FR3101831A1 - Method and system for managing a lane change maneuver performed by a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing, by an on-board computer system on board a motor vehicle, a maneuver consisting in abandoning a first traffic lane to join a second traffic lane, on a system (100) putting implementing such a method as well as on a motor vehicle comprising such a system. Figure for the abstract: 2

Description

Method and system for managing a lane change maneuver performed by a motor vehicle

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of driving assistance systems for motor vehicles, in particular those which provide functionalities for autonomous driving. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing, by a computer system on board a motor vehicle, a maneuver consisting in abandoning a first traffic lane to rejoin a second traffic lane. The invention also relates to a computer system implementing such a method. The invention applies in particular to passenger vehicles.

State of the prior art

It is known that certain current motor vehicles are equipped with driver assistance systems which provide autonomous driving functionalities, in particular for managing lane change maneuvers, for example for managing lane change maneuvers in situations such than those shown in Figure 1, in which a traffic lane is interrupted (bottom of the figure) or becomes an access lane to an exit (top of the figure). Generally, these systems manage lane change maneuvers carried out by vehicles carrying them, i.e. they decide and control the performance of these maneuvers, most often based for this purpose on the instantaneous speed of movement of vehicles located at proximity, speed which is most of the time established by means of detection devices (e.g. radar, lidar, ultrasonic sensors, cameras, etc.) arranged in carrier vehicles. Thus, with such systems, in situations such as those illustrated in FIG. 1, situations in which a lane change maneuver is necessary, it can be envisaged that a lane change maneuver (i.e. a maneuver consisting a first traffic lane to join a second traffic lane) is carried out as soon as possible. On the contrary, a driver finding himself in the same situations, i.e. approaching a place where a traffic lane is interrupted or becomes an access road to an exit which he is not supposed to take, would rather tend, especially if this place is still far away, to decide not to carry out a lane change maneuver immediately. Conversely, if the place is close, an experienced driver would tend to rush a lane change manoeuvre. For this reason, the known driver assistance systems are not able to manage lane change maneuvers in a way that reproduces the behavior of a driver as precisely as possible, which can not only be cause discomfort for the occupants of the vehicle but also increase the risk of an accident.

The invention aims to overcome these drawbacks. In particular, the invention aims to provide a method and a system which contribute to enable a driver assistance system to manage lane change maneuvers in a way which more accurately reproduces the behavior of a driver. , especially in situations such as those discussed above. By this means, the invention aims to improve the comfort of the occupants of a motor vehicle and minimize the risk of accident.

These objects are achieved, according to a first object of the invention, by means of a management method, by a computer system on board a motor vehicle, of a maneuver consisting in abandoning a first traffic lane to join a second traffic lane, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining whether data characterizing a route, generated by means of a navigation system of the vehicle, confirms that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane in a time less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or at a distance lower than a second pre-established threshold value and,
• compel the execution of the maneuver consisting in abandoning a first traffic lane to rejoin a second traffic lane.

According to a variant, the first and/or the second traffic lane can form part of a motorway, an expressway and/or a central reservation road.

According to another variant, the first and the second traffic lane can be adjacent.

According to another variant, the data characterizing a journey can be generated by means of the navigation system as a function of processing data received from a communicating entity of an intelligent transport system via a communication device by radiofrequency signals arranged in the vehicle .

According to another variant, the step consisting in determining whether data characterizing a route confirm that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane within a duration less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or at a distance less than a second pre-established threshold value may comprise a step consisting in using the data characterizing a route to establish a location of a place on the route where the first traffic lane is interrupted or becomes an access route to an exit which is not not included in the trip.

According to another variant, the step consisting in determining whether data characterizing a route confirm that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane within a duration less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or at a distance less than a second preset threshold value may include the steps of:

• determining a lane score for the first lane of travel based on the distance of the vehicle from a location on the trip where the first lane of travel ends or becomes an access lane to an exit that is not not included in the trip;
• determine a lane score for the second lane of travel based on the vehicle's distance from the location;
• establish that the data characterizing a route confirms that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane in a time less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or in a distance less than a second pre-established threshold value when the lane score for the second lane of traffic is higher than the lane score than the lane score for the first lane of traffic

In addition, the invention also relates to a system which can be on board a motor vehicle and manage a maneuver consisting in abandoning a first traffic lane to rejoin a second traffic lane, the system comprising at least one unit information processing, comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium configured to implement a method as described above.

In addition, the invention also relates to a program comprising program code instructions for the execution of the steps of a method as described above when said program is executed on a computer and/or a processor.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a medium that can be used in a computer on which a program as described above is recorded.

Finally, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a system as described above.

