ADAS configuration with vehicle knowledge networking support

Abstract

The method includes receiving first data from one or more vehicles within the geographic area, the first data indicative of operation of an active safety system by at least one of the one or more vehicles; receiving second data indicative of driving performance of the one or more vehicles; determining whether the driving performance of the one or more vehicles within the geographic area is improved or degraded by use of the active safety system based on the first data and the second data; and transmitting a signal to vehicles approaching the geographic area to cause the vehicles approaching the geographic area to enable or disable the active safety system based on the determination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to a traffic management system, and more particularly to an ADAS configuration with vehicle perception networking assistance.

Background Art

[0002] Many of the vehicles in operation are equipped with one or more advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). There are electronic systems that can assist the driver in certain driving situations. In particular, ADAS can use automation technologies such as cameras and other sensors to detect nearby vehicles or other road actors or events and respond accordingly (for example, automatically perform driving operations if the driver of the vehicle does not perform appropriate driving operations). Examples of ADAS can include lane tracing assist (LTA), lane departure alert (LDA), pre-collision systems, dynamic radar cruise control, road sign assist, anomaly detection / management, and the like.

[0003] ADAS may be advantageous to the driver in certain driving situations, but may not be advantageous in other driving situations. For example, LTA or LDA may not function well enough in areas with faded or missing lane markers. Therefore, it may be advantageous to disable one or more types of ADAS in certain situations. Therefore, it may be advantageous to enable one or more types of ADAS in certain situations and disable them in other situations. For this reason, an ADAS configuration with vehicle perception networking assistance is required.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one embodiment, the method includes: receiving first data from one or more vehicles within a geographical area, the first data indicating the operation of an active safety system by at least one of the one or more vehicles; receiving second data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles; determining, based on the first and second data, whether the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the geographical area is improved or reduced by the use of the active safety system; and, based on the determination, transmitting a signal to vehicles approaching the geographical area to cause them to enable or disable the active safety system.

[0005] In another embodiment, the remote computing device includes a controller. The controller may receive first data from one or more vehicles within a geographic area, the first data indicating the operation of an active safety system by at least one of the one or more vehicles; receive second data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles; determine, based on the first and second data, whether the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the geographic area is improved or reduced by the use of the active safety system; and, based on the determination, transmit a signal to vehicles approaching the geographic area to cause them to enable or disable the active safety system.

[0006] In another embodiment, the system includes a vehicle system for a vehicle located within a geographical area and a telecomputing device. The vehicle system may include one or more vehicle sensors and a controller. The vehicle sensors may collect sensor data relating to road operating entities around the vehicle. The controller may transmit the sensor data and data associated with the operation of one or more active safety systems of the vehicle to the telecomputing device. The telecomputing device receives the sensor data and data associated with the operation of one or more active safety systems of the vehicle from the vehicle system, and based on the sensor data and data associated with the operation of one or more active safety systems of the vehicle, determines whether the driving performance of the vehicle within the geographical area is improved or worsened by the use of the active safety systems, and based on the determination, may transmit a signal to another vehicle approaching the geographical area to cause that vehicle to enable or disable its active safety systems. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] The embodiments described in the drawings are illustrative and illustrative in nature and are not intended to limit the disclosure. The following detailed description of exemplary embodiments can be understood in conjunction with the drawings, in which similar structures are indicated by similar reference numerals.

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an exemplary system for configuring an ADAS with vehicle knowledge networking support according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein. [Figure 2] This figure schematically illustrates an exemplary vehicle system according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein. [Figure 3] This figure schematically shows an exemplary server of the system shown in Figure 1 according to one or more embodiments described herein. [Figure 4] This figure shows an exemplary use case of the system of Figure 1 according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein. [Figure 5] This figure shows another exemplary use case of the system of Figure 1 according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein. [Figure 6] This figure shows a flowchart illustrating a method that can be implemented by the system of Figure 1 according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments disclosed herein include ADAS configurations with vehicle knowledge networking support. Vehicles may include various different ADAS. Throughout this disclosure, ADAS may be referred to as active safety systems. Examples of active safety systems may include lane tracing assist (LTA), lane departure alert (LDA), pre-collision systems, dynamic radar cruise control, road sign assist, anomaly detection / management, and similar systems. These active safety systems may acquire data from cameras or other vehicle sensors and may determine driving events (e.g., dangerous driving events) based on such data.

[0010] After detecting a driving event, the active safety system may warn the driver or automatically cause the vehicle to take a driving action based on the detected event. For example, LDA may determine that a vehicle is changing direction from its current lane and may warn the driver or alter the vehicle's trajectory to ensure it stays in its current lane. In another example, a pre-collision system may determine that a vehicle is getting too close to another vehicle or obstacle, potentially resulting in a collision. Therefore, the pre-collision system may apply the brakes to avoid a collision.

[0011] Therefore, active safety systems can improve driving behavior in many situations. Furthermore, it can be advantageous to ensure that certain active safety systems are activated before the vehicle reaches a specific driving event to which the active safety system can respond. For example, when a vehicle is approaching an icy road, it may be desirable to activate one or more safety systems before the vehicle reaches the icy road, so that the safety systems can assist the driver as soon as the vehicle reaches the icy road.

