# US 10,479,333 B2 · Method and apparatus for navigation accommodating train crossings

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- Number: US 10,479,333 B2
- Document ID: US10479333B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/817,725
- Filed: 2017-11-20
- Published: 2019-05-23
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-20
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: David Charles Weber; Perry Robinson MacNeille; Yimin Liu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479333B2

## CPC

- B60T 7/22: initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle {, or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle}
- B60Q 9/00: Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling}
- B60T 7/18: operated by wayside apparatus
- G01C 21/3415: {Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents}
- G01C 21/3461: {Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types or segments such as motorways, toll roads or ferries}
- G01S 15/00: Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
- G01S 17/00: Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G08G 1/096775: {where the origin of the information is a central station}
- G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes}
- B60Q 9/008: {for anti-collision purposes}
- B60T 2201/022: Collision avoidance systems
- B60T 2210/36: Global Positioning System [GPS]
- B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})

## Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to access a train schedule to determine active train crossings along an original route, based on a predicted vehicle-arrival time at a given crossing. The processor is also configured to determine that a driver identity has an avoidance parameter associated therewith and determine a new route avoiding active train crossings, if possible, responsive to the avoidance parameter and determination of at least one active train crossing along the original route.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
access a train schedule to determine active train crossings along an original route, based on a predicted vehicle-arrival time at a given crossing;
determine that a driver identity has an avoidance parameter associated therewith;
determine a new route avoiding active train crossings, if possible, responsive to the avoidance parameter and determination of at least one active train crossing along the original route; and
engage active train-crossing safety controls when a vehicle approaches within a threshold distance of an active train crossing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the active safety controls include automatically braking a vehicle prior to the vehicle entering an active train crossing, and preventing movement until a train has cleared the crossing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the active safety controls include automatically braking a vehicle prior to the vehicle entering an active train crossing, and preventing movement until the processor determines existing clearance sufficient to fit the vehicle on a far side of a train crossing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to determine existing clearance based on wireless data received from a vehicle on the far side of the train crossing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to determine existing clearance based on vehicle sensor data indicating the clearance through lack of detected impediment.

### Claim 6

A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
determine that a current travel path includes an active train crossing based on expected train presence time;
determine that a vehicle is within a braking threshold distance from the active train crossing; and
automatically brake the vehicle, preventing forward movement of the vehicle until a train has cleared the train crossing, responsive to the vehicle being within the braking threshold distance.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the braking threshold distance varies based on impediments detected, by a vehicle sensor, between the vehicle and a train crossing location.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the train has cleared the train crossing based on a vehicle sensor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the train has cleared the train crossing based on a received wireless indicator that the train has cleared the train crossing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to:
determine that the vehicle is within a warning threshold distance from the active train crossing; and
engage a driver warning, responsive to determining that the vehicle is within the warning distance, wherein the warning varies in intensity inversely with vehicle distance from the active train crossing, and wherein the warning persists until the train clears the train crossing.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the warning diminishes in intensity, including temporarily ceasing, when a vehicle stops moving prior to the train clearing the crossing.

### Claim 12

A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining, via a vehicle computer or a remote computer in communication with the vehicle computer, that a vehicle is within a threshold distance of an active train crossing, where a train is projected to arrive no later than a threshold time from a present time; and preventing the vehicle from entering a region defining a likely-impact region, responsive to the determining that the vehicle is within the threshold distance, until the vehicle computer determines that the train has cleared the crossing.