Brief description of figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examination of the detailed description below, and of the appended drawings, in which:

is a schematic representation of situations in which a lane change is necessary;

is a block diagram of a system according to the invention; And

is a flowchart illustrating the steps of a method according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

According to the invention, a system 100 for managing, on board a motor vehicle, a maneuver consisting in abandoning a first traffic lane to rejoin a second traffic lane, i.e. a lane change maneuver, is a computer system, represented in FIG. 2, which comprises an information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, at least one input and output interface 103, allowing the reception of data (or signals ) and the transmission of data (or signals), and, optionally, a graphical interface 104.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the system 100 is hosted on a computer, an electronic control unit or other telematics box suitable for being on board a motor vehicle and for interacting with a driver assistance system. driving a motor vehicle. According to the preferred embodiment, the system 100 according to the invention forms an integral part of a computer of an on-board driving assistance system on board a motor vehicle.

Consequently, whatever the embodiment of the invention, the system 100 according to the invention is able to interact, not only with a system for assisting the driving of a motor vehicle, but also with any equipment of a motor vehicle with which a driving assistance system is able to interact, in particular a detection device (e.g. radar, lidar, camera, etc.) by means of which a distant vehicle can be detected.

In addition, to implement certain steps of the method according to the invention described below, the system 100 according to the invention also comprises hardware means (e.g. connectors) and dedicated software for interacting, directly or via a help system driving, with a navigation system of a motor vehicle, which comprises at least one receiver interacting with a satellite positioning system. By these means, the system 100 according to the invention is in particular able to determine data characterizing a route (i.e. a route to be followed between a place of departure and a place of arrival calculated by the navigation system) generated by means of a navigation system of a motor vehicle and/or to establish a location of a place on a route where a traffic lane is interrupted or becomes an access route to an exit (e.g. Figure 1).

In addition, to implement certain steps of the method according to the invention described below, the navigation system (and/or the driving assistance system) is also provided with dedicated hardware and software means for interacting with a apparatus for communication by radiofrequency signals of a motor vehicle, which makes it possible to communicate with communicating entities of an intelligent transport system (e.g. roadside units, other vehicles, smartphones carried by pedestrians, etc.) by putting implementation of conventional communication protocols (e.g. ITS-G5, C/LTE/5G-V2X). By these means, the navigation system is in particular able to generate data characterizing a journey as a function of processing data received from a communicating entity of an intelligent transport system via the communication equipment by radiofrequency signals.

According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the system 100 according to the invention to implement a method for managing, on board a motor vehicle, a maneuver consisting in abandoning a first lane of traffic to reach a second traffic lane, as described below in connection with FIG. 3. Within the meaning of the invention, the first and/or the second traffic lane can form part, for example, of a motorway , an expressway or a road with a central reservation. Furthermore, the first and the second traffic lane can be adjacent and/or parallel.

According to a first step 201 of the method according to the invention, the system 100 according to the invention determines whether data characterizing a route, generated by means of the navigation system, confirms that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane in a duration less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or a distance less than a second pre-established threshold value. In other words, during this first step, the system 100 according to the invention determines whether, depending on a given route, known to the navigation system, the vehicle will no longer be able to take the first lane in a short duration and/or distance (i.e. less than a threshold value) or, on the contrary, if he will be able to continue to use the first traffic lane for a long duration and/or over a long distance. In fact, with regard to traffic lanes as defined above, a route ceases to include the first traffic lane only when the latter is interrupted or becomes an access road to an exit which is not included in the journey, which corresponds to the situations illustrated in Figure 1.

To do this, according to a first exemplary embodiment, the system 100 first interrogates the navigation system to acquire the data characterizing a route, i.e. data which characterizes a route that the vehicle must take and which are generated by the navigation system. navigation, either on command from a driver or as a function of processing data received from a communicating entity of an intelligent transport system via communication equipment by radiofrequency signals (e.g. remotely piloted transport vehicle). Next, the system 100 obtains the first threshold value and/or the second threshold value, which preferably are stored on the data storage medium 102.

Then, the system 100 uses the data characterizing a path to, advantageously, establish a location of a place on the path where the first traffic lane is interrupted or becomes an access road to an exit which is not not included in the trip. Next, the system 100 establishes an estimate of the time and/or the distance that separates the vehicle from the place where the first lane of traffic ends or becomes an access lane to an exit which is not included in the journey. Then, when the duration and/or distance estimate is less than the first and/or the second threshold value, which means that the place is close, the system 100 deduces therefrom that the data characterizing a path confirm that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane within a duration less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or at a distance less than a second pre-established threshold value. In other words, the system 100 establishes that, depending on the route, a lane change maneuver will soon be required.

On the contrary, when the duration and/or distance estimate is greater than or equal to the first and/or the second threshold value, which means that the place is still far away, the system 100 deduces therefrom that the data characterizing a route do not confirm that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane in a time less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or in a distance less than a second pre-established threshold value. In other words, the system 100 establishes that, depending on the route, a lane change maneuver can still be avoided.

