Method for determining command delays of autonomous vehicles

• US 10,054,945 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baidu USA LLC (Baidu Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Baidu USA LLC (Baidu Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zhu, Fan, Kong, Qi, Yang, Guang, Wang, Jingao
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US15/360,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20180143632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0042 Transfer function lag; delays
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0088 Adaptive recalibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2400/00 Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00

Abstract

In one embodiment, driving statistics of an autonomous vehicle are collected. The driving statistics include driving commands, speeds, and changes of speeds in response to the driving commands at different points in time represented by one or more command cycles. Command delay candidates for the autonomous vehicle are determined, each of the command delay candidates represented by one or more command cycles. For each of the command delay candidates, a percentage is calculated for driving commands that resulted in a response of the autonomous vehicle conforming to the driving commands associated with the command delay candidate. One of the command delay candidates having the highest percentage of conformity is selected as the command delay for the autonomous vehicle. The command delay is utilized to plan and control subsequent operations of the autonomous vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining command delays of driving commands operating an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, by a data collector executed by a processor, driving statistics of an autonomous vehicle, the driving statistics including driving commands issued and responses from the autonomous vehicle at different points in time;

determining, by a command delay determination module executed by the processor, a plurality of command delay candidates for the autonomous vehicle, each of the command delay candidates represented by one or more command cycles associated with the autonomous vehicle;

for each of the command delay candidates, calculating, by the command delay determination module, a percentage of driving commands that resulted in a response of the autonomous vehicle conforming to the driving commands based on the driving statistics associated with the autonomous vehicle; and

selecting, by the command delay determination module, one of the command delay candidates having the highest percentage of conformity as the command delay for the autonomous vehicle, wherein the command delay is utilized to plan and control subsequent operations of the autonomous vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each of a plurality of driving commands associated with each of the command delay candidates, determining conformity of a response of the autonomous vehicle in response to the driving command.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining conformity of a response of the autonomous vehicle in response to the driving command comprises:

determining a first command value of a first driving command issued at a first command cycle;

determining a first response value of a first response of the autonomous vehicle occurred at a second command cycle in response to the first driving command; and

determining conformity of the first response in response to the first driving command based on the first command value and the first response value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a difference of the first command cycle and the second command cycle represents one of the command delay candidates.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first driving command comprises a throttle command, wherein the first response is conformed to the first driving command if the autonomous vehicle was accelerating at the second command cycle based on the driving statistics.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first driving command comprises a braking command, wherein the first response is conformed to the first driving command if the autonomous vehicle was decelerating at the second command cycle based on the driving statistics.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the first driving command comprises a steering command turning in a first direction, wherein the first response is conformed to the first driving command if the autonomous vehicle was turning in the first direction at the second command cycle based on the driving statistics.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a command delay is one of a throttle command delay, a braking command delay, or a steering command delay.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving driving statistics of an autonomous vehicle, the driving statistics including driving commands issued and responses from the autonomous vehicle at different points in time;

determining a plurality of command delay candidates for the autonomous vehicle, each of the command delay candidates represented by one or more command cycles associated with the autonomous vehicle;

for each of the command delay candidates, calculating a percentage of driving commands that resulted in a response of the autonomous vehicle conforming to the driving commands based on the driving statistics associated with the autonomous vehicle; and

selecting one of the command delay candidates having the highest percentage of conformity as the command delay for the autonomous vehicle, wherein the command delay is utilized to plan and control subsequent operations of the autonomous vehicle.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise, for each of a plurality of driving commands associated with each of the command delay candidates, determining conformity of a response of the autonomous vehicle in response to the driving command.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining conformity of a response of the autonomous vehicle in response to the driving command comprises:

determining a first command value of a first driving command issued at a first command cycle;

determining a first response value of a first response of the autonomous vehicle occurred at a second command cycle in response to the first driving command; and

determining conformity of the first response in response to the first driving command based on the first command value and the first response value.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a difference of the first command cycle and the second command cycle represents one of the command delay candidates.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first driving command comprises a throttle command, wherein the first response is conformed to the first driving command if the autonomous vehicle was accelerating at the second command cycle based on the driving statistics.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first driving command comprises a braking command, wherein the first response is conformed to the first driving command if the autonomous vehicle was decelerating at the second command cycle based on the driving statistics.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first driving command comprises a steering command turning in a first direction, wherein the first response is conformed to the first driving command if the autonomous vehicle was turning in the first direction at the second command cycle based on the driving statistics.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein a command delay is one of a throttle command delay, a braking command delay, or a steering command delay.

17. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations including

receiving driving statistics of an autonomous vehicle, the driving statistics including driving commands issued and responses from the autonomous vehicle at different points in time,

determining a plurality of command delay candidates for the autonomous vehicle, each of the command delay candidates represented by one or more command cycles associated with the autonomous vehicle,

for each of the command delay candidates, calculating a percentage of driving commands that resulted in a response of the autonomous vehicle conforming to the driving commands based on driving statistics associated with the autonomous vehicle, and

selecting one of the command delay candidates having the highest percentage of conformity as the command delay for the autonomous vehicle, wherein the command delay is utilized to plan and control subsequent operations of the autonomous vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise, for each of a plurality of driving commands associated with each of the command delay candidates, determining conformity of a response of the autonomous vehicle in response to the driving command.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein determining conformity of a response of the autonomous vehicle in response to the driving command comprises:

determining a first command value of a first driving command issued at a first command cycle;

determining a first response value of a first response of the autonomous vehicle occurred at a second command cycle in response to the first driving command; and

determining conformity of the first response in response to the first driving command based on the first command value and the first response value.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein a difference of the first command cycle and the second command cycle represents one of the command delay candidates.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the first driving command comprises a throttle command, wherein the first response is conformed to the first driving command if the autonomous vehicle was accelerating at the second command cycle based on the driving statistics.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the first driving command comprises a braking command, wherein the first response is conformed to the first driving command if the autonomous vehicle was decelerating at the second command cycle based on the driving statistics.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the first driving command comprises a steering command turning in a first direction, wherein the first response is conformed to the first driving command if the autonomous vehicle was turning in the first direction at the second command cycle based on the driving statistics.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein a command delay is one of a throttle command delay, a braking command delay, or a steering command delay.