Driver assistance systems and methods for merge guidance

A method for a driver assistance system of a driver's vehicle, the method comprising:

• detecting a location of the driver's vehicle and a lane that the driver's vehicle is traveling along;
• identifying a nearby vehicle in a vicinity of the driver's vehicle based on sensor data;
• identifying a lane that the nearby vehicle is traveling along based on the location of the driver's vehicle, map data comprising traffic lane information, and the sensor data;
• computing a probability, based on the driver's vehicle lane and the nearby vehicle lane, that at least one of the following will occur:
• the driver's vehicle will enter the nearby vehicle lane or the nearby vehicle will enter the driver's vehicle lane;
• and
• outputting a driver alert based on the probability.

A driver assistance system of a driver's vehicle, the driver assistance system comprising:

• a first sensor to detect one or more lane lines of a roadway that the driver's vehicle is traveling along;
• a second sensor to detect a nearby vehicle in a vicinity of the driver's vehicle;
• a global positioning system satellite receiver;
• and
• one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
• detect a location of the driver's vehicle and a lane that the driver's vehicle is traveling along;
• identify a nearby vehicle in a vicinity of the driver's vehicle using data from the second sensor;
• identify a lane that the nearby vehicle is traveling along based on the location of the driver's vehicle, map data comprising traffic lane information, and data from the second sensor;
• compute, based on the driver's vehicle lane and the nearby vehicle lane, a probability that at least one of the following will occur:
• the driver's vehicle will enter the nearby vehicle lane, the nearby vehicle will enter the driver's vehicle lane, or the driver's vehicle lane and the nearby vehicle lane will merge;
• and
• output a driver alert based on the probability.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for a driver assistance system of a driver's vehicle, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the device to:

• detect a location of the driver's vehicle and a lane that the driver's vehicle is traveling along;
• identify a nearby vehicle in a vicinity of the driver's vehicle using data from the second sensor;
• identify a lane that the nearby vehicle is traveling along based on the location of the driver's vehicle, map data comprising traffic lane information, and data from the second sensor;
• compute, based on the driver's vehicle lane and the nearby vehicle lane, a probability that at least one of the following will occur:
• the driver's vehicle will enter the nearby vehicle lane, the nearby vehicle will enter the driver's vehicle lane, or the driver's vehicle lane and the nearby vehicle lane will merge;
• and
• output a driver alert based on the probability.