According to another exemplary embodiment, the system 100 according to the invention proceeds by carrying out a first subsidiary step during which it determines a lane score for the first traffic lane as a function of the distance which separates the vehicle from a place on the route where the first traffic lane ends or becomes an access route to an exit that is not included in the route. Within the meaning of the present invention, a lane score for a traffic lane testifies to the interest that the vehicle has in being on a traffic lane. Thus, a high lane score indicates that the vehicle has a strong interest in staying in the driving lane. It is therefore understood that the closer the place on the route where the first lane of traffic ends or becomes an access route to an exit which is not included in the route, the lower the lane score for the first traffic lane is high. In one embodiment, a value of a lane score for a lane is a value between 0 and 1. Alternatively, a lane score for a lane can take a value between 0 and 20, a value between 0 and 1. value closer to 0 meaning low interest for the traffic lane concerned.

Then, the system 100 according to the invention performs a second subsidiary step during which it determines a lane score for the second traffic lane according to the distance which separates the vehicle from the place. As before, it is understood that the further the place on the route where the first lane of traffic ends or becomes an access route to an exit which is not included in the route, the lower the lane score for the second traffic lane is high.

Finally, the system 100 according to the invention performs a third subsidiary step during which it establishes that the data characterizing a route confirm that the route will cease to include the first lane of traffic in a duration less than a first pre-established threshold value. and/or at a distance less than a second pre-established threshold value when the lane score for the second lane is greater than the lane score than the lane score for the first lane.

Then, during a second step 202 of the method according to the invention, which is carried out if the data characterizing a route confirm that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane within a period of less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or at a distance less than a second pre-established threshold value, which corresponds to the case where a lane change maneuver can no longer be avoided, the system 100 according to the invention constrains the performance of the maneuver consisting in abandoning a first traffic lane to join a second traffic lane, i.e. it forces the insertion on the second traffic lane. To do this, for example, the system 100 according to the invention transmits data characterizing a command to the driving assistance system that the latter interprets as an order to implement a lane change maneuver that it runs automatically. In particular, in the case where another vehicle is present in the second traffic lane, the vehicle whose driving is studied will force the insertion by inserting itself between two vehicles, even if the distances and/or times between vehicles are greater than predetermined values (for example minimum safety distance and/or time between vehicles).

Therefore, according to the method and system according to the invention described above, the functional bricks are provided to allow a driver assistance system to manage lane change maneuvers in a way that reproduces more precisely the behavior of a driver. Indeed, in situations such as those mentioned in the preamble, the system and the method according to the invention will allow the performance of a lane change maneuver to be prevented in certain situations where this is still possible, thus contributing to the flow of surrounding traffic.

Claims (10)

Management method, by a computer system (100) on board a motor vehicle, of a maneuver consisting in abandoning a first traffic lane to rejoin a second traffic lane,characterized in thatthe process includes the steps of:

• determining whether data characterizing a route, generated by means of a navigation system of the vehicle, confirms that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane in a time less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or at a distance lower than a second pre-established threshold value and,

• compel the execution of the maneuver consisting in abandoning a first traffic lane to rejoin a second traffic lane.

Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first and/or the second traffic lane is part of a motorway, an expressway and/or a central reservation. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and the second traffic lane are adjacent. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data characterizing a route are generated by means of the navigation system as a function of processing data received from a communicating entity of an intelligent transport system via a communication device by radiofrequency signals arranged in the vehicle. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the step consisting in determining whether data characterizing a route confirm that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane within a period of less than a first pre-established threshold value and /or at a distance less than a second pre-established threshold value comprises a step consisting in using the data characterizing a route to establish a location of a place on the route where the first traffic lane is interrupted or becomes an access route at an exit that is not included in the trip. Method according to one of claims 1-4,characterized in that thatthe step of determining whether data characterizing a path confirms that the path will cease to include the first traffic lane within a time less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or at a distance less than a second pre-established threshold value comprises the steps of:

• determining a lane score for the first lane of travel based on the distance of the vehicle from a location on the trip where the first lane of travel ends or becomes an access lane to an exit that is not not included in the trip;
• determining a lane score for the second lane of travel based on the distance of the vehicle from the location;
• establish that the data characterizing a route confirms that the route will cease to include the first traffic lane in a time less than a first pre-established threshold value and/or in a distance less than a second pre-established threshold value when the lane score for the second lane of traffic is higher than the lane score than the lane score for the first lane of traffic.

System (100) which can be embarked on board a motor vehicle and manage a maneuver consisting in abandoning a first traffic lane to rejoin a second traffic lane, characterized in that the system comprises at least one processing unit (101), comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium (102) configured to implement a method according to any preceding claim. A computer program comprising program code instructions for carrying out the steps of a method according to any of claims 1-6 when said program is executed on a computer. Support usable in a computer, characterized in that a program according to Claim 8 is recorded thereon. Motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a system according to claim 7.