[0012] However, in other situations, certain active safety systems may be detrimental to driving behavior. For example, LTA and LDA systems may not function properly in areas where lane markings are faint or absent. If these systems are enabled in such locations, the vehicle sensors may not be able to properly detect the lane markings that the LTA and LDA systems can use to operate, which can lead to unstable driving. Therefore, in this type of situation, it may be desirable to disable one or more safety systems before the vehicle reaches a specific location containing faint or absent lane markings.

[0013] In embodiments disclosed herein, one or more vehicles operating within a specific geographical area may utilize certain active safety systems to assist driving. The vehicles may transmit data regarding the use of the active safety systems to a server. The server may receive data regarding the vehicles' use of the active safety systems, and may also receive data regarding the driving performance of the vehicles and other vehicles that may not be utilizing the specific active safety systems.

[0014] The server may use the received data to determine whether the use of a particular active safety system improves or degrades the driving performance of the vehicle using that active safety system. If the server determines that the use of a particular active safety system improves driving performance within a geographical area, the server may transmit a signal to other vehicles approaching the geographical area that may enable the particular active safety system that improves driving performance within that geographical area. Alternatively, if the server determines that the use of a particular active safety system degrades driving performance within a geographical area, the server may transmit a signal to other vehicles approaching the geographical area that may disable the particular active safety system that degrades driving performance within that geographical area. As a result, vehicles approaching the geographical area may enable or disable their active safety systems to improve driving performance once they reach the geographical area.

[0015] Here, the server learns insights into whether to enable or disable a specific active safety system within a given area, based on information obtained from data collected by the vehicles. The data collected by the vehicles may include, for example, the vehicle's speed, its location, and whether the safety system is enabled, and this information may include that vehicle A is traveling within area X with safety system J enabled, and that vehicle B is traveling within area X with safety system J disabled. Based on the learned insights, the server commands other vehicles approaching the given area to enable or disable a specific active safety system.

[0016] Referring here to the figure, Figure 1 shows a system 100 that operates an ADAS configuration with vehicle knowledge networking support. System 100 includes several vehicles 102, 104, 106, and 108 driving along a road 110. Vehicles 102, 104, and 106 are located within a geographical area 112, and vehicle 108 is approaching the geographical area 112. While the example in Figure 1 shows three vehicles located within the geographical area 112 and one vehicle located outside the geographical area 112, it should be understood that in other examples, any number of vehicles may be located within the geographical area 112, and any number of vehicles may be located outside the geographical area 112 and approaching the geographical area 112. System 100 also includes a server or telecomputing device 114.

[0017] In the example in Figure 1, one or more of vehicles 102, 104, 106, and 108 may be connected vehicles. Connected vehicles can communicate remotely with external systems (e.g., traffic management systems or other vehicles). In particular, in the example in Figure 1, connected vehicles may communicate with server 114. Each of the connected vehicles 102, 104, 106, and 108 may be an automobile or any other passenger or non-passenger vehicle, such as a land vehicle, a water vehicle, and / or an aerial vehicle. In some embodiments, one or more of the connected vehicles 102, 104, 106, and 108 may be unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones.

[0018] Server 114 may be communicatively connected to vehicles 102, 104, 106, and 108. In the example shown, server 114 comprises a cloud computing device. In some examples, server 114 may comprise roadside units (RSUs) located near the road 110. In such examples, system 100 may include any number of RSUs spaced along the road 110 so that each RSU covers a different service area. That is, when vehicles 102, 104, 106, 108, or other vehicles are driving along the road 110, the vehicles may be within the range of different RSUs at different times, in such a way that different RSUs provide receivable ranges at different locations. Therefore, when vehicles are driving along the road 110, the vehicles may be moving between the receivable range areas of different RSUs.

[0019] In other examples, server 114 could be another type of server or remote computing device and could be located remotely from road 110. In some examples, server 114 could be an edge server. In some examples, server 114 could be a mobile edge server, such as another vehicle.

[0020] In the example of Figure 1, vehicles 102, 104, and 106 may transmit data to server 114. As disclosed herein, the data transmitted from vehicles 102, 104, and 106 to server 114 may include data collected by vehicle sensors, which server 114 may use to determine the location, speed, trajectory, and other information of vehicles and other road objects located or traveling along road 110. Vehicles 102, 104, and 106 may also transmit data to server 114 indicating the activation and / or operation of active safety systems, as disclosed in further detail below.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a vehicle system 200 that may be included in one or more of the vehicles 102, 104, 106, and / or 108 of FIG. 1. The vehicle system 200 may represent a vehicle system included in an autonomous vehicle, a semi-autonomous vehicle, or a human-driven vehicle. However, in some examples, certain components of the vehicle system 200 of FIG. 2 may not be included in a particular vehicle type as disclosed herein.

[0022] In the example of FIG. 2, the vehicle system 200 includes one or more processors 202, a communication path 204, one or more memory modules 206, a satellite antenna 208, one or more vehicle sensors 210, network interface hardware 212, and a data storage component 214, the details of which are described in the following paragraphs.

