US-12617422-B2 - Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for prioritizing a plurality of maneuver messages

US12617422B2US 12617422 B2US12617422 B2US 12617422B2US-12617422-B2

Abstract

An ego vehicle includes a controller configured to receive a plurality of maneuver messages from a plurality of connected vehicles. The maneuver messages include maneuvers to be performed by the plurality of connected vehicles. The controller determines degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, determines priorities of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, and determines whether to accept one or more of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the determined priorities.

Inventors

HAO M. WANG
Sergei S. Avedisov
Yashar Zeiynali Farid
Onur Altintas

Assignees

TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230203

Claims (19)

1 . An ego vehicle comprising: a controller configured to: receive a plurality of maneuver messages transmitted from a plurality of connected vehicles to the ego vehicle, the maneuver messages including maneuvers to be performed by the plurality of connected vehicles; determine degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, wherein the degrees of criticality include degrees of conflict caused by the maneuvers, and the degrees of conflict are charted by the controller on a conflict chart which comprises a Cartesian chart having a no-conflict domain, an uncertain domain, and a conflict domain, each of which is plotted against a front gap between the ego vehicle and a first connected vehicle on a first axis and against a rear gap between the ego vehicle and a second connected vehicle on a second axis; determine priorities of the plurality of maneuver messages based on a relative positioning of the degrees of conflict of the maneuvers on the conflict chart; determine whether to accept one or more of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the determined priorities; and control the ego vehicle to perform a cooperative maneuver upon accepting the one or more of the plurality of maneuver messages.
2 . The ego vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that a position of a first connected vehicle is in the no-conflict domain and a position of a second connected vehicle is in the uncertain domain or the conflict domain, the controller is configured to determine that a maneuver message from the first connected vehicle has higher priority than a maneuver message from the second connected vehicle.
3 . The ego vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that a position of a first connected vehicle and a position of a second connected vehicle are in the uncertain domain, the controller is configured to determine the priorities of a maneuver message from the first connected vehicle and a maneuver message from the second connected vehicle based on a shortest distance between the position of the first connected vehicle in the conflict chart and the no-conflict domain and a shortest distance between the position of the second connected vehicle in the conflict chart and the no-conflict domain.
4 . The ego vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the degrees of criticality for the maneuvers further include a plurality of benefit values related to performing the maneuvers.
5 . The ego vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the priorities of the plurality of maneuver messages to maximize sum of the benefit values of the ego vehicle, the plurality of connected vehicles, unconnected vehicles, or combinations thereof.
6 . The ego vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the benefit values include comfort aspects, time efficiency aspects, energy efficiency, or combinations thereof.
7 . The ego vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to: set a predetermined time period of receiving maneuver messages; and stop receiving additional maneuver messages or shorten the predetermined time period of receiving maneuver messages in response to receiving an emergency maneuver message from one of the plurality of maneuver messages during the predetermined time period.
8 . The ego vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to extend the predetermined time period for receiving maneuver messages in response to determining that no emergency maneuver message is received during the predetermined time period.
9 . The ego vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of maneuver messages comprise a mandatory maneuver message and a discretionary maneuver message, and wherein the mandatory maneuver message has higher priority than the discretionary maneuver message.
10 . The ego vehicle according to claim 1 , the controller is further configured to transmit acceptance messages, denial messages, or both to the plurality of connected vehicles.
11 . The ego vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the acceptance messages, the denial messages, or both include maneuver information about the maneuvers to be performed by one or more of the plurality of connected vehicles.
12 . The ego vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of maneuver messages comprises a first message from the first connected vehicle and a second message from the second connected vehicle, and the cooperative maneuver is performed upon accepting both the first and second messages.
13 . A method for prioritizing a plurality of maneuver messages, the method comprising: receiving at an ego vehicle the plurality of maneuver messages transmitted from a plurality of connected vehicles, wherein the maneuver messages include maneuvers to be performed by the plurality of connected vehicles; determining, by a controller, degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, wherein the degrees of criticality include degrees of conflict caused by the maneuvers, and the degrees of conflict are charted by the controller on a conflict chart which comprises Cartesian chart having a no-conflict domain, an uncertain domain, and a conflict domain, each of which is plotted against a front gap between the ego vehicle and a first connected vehicle on a first axis and against a rear gap between the ego vehicle and a second connected vehicle on a second axis; determining priorities of the plurality of maneuver messages based on a relative positioning of the degrees of conflict of the maneuvers on the conflict chart; determining whether to accept one or more of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the determined priorities; and controlling, by the controller, the ego vehicle to perform a cooperative maneuver upon accepting the one or more of the plurality of maneuver messages.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising: in response to determining that the position of a first connected vehicle is in the no-conflict domain and the position of a second connected vehicle is in the uncertain domain or the conflict domain, determining that a maneuver message from the first connected vehicle has higher priority than a maneuver message from the second connected vehicle.
