vehicle, for rear target vehicles that are behind and moving toward the host vehicle, meet a minimum merging confidence level, and are within a maximum relative lateral position.

[0079] The vehicle control module can be configured to calculate the time to closest approach, which represents a measure of the least favorable destination in terms of the time traveled longitudinally to closest approach. This parameter can be calculated using a two-dimensional driving path.

[0080] The relative speed of the rear target vehicle can be calculated in both longitudinal and lateral directions relative to the host vehicle. The orthogonal velocities can be squared and summed, taking the square root to obtain an overall relative speed. This overall speed can be applied to a lookup route, which can be defined to start at 0 when the relative speed is greater than a calibration threshold (e.g., worst case) and end at 1 when the relative speed is 0 (e.g., best case).

[0081] The stability of the rear target can be calculated to determine the stability of its lateral movement within the lane of the rear target. A target with high stability can be interpreted as predictable (e.g., a good score of 1, indicating little lateral movement within the lane), and a rear target exhibiting large lateral movement within the lane can be interpreted as unpredictable (e.g., a poor score of 0).

[0082] The foregoing description is merely explanatory and is not intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or use. The comprehensive teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a multitude of forms. Although this disclosure contains certain examples, the true scope of the disclosure should therefore not be so limited, since other modifications are evident upon study of the drawings, the description, and the following claims. It is understood that one or more steps within a process may be carried out in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of the present disclosure.Although each of the embodiments above is described with specific features, any one or more of these features described in relation to any embodiment of the disclosure can be implemented in one of the other embodiments and / or combined with features of another embodiment, even if this combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or more embodiments with each other remain within the scope of this disclosure.

[0083] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, such as "connected," "interlocking," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on," "above," "below," and "arranged." If a relationship between a first and a second element is not explicitly described as "direct" in the above disclosure, this relationship may be a direct relationship in which no other intervening elements exist between the first and the second element, or it may be an indirect relationship in which one or more intervening elements (either spatial or functional) exist between the first and the second element.As used herein, the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as a logical (A OR B OR C) using a non-exclusive logical OR and not as “at least one of A, at least one of B and at least one of C”.

[0084] In the diagrams, the direction of an arrow, as indicated by the arrowhead, generally shows the flow of information (e.g., data or instructions) that is relevant to the illustration. For example, if Element A and Element B exchange a variety of information, but the information transferred from Element A to Element B is relevant to the illustration, the arrow may point from Element A to Element B. This unidirectional arrow does not imply that no further information is transferred from Element B to Element A. Furthermore, Element B may send requests for or acknowledgments of information to Element A in return for information sent from Element A to Element B.

[0085] In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced by the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be part of, or include: an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field-programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (common, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (common, dedicated, or group) that stores the code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, e.g., in a system-on-a-chip.

[0086] The module may contain one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless interfaces connected to a local area network (LAN), the internet, a wide area network (WAN), or combinations thereof. The functionality of any module of this disclosure may be distributed across multiple modules connected via interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may enable load balancing. In another example, a server module (also called a remote or cloud module) may perform some functions on behalf of a client module.

[0087] The term "code," as used above, can include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and can refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term "shared processor circuit" refers to a single processor circuit that executes some or all of the code of multiple modules. The term "group processor circuit" refers to a processor circuit that, in combination with other processor circuits, executes some or all of the code of one or more modules. References to "multiple processor circuits" include multiple processor circuits on discrete chips, multiple processor circuits on a single chip, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the above.The term "shared memory circuit" refers to a single memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group memory circuit" refers to a memory circuit that, in combination with other memory devices, stores some or all of the code from one or more modules.

[0088] The term "memory circuit" is a subset of the term "computer-readable medium." The term "computer-readable medium," as used here, does not include transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals that propagate through a medium (e.g., on a carrier wave); the term "computer-readable medium" can therefore be considered tangible / material and non-transient. Non-restrictive examples of a non-transient, tangible, computer-readable medium are non-volatile memory circuits (e.g., a flash memory circuit, a erasable programmable read-only memory circuit, or a mask read-only memory circuit), volatile memory circuits (e.g., a static random-access memory circuit or a dynamic random-access memory circuit), magnetic storage media (e.g., an analog or digital magnetic tape or a hard disk drive), and optical storage media (e.g.,a CD, a DVD or a Blu-ray Disc).

[0089] The devices and methods described in this application can be implemented partially or completely by a specialized computer formed by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in computer programs. The functional blocks, flowchart components, and other elements described above serve as software specifications that can be translated into computer programs through the routine work of an experienced technician or programmer.

[0090] The computer programs contain processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transient, tangible, machine-readable medium. The computer programs may also contain or access stored data. The computer programs may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of the specialized computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the specialized computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0091] The computer programs can contain: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, e.g., HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated from the source code by a compiler; (iv) source code for execution by an interpreter; (v) source code for compilation and execution by a just-in-time compiler, etc. The source code can, for example, use the syntax of languages ​​such as C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java®, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, Javascript®, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language 5th revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Flash®, Visual Basic®, Lua, MATLAB, Simulink, and others. It must be written in Python®. Figure captions for Figs. 4, 5 and 6: Yes No

Images