[0023] Each of the one or more processors 202 can be any device capable of executing machine-readable executable instructions. Thus, each of the one or more processors 202 can be a controller, an integrated circuit, a microchip, a computer, or any other computing device. The one or more processors 202 are connected to a communication path 204 that provides an interconnection of signals among the various modules of the system. Thus, the communication path 204 can connect any number of processors 202 to communicate with each other and enable the modules connected to the communication path 204 to operate in a distributed computing environment. Specifically, each of the modules can operate as a node that can transmit and / or receive data. As used herein, the term "communicatively coupled" means that the connected components can exchange data signals, such as electrical signals via a conductive medium, electromagnetic signals via air, optical signals via an optical waveguide, and the like.

[0024] Therefore, the communication path 204 can be formed by any medium capable of transmitting signals, such as conductive wires, conductive traces, optical waveguides, or the like. In some embodiments, the communication path 204 can facilitate the transmission of wireless signals such as WiFi, Bluetooth®, Near Field Communication (NFC), and the like. Furthermore, the communication path 204 can be formed by a combination of mediums capable of transmitting signals. In one embodiment, the communication path 204 comprises a combination of conductive traces, conductive wires, connectors, and buses, which cooperate to enable the transmission of electrical data signals to components such as processors, memory, sensors, input devices, output devices, and communication devices. Therefore, the communication path 204 may comprise vehicle buses, such as LIN buses, CAN buses, VAN buses, and the like. Furthermore, it should be noted that the term “signal” means a waveform (e.g., electrical waveform, optical waveform, magnetic waveform, mechanical waveform, or electromagnetic waveform) such as DC, AC, sine wave, triangular wave, square wave, vibration, and the like, that can travel through a medium.

[0025] Vehicle system 200 includes one or more memory modules 206 connected to communication path 204. The one or more memory modules 206 can comprise a RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard drive, or any device capable of storing machine-readable executable instructions such that the machine-readable executable instructions can be accessed by one or more processors 202. The machine-readable executable instructions can comprise logic or algorithms written in any programming language of any generation (e.g., 1GL, 2GL, 3GL, 4GL, or 5GL), such as machine language that can be directly executed by a processor, or assembly language, object-oriented programming (OOP), script language, microcode, etc., that can be compiled or assembled into machine-readable executable instructions and stored in one or more memory modules 206. Alternatively, the machine-readable executable instructions can be written in a hardware description language (HDL), such as logic implemented via a field programmable gate array (FPGA) configuration or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or the equivalent thereof. Thus, the methods described herein can be implemented in any conventional computer programming language, as pre-programmed hardware elements, or as a combination of hardware and software components.

[0026] In embodiments, the memory module 206 may comprise one or more active safety systems as disclosed herein. The active safety systems may be enabled or disabled. When an active safety system is enabled, it receives sensor data and detects specific driving conditions or events (e.g., dangerous driving conditions). Different active safety systems may detect different driving conditions or events. For example, an LDA system may detect when a vehicle is deviating from its lane, and a pre-collision system may determine that a collision is likely in the near future. Upon detection of a specific driving event, the active safety system may trigger a warning to the driver, issue such a warning, and / or prompt the driver to take driving actions to address the detected driving condition. For example, when an LDA system is triggered, it may warn the driver that the vehicle is deviating from its lane. When a pre-collision system is triggered, it may apply the brakes to the vehicle to avoid a collision.

[0027] When the active safety system is disabled, the active safety system does not operate. In embodiments disclosed herein, the server 114 may transmit signals to the vehicle to enable or disable the active safety system, as will be further disclosed below. In some examples, the server 114 may transmit signals suggesting that the active safety system should be enabled or disabled. In such examples, upon receiving such signals from the server 114, the vehicle system may display a message to the driver of the vehicle indicating a suggestion to enable or disable the safety system, and the driver may decide whether to enable or disable the safety system based on the suggestion.

[0028] Still referring to Figure 2, the vehicle system 200 includes a satellite antenna 208 connected to a communication path 204 such that the communication path 204 connects the satellite antenna 208 to other modules of the vehicle system 200 in a communicative manner. The satellite antenna 208 is configured to receive signals from global positioning system satellites. Specifically, in one embodiment, the satellite antenna 208 includes one or more conductive elements that interact with electromagnetic signals transmitted by global positioning system satellites. The received signals are converted into data signals indicating the location (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the vehicle, including the satellite antenna 208 and consequently the vehicle system 200.

[0029] The vehicle system 200 comprises one or more vehicle sensors 210. Each of the one or more vehicle sensors 210 is connected to a communication path 204 and is communicably connected to one or more processors 202. The one or more vehicle sensors 210 may include, but are not limited to, LiDAR sensors, RADAR sensors, optical sensors (e.g., cameras, laser sensors), proximity sensors, location sensors (e.g., GPS modules), and the like. In embodiments, the vehicle sensors 210 may monitor the surroundings of the vehicle and detect other road objects such as other vehicles, pedestrians, obstacles, traffic signs, and the like. Data captured by the vehicle sensors 210 may be processed by the processors 202 to determine location, speed, trajectory, and other information about the vehicle and other road objects.

[0030] In the case of an autonomous vehicle, the vehicle system 200 may include an autonomous driving module, and data collected by the vehicle sensors 210 may be used by the autonomous driving module to autonomously navigate the vehicle.

