# US 2026/0100129 A1 · Driver assistance systems and methods for merge guidance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0100129 A1 - Document ID: US20260100129A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/911,117 - Filed: 2024-10-09 - Published: 2026-04-09 - Earliest claimed: 2024-10-09 - Assignees: Stack AV Co. - Applicants: Stack AV Co. - Inventors: Jeremy Lawrence SEAROCK; Dennis Jeffrey HOFF - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260100129A1 ## CPC - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - G08G 1/052: with provision for determining speed or overspeed {(speed measuring in general G01P)} - G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection} - 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 A method for a driver assistance system of a driver's vehicle is provided. The method comprises 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; determining, based on the driver's vehicle lane and the nearby vehicle lane, that the driver's vehicle lane and the nearby vehicle lane will merge; and outputting a driver alert based on the determination. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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; determining, based on the driver's vehicle lane and the nearby vehicle lane, that the driver's vehicle lane and the nearby vehicle lane will merge; and outputting a driver alert based on the determination. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the location of the driver's vehicle is based on global positioning system satellite data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the location of the driver's vehicle and the lane that the driver's vehicle is traveling along is based on matching one or more detected lane lines of a roadway that the driver's vehicle is traveling along to the map data comprising traffic lane information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the location of the driver's vehicle and the lane that the driver's vehicle is traveling along is based on global positioning system satellite data, the map data comprising traffic lane information, and one or more detected lane lines of a roadway that the driver's vehicle is traveling along. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the nearby vehicle lane comprises adding the map data comprising traffic lane information to the sensor data and determining that a nearby vehicle lane confidence metric meets a nearby vehicle lane threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the driver's vehicle lane and the nearby vehicle lane will merge is further based on the map data comprising traffic lane information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the driver alert comprises computing a nearby vehicle location and a nearby vehicle velocity based on the driver's vehicle location, the map data, and the sensor data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein outputting the driver alert comprises computing an estimated distance between the driver's vehicle and the nearby vehicle at a location of the merge based on the driver's vehicle location, a driver's vehicle velocity, the nearby vehicle location, and the nearby vehicle velocity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein outputting the driver alert is further based on a determination that the estimated distance between the driver's vehicle and the nearby vehicle at the location of the merge meets a proximity threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the driver alert comprises at least one of illuminating an indication light or generating an audible tone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the driver alert comprises displaying, on a user interface, at least one of an indication of the nearby vehicle, a recommended merge location, or a recommendation to modify or maintain a velocity of the driver's vehicle. ### Claim 12 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. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the location of the driver's vehicle is based on global positioning system satellite data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the location of the driver's vehicle and the lane that the driver's vehicle is traveling along is based on matching one or more detected lane lines of a roadway that the driver's vehicle is traveling along to the map data comprising traffic lane information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the location of the driver's vehicle and the lane that the driver's vehicle is traveling along is based on global positioning system satellite data, the map data comprising traffic lane information, and one or more detected lane lines of a roadway that the driver's vehicle is traveling along. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the nearby vehicle lane comprises adding the map data comprising traffic lane information to the sensor data and determining that a nearby vehicle lane confidence metric meets a nearby vehicle lane threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein determining the probability is further based on detecting use of a turning signal on at least one of the driver's vehicle or the nearby vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein outputting the driver alert comprises computing a nearby vehicle location and a nearby vehicle velocity based on the driver's vehicle location, the map data, and the sensor data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein outputting the driver alert comprises computing an expected lane change location and an estimated distance between the driver's vehicle and the nearby vehicle at the expected lane change location based on the driver's vehicle location, a driver's vehicle velocity, the nearby vehicle location, and the nearby vehicle velocity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein outputting the driver alert is further based on a determination that the estimated distance between the driver's vehicle and the nearby vehicle at the expected lane change location meets a proximity threshold. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein outputting the driver alert comprises at least one of illuminating an indication light or generating an audible tone. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein outputting the driver alert comprises displaying, on a user interface, at least one of an indication of the nearby vehicle, a recommended lane change location, or a recommendation to modify or maintain a velocity of the driver's vehicle. ### Claim 23 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. ### Claim 24 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.