Patent WO-2020070600-A1 (WO)
Title: Exploitation of automotive automated driving systems to cause motor vehicles to perform follow-me low-speed manoeuvres controllable from the outside of the motor vehicles by user terminals
Inventor: LIOTTI LUCA
IPC: B60W50/00
Filed: 2019-09-27
Abstract: System to cause a motor vehicle (1) equipped with an automotive automated driving system (3) to perform a Follow-Me low-speed manoeuvre under the control of a user terminal (g) from the outside of the motor vehicle (1). The motor vehicle (1) comprises automotive on-vehicle systems (2) comprising a propulsion system, a braking system, a steering system, a sensory system; an automotive communications system (10) to communicate with communications systems (13) of user terminals (11); and an automotive electronic control unit (5) configured to be connectable to the automotive on- vehicle systems (2) and to the communications system (10), and to cooperate with the automotive on-vehicle systems (2) to implement said automotive automated driving system (3). The user terminal (11) comprises a digital image capture device (14) and a communications system (13) to communicate with automotive communications systems (10). The user terminal (11) is programmed to communicate and cooperate with the electronic control unit (5) of the motor vehicle (1) to implement a Follow-Me functionality that allows a user from the outside of the motor vehicle (1) and in possession of the user terminal (11) to cause the motor vehicle (1) to perform a Follow-Me low-speed manoeuvre under the control of the user terminal (11). The user terminal (11) is further programmed to; - set up a communication between the communications systems (10, 13) of the motor vehicle (1) and of the user terminal (11), - activate the digital image capture device (14) so that the user can frame the motor vehicle (1), - capture and process one or more digital images of the motor vehicle (1) captured by the digital image capture device (14) of the user terminal (11) to identify the motor vehicle (1) in the captured digital images and to compute a relative position of the user terminal (11) relative to the identified motor vehicle (1) based on the captured digital images, - implement a surveillance device (16) whose operating state is indicative of a continuous surveillance of the user in possession of the user terminal (11) on the execution of the Follow-Me manoeuvre, and - send to the electronic control unit (5) of the motor vehicle (1) Follow-Me data indicative of the relative position of the user terminal (11) relative to the identified vehicle (1) and the operating state of the surveillance device (16). The electronic control unit (5) is programmed to: - receive and process the Follow-Me data transmitted by the user terminal (11) to determine the relative position of the user terminal (11) relative to the motor vehicle (1) and the operating state of the surveillance device (16), and - control the automotive automated driving system (3) of the motor vehicle (1) based on the Follow-Me data, so as to cause the motor vehicle (1) to perform a Follow-Me low- speed manoeuvre under the control of the user terminal (11) to follow the movements of the user in possession of the user terminal (11) as long as the operating state of the surveillance device (16) is such as to indicate a continuous surveillance of the user in possession of the user terminal (11) on the execution of the Follow-Me low-speed manoeuvre, and to interrupt the Follow-Me low-speed manoeuvre when the operating state of the surveillance device (16) is such as to indicate an interruption of the surveillance of the user in possession of the user terminal (11) on the execution of the Follow-Me manoeuvre.