[0031] Still referring to Figure 2, the vehicle system 200 includes network interface hardware 212 that makes the vehicle system 200 communicatively connected to the server 114. The network interface hardware 212 may be any device that is communicatively connected to the communication path 204 and capable of transmitting and / or receiving data over the network. Thus, the network interface hardware 212 may include a communication transceiver that transmits and / or receives any wired or wireless communication. For example, the network interface hardware 212 may include an antenna, modem, LAN port, Wi-Fi card, WiMax card, mobile communication hardware, near-field communication hardware, satellite communication hardware, and / or any wired or wireless hardware for communicating with other networks and / or devices. In one embodiment, the network interface hardware 212 includes hardware configured to operate according to the Bluetooth® wireless communication protocol.

[0032] In the embodiment, the network interface hardware 212 of the vehicle system 200 may transmit data collected by the vehicle sensor 210 to the server 114. This sensor data may include information about other vehicles on the road. The network interface hardware 212 may also transmit data about the vehicle itself (e.g., vehicle position, speed, and trajectory). The server 114 may receive the sensor data and vehicle data, as will be described in more detail below, and may determine the vehicle's driving behavior.

[0033] The network interface hardware 212 may also transmit active safety system operation data, which may contain information about the operation of one of the vehicle's many active safety systems. For example, the network interface hardware 212 may transmit information about whether an active safety system is enabled or disabled. The network interface hardware 212 may also transmit information about a specific operation of an active safety system (e.g., when an active safety system is triggered and what driving action the active safety system causes the vehicle to perform).

[0034] Referring still to Figure 2, the vehicle system 200 includes a data storage component 214. The data storage component 214 can store data used by various components of the vehicle system 200. In addition, the data storage component 214 can store data collected by the vehicle sensors 210.

[0035] In some embodiments, the vehicle system 200 may be communicatively connected to the server 114 via a network. In one embodiment, the network may include one or more computer networks (e.g., personal area network, local area network, or wide area network), a cellular network, a satellite network, and / or a global positioning system, and combinations thereof. Thus, the vehicle system 200 may be communicatively connected to a network via a wide area network, local area network, personal area network, cellular network, satellite network, etc. A suitable local area network may include wired Ethernet and / or wireless technologies, such as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi). A suitable personal area network may include wireless technologies, such as IrDA, Bluetooth®, wireless USB, Z-Wave, ZigBee®, and / or other short-range communication protocols. A suitable cellular network includes, but is not limited to, technologies such as LTE, WiMAX, UMTS, CDMA, and GSM.

[0036] Referring to Figure 3, the server 114 comprises one or more processors 302, one or more memory modules 304, network interface hardware 306, and a communication path 308. The one or more processors 302 may be a controller, integrated circuit, microchip, computer, or any other computing device. The one or more memory modules 304 may comprise RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard drive, or any other device capable of storing machine-readable executable instructions so that the machine-readable executable instructions can be accessed by the one or more processors 302.

[0037] The network interface hardware 306 may be any device that can be communicatively connected to the communication path 308 and capable of transmitting and / or receiving data over the network. Therefore, the network interface hardware 306 may include a communication transceiver that transmits and / or receives any wired or wireless communication. For example, the network interface hardware 306 may include an antenna, modem, LAN port, Wi-Fi card, WiMax card, mobile communication hardware, near-field communication hardware, satellite communication hardware, and / or any wired or wireless hardware for communicating with other networks and / or devices. In one embodiment, the network interface hardware 306 includes hardware configured to operate according to the Bluetooth® wireless communication protocol. In some examples, the network interface hardware 306 may include two different channels, including a dedicated narrow-area communication (DARC) channel and a millimeter-wave radio channel, as will be described in more detail below. The network interface hardware 306 of server 114 may transmit and receive data to and from vehicles (e.g., vehicles 102, 104, 106, and 108 in Figure 1).

[0038] One or more memory modules 304 include a database 310, a vehicle data receiving module 312, an active safety system data receiving module 314, an active safety system usefulness determination module 316, an anomaly detection module 318, and an active safety system transmission module 320. Each of the database 310, vehicle data receiving module 312, active safety system data receiving module 314, active safety system usefulness determination module 316, anomaly detection module 318, and active safety system transmission module 320 may be a program module in the form of an operating system, an application program module, and other program modules stored in one or more memory modules 304. In some embodiments, the program modules may be stored in a remote storage device that can communicate with a server 114. In some embodiments, one or more of the database 310, vehicle data receiving module 312, active safety system data receiving module 314, active safety system usefulness determination module 316, anomaly detection module 318, and active safety system transmission module 320 may be stored in one or more memory modules 206 of the vehicle system 200 of the vehicle. Such program modules may include, but are not limited to, routines, subroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like to perform specific tasks or execute specific data types, as described below.

[0039] The database 310 may temporarily store sensor data and / or active safety system operation data received from the vehicles (for example, vehicles 102, 104, and 106 in Figure 1). The database 310 may also store other data that may be used by the memory module 304 and / or other components of the server 114.

[0040] The vehicle data receiving module 312 may receive sensor data from one or more connected vehicles (for example, vehicles 102, 104, and 106 in Figure 1). In particular, the vehicle data receiving module 312 may receive sensor data captured by connected vehicles that may indicate location, speed, trajectory, and / or other information about the vehicle or road operating entity. Thus, the server 114 may analyze the driving performance of connected vehicles and other vehicles on the road based on the received sensor data, as will be disclosed in more detail below.

