Eco-pilot-energy-efficient vehicle speed advisory through vehicle-to-infrastructure communications

Inventors: Haowen Xu (Knoxville, TN); Jinghui Yuan (Knoxville, TN); Chieh Wang (Knoxville, TN); Timothy LaClair (Lenoir City, TN); Andreas Silvan Berres (Lakewood, CO); Wan Li (Knoxville, TN); Yunli Shao (Knoxville, TN); Hong Wang (Knoxville, TN); Jibonananda Sanyal (Littleton, CO)

Assignees: UT-Battelle, LLC; Alliance for Energy Innovation, LLC

B60W30/143 B60W30/18154 B60W50/0097 B60W50/16 B60W60/001 G08G1/0116 G08G1/0125 G08G1/052 G08G1/08 B60W2050/0083 B60W2050/143 B60W2050/146 B60W2420/408 B60W2554/4042 B60W2554/406 B60W2555/60 B60W2556/10

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12673678
App. No.: 18/920,302
Granted: Jul 7, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling the speed of a vehicle traveling over a terrain. The methods comprise: predicting, by a mobile device (MD), a queue length defined by the number of vehicles in a queue at a downstream intersection based on a traffic volume and vehicle speeds that were detected during a past period of time by a detector located at or near an upstream intersection; sensing, by MD's sensor(s), the vehicle's velocity and location; computing a distance to a downstream intersection from the vehicle's location; generating a desired speed for the vehicle based on the traffic volume and vehicle speeds, signal phase and timing data for at least the next two cycles, the predicted queue length at the downstream intersection, the vehicle's velocity and location, the distance to the downstream intersection, and a current time; and using the desired speed to facilitate control of the speed of the vehicle.

Claims (39)

1 . A method for controlling a speed of a vehicle traveling over a terrain, comprising:

predicting, by a mobile device, a queue length defined by a number of vehicles in a queue at a downstream intersection based on a traffic volume and vehicle speeds that were detected during a past period of time by a detector located at or near an upstream intersection;

selectively adjusting the predicted queue length based on range data generated by a radar of the vehicle;

sensing, by sensors of the mobile device, a velocity of the vehicle and a location of the vehicle;

computing, by the mobile device, a distance to a downstream intersection from the sensed location of the vehicle;

generating, by the mobile device, a desired speed for the vehicle based on (i) the traffic volume and vehicle speeds, (ii) traffic signal phase and timing data for at least a next two cycles, (iii) the predicted queue length at the downstream intersection, (iv) the sensed velocity and location of the vehicle, (v) the computed distance to the downstream intersection, (vi) a current time, and (vii) a predicted speed and time when the vehicle will reach a vehicle stopped farthest from the downstream intersection; and

selecting a mode from a plurality of different modes for the vehicle based on at least one criteria being met, the plurality of different modes comprising an intelligent driver mode, a cruising mode, a coasting mode, and a braking mode;

using the desired speed to facilitate control of the speed of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling over the terrain;

wherein the adjusting comprises setting the predicted queue length to zero when the range data indicates that a preceding vehicle has not been detected and the distance to the downstream intersection is less than or equal to a detection range of the radar of the vehicle; and

wherein the at least one criteria comprises a distance from the vehicle to an end of a predicted queue exceeds a given distance value, an initial desired speed for the vehicle is within a determined range of target velocities, a current velocity of the vehicle exceeds a given percentage of a speed limit, a maximum time window is greater than zero, and an energy-optimal braking deceleration does or does not exist.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said using the desired speed to facilitate control of the speed of the vehicle comprises:

communicating the desired speed from the mobile device to an on-board computing device of the vehicle; and

performing autonomous operations by the vehicle to reduce or increase the speed thereof in accordance with the desired speed.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising periodically repeating the predicting, sensing, computing, generating, and using while the vehicle is traveling over the terrain.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising outputting the desired speed visually, auditorily and/or tactically from the mobile device and or the vehicle.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said generating, by the mobile device, a desired speed further based on a speed limit associated with at least one road along which the vehicle is to travel to reach the downstream intersection.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the queue length at the downstream intersection is predicted using a modeled relationship between traffic density and traffic flow at a particular location.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predicted queue length is not selectively adjusted when the range data indicates that a detected speed of a preceding vehicle falls within a pre-specified range of speeds for stopped vehicles.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting comprises setting the predicted queue length to another previously predicted queue length when the distance to the downstream intersection from the sensed location of the vehicle is greater than a detection range of the radar of the vehicle and the range data indicates that a preceding vehicle has not been detected.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions that is configured to, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

predicting a queue length defined by a number of vehicles in a queue at a downstream intersection based on a traffic volume and vehicle speeds that were detected during a past period of time by a detector located at or near an upstream intersection;

selectively adjusting the predicted queue length based on range data generated by a radar of the vehicle;

sensing a velocity of the vehicle and a location of the vehicle;

computing a distance to a downstream intersection from the sensed location of the vehicle;

generating a desired speed for the vehicle based on (i) the traffic volume and vehicle speeds, (ii) signal phase and timing data for at least a next two cycles, (iii) the predicted queue length at the downstream intersection, (iv) the sensed velocity and location of the vehicle, (v) the computed distance to the downstream intersection, (vi) a current time, and (vii) a predicted speed and time when the vehicle will reach a vehicle stopped farthest from the downstream intersection;

using the desired speed to facilitate control of the speed of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling over the terrain;

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the desired speed is used to facilitate control of the speed of the vehicle by:

communicating the desired speed from the mobile device to an on-board computing device of the vehicle; and

performing autonomous operations by the vehicle to reduce or increase the speed thereof in accordance with the desired speed.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one computing device is further caused to periodically repeat the predicting, sensing, computing, generating, and using while the vehicle is traveling over the terrain.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one computing device is further caused to output the desired speed visually, auditorily and/or tactically from the mobile device and or the vehicle.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the desired speed is generated further based on a speed limit associated with at least one road along which the vehicle is to travel to reach the downstream intersection.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the queue length at the downstream intersection is predicted using a modeled relationship between traffic density and traffic flow at a particular location.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the predicted queue length is not selectively adjusted when the range data indicates that a detected speed of a preceding vehicle falls within a pre-specified range of speeds for stopped vehicles.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the predicted queue length is selectively adjusted by setting the predicted queue length to another previously predicted queue length when the distance to the downstream intersection from the sensed location of the vehicle is greater than a detection range of the radar of the vehicle and the range data indicates that no preceding vehicle has not been detected.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to perform vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications.