# US 2019/0168751 A1 · Lane keeping support on roads covered by snow

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- Number: US 2019/0168751 A1
- Document ID: US20190168751A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/829,531
- Filed: 2017-12-01
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH
- Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH
- Inventors: Srivathsan Sridharan Iyengar; Peter Lacza
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168751A1

## CPC

- B60W 30/12: Lane keeping
- B60W 30/10: Path keeping {(cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165)}
- B60W 60/001: {Planning or execution of driving tasks}
- G01C 21/34: Route searching; Route guidance
- G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means}
- G05D 1/0278: {using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS}
- B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
- B60W 2552/00: Input parameters relating to infrastructure
- B60W 2552/53: Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
- B60W 2554/4041: Position
- B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
- B60W 2555/20: Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
- B60W 2555/60: Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
- B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
- 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
- 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)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

A method and system for planning a trajectory for a vehicle. The system includes a camera and an electronic processor that, in conjunction, sense a road surface in front of the vehicle and determine whether the road surface is snow covered based on images from the camera. When the road surface is snow covered, the electronic processor determines whether snow ruts are present on the road surface based on the images and plans a trajectory of the vehicle based on a location of the snow ruts in the images when the snow ruts are present. The electronic processor is configured to automatically maneuver the vehicle based on the planned trajectory.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of planning a trajectory for a vehicle, the method comprising:
sensing a road surface in front of the vehicle with a camera;
determining whether the road surface is snow covered based on images from the camera;
when the road surface is snow covered, determining whether snow ruts are present on the road surface based on the images;
planning a trajectory of the vehicle based on a location of the snow ruts in the images when the snow ruts are present; and
automatically maneuvering the vehicle, by an electronic processor, based on the planned trajectory.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
determining whether lane markings on the road surface are visible in the images, and
planning the trajectory of the vehicle based on a location of the lane markings in the images when the lane markings are visible in the images.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, further comprising:
determining when the snow ruts and the lane markings are not visible on the road surface and
disabling automatic maneuvering of the vehicle, when the snow ruts and the lane markings are not visible on the road surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether snow ruts are present on the road surface based on the images includes
identifying two primary snow ruts out of two or more snow ruts, and
planning the trajectory of the vehicle based on a location of the two primary snow ruts in the images.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein planning the trajectory of the vehicle based on the location of the snow ruts in the images includes planning the trajectory based on a location of a preceding vehicle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein planning the trajectory of the vehicle based on the location of the snow ruts in the images includes planning the trajectory only in an area defined by a route selection using a vehicle navigation device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein planning the trajectory only in an area defined by a route selection using a vehicle navigation device includes determining a location of the vehicle using a Global Positioning System (GPS) and planning the trajectory to not exceed a predetermined distance threshold from a known location of the road surface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein automatically maneuvering the vehicle, by an electronic processor, based on the planned trajectory includes providing lane keeping support to adjust a current trajectory selected by a driver based on the planned trajectory.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein automatically maneuvering the vehicle, by an electronic processor, based on the planned trajectory includes automatically steering the vehicle to follow the planned trajectory.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, further comprising: generating a notification to a driver of the vehicle, the notification indicating whether the electronic processor is planning the trajectory based on the snow ruts on the road surface or based on the lane markings on the road surface.

### Claim 11

A system for planning a trajectory for a vehicle, the system comprising:
a camera positioned with a field of view of a road surface in front of the vehicle;
a vehicle control device configured to automatically maneuver the vehicle; and
an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the camera and the vehicle control device, the electronic processor configured to
receive images from the camera;
determine whether the road surface is snow covered based on the images;
when the road surface is snow covered, determine whether snow ruts are present on the road surface based on the images;
plan a trajectory of the vehicle based on a location of the snow ruts in the images when the snow ruts are present; and
automatically maneuver the vehicle based on the planned trajectory.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to
determine whether lane markings on the road surface are visible in the images, and
plan the trajectory of the vehicle based on a location of the lane markings in the images when the lane markings are visible in the images.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system according to claim 12, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to
determine when the snow ruts and the lane markings are not visible on the road surface, and
disable automatic maneuvering of the vehicle, when the snow ruts and the lane markings are not visible on the road surface.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to
identify two primary snow ruts out of two or more snow ruts, and
plan the trajectory of the vehicle based on a location of the two primary snow ruts in the images.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to plan the trajectory based on a location of a preceding vehicle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to plan the trajectory only in an area defined by a route selection using a vehicle navigation device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system according to claim 16, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to includes determine a location of the vehicle using a Global Positioning System (GPS) and plan the trajectory to not exceed a predetermined distance threshold from a known location of the road surface.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to includes provide lane keeping support to adjust a current trajectory selected by a driver based on the planned trajectory.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to automatically steer the vehicle to follow the planned trajectory.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The system according to claim 12, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to generate a notification to a driver of the vehicle, the notification indicating whether the electronic processor is planning the trajectory based on the snow ruts on the road surface or based on the lane markings on the road surface.