# US 2021/0241623 A1 · Ramp merging assistance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0241623 A1 - Document ID: US20210241623A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/781,211 - Filed: 2020-02-04 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-04 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Inventors: Ziran Wang; Kyungtae Han; Prashant Tiwari - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210241623A1 ## CPC - G08G 1/163: {involving continuous checking} - G08G 1/052: with provision for determining speed or overspeed {(speed measuring in general G01P)} - G08G 1/096716: {where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control} - G08G 1/164: {Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles} - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection} - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - 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}) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A server can assist connected vehicles merging from a ramp onto a main lane. A connected vehicle can be configured to communicate with the server. Connected vehicles on the main lane and connected vehicles on the ramp can send their locations and speeds to the server. The server can determine when at least one connected vehicle is within a geo-fence surrounding a merging point, where the main lane and the ramp meet. The server can determine an order in which the connected vehicles on the main lane and on the ramp can merge based on the connected vehicles' locations and speeds. The server can determine an advisory speed for at least one of the connected vehicles based on the order. The server can send the advisory speed to the at least one connected vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ramp merging assistance method, the method comprising: determining, by a server, an order for a plurality of connected vehicles to merge on a main lane substantially at a merging point, the merging point being where the main lane and a ramp meet, one or more of the plurality of connected vehicles being located on the ramp, and one or more of the plurality of connected vehicles being located on the main lane approaching the merging point; determining, by the server, an advisory speed for at least one connected vehicle such that the plurality of connected vehicles achieve the order; and sending, by the server, the advisory speed to the at least one connected vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ramp merging assistance method of claim 1, further including: determining, by the server, whether at least one of the plurality of connected vehicles is located within a geo-fence surrounding the merging point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ramp merging assistance method of claim 1, further including: determining, by the server, an arrival time to the merging point for the at least one connected vehicle, wherein the arrival time is the time taken for the at least one connected vehicle to reach the merging point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The ramp merging assistance method of claim 3, wherein determining the order further includes determining the order based on the arrival time for the at least one connected vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ramp merging assistance method of claim 1, wherein determining the advisory speed further includes determining a raw advisory speed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ramp merging assistance method of claim 1, further including: monitoring, by the server, the at least one connected vehicle to determine whether the advisory speed has been attained. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The ramp merging assistance method of claim 6, further including, in response to the advisory speed not being attained: sending, by the server, an alert to the at least one connected vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ramp merging assistance method of claim 1, further including: acquiring, using one or more sensors of the at least one connected vehicle, data about the at least one connected vehicle, wherein the data includes at least a location and a speed of the at least one connected vehicle; sending the data from the at least one connected vehicle to the server; and receiving, by the at least one connected vehicle, the advisory speed from the server. ### Claim 9 A ramp merging assistance system, the system comprising: a server communicatively linked to a plurality of connected vehicles, the server configured to: determine an order for the plurality of connected vehicles to merge on a main lane substantially at a merging point, the merging point being where the main lane and a ramp meet, one or more of the plurality of connected vehicles being located on the ramp, and one or more of the plurality of connected vehicles being located on the main lane approaching the merging point; determine an advisory speed for at least one connected vehicle such that the plurality of connected vehicles achieve the order; and send the advisory speed to the at least one connected vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The ramp merging assistance system of claim 9, wherein the server is further configured to: determine at least one connected vehicle to be in a geo-fence surrounding the merging point. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The ramp merging assistance system of claim 9, wherein the server is further configured to: determine an arrival time to the merging point for the at least one connected vehicle, wherein the arrival time is time taken for the at least one connected vehicle to reach the merging point. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The ramp merging assistance system of claim 11, wherein determining the order further includes determining the order based on the arrival time for the at least one connected vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The ramp merging assistance system of claim 9, wherein determining the advisory speed further includes determining a raw advisory speed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The ramp merging assistance system of claim 9, wherein the server is further configured to: monitor the at least one connected vehicle to determine whether the advisory speed has been attained. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The ramp merging assistance system of claim 14, wherein the server is further configured to: in response to the advisory speed not being attained, send an alert to the at least one connected vehicle. ### Claim 16 A computer program product for ramp merging assistance, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising: determining, by a server, an order for one or more connected vehicles to merge on a main lane substantially at a merging point, the merging point being where the main lane and a ramp meet, one or more of the plurality of connected vehicles being located on the ramp, and one or more of the plurality of connected vehicles being located on the main lane approaching the merging point; determining, by the server, an advisory speed for at least one connected vehicle such that the plurality of connected vehicles achieve the order; and sending, by the server, the advisory speed to the at least one connected vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The ramp merging assistance computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further includes: determining, by the server, at least one connected vehicle to be in a geo-fence surrounding the merging point. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The ramp merging assistance computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further includes: determining, by the server, an arrival time to the merging point for the at least one connected vehicle, wherein the arrival time is time taken for the at least one connected vehicle to reach the merging point. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The ramp merging assistance computer program product of claim 18, wherein determining the order further includes determining the order based on the arrival time for the at least one connected vehicle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The ramp merging assistance computer program product of claim 16, wherein determining the advisory speed further includes determining a raw advisory speed.