US 8,797,185 B2Granted

Driving assitstance method, on-board unit (OBU) applying the method and computer readable storage medium storing the method

AssigneeInstitute for Information Industry

InventorsCheng-Hsuan Cho, Tang-Hsien Chang, Tzu-Chun Liu, Bor-Chia Hsieh

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Abstract

An on-board unit (OBU) with a driving-assistance function to be installed on a vehicle includes at least one wireless communication unit and a processing unit. The processing unit receives information of at least one first traffic signal and at least one second traffic signal respectively from their RSUs through the at least one wireless communication unit. The first traffic signal is installed at a first intersection, the at least one second traffic signal is installed at a second intersection, and the vehicle is closer to the first intersection than to the second intersection. The processing unit generates a suggested speed range, within which the vehicle may travel to allow the same to pass through the first intersection and the second intersection without stopping, according to the information of at least one first traffic signal and the at least one second traffic and vehicle position information of the vehicle.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An on-board unit (OBU) with a driving-assistance function, wherein the OBU is installed on a vehicle, and the OBU comprises:

at least one wireless communication unit;
and
a processing unit electrically connected with the at least one wireless communication unit, wherein the processing unit comprises:
a traffic light information receiving module for receiving information of at least one first traffic signal and at least one second traffic signal respectively from at least one first road side unit (RSU) and at least one second RSU through the at least one wireless communication unit, wherein the at least one first traffic signal is installed at a first intersection, which is in a traveling direction of the vehicle, the at least one second traffic signal is installed at a second intersection, which is in the traveling direction, and the vehicle is closer to the first intersection than to the second intersection;
a position obtaining module for obtaining vehicle position information of the vehicle;
and
a suggested speed generating module for generating a suggested speed range, within which the vehicle may travel to allow the same to pass through the first intersection and the second intersection without stopping, the suggested speed range being generated according to the information of the at least one first traffic signal and the at least one second traffic and the vehicle position information, wherein the processing unit further comprises:
a delay calculating module for calculating a first delay time for which the at least one first traffic signal must be delayed if the vehicle is to pass through the first intersection without stopping, and calculating a second delay time for which the at least one second traffic signal must be delayed if the vehicle is to pass through the second intersection without stopping, the first delay time and the second delay time being calculated according to a present speed of the vehicle and the vehicle position information;
and
a signal adjusting module for generating a signal adjust request according to the first delay time and the second delay time, and transmitting the signal adjust request to the at least one first RSU and the at least one second RSU through the at least one wireless communication unit to adjust signal periods of the at least one first traffic signal and the at least one second traffic signal.

7 more elements

A driving assistance method comprising:

(a) utilizing an OBU installed on a vehicle to receive information of at least one first traffic signal and at least one second traffic signal respectively from at least one first road side unit (RSU) and at least one second RSU, wherein the at least one first traffic signal is installed at a first intersection, which is in a traveling direction of the vehicle, the at least one second traffic signal is installed at a second intersection, which is in the traveling direction, and the vehicle is closer to the first intersection than to the second intersection;
(b) utilizing the OBU to retrieve vehicle position information of the vehicle;
and
(c) generating a suggested speed range, within which the vehicle may travel to allow the same to pass through the first intersection and the second intersection without stopping, the suggested speed range being generated according to the information of the at least one first traffic signal and the at least one second traffic and the vehicle position information;
wherein the driving assistance method further comprises:
calculating a first delay time for which the at least one first traffic signal must be delayed if the vehicle is to pass through the first intersection without stopping, and calculating a second delay time for which the at least one second traffic signal must be delayed if the vehicle is to pass through the second intersection without stopping, the first delay time and the second delay time being calculated according to a present speed of the vehicle and the vehicle position information;
generating a signal adjust request according to the first delay time and the second delay time;
and
utilizing the OBU to transmit the signal adjust request to the at least one first RSU and the at least one second RSU to adjust signal periods of the at least one first traffic signal and the at least one second traffic signal.

6 more elements

A computer readable storage medium with a computer program to execute a driving assistance method, wherein the driving assistance method comprises:

(a) utilizing an OBU installed on a vehicle to receive information of at least one first traffic signal and at least one second traffic signal respectively from at least one first road side unit (RSU) and at least one second RSU, wherein the at least one first traffic signal is installed at a first intersection, which is in a traveling direction of the vehicle, the at least one second traffic signal is installed at a second intersection, which is in the traveling direction, and the vehicle is closer to the first intersection than to the second intersection;
(b) utilizing the OBU to retrieve vehicle position information of the vehicle;
and
(c) generating a suggested speed range, within which the vehicle may travel to allow the same to pass through the first intersection and the second intersection without stopping, the suggested speed range being generated according to the information of at least one first traffic signal and the at least one second traffic and the vehicle position information;
wherein the driving assistance method further comprises:
calculating a first delay time for which the at least one first traffic signal must be delayed if the vehicle is to pass through the first intersection without stopping, and calculating a second delay time for which the at least one second traffic signal must be delayed if the vehicle is to pass through the second intersection without stopping, the first delay time and the second delay time being calculated according to a present speed of the vehicle and the vehicle position information;
generating a signal adjust request according to the first delay time and the second delay time;
and
utilizing the OBU to transmit the signal adjust request to the at least one first RSU and the at least one second RSU to adjust signal periods of the at least one first traffic signal and the at least one second traffic signal.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.