Autonomous vehicle travel control systems and methods
View Patent ↗Method and system for enabling semi-autonomous or autonomous vehicle travel includes creating dedicated travel lanes for vehicle travel, determining the location of vehicles in the dedicated travel lanes, and providing instructions to the vehicles in the dedicated travel lanes to enable them to travel in a manner which maximizes speed. To determine the location of the vehicles, a vehicle travel management system may be arranged in each vehicle to determine the location of that vehicle, e.g., using a GPS-based positioning system or similar system, and which also optionally receives travel instructions which can be implemented by a vehicle control system to control the direction and speed of the vehicle. The vehicle control system can be designed to assume control of vehicle travel without requiring driving by an occupant of the vehicle and control vehicle travel based on the provided instructions.
1. A method for enabling semi-autonomous or autonomous vehicle travel, comprising:
arranging communication systems in each vehicle to wirelessly receive instructions pertaining to travel of the vehicle;
creating restricted travel lanes for vehicle travel in which vehicles equipped with the communication systems are permitted to travel;
determining the location of vehicles in the restricted travel lanes using a vehicle-location determining system;
deriving instructions using a processor for the vehicles to travel in the restricted travel lanes based on the location of vehicles in the restricted travel lanes as determined by the location determining system; and
providing the derived instructions to the vehicles in the restricted travel lanes via the communication systems in the vehicles to enable the vehicles to travel in the restricted lanes in a manner which maximizes speed and to enable a plurality of vehicles to travel in the same restricted travel lane with a minimum separation distance therebetween.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location determining system comprises a vehicle travel management system arranged in each vehicle and that determines the location of that vehicle and wirelessly provides the determined location to the processor via the communication device on the vehicle.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle travel management system arranged in each vehicle comprises a GPS-based location determining system.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the vehicle travel management system transmit signals indicative of the determined position of the vehicle.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising encoding, using an encoder, the signals indicative of the determined position of the vehicle using a code based on the determined position.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing and maintaining communications between the communication systems on the vehicles to enable them to communicate their locations to one another.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising restricting entry into the restricted travel lanes only to vehicles including communication systems capable of receiving instructions.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processor is arranged to derive the instructions in order to enable a minimal distance between adjacent vehicles in the restricted travel lanes.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processor is arranged to derive the instructions for each vehicle and direct transmission of the instructions to a vehicle travel management system arranged in each vehicle.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
arranging a vehicle control system in each vehicle; and
enabling the vehicle control system to assume control of vehicle travel without requiring driving by an occupant of the vehicle and to control vehicle travel based on the provided instructions.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
arranging a map database in each vehicle which includes data about travel lanes; and
automatically controlling movement of the vehicle based on the data about the travel lanes in the map database and the provided instructions.
12. A system for enabling semi-autonomous or autonomous vehicle travel of vehicles in restricted travel lanes, comprising:
a position determining system that determines the location of the vehicles in the restricted travel lanes;
a processor that derives instructions for the vehicles to travel in the restricted travel lanes based on the location of vehicles in the restricted travel lanes as determined by the position determining system in order to enable a plurality of vehicles to travel in the same restricted travel lane with a minimum separation distance therebetween; and
communications systems arranged in each vehicle to wirelessly receive the derived instructions to enable the vehicles to travel in the restricted travel lanes in a manner which maximizes speed based on the determined location of the vehicles and to enable the vehicles to travel in the same restricted travel lane with a minimum separation distance therebetween,
whereby vehicles equipped with the communications systems are permitted to travel in the restricted travel lanes.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said position determining system comprises a vehicle-based determining system arranged in each vehicle.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein said communications system arranged in each vehicle are coupled to said position determining system such that the determined location of each vehicle is transmitted by said communications system to other vehicles and said communications system receives the location of other vehicles transmitted by said communications systems therein.
15. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a map database arranged in each vehicle and including data about travel lanes, and
a vehicle control system arranged in each vehicle, coupled to said map database and being arranged to control the travel of the vehicle based on data about travel lanes in the map database.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said vehicle control systems in the vehicles are arranged to control travel of the vehicles based on the location of the vehicles in order to maximize travel speed of the vehicles, minimize collisions between vehicles and/or to enable a minimal distance between adjacent vehicles in the restricted travel lanes.
17. A method for enabling semi-autonomous or autonomous vehicle travel, comprising:
arranging communication systems in each vehicle to wirelessly receive instructions pertaining to travel of the vehicle;
creating restricted travel lanes for vehicle travel in which vehicles equipped with the communication systems are permitted to travel;
determining the location of vehicles in the restricted travel lanes using a vehicle-location determining system;
arranging a map database in each vehicle which includes data about travel lanes; and
deriving instructions using a processor for the vehicles to travel in the restricted travel lanes based on the location of vehicles in the restricted travel lanes as determined by the location determining system;
providing the derived instructions to the vehicles in the restricted travel lanes via the communication systems in the vehicles to enable the vehicles to travel in the restricted lanes; and
automatically controlling movement of the vehicle via a vehicle control system based on the data about the travel lanes in the map database and the provided instructions.
18. A system for enabling semi-autonomous or autonomous vehicle travel of vehicles in restricted travel lanes, comprising:
a position determining system that determines the location of the vehicles in the restricted travel lanes;
means for providing instructions to the vehicles in the restricted travel lanes to enable the vehicles to travel in the restricted travel lanes in a manner which maximizes speed based on the determined location of the vehicles; and
a map database arranged in each vehicle and including data about travel lanes,
said means comprising a vehicle control system arranged in each vehicle, coupled to said map database and being arranged to control the travel of the vehicle based on data about travel lanes in the map database.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein said vehicle control systems in the vehicles are arranged to control travel of the vehicles based on the location of the vehicles in order to maximize travel speed of the vehicles, minimize collisions between vehicles and/or to enable a minimal distance between adjacent vehicles in the restricted travel lanes.