US-12617423-B2 - System and method of driver assistance for predictive navigation

US12617423B2US 12617423 B2US12617423 B2US 12617423B2US-12617423-B2

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for enabling a first vehicle to receive navigational information about the next navigational steps for one or more nearby vehicles. The first vehicle is identified, and one or more nearby vehicles are determined. The next navigational step for each of the nearby vehicles is determined, and provided to the first vehicle. The first vehicle then presents an indication of the next navigational steps for each of the nearby vehicles.

Inventors

Serhad Doken

Assignees

ADEIA GUIDES INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230821

Claims (20)

1 . A method comprising: determining, by a navigation server, a first vehicle navigating according to first navigational instructions, the navigational instructions comprising one or more navigational steps; receiving, by the navigation server, from the first vehicle via a communication network, a request for data corresponding to at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; identifying, by the navigation server, based at least in part on the request received from the first vehicle, the at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; determining, by the navigation server, a plurality of next navigational steps for the at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle, wherein both the first vehicle and the at least one target vehicle are in communication with the navigation server; providing, to the first vehicle via the communication network, an immediate next navigational step of the plurality of next navigational steps for the at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; causing to be provided via a user interface associated with the first vehicle, an indication of the immediate next navigational step of the plurality of next navigational steps for the at least one target vehicle; and causing the first vehicle to adjust a driving behavior based on the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle comprises: determining, by the navigation server, a location of the first vehicle; determining, by the navigation server, a set of vehicles that are (a) within a first distance of the location of the first vehicle and (b) travelling in the same direction as the first vehicle; and selecting, by the navigation server, the set of vehicles as the at least one target vehicle.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the at least one target vehicle further comprises: determining, by the navigation server, an immediate next navigational step for the first vehicle; determining, by the navigation server, a set of vehicles that have the same immediate next navigational step as the first vehicle; and selecting, by the navigation server, the set of vehicles as the at least one target vehicle.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the indication of the immediate next navigational step for each of the at least one target vehicle comprises an arrow overlaid on a map, wherein the method further comprises: generating, by the navigation server, for presentation via the user interface corresponding to the first vehicle, visual indicators for each of the at least one target vehicles.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the at least one target vehicle comprises: receiving, from the first vehicle via the communication network, sensor data captured by a sensor of the first vehicle and corresponding to a set of vehicles proximate to the first vehicle; identifying, by the navigation server, the set of vehicles based on the sensor data captured by the first vehicle; and selecting, by the navigation server, as the at least one target vehicle, the identified set of vehicles.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle comprises a visual identification of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle, and wherein the visual identification comprises, for each respective target vehicle of the at least one target vehicle a respective arrow overlaid on a map in a position corresponding to the respective target vehicle.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle comprises a visual identification of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle, the method further comprising: causing to be provided via the user interface associated with the first vehicle, for each respective target vehicle of the at least one target vehicle, a line overlaid on a map extending from a current location of the respective target vehicle to a next expected turn of the respective target vehicle.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle comprises a visual identification of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle, the method further comprising, for each respective target vehicle of the at least one target vehicle: removing the visual identification of the immediate next navigational step in response to the respective target vehicle travelling beyond a threshold distance from the first vehicle.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, via the communication network, a query from the first vehicle, the query corresponding to a second vehicle; identifying, by the navigation server, the second vehicle based on sensor data from a sensor of the first vehicle; determining, by the navigation server, an immediate next navigational step of the second vehicle; and transmitting, via the communication network, the immediate next navigational step of the second vehicle to the first vehicle.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle is operable in an autonomous mode, the method further comprising: modifying a speed of the first vehicle based on the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle is operable in an autonomous mode, the method further comprising: modifying one or more of an inter-vehicle distance, braking distance, cruise control setting, or lane position of the first vehicle based on the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining, by the navigation server, a probability that the at least one target vehicle is likely to follow the immediate next navigational step based on a navigation history of the at least one target vehicle; and in response to determining that the probability is greater than a threshold: providing, to the first vehicle via the communication network, the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; and causing to be provided via the user interface associated with the first vehicle, the indication of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle.
13 . A system comprising: control circuitry configured to: determine, by a navigation server, a first vehicle navigating according to first navigational instructions, the navigational instructions comprising one or more navigational steps; receive, by the navigation server, from the first vehicle via a communication network, a request for data corresponding to at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; identify, by the navigation server based at least in part on the request received from the first vehicle, the at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; and determine, by the navigation server, a plurality of next navigational steps for the at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle, wherein both the first vehicle and the at least one target vehicle are in communication with the navigation server; and input/output circuitry configured to: provide, to the first vehicle via the communication network, an immediate next navigational step of the plurality of next navigational steps for the at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle; cause to be provided via a user interface associated with the first vehicle, an indication of the immediate next navigational step of the plurality of next navigational steps for the at least one target vehicle; and cause the first vehicle to adjust a driving behavior based on the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to identify the at least one target vehicle proximate to the first vehicle by: determining, by the navigation server, a location of the first vehicle; determining, by the navigation server, a set of vehicles that are (a) within a first distance of the location of the first vehicle and (b) travelling in the same direction as the first vehicle; and selecting, by the navigation server, the set of vehicles as the at least one target vehicle.
15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to identify the at least one target vehicle by: determining, by the navigation server, an immediate next navigational step for the first vehicle; determining, by the navigation server, a set of vehicles that have the same immediate next navigational step as the first vehicle; and selecting, by the navigation server, the set of vehicles as the at least one target vehicle.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the indication of the immediate next navigational step for each of the at least one target vehicle comprises an arrow overlaid on a map, wherein the input/output circuitry is further configured to: generate, by the navigation server, for presentation via the user interface corresponding to the first vehicle, visual indicators for each of the at least one target vehicles.
17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to identify the at least one target vehicle by: receiving, from the first vehicle via the communication network, sensor data captured by a sensor of the first vehicle and corresponding to a set of vehicles proximate to the first vehicle; identifying, by the navigation server, the set of vehicles based on the sensor data captured by the first vehicle; and selecting, by the navigation server, as the at least one target vehicle, the identified set of vehicles.
18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the indication of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle comprises a visual identification of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle, and wherein the visual identification comprises, for each respective target vehicle of the at least one target vehicle a respective arrow overlaid on a map in a position corresponding to the respective target vehicle.
19 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the indication of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle comprises a visual identification of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle, and wherein the input/output circuitry is further configured to: cause to be provided via the user interface associated with the first vehicle, for each respective target vehicle of the at least one target vehicle, a line overlaid on a map extending from a current location of the respective target vehicle to a next expected turn of the respective target vehicle.
20 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the indication of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle comprises a visual identification of the immediate next navigational step for the at least one target vehicle, and wherein the input/output circuitry is further configured to, for each respective target vehicle of the at least one target vehicle: cause to be removed the visual identification of the immediate next navigational step in response to the respective target vehicle travelling beyond a threshold distance from the first vehicle.

