# US 11,897,468 B2 · Vehicle control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,468 B2 - Document ID: US11897468B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/807,738 - Filed: 2020-03-03 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-03 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski; Li Xu; Kyle Simmons - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897468B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/06: Automatic manoeuvring for parking - B60W 30/165: Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar" - B60W 30/095: Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision - B60W 30/0953: {the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters} - B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters} - B60W 60/00: Drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles - B60W 60/00186: {related to the vehicle} - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - G06N 20/00: Machine learning - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - 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 - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS - 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 While operating a host vehicle in an area, a target vehicle is identified in a sub-area based on detecting a visual cue from the target vehicle. A future location of the target vehicle is predicted to intersect a path of the host vehicle. A stop position of the host vehicle is determined based on the future location of the target vehicle. At least one of the target vehicle is determined to have moved or the path of the host vehicle is updated. Then, the host vehicle is operated to the stop position or along the updated path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to: while operating a host vehicle in an area, identify a target vehicle in a sub-area based on detecting a visual cue from the target vehicle; predict that a future location of the target vehicle and a path of the host vehicle will intersect; determine a stop position of the host vehicle based on the future location of the target vehicle; update the path of the host vehicle to include a width of the path that satisfies a minimum width threshold, wherein the width of the path is determined by summing a first lateral distance from the host vehicle to an object and a second lateral distance from the host vehicle to the target vehicle; and then, operate the host vehicle to the stop position or along the updated path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify the target vehicle based further on the target vehicle being within a first distance of the host vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions further include instructions to operate the host vehicle along the path based on the target vehicle being within a second distance of the host vehicle, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon determining that the target vehicle has stopped, operate the host vehicle along the updated path based on detecting the target vehicle remains stopped after a passage of a specified time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the specified time based on a distance between the stopped target vehicle and the host vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon identifying the target vehicle, operate the host vehicle at a speed below a threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to input host vehicle sensor data into a machine learning program that is programmed to output an identification of the target vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the future location is defined in part by a path of the target vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further include instructions to predict the path of the target vehicle based on a travel direction of the target vehicle and a turning direction of the target vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the travel direction of the target vehicle based on identifying one of headlamps or taillights of the target vehicle via sensor data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the turning direction of the target vehicle based on detecting actuation of one or more target vehicle components. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the turning direction of the target vehicle based on determining an angle between a longitudinal axis of the host vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the target vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the stop position based on a distance from the stop position to the future location being equal to or greater than a specified distance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the visual cue is output by at least one of headlamps, taillights, back-up lights, and a turn signal. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: while operating a host vehicle in an area, identifying a target vehicle in a sub-area based on detecting a visual cue from the target vehicle; predicting that a future location of the target vehicle and a path of the host vehicle will intersect; determining a stop position of the host vehicle based on the future location of the target vehicle; updating the path of the host vehicle to include a width of the path that satisfies a minimum width threshold, wherein the width of the path is determined by summing a first lateral distance from the host vehicle to an object and a second lateral distance from the host vehicle to the target vehicle; and then, operating the host vehicle to the stop position or along the updated path. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying the target vehicle based further on the target vehicle being within a first distance of the host vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising determining the stop position based on a distance from the stop position to the future location being equal to or greater than a specified distance. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising, upon determining that the target vehicle has stopped, operating the host vehicle along the updated path based on detecting the target vehicle remains stopped after a passage of a specified time.