[0041] The active safety system data receiving module 314 may receive data regarding the use of active safety systems in the vehicle from one or more connected vehicles (for example, vehicles 102, 104, and 106 in Figure 1). The data received by the active safety system data receiving module 314 may include details about whether a particular active safety system is enabled or disabled, and how the active safety system operates. For example, the active safety system data receiving module 314 may receive data indicating when a particular active safety system is triggered and, when triggered, what driving actions the active safety system causes the vehicle to perform. The server 114 may use the data received by the vehicle data receiving module 312 and the active safety system data receiving module 314, as will be described in more detail below, to determine whether the vehicle's driving performance is improved or degraded by the use of the active safety system.

[0042] The active safety system usefulness determination module 316 can determine, as disclosed herein, whether the driving performance of one or more vehicles is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system within a specific geographical area. As described above, the vehicle data receiving module 312 can receive sensor data from connected vehicles that may indicate the driving behavior of the vehicles within a specific geographical area. The data received by the vehicle data receiving module 312 may indicate the driving behavior of both connected and unconnected vehicles.

[0043] Furthermore, as described above, the active safety system data receiving module 314 can receive data regarding the use of the active safety system by one or more connected vehicles. Therefore, the data received by the active safety system data receiving module 314 may indicate which vehicles in a particular geographical area enable a particular active safety system, and which vehicles in the same geographical area disable a particular active safety system.

[0044] Neither the vehicle data receiving module 312 nor the active safety system data receiving module 314 receives data from unconnected vehicles. However, the sensor data received by the vehicle data receiving module 312 may include sensor data related to unconnected vehicles that are captured by connected vehicles. Therefore, the data received by the vehicle data receiving module 312 may indicate the driving behavior of unconnected vehicles. In some examples, it is assumed that unconnected vehicles do not have any active safety systems. Therefore, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 can compare the driving performance of vehicles with certain active safety systems enabled and vehicles without active safety systems enabled (either connected or unconnected vehicles with active safety systems disabled) within a specific geographical area, as disclosed herein.

[0045] Based on the data received by the vehicle data receiving module 312 and the data received by the active safety system data receiving module 314, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 may determine whether the vehicle's driving performance is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system within a specific geographical area. For example, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 may determine whether a vehicle that has the active safety system enabled or disabled exhibits abnormal driving behavior within a geographical area.

[0046] If a vehicle with an active safety system enabled within a geographical area exhibits abnormal driving behavior within that geographical area, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 may determine that the use of the active safety system within the geographical area degrades driving performance. For example, Figure 4 shows two vehicles 402 and 404 driving within a geographical area 400. In the example in Figure 4, vehicles 402 and 404 enable the lane tracing assist system and the lane departure alert system. However, in the example in Figure 4, some lane markers are missing within the geographical area 400. Therefore, vehicles 402 and 404 exhibit abnormal driving behavior (e.g., lane departure behavior) because the LTA system and LDA system cannot track the lane markers.

[0047] In the example in Figure 4, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 may analyze the trajectories of vehicles 402 and 404 based on data received by the vehicle data receiving module 312. In some examples, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 may use machine learning and / or time series analysis to analyze the vehicle trajectories. Based on the analysis of the vehicle trajectories, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 may determine that the vehicle is exhibiting abnormal driving behavior. Therefore, in the example in Figure 4, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 may determine that the use of the LTA system and LDA system degrades driving performance within the geographical area 400.

[0048] Alternatively, if a vehicle exhibits abnormal driving behavior within a geographical area where the active safety system is disabled, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 may determine that using the active safety system within the geographical area improves driving performance. For example, a driver may lose their attention within a certain geographical area and tend to exhibit abnormal driving behavior without assistance from the active safety system.

[0049] The active safety system usefulness determination module 316 can use various technologies to determine whether the vehicle is exhibiting abnormal driving behavior. For example, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 can determine how well the vehicle is staying centered within its lane, or how well the vehicle's speed remains constant.

[0050] In some cases, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 may compare the driving performance of a vehicle in a geographical area where a particular active safety system is enabled with the driving performance of the vehicle in the same geographical area where the same active safety system is disabled. If the driving performance of the vehicle with the active safety system enabled is better than that of the vehicle with the active safety system disabled, it may be determined that the driving performance in the geographical area is improved by using the active safety system. Alternatively, if the driving performance of the vehicle with the active safety system disabled is better than that of the vehicle with the active safety system enabled, it may be determined that the driving performance in the geographical area is reduced by using the active safety system.

[0051] Referring back to Figure 3, the anomaly detection module 318 can detect anomalies based on data received by the vehicle data receiving module 312 and data received by the active safety system data receiving module 314. Anomalies can be external or internal. External anomalies are those caused by road or environmental conditions, such as potholes, lane closures, or bad weather. Internal anomalies are those caused by driving behavior, such as drunk driving or inattentive driving. Anomalies can adversely affect driving conditions and reduce driving performance. Therefore, anomaly detection can enable drivers approaching an anomaly to take preventive measures to mitigate its effects.

[0052] The anomaly detection module 318 can detect anomalies by analyzing the vehicle's driving behavior based on data received by the vehicle data receiving module 312 and by analyzing the operation of the active safety system based on data received by the active safety system data receiving module 314. For example, Figure 5 shows a geographical area 500 along a road containing a pothole 510. In the example of Figure 5, the anomaly detection module 318 can detect that a vehicle that activates the pre-collision system when driving within the geographical area 500 typically triggers the pre-collision system and makes a lane change immediately after the pre-collision system is triggered and just before reaching the location of the pothole 510. Thus, the anomaly detection module 318 can determine that an external anomaly is present at the location of the pothole 510.

