US 12,403,908 B2
Non-selfish traffic lights passing advisory systems
Matej Pcolka, Prague (CZ); and David Vosahlik, Prague (CZ)
Assigned to GARRETT TRANSPORTATION I INC., Torrance, CA (US)
Filed by Garrett Transportation I Inc., Torrance, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/694,400.
Prior Publication US 2023/0286508 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 30/18 (2012.01); G06V 20/58 (2022.01)
CPC B60W 30/18159 (2020.02) [B60W 30/18154 (2013.01); G06V 20/58 (2022.01); B60W 2520/10 (2013.01); B60W 2530/00 (2013.01); B60W 2554/4041 (2020.02); B60W 2554/4044 (2020.02); B60W 2555/60 (2020.02); B60W 2556/65 (2020.02); B60W 2720/10 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle controller for a first vehicle, comprising one or more sensors for sensing conditions outside of the first vehicle and a transceiver for communicating with an off-board communication system, the vehicle controller configured to:
determine whether a second vehicle that shares a planned travel path with the first vehicle and is trailing the first vehicle is within a following distance of the first vehicle;
if the second vehicle is within the following distance:
adopt a first traffic-light approach method;
model a second vehicle trajectory for the second vehicle relative to at least one upcoming traffic light in the planned travel path shared by the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and
calculate a first vehicle trajectory to allow the first vehicle and the second vehicle to pass the at least one upcoming traffic light using a same go-period of the at least one upcoming traffic light; and
if the second vehicle is not within the following distance, adopt a second traffic-light approach method; wherein the vehicle controller is configured to adopt the first traffic-light approach by performing the following:
the vehicle controller determines a first velocity profile for passing the at least one upcoming traffic light, the upcoming traffic light having go-periods and no-go periods, such that the upcoming traffic light is passed by the first vehicle during a first go-period;
the vehicle controller determines whether the first velocity profile would enable the second vehicle to pass the upcoming traffic light during the first go-period and, if so, the vehicle controller implements the first velocity profile to control velocity of the first vehicle to pass the upcoming traffic light during the first go-period; otherwise,
the vehicle controller determines whether a second velocity profile would enable the second vehicle to pass the upcoming traffic light during the first go-period and either:
if so, implementing the second velocity profile to control velocity of the first vehicle through the upcoming traffic light;
if not, implementing the first velocity profile to control the first vehicle through the upcoming traffic light.