# US 12,190,721 B2 · System, method and apparatus supporting navigation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,190,721 B2 - Document ID: US12190721B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/169,197 - Filed: 2021-02-05 - Published: 2021-08-19 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-14 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hang Zhang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12190721B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/0145: {for active traffic flow control} - G08G 1/096725: {where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control} - B60W 30/12: Lane keeping - B60W 40/04: Traffic conditions - B60W 40/06: Road conditions - B60W 60/0018: {by employing degraded modes, e.g. reducing speed, in response to suboptimal conditions} - G08G 1/0112: {from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]} - G08G 1/0116: {from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons} - G08G 1/0133: {for classifying traffic situation} - G08G 1/096741: {where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle} - G08G 1/09675: {where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle} - G08G 1/096775: {where the origin of the information is a central station} - G08G 1/096844: {where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data} - H04W 4/46: for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] - B60W 2552/05: Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads - B60W 2555/20: Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain - B60W 2556/40: High definition maps - B60W 2556/45: External transmission of data to or from the vehicle - H04W 4/44: for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H] - 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}) - 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 - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Methods and System for enhanced navigation and traffic management are provided. A controller obtains input indicative of conditions on a physical road, traffic status information associated with the physical road and requirements of a mobile device. Based at least in part on the input, one or more virtual lanes defining respective routes along the physical road are determined. The virtual lanes are communicated to mobile devices which follow them in place of painted lanes. The virtual lanes can be dynamically updated for example to avoid obstacles. Different lanes can correspond to different priorities of traffic. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, by a controller, a registration request from a subscriber via a first interface, the registration request is used for the subscriber to register to a service supporting autonomous driving service via a digital map, the subscriber representing a mobile device, the registration request includes: an identifier of the mobile device, requirements of the mobile device and planned path and schedule, the requirements of the mobile device includes at least one of: a required speed of the mobile device, a required schedule of the mobile device, a required route of the mobile device, physical characteristics of the mobile device, or a priority level for the mobile device; repeatedly obtaining, by a controller, input indicative of conditions on a physical road and traffic status information associated with the physical road; repeatedly determining, by the controller, the map based on a most recent instance of the input, the map including at least one virtual lane defining a route along the physical road, separately from physical road markings on the physical road, the at least one virtual lane to be followed by the mobile device wherein the at least one virtual lane is defined so as to avoid collisions with other mobile devices, determining, by the controller, a use policy for the at least one virtual lane based on the requirements of the mobile device and a most recent instance of the input, the use policy indicating at least one of: which virtual among the at least one virtual lane is permitted to be used; a valid time window for permitted use; a speed limitation; and an occupancy requirement; repeatedly communicating, by the controller, the map and the use policy to the subscriber, wherein the first interface is separate from another interface used for said repeatedly obtaining and said repeatedly communicating. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: configuring, by the controller, a virtual traffic control signal for controlling traffic at an intersection involving at least one of the virtual lanes; and communicating, by the controller, an indication of the virtual traffic control signal to the mobile device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the input indicative of conditions on the physical road is received from a manager responsible for management of the physical road, and wherein the input includes one or more of: physical layout of the road; quality of the road; and weather-dependent road conditions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the controller, one or more event reports from the mobile device, wherein the received event reports triggers a redetermination of the map and a communication, to the mobile device, of the map. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic status information is received from one or more stationary monitors deployed along the physical road, or are determined based on information from the one or more monitors, and wherein the conditions are indicative of traffic conditions on the physical road. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining input and the communicating with the mobile device is performed by the controller via a wireless access network. ### Claim 7 A controller comprising a processor, a memory and a communication interface and configured to: receive a registration request from a subscriber via a first interface, the registration request is used for the subscriber to register to a service supporting autonomous driving service via a digital map, the subscriber representing a mobile device, the registration request includes: an identifier of the mobile device, requirements of the mobile device and planned path and schedule, the requirements of the mobile device includes at least one of: a required speed of the mobile device, a required schedule of the mobile device, a required route of the mobile device, physical characteristics of the mobile device, or a priority level for the mobile device; repeatedly obtain input indicative of conditions on a physical road; traffic