[0053] In other examples, the anomaly detection module 318 may use machine learning, time series analysis, and / or clustering algorithms to detect anomalies based on data received by the vehicle data receiving module 312 and data received by the active safety system data receiving module 314. In some examples, the anomaly detection module 318 may detect patterns of vehicle behavior (e.g., the lane change behavior described above) and identify and classify anomalies (e.g., external or internal) based on any detected pattern.

[0054] Referring back to Figure 3, the active safety system transmission module 320 may transmit signals to one or more vehicles to enable or disable the vehicle's active safety system based on decisions made by the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 and / or anomaly detection module 318, as disclosed herein.

[0055] If the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 determines that the use of a particular active safety system improves driving performance within a geographical area, the active safety system transmission module 320 may transmit a signal to a vehicle approaching that geographical area to enable that particular active safety system. For example, in the example of Figure 1, if the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 determines that driving performance improves within geographical area 112 by using lane tracing assist, the active safety system transmission module 320 may transmit a signal to vehicle 108 approaching geographical area 112 to enable its lane tracing assist system.

[0056] If the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 determines that the use of a particular active safety system will degrade driving performance within a geographical area, the active safety system transmission module 320 may transmit a signal to a vehicle approaching that geographical area to disable that particular active safety system. For example, in the example of Figure 1, if the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 determines that driving performance will be degraded within geographical area 112 due to the use of lane departure alert, the active safety system transmission module 320 may transmit a signal to vehicle 108 approaching geographical area 112 to disable its lane departure alert system.

[0057] If the anomaly detection module 318 detects an anomaly within a geographical area, the active safety system transmission module 320 may transmit a signal to a vehicle approaching the geographical area to activate a specific active safety system that may be most helpful in navigating the vehicle and / or avoiding the anomaly. The specific active safety system to be activated may be based on the classification of the anomaly determined by the anomaly detection module 318. For example, in the example of Figure 1, if the anomaly detection module 318 determines that an external anomaly is present within the geographical area 112, the active safety system transmission module 320 may transmit a signal to the vehicle 108 approaching the geographical area 112 to activate the pre-collision system and / or anomaly detection system.

[0058] In the examples shown, the active safety system transmitter module 320 may transmit signals to the vehicle to enable or disable a specific active safety system of the vehicle. However, in some examples, the active safety system transmitter module 320 may transmit signals to the vehicle to display a message or warning suggesting that a specific active safety system of the vehicle should be enabled or disabled, or otherwise to communicate to the driver of the vehicle. In such examples, the driver may decide whether to manually enable or disable the suggested active safety system.

[0059] Figure 6 shows a flowchart illustrating how the server 114 may be implemented to configure an ADAS with vehicle knowledge networking support. In step 600, the active safety system data receiving module 314 receives active safety system operation data from one or more connected vehicles within a geographical area. The active safety system operation data may indicate which active safety systems are enabled and disabled in the connected vehicle, when an enabled safety system is triggered, and what driving actions the active safety system causes the vehicle to perform when it is triggered.

[0060] In step 602, the vehicle data receiving module 312 receives vehicle sensor data from one or more connected vehicles within the geographical area. The vehicle sensor data may include data collected by sensors of one or more connected vehicles within the geographical area. The vehicle sensor data may indicate location, speed, trajectory, and other information about connected and unconnected vehicles within the geographical area.

[0061] In step 604, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 determines whether the use of the active safety system improves driving performance within a geographical area. In some examples, this determination may be made by determining whether a vehicle without the active safety system exhibits abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area. In some examples, this determination may be made by comparing the driving behavior of a vehicle utilizing the active safety system within the geographical area with the driving behavior of a vehicle not utilizing the active safety system within the geographical area.

[0062] If the Active Safety System Usefulness Determination Module 316 determines that the use of the Active Safety System within the geographical area improves driving performance (yes, in step 604), control proceeds to step 606. In step 606, the Active Safety System Transmission Module 320 transmits a signal to the connected vehicle that is approaching the geographical area to enable the Active Safety System.

[0063] If the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 determines that the use of the active safety system within the geographical area does not improve driving performance (no in step 604), the control proceeds to step 608. In step 608, the active safety system usefulness determination module 316 determines whether the use of the active safety system degrades driving performance within the geographical area. In some examples, this determination may be made by determining whether a vehicle using the active safety system exhibits abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area. In some examples, this determination may be made by comparing the driving behavior of a vehicle using the active safety system within the geographical area with the driving behavior of a vehicle not using the active safety system within the geographical area.

[0064] If the Active Safety System Usefulness Determination Module 316 determines that the use of the Active Safety System within the geographical area would degrade driving performance (yes, in step 608), the control proceeds to step 610. In step 610, the Active Safety System Transmission Module 320 transmits a signal to the connected vehicle that is approaching the geographical area to disable the Active Safety System.

[0065] If the Active Safety System Usefulness Determination Module 316 determines that the use of the active safety system within the geographical area will not degrade driving performance (No in step 608), the method in Figure 6 ends. That is, if the Active Safety System Usefulness Determination Module 316 determines that the use of the active safety system within the geographical area will neither improve nor degrade driving performance, the Active Safety System Transmission Module 320 may transmit a signal to the vehicle approaching the geographical area to enable or disable the active safety system.