15 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the degrees of criticality for the maneuvers further include a plurality of benefit values related to performing the maneuvers.
16 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of maneuver messages comprise a mandatory maneuver message and a discretionary maneuver message, and wherein the mandatory maneuver message has higher priority than the discretionary maneuver message.
17 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of maneuver messages comprises a first message from the first connected vehicle and a second message from the second connected vehicle, and the cooperative maneuver is performed upon accepting both the first and second messages.
18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a controller, causes the controller to: receive at an ego vehicle a plurality of maneuver messages transmitted from a plurality of connected vehicles, wherein the maneuver messages include maneuvers to be performed by the plurality of connected vehicles; determine degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, wherein the degrees of criticality include degrees of conflict caused by the maneuvers, and the degrees of conflict are charted by the controller on a conflict chart which comprises Cartesian chart having a no-conflict domain, an uncertain domain, and a conflict domain, each of which is plotted against a front gap between the ego vehicle and a first connected vehicle on a first axis and against a rear gap between the ego vehicle and a second connected vehicle on a second axis; determine priorities of the plurality of maneuver messages based on a relative positioning of the degrees of conflict of the maneuvers on the conflict chart; determine whether to accept one or more of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the determined priorities; and control the ego vehicle to perform a cooperative maneuver upon accepting the one or more of the plurality of maneuver messages.
19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , wherein the plurality of maneuver messages comprises a first message from the first connected vehicle and a second message from the second connected vehicle, and the cooperative maneuver is performed upon accepting both the first and second messages.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable mediums for prioritizing a plurality of maneuver messages. BACKGROUND Cooperative maneuvering may involve multiple connected vehicles simultaneously performing a task such as a cooperative merge, a lane change, or an unsignalized intersection crossing. These connected vehicles may use wireless communication, such as V2V communication, to come to an agreement. This agreement may be referred to as a maneuver message. The decentralized cooperative maneuver usually begins with the initiating connected vehicle sending a request for cooperation with an ego vehicle by means of a request maneuver message. In an environment with multiple connected vehicles, an ego vehicle may receive requests to participate in two or more separate cooperative maneuvers from two or more separate connected vehicles. In that case, the ego vehicle may have several choices. First, the ego vehicle may cooperate with both initiating connected vehicles to satisfy both vehicles' requests. Second, the ego vehicle may select an initiating connected vehicle out of the requesting initiating connected vehicles to prioritize the requested cooperative maneuver and cooperate with the selected initiating connected vehicles. Other connected vehicles' requests get rejected. Third, the ego vehicle may reject all requested maneuvers. However, conventional systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable mediums including standardization bodies do not provide how to leverage multiple cooperative maneuvers. Accordingly, a need exists for systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable mediums that prioritize a plurality of maneuver messages to provide effective implementation of agreement seeking cooperation using maneuver messages. SUMMARY The present disclosure provides systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable mediums for prioritizing a plurality of maneuver messages by determining degrees of criticality for maneuvers. With determination of degrees of criticality for maneuvers, the systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable mediums prioritize plurality of maneuver messages and provide effective implementation of agreement seeking cooperation using maneuver messages, thereby avoiding an undesirable situation. In one or more embodiments, an ego vehicle includes a controller configured to receive a plurality of maneuver messages from a plurality of connected vehicles, the maneuver messages including maneuvers to be performed by the plurality of connected vehicles, determine degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, determine priorities of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, and determine whether to accept one or more of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the determined priorities. In another embodiment, a method for prioritizing a plurality of maneuver messages includes receiving a plurality of maneuver messages from a plurality of connected vehicles the maneuver messages including maneuvers to be performed by the plurality of connected vehicles, determining degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, determining priorities of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, and determining whether to accept one or more of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the determined priorities. In yet another embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium for prioritizing a plurality of maneuver messages that, when executed by a controller, causes the controller to receive a plurality of maneuver messages from a plurality of connected vehicles the maneuver messages including maneuvers to be performed by the plurality of connected vehicles, determine degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, determine priorities of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the degrees of criticality for the maneuvers, and determine whether to accept one or more of the plurality of maneuver messages based on the determined priorities. These and additional features provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present disclosure can be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which: FIGS. 1A-1D schematically depict an exemplary embodiment of prioritizing a plurality of maneuver messages including lane exchanges on a three-lane highway, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; FIG. 2 depicts a schematic diagram of a system for prioritizing a plurality of maneuver messages, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart for a method of prioritizing a