Description

BACKGROUND The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for enabling a requesting vehicle navigation client to request and receive navigation information about nearby vehicles and their predicted upcoming actions. In an embodiment, the nearby vehicle navigation information is presented on a user interface to a user of the requesting vehicle navigation client. Some embodiments may relate to other features, functionalities, or fields. SUMMARY Navigation mapping systems enable users to navigate through unfamiliar areas as well as to find optimal routes to minimize encounters with congestion, traffic, accidents, construction, closures, and more. Navigation systems typically determine a location of, e.g., a vehicle, a smartphone, and/or other network connected device to provide real-time directions, and these systems also typically offer predictive functionalities such as predicting locations that have heavy traffic, estimating arrival times, and/or offering “community-based” collaborative features such as identifying the locations of police speed traps or foreign objects on the road, when they are spotted and reported by other users in the community. Despite progress in vehicle navigation, existing navigation systems are still generally unable to determine, for a given vehicle, what actions the surrounding vehicles are likely to take, as well as when each action may be likely taken. That is, existing systems generally cannot enable a user of one vehicle to reliably determine when one or more nearby vehicles are going to change lanes, take an exit, make a turn, speed up, slow down, or take some other navigational action. Most current vehicles and vehicle users operate essentially blind to the upcoming actions of other vehicles beyond what is immediately visible. That is, the only information a given vehicle or vehicle user can use in making navigation decisions is whether another vehicle has activated a turn signal or has already begun the action by beginning to turn the vehicle. Turn signals, however, are prone to user error. In some cases, a vehicle's turn signal may be broken and/or may not operate at all. In other cases where the turn signal is operational, a user may decide to use the turn signal intermittently or not at all. Further, a small minority of drivers' signals may be outright wrong (e.g., signal left and turn right). And even in situations where turn signals are used properly, the signal may be occluded or obstructed from view for many drivers, and/or may be missed due to early/late timing of when the turn signal is activated. Furthermore, in some urban settings where there are multiple roads or side streets in close proximity, a properly used turn signal may not convey which road the vehicle is going to turn on. In some approaches, a vehicle may use a sensor or sensor suite (e.g., LIDAR or other imaging) to identify and track nearby vehicles, pedestrians, and/or traffic infrastructure like stop signs and traffic lights. This information may be used by the vehicle to steer and avoid collisions, particularly where the vehicle is autonomous or self-driving. Additionally, the vehicle screen or HUD may show a representation of the identified objects as the objects move relative to the vehicle. However, these systems still generally fail to provide information about the predicted actions of other vehicles, and do not enable the vehicle to visualize the next movement nearby vehicles are likely to make. In light of these problems, one solution may be to share navigational data between vehicles using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. However, this solution brings its own challenges due to the high bandwidth requirements, as well as privacy concerns. Many users may be uncomfortable sharing their starting point, destination, and/or other navigational information with the vehicles nearby. In another approach, several vehicles sharing a path can communicate with each other to share information about what lies ahead, destination recommendations, and to reduce fuel consumption. However, these vehicles typically must share a particular route, and must query each other based on certain activities such as picking up gifts or details about errands. As such, there exists a need for a navigational system that enables a vehicle user to identify the next navigational action other vehicles are likely to take, without requiring the vehicles to share the same destination, or even the same next turn. Information about the likely next actions of nearby vehicles can increase safety by enabling a vehicle user to take proactive movement before the nearby vehicles take their predicted actions. Accordingly, methods and systems are disclosed herein for providing navigational information about nearby vehicles to enable a driver to visualize the predicted next action of the nearby vehicles and take proactive action. This predictive foresight can be helpful for some, if not all, drivers to make proactive decisions su