status information associated with the physical road and traffic status information associated with the physical road; repeatedly determine, the map based on a most recent instance of the input, the map including at least one virtual lane defining a route along the physical road, separately from physical road markings on the physical road, the at least one virtual lane to be followed by the mobile device, wherein the at least one virtual lane is defined so as to avoid collisions with other mobile devices, determine a use policy for the at least one virtual lane based on the requirements of the mobile device and a most recent instance of the input, the use policy indicating at least one of: which virtual among the at least one virtual lane is permitted to be used; a valid time window for permitted use; a speed limitation; and an occupancy requirement; repeatedly communicate the map and the use policy to the subscriber, wherein the first interface is separate from another interface used for said repeatedly obtaining and said repeatedly communicating. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The controller of claim 7, further configured to: configure a virtual traffic control signal for controlling traffic at an intersection involving at least one of the virtual lanes; and communicate an indication of the virtual traffic control signal to the pkaityof mobile device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The controller of claim 7, further configured to receive one or more event reports from the mobile device, wherein the received event reports triggers a redetermination of the map and a communication, to the mobile device, of the map. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The controller of claim 7, wherein the obtaining input and the communicating with the mobile device is performed via a wireless access network. ### Claim 11 A system comprising a controller and a mobile device, the controller comprising a processor, a memory and a communication interface and configured to: receive a registration request from a subscriber via a first interface, the registration request is used for the subscriber to register to a service supporting autonomous driving service via a digital map, the subscriber representing a mobile device, the registration request includes: an identifier of the mobile device, requirements of the mobile device and planned path and schedule, the requirements of the mobile device includes at least one of: a required speed of the mobile device, a required schedule of the mobile device, a required route of the mobile device, physical characteristics of the mobile device, or a priority level for the mobile device; repeatedly obtain input indicative of conditions on a physical road and traffic status information associated with the physical road; repeatedly determine, the map based on a most recent instance of the input, the map including at least one virtual lane defining a route along the physical road, separately from physical road markings on the physical road, the at least one virtual lane to be followed by the mobile device, wherein the at least one virtual lane is defined so as to avoid collisions with other mobile devices, determining a use policy for the at least one virtual lane based on the requirements of the mobile device and a most recent instance of the input, the use policy indicating at least one of: which virtual among the at least one virtual lane is permitted to be used; a valid time window for permitted use; a speed limitation; and an occupancy requirement; repeatedly communicate the map and the use policy to the subscriber, wherein the first interface is separate from another interface used for said repeatedly obtaining and said repeatedly communicating, the mobile device comprising a second processor, a second memory and a second communication interface and configured to receive the indication of the determined at least one virtual lane and to move along one of the determined at least one virtual lane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual lane is defined, based on the conditions of the physical road, the traffic status information, to accommodate travel of the plurality of mobile devices such that less congested ones of the at least one virtual lane are defined for and accessed by mobile devices with higher vehicle priority levels. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the map includes multiple possible virtual lanes for the mobile device selects one of which based on the requirements of the mobile device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the map includes additional information to emulate a vertical traffic light at a physical intersection, the physical intersection is represented by a location mark on the map, the location mark is associated with a stop time window, during the stop time window the mobile device at the location mark is required to be at zero speed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the map includes additional information for controlling lane change to allow the mobile device to switch between multiple virtual lanes defined on the map, a location mark is marked on a virtual lane of the multiple virtual lanes, lane change is permitted at the location mark. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, the map and the use policy are included in a registration response to the subscriber, the registration response is a response to the registration request. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the map includes multiple possible virtual lanes for the mobile device selects one of which based on the requirements of the mobile device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the map includes additional information to emulate a vertical traffic light at a physical intersection, the physical intersection is represented by a location mark on the map, the location mark is associated with a stop time window, during the stop time window the mobile device at the location mark is required to be at zero speed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the map includes additional information for controlling lane change to allow the mobile device to switch between multiple virtual lanes defined on the map, a location mark is marked on a virtual lane of the multiple virtual lanes, lane change is permitted at the location mark. ### Claim 20 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, the map and the use policy are included in a registration response to the subscriber, the registration response is a response to the registration request.