Occupant aware braking system

• US 10,053,088 B1
• Filed: 02/21/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoox Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zoox Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Askeland, Jacob Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US15/437,677
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/08 responsive to conditions relating to the cargo, e.g. overload
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/30 Environment conditions or position therewithin
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0881 Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/025 related to comfort of drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/107 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/109 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A vehicle control system includes variable maneuvering limits based at least in part on whether the vehicle is carrying cargo (i.e., passengers or other cargo). The system can include a cargo classification system comprising one or more internal sensors, an imager, and an image interpreter. The cargo classification system can determine if the vehicle is carrying cargo and classify the cargo (e.g., passengers or other cargo). Based at least in part on this classification, the vehicle control system can set various vehicle maneuvering limits. When the vehicle is empty, the vehicle control system can maneuver the vehicle at, or near, the actual maneuvering limits for the vehicle (e.g., maximum longitudinal acceleration, braking and lateral acceleration that can be generated by the vehicle). When the vehicle is carrying cargo, the vehicle control system can maneuver the vehicle at a lower threshold to prevent passenger discomfort and/or cargo damage or discomfort.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

one or more internal sensors to provide data associated with an interior portion of the vehicle; and

a cargo classification system in communication with at least the one or more internal sensors system to;

determine whether cargo is present in the interior portion of the vehicle based at least in part on one or more inputs from the one or more internal sensors; and

provide, to a vehicle control system, a classification of the cargo when present; and

the vehicle control system, in communication with the cargo classification system, the vehicle control system configured to maneuver the vehicle at or below a maximum acceleration based at least in part on data provided by the cargo classification system.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the maximum acceleration is associated with one or more of a lateral acceleration and a longitudinal acceleration for the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more internal sensors comprise one or more of:

a seat belt sensor to indicate when a seat belt in the vehicle is buckled; and

a seat weight sensor to provide a weight of cargo in a seat of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more internal sensors comprise an image sensor;

and

wherein the cargo classification system further comprises an image interpreter to interpret images from the image sensor.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising one or more external sensors to detect one or more objects proximate the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the one or more external sensors comprise one or more of an image sensor, a RADAR sensor, or a LIDAR sensor.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a passenger interface to receive input from one or more passengers in the vehicle;

wherein the vehicle control system adjusts the maximum acceleration of the vehicle based at least in part on passenger input.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cargo classification system further provides, to the vehicle control system, the maximum acceleration based on the classification of the cargo.

9. A method for maneuvering a vehicle comprising:

determining, with a cargo classification system, whether the vehicle contains cargo;

setting, with a vehicle control system, a maximum acceleration for the vehicle based at least in part on whether the vehicle contains cargo;

detecting, with a perception system, an object in a path of the vehicle; and

maneuvering the vehicle at or below the maximum acceleration to avoid the object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cargo classification system determines that the vehicle contains cargo and further comprising:

classifying the cargo with the cargo classification system;

wherein setting, with a vehicle control system, the maximum acceleration comprises setting a cargo threshold for the vehicle based at least in part on the cargo classification.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein classifying the cargo with the cargo classification system further comprises:

receiving data, at the cargo classification system, from one or more internal sensors located in an interior of the vehicle; and

comparing, with the cargo classification system, the data to object classification data to classify the cargo.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more internal sensors comprise one or more of:

a seat belt sensor to provide data to the cargo classification system, the data related to whether one or more seat belts in the vehicle are buckled;

or

a seat weight sensor to provide data to the cargo classification system, the data comprising the weight of the cargo in one or more seats of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more internal sensors comprise:

an imager to provide image data to the cargo classification system, the data comprising image data of the interior of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the cargo classification system determines that the vehicle contains no cargo;

and

wherein the vehicle control system sets the maximum acceleration equal to a vehicle threshold.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the cargo classification system determines that the cargo is a passenger;

wherein the vehicle control system sets the maximum acceleration to a cargo threshold for passengers; and

wherein the cargo threshold for passengers is lower than a vehicle threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein setting the maximum acceleration rate to a cargo threshold for passengers is based at least in part on passenger input.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein maneuvering the vehicle at or below the maximum acceleration to avoid the object comprises:

maneuvering at a cargo threshold;

detecting, with the perception system, that the object is still in the path of the vehicle; and

maneuvering above the cargo threshold and at, or below, a vehicle threshold to avoid the object.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine, with a cargo classification system, whether a vehicle contains cargo;

set, with a vehicle control system, a maximum acceleration for the vehicle based at least in part on whether the vehicle contains cargo;

detect, with a perception system, an object in a path of the vehicle; and

maneuver the vehicle at or below the maximum acceleration to avoid the object.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

classify the cargo with the cargo classification system;

wherein setting, with the vehicle control system, the maximum acceleration comprises setting a cargo threshold for the vehicle based at least in part on the cargo classification.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein classifying the cargo with the cargo classification system further comprises:

receiving data, at the cargo classification system, from one or more internal sensors located in an interior of the vehicle; and

comparing, with the cargo classification system, the data to object classification data to classify the cargo.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the one or more internal sensors comprise one or more of:

a seat belt sensor to provide data to the cargo classification system, the data related to whether one or more seat belts in the vehicle are buckled;

or

a seat weight sensor to provide data to the cargo classification system, the data comprising the weight of the cargo in one or more seats of the vehicle.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the one or more internal sensors comprise:

an imager to provide image data to the cargo classification system, the data comprising image data of the interior of the vehicle.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein maneuvering the vehicle at or below the maximum acceleration to avoid the object comprises:

maneuvering at a cargo threshold;

detecting, with the perception system, that the object is still in the path of the vehicle; and

maneuvering above the cargo threshold and at, or below, a vehicle threshold to avoid the object.