FIELD

The following disclosure relates to navigation devices or services.

BACKGROUND

For mapping applications, multiple different systems may be used to provide required services. The combination of vehicle sensors, an HD map, and vehicle to vehicle communications provide for safe and efficient navigation of the roadway.

Sensors in vehicles may be able to detect lanes and lane markings in real time using image processing and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) based systems. The sensor systems are useful for obstacle avoidance and detecting the movements of other vehicles. When used alone though, on-board sensor systems may exhibit large blind spots and may be unable to predict events or maneuvers even a short distance away. Vehicle sensors, however, when combined with HD maps may provide for a vehicle to precisely position itself laterally and longitudinally, and also for the car to maneuver correctly. While sensors in vehicles may detect at a radius of approximately one hundred meters, a car traveling at eighty miles per hour may only have a sensing horizon of three seconds. Vehicles may need highly accurate and up to date maps to extend sensor range and “peek” around the corner.

HD maps allow a vehicle to identify precisely where it is with respect to the road (or the world) far beyond what the Global Positioning System (GPS) can do, and without inherent GPS errors. The HD map allows the vehicle to plan precisely where the vehicle may go, and to accurately execute the plan because the vehicle is following the map. By identifying precisely where a vehicle is on the road to the decimeter or even centimeter, and understanding the surroundings, a mapping platform may bring advanced safety to an ever-changing environment.

An HD map, however, may only be useful if it is updated and accurate. Sensing road hazards as the hazards approach is imperative, however, vehicles may not be able to rely on last minute decisions based on what the vehicle itself can detect. Fully autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles need the ability to see beyond the range of their own sensors. This comes to fruition when a car is reporting its sensor data. Other nearby cars then receive that information, learn from it, and share that information back in near-real time. In this way, the more cars that are sensing the conditions of the road, the safer the road becomes. Knowing about slick weather conditions, potholes, and traffic patterns enables the vehicle to decide where and how to drive in the safest way possible.

Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication enables vehicles to wirelessly exchange information about their speed, location, heading, and roadway conditions. V2V communication allows vehicles to broadcast and receive omni-directional messages creating a 360-degree “awareness” of other vehicles in proximity of the vehicle. Vehicles equipped with appropriate software may use the messages from surrounding vehicles to determine potential threats or obstacles as the threats develop. The technology may then employ visual, tactile, and audible alerts, or, a combination of the alerts, to warn drivers. The alerts allow drivers the ability to take action to avoid crashes.

Vehicles that could use V2V communication technology range from cars and trucks to buses and motorcycles. Even bicycles and pedestrians may leverage V2V communication technology to enhance their visibility to motorists. V2V communication technology may increase the performance of vehicle safety systems and help save lives. Connected vehicle technologies provide drivers with the tools the drivers and vehicles need to anticipate potential crashes and significantly reduce the number of lives lost each. While there are basic ad-hoc wireless communication systems for V2V, it is hard to establish a communication protocol that is robust to the dynamics of moving vehicles on the road. One of the most popular V2V communication system is referred to as a Vehicular ad-hoc Network (VANET).

There are various data exchange and communication protocol proposed for VANETs. One of the most prevalent ones are cluster-based approaches where closer neighbor vehicles form a cluster and selects a cluster head to handle communication with other clusters. However, the VANET clusters are not lane-aware in that the clusters assume all vehicles on a link or road segment include uniform speed or momentum. Others assume lane-awareness but expects the vehicle to have advanced sensors for lane detection, which does not scale to many vehicles.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a method is provided for forming clusters for vehicle to vehicle communication. Sensor data is acquired from one or more sensors embedded in a vehicle, the sensor data including a location, average speed, direction, and momentum of the vehicle. The location is map matched to a lane using the sensor data. The sensor data is exchanged with other vehicles within a proximity radius. A sub cluster is generated with vehicles driving on the same lane based on a proximity vehicle distance. The sub cluster is merged with other sub clusters into a cluster of vehicles based on spatial proximity, average velocity, and momentum of the sub clusters. Vehicle to vehicle communication is established between vehicles in the cluster of vehicles.

In an embodiment, an apparatus is provided for forming clusters for vehicle to vehicle communication. The apparatus includes one or more sensors configured to acquire data about a vehicle, a transmitter configured to transmit and receive data to and from other vehicles on a roadway, and a processor configured to identify a lane that the vehicle is traversing, generate a sub cluster of vehicles traveling on the lane within a proximity distance, merge the sub cluster with other sub clusters based on spatial proximity, average velocity, and momentum of the sub clusters, and establish communication using the transmitter with the other vehicles in the cluster of vehicles.

In an embodiment, an intelligent transportation system is provided that includes a first plurality of vehicles, a second plurality of vehicles, and a vehicular ad hoc network. The first plurality of vehicles traverse a first lane on a roadway. The second plurality of vehicles traverse a second lane on the roadway. The vehicular ad hoc network is configured to provide communications between a cluster head and vehicles in the first plurality of vehicles and second plurality of vehicles; wherein the vehicular ad hoc network is formed by generation of a first sub cluster of the first plurality of vehicles and a second sub cluster of the second plurality of vehicles and a combination of the first sub cluster and second sub cluster based on a spatial proximity, an average velocity, and a momentum of the first sub cluster and second sub cluster.