[0066] It should be understood here that the embodiments described herein pertain to ADAS configurations supported by vehicle knowledge networking. In the embodiments, multiple connected vehicles may drive along roads within a specific geographical area. The connected vehicles may transmit sensor data and active safety system operation data to a server. Sensor data may represent driving data about the vehicle, and active safety system operation data may represent data regarding the activation, deactivation, and use of one or more active safety systems.

[0067] The server may receive sensor data and active safety system operation data. Based on the sensor data and active safety system operation data, the server may determine whether driving performance is improved or worsened by the use of a particular active safety system within a geographical area. If the use of an active safety system improves driving performance within a geographical area, the server may signal a connected vehicle approaching the geographical area to enable the active safety system. If the use of an active safety system worsens driving performance within a geographical area, the server may signal a connected vehicle approaching the geographical area to disable the active safety system. Thus, a vehicle approaching a geographical area may enable or disable its active safety system to make the vehicle best prepared to deal with the driving conditions within that geographical area.

[0068] It should be noted that the terms “substantial” and “approximately” may be used herein to describe the degree of inherent uncertainty that may arise from any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other expression. These terms are also used herein to describe the extent to which quantitative expressions may deviate from the stated criteria without altering the fundamental function of the subject matter in question.

[0069] While specific embodiments are shown and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter are described herein, these aspects do not need to be used in combination. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to encompass all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the claimed subject matter. The inventions disclosed herein include the following embodiments: [Aspect 1] Receiving first data from one or more vehicles within a geographical area, wherein the first data indicates the operation of an active safety system by at least one of the one or more vehicles, Receiving second data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the aforementioned geographical area, Based on the first data and the second data, determine whether the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the geographical area is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system. Based on the above decision, a signal is transmitted to the vehicle approaching the geographical area to cause the vehicle to enable or disable the active safety system, Methods that include... [Aspect 2] The method according to embodiment 1, further comprising determining that the driving performance of one or more of the vehicles is improved by using the active safety system, and transmitting the signal to the vehicle approaching the geographical area to enable the active safety system to the vehicle approaching the geographical area. [Aspect 3] The method according to embodiment 1, further comprising determining that the driving performance of one or more of the vehicles is reduced by the use of the active safety system, transmitting the signal to the vehicles approaching the geographical area to cause them to disable the active safety system. [Aspect 4] The method according to embodiment 1, wherein the second data includes a track for one or more vehicles. [Aspect 5] The method according to embodiment 1, further comprising identifying anomalies based on the first data and the second data. [Aspect 6] The method according to embodiment 5, further comprising using a clustering algorithm to identify the anomaly. [Aspect 7] Receiving third data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles of a first set that operate the active safety system within the geographical area, Receiving fourth data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles in a second set in which the active safety system is not operated within the geographical area, Based on a comparison between the third data and the fourth data, it is determined whether the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system. The method according to embodiment 1, further comprising: [Aspect 8] To determine whether one or more vehicles in the first set or one or more vehicles in the second set are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, Based on the determination of whether one or more vehicles in the first set or one or more vehicles in the second set exhibit abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, a determination is made as to whether the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system. The method according to embodiment 7, further comprising: [Aspect 9] The method according to embodiment 8, further comprising determining that, upon determining that one or more vehicles of the first set are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is reduced by the use of the active safety system. [Aspect 10] The method according to embodiment 8, further comprising determining that, upon determining that one or more of the second set of vehicles are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is improved by using the active safety system. [Aspect 11] The system receives first data from one or more vehicles within a geographical area, and the first data indicates the operation of an active safety system by at least one of the one or more vehicles. Receiving second data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the aforementioned geographical area, Based on the first data and the second data, it is determined whether the driving performance of the one or more vehicles within the geographical area is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system. Based on the above decision, a signal is transmitted to the vehicle approaching the geographical area to cause the vehicle to enable or disable the active safety system. A remote computing device equipped with a controller configured as follows. [Aspect 12] The remote computing device according to embodiment 11, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the signal to the vehicle approaching the geographical area so as to enable the active safety system to the vehicle approaching the geographical area when it determines that the driving performance of one or more vehicles is improved by using the active safety system. [Aspect 13] The remote computing device according to embodiment 11, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the signal to the vehicle approaching the geographical area so that the vehicle approaching the geographical area will disable the active safety system when it determines that the driving performance of one or more vehicles is reduced by the use of the active safety system. [Aspect 14] The remote computing device according to embodiment 11, wherein the controller is further configured to identify anomalies based on the first data and the second data. [Aspect 15] The remote computing device according to embodiment 14, wherein the controller is further configured to identify the anomaly using a clustering algorithm. [Aspect 16] The aforementioned controller further, A third data is received indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles of a first set that operate the active safety system within the aforementioned geographical area. A fourth set of data is received that indicates the driving performance of one or more vehicles in a second set in which the active safety system is not operated within the aforementioned geographical area. A remote computing device according to embodiment 11, configured to determine whether the driving performance of one or more vehicles is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system, based on a comparison between the third data and the fourth data. [Aspect 17] The aforementioned controller further, Determine whether one or more vehicles in the first set or one or more vehicles in the second set are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area. A remote computing device according to embodiment 16, configured to determine whether the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system, based on the determination of whether the one or more vehicles in the first set or the one or more vehicles in the second set exhibit abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area. [Aspect 18] The remote computing device according to embodiment 17, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that, when it determines that one or more of the first set of vehicles are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is reduced by the use of the active safety system. [Aspect 19] The remote computing device according to embodiment 17, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that, when it determines that one or more of the second set of vehicles are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, the driving performance of the one or more vehicles will be improved by using the active safety system. [Aspect 20] Vehicle systems for vehicles located within a geographical area, Remote computing devices and A system equipped with, The aforementioned vehicle system One or more vehicle sensors that collect sensor data relating to road-moving entities around the vehicle, A controller configured to transmit the sensor data and data associated with the operation of one or more active safety systems of the vehicle to the remote computing device, Equipped with, The remote computing device is The vehicle system receives the aforementioned sensor data and the data associated with the operation of one or more of the vehicle's active safety systems. Based on the sensor data and the data associated with the operation of one or more active safety systems of the vehicle, it is determined whether the driving performance of the vehicle within the geographical area is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety systems. A system configured to transmit a signal to another vehicle approaching the geographical area, causing that vehicle to enable or disable the active safety system, based on the aforementioned determination.

