Traffic signal response for autonomous vehicles

• US 10,005,460 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2017
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gutmann, Jens-Steffen Ralf, Wendel, Andreas, Fairfield, Nathaniel, Dolgov, Dmitri A., Burnette, Donald Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US15/618,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20170341643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 340907, 340937, 340905, 340929
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to determining whether a vehicle should continue through an intersection. For example, the one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s computers may identify a time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red. The one or more computers may also estimate a location of a vehicle at the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red. A starting point of the intersection may be identified. Based on whether the estimated location of the vehicle is at least a threshold distance past the starting point at the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red, the computers can determine whether the vehicle should continue through the intersection.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, by one or more computing devices internal to a vehicle, a time when a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;

determining, by the one or more computing devices internal to the vehicle, a location of the vehicle at the identified time the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;

determining, by the one or more computing devices internal to the vehicle, whether the location is within the intersection;

when the location of the vehicle is determined to be within the intersection based on the location, determining, by the one or more computing devices internal to the vehicle, that the vehicle should continue through the intersection; and

controlling, by the one or more computing devices, the vehicle to proceed through the traffic signal light when it is determined that the vehicle should continue through the intersection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the location of the vehicle is determined not to be within the intersection based on the location, determining, by the one or more computing devices internal to the vehicle, that the vehicle should stop at or before the intersection.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising controlling, by the one or more computing devices, the vehicle to stop at the traffic signal light when it is determined that the vehicle should stop at or before the intersection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the one or more computing devices internal to the vehicle, a starting marker at the intersection associated with the traffic signal light while the vehicle is in motion;

determining, by the one or more computing devices internal to the vehicle, whether the location of the vehicle will be at least a threshold distance past the starting marker into the intersection; and

when the location of the vehicle is determined to be at least the threshold distance past the starting marker into the intersection, determining, by the one or more computing devices internal to the vehicle, that the vehicle should continue through the intersection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the vehicle corresponds to a location of a portion of the vehicle proximate to a rear of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red is based on information received from a device remote from the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising estimating, by the one or more computing devices, an approximate location of the traffic signal light.

8. A system comprising one or more computing devices internal to a vehicle configured to:

identify a time when a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;

determine a location at the identified time the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;

determine whether the location is within the intersection;

when the location of the vehicle is determined to be within the intersection based on the location, determine that the vehicle should continue through the intersection; and

control the vehicle to proceed through the traffic signal light when it is determined that the vehicle should continue through the intersection.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to, when the location of the vehicle is determined not to be within the intersection at the identified time the traffic signal will turn from yellow to red, determine that the vehicle should stop at or before the intersection.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to control the vehicle to stop the traffic signal light when it is determined that the vehicle should stop at or before the intersection.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:

detect a starting marker at the intersection associated with the traffic signal light while the vehicle is in motion;

determine whether the location of the vehicle will be at least a threshold distance past the starting marker into the intersection; and

when the location of the vehicle is determined to be at least the threshold distance past the starting marker into the intersection, determine that the vehicle should continue through the intersection.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the location of the vehicle corresponds to a location of a portion of the vehicle proximate to a rear of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to identify the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red based on information received from a device remote from the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to estimate an approximate location of the traffic signal light.

15. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors internal to a vehicle to perform a method, the method comprising:

identifying a time when a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;

determining a location of the vehicle at the identified time that the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;

determining whether the location is within the intersection;

when the location of the vehicle is determined to be within the intersection based on the location, determining that the vehicle should continue through the intersection; and

controlling the vehicle to proceed through the traffic signal light when it is determined that the vehicle should continue through the intersection.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises when the location of the vehicle is determined not to be within the intersection at the identified time that the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red, determining that the vehicle should stop at or before the intersection.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises controlling the vehicle to stop at the traffic signal light when it is determined that the vehicle should stop at or before the intersection.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a starting marker at the intersection associated with the traffic signal light while the vehicle is in motion;

determining whether the location of the vehicle will be at least the threshold distance past the starting marker into the intersection; and

when the location of the vehicle is determined to be at least a threshold distance past the starting marker into the intersection, determining that the vehicle should continue through the intersection.

19. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises identifying the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red based on information received from a device remote from the vehicle.

20. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises estimating an approximate location of the traffic signal light.