Claims

1. Receiving first data from one or more vehicles within a geographical area, wherein the first data indicates the operation of an active safety system by at least one of the one or more vehicles, Receiving second data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the aforementioned geographical area, Based on the first data and the second data, determine whether the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the geographical area is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system. Based on the above decision, a signal is transmitted to the vehicle approaching the geographical area to cause the vehicle to enable or disable the active safety system. Includes, The second data is a method comprising the track of one or more vehicles.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining that the driving performance of one or more of the vehicles is improved by using the active safety system, transmitting the signal to the vehicles approaching the geographical area to cause the vehicles approaching the geographical area to activate the active safety system.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining that the driving performance of one or more of the vehicles is reduced by the use of the active safety system, transmitting the signal to the vehicles approaching the geographical area to cause them to disable the active safety system.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying an anomaly based on the first data and the second data.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising identifying the anomaly using a clustering algorithm.

6. Receiving first data from one or more vehicles within a geographical area, wherein the first data indicates the operation of an active safety system by at least one of the one or more vehicles, Receiving second data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the aforementioned geographical area, Based on the first data and the second data, determine whether the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the geographical area is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system. Based on the above decision, a signal is transmitted to the vehicle approaching the geographical area to cause the vehicle to enable or disable the active safety system. Includes, Receiving third data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles of a first set that operate the active safety system within the geographical area, Receiving fourth data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles in a second set in which the active safety system is not operated within the geographical area, Based on a comparison between the third data and the fourth data, it is determined whether the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system. Methods that further include the above.

7. To determine whether one or more vehicles in the first set or one or more vehicles in the second set are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, Based on the determination of whether one or more vehicles in the first set or one or more vehicles in the second set exhibit abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, a determination is made as to whether the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising determining that, upon determining that one or more vehicles of the first set are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is reduced by the use of the active safety system.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising determining that, upon determining that one or more vehicles of the second set are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is improved by using the active safety system.

10. The system receives first data from one or more vehicles within a geographical area, and the first data indicates the operation of an active safety system by at least one of the one or more vehicles. Receiving second data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the aforementioned geographical area, Based on the first data and the second data, it is determined whether the driving performance of one or more vehicles within the geographical area is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system. Based on the above decision, a signal is transmitted to the vehicle approaching the geographical area to cause the vehicle to enable or disable the active safety system. A controller configured as follows: The aforementioned controller further, Third data indicating the driving performance of one or more vehicles of a first set operating the active safety system within the geographical area is received. A fourth set of data is received that indicates the driving performance of one or more vehicles in a second set in which the active safety system is not operated within the aforementioned geographical area. Based on a comparison between the third data and the fourth data, the system is configured to determine whether the driving performance of one or more vehicles is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system. Remote computing device.

11. The remote computing device according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the signal to the vehicle approaching the geographical area so as to activate the active safety system to the vehicle approaching the geographical area when it determines that the driving performance of one or more vehicles is improved by using the active safety system.

12. The remote computing device according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the signal to the vehicle approaching the geographical area so that the vehicle approaching the geographical area will disable the active safety system when it determines that the driving performance of one or more vehicles is reduced by the use of the active safety system.

13. The remote computing device according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to identify anomalies based on the first data and the second data.

14. The remote computing device according to claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to identify the anomaly using a clustering algorithm.

15. The aforementioned controller further, Determine whether one or more vehicles in the first set or one or more vehicles in the second set are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area. The remote computing device according to claim 10, configured to determine whether the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is improved or deteriorated by the use of the active safety system, based on the determination of whether the one or more vehicles in the first set or the one or more vehicles in the second set exhibit abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area.

16. The remote computing device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that, when it determines that one or more of the first set of vehicles are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, the driving performance of the one or more vehicles is reduced by the use of the active safety system.

17. The remote computing device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that, when it determines that one or more of the second set of vehicles are exhibiting abnormal driving behavior within the geographical area, the driving performance of the one or more vehicles will be improved by using the active safety system.

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