Method and system for collective autonomous operation database for autonomous vehicles

• US 10,083,604 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2016
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (Shanghai Anbin Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nio Usa Inc.
• Inventors: Ricci, Christopher P., Singhal, Abhishek
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y
• Application Number:
  US15/394,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20180130347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23, 701301, 701 28
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/54 Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/041 Potential occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/049 Number of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0025 specially adapted for specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0027 using trajectory prediction for other traffic participants
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 : from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 : Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 : for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 : for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 : for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 : identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 : where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 : where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 : where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

Systems of an electrical vehicle and the operations thereof are provided that forms ad hoc autonomous vehicle networks to conserve bandwidth in receiving information from a remote source and sending information to the remote source.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle interior for receiving one or more occupants;

a plurality of sensors to collect vehicle-related information, occupant-related information, and exterior environmental and object information associated with the vehicle;

an automatic vehicle location system to determine a current spatial location of the vehicle;

a computer readable medium to store networking instructions to form an ad hoc network comprising the vehicle and a different vehicle;

an arithmetic logic unit that performs mathematical operations;

a data bus that, at the request of the arithmetic logic unit, sends data to or receives data from the computer readable medium;

an address bus that, at the request of the arithmetic logic unit, sends an address to the computer readable medium;

a read and write line that, at the request of the arithmetic logic unit, commands the computer readable medium whether to set or retrieve a location corresponding to the address;

one or more registers to latch a value on the data bus or output by the arithmetic logic unit; and

one or more buffers, wherein the arithmetic logic unit is coupled to the plurality of sensors, automatic vehicle location system, and computer readable medium, and

determines a current spatial location of the vehicle,

receives current vehicle-related information, current occupant-related information, and exterior environmental and object information,

generates, from the exterior environmental and object information, a three-dimensional map comprising exterior animate objects in spatial proximity to the vehicle, models, from the three-dimensional map, predicted behavior of one or more of the exterior animate objects and, from the occupant-related information, predicted behavior of one or more vehicle occupants,

based on the three-dimensional map and predicted behaviors of the one or more exterior animate objects and one or more vehicle occupants, issues a command to a vehicle component to perform a vehicle driving operation, and

communicates to the different vehicle not to transmit to a remote control source or navigation source exterior environmental and object information collected by a respective plurality of sensors of the different vehicle in temporal proximity to the vehicle collection of the exterior environmental and object information,

wherein the vehicle transmits, to a remote control source or navigation source, the current vehicle-related information and current occupant-related information, three-dimensional map, current spatial location of the vehicle, and predicted behavior of one or more of the exterior animate objects and/or one or more of the vehicle occupants.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the arithmetic logic unit transmits to a remote control source or navigation source, the exterior environmental and object information collected by plurality of sensors, wherein the different vehicle transmits current vehicle-related information and current occupant-related information collected by the respective plurality of sensors of the different vehicle to the remote control source or navigation source but does not transmit navigation source exterior environmental and object information collected by a respective plurality of sensors of the different vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor transmits the predicted behaviors of the one or more exterior animate objects to the different vehicle for execution by a microprocessor of the different vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor transmits the predicted behaviors of the one or more occupants of the vehicle to the different vehicle for execution by a microprocessor of the different vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a lidar sensor, radar sensor, ultrasonic sensor, camera, and infrared sensor, wherein the command is one or more of an acceleration rate of the vehicle, a deceleration rate of the vehicle, a steering angle of the vehicle, and an inter-object spacing of the vehicle relative to an exteriorly located object, and wherein the vehicle transmits to the control source or navigation source an identifier associated with the vehicle and different vehicle in connection with the in connection with the three-dimensional map.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein what vehicles are in the ad hoc network is based on one or more of spatial location or proximity of potentially networked vehicles, received signal strength by one potentially networked vehicle of a signal transmitted by another potentially networked vehicle, directions of travel of potentially networked vehicles, roadway type traveled by potentially networked vehicles, types of potentially networked vehicles, models of potentially networked vehicles, and manufacturers of potentially networked vehicles and wherein which vehicles are members of the ad hoc network change in response to vehicle movement.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the predicted behavior is for a selected exterior animate object in the three-dimensional map, wherein the vehicle receives a different second predicted behavior of the selected exterior animate object generated by another vehicle, and based on the three-dimensional map and the first and second predicted behaviors of the selected exterior animate object, and issues a command to a vehicle component to perform a vehicle driving operation, wherein the first and second predicted behaviors, each executed alone by the arithmetic logic unit, produce different commands, wherein the command corresponds to one or more of an acceleration event, an acceleration rate, a deceleration event, a deceleration rate, a steering angle relative to a reference axis, and a spacing distance between an exterior surface of the vehicle and a nearby object.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the second predicted behavior has a corresponding application limitation defining when the second predicted behavior is to be used instead of the first predicted behavior, and wherein the corresponding application limitation is one or more of a temporal limitation, a spatial limitation, and an event duration limitation.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the second predicted behavior is received as part of navigation information comprising a dimensional array of features, each feature having an attribute of location and category and wherein the navigation information comprises or references the second predicted behavior, wherein the navigation information further comprises one or more of a command to the vehicle arithmetic logic unit, request to the vehicle arithmetic logic unit, warning of a hazard, instruction to be performed by the vehicle arithmetic logic unit, rule to be applied by the vehicle arithmetic logic unit, and link to one or more of the command, request, warning, instruction or rule, wherein the navigation information comprises a flag field to indicate whether or not the navigation information comprises a predicted behavior to be considered by the vehicle, and wherein the microprocessor forward the identified autonomous driving information to at least one other autonomous vehicle in spatial proximity to the autonomous vehicle for possible execution by a microprocessor of the at least one other autonomous vehicle, and wherein an autonomous mode of operation of the vehicle is at least level 2 or higher.

10. A method for autonomous operation of a vehicle, comprising:

providing a vehicle comprising a vehicle interior for receiving one or more occupants, a plurality of sensors to collect vehicle-related information, occupant-related information, and exterior environmental and object information associated with the vehicle, an automatic vehicle location system to determine a current spatial location of the vehicle, a computer readable medium to store networking instructions to form an ad hoc network comprising the vehicle and a different vehicle, an arithmetic logic unit that performs mathematical operations, a data bus that, at the request of the arithmetic logic unit, sends data to or receives data from the computer readable medium, an address bus that, at the request of the arithmetic logic unit, sends an address to the computer readable medium, a read and write line that, at the request of the arithmetic logic unit, commands the computer readable medium whether to set or retrieve a location corresponding to the address, one or more registers to latch a value on the data bus or output by the arithmetic logic unit, and one or more buffers;

determining, by the arithmetic logic unit, a current spatial location of the vehicle;

receiving, by the arithmetic logic unit and from the plurality of sensors, current vehicle-related information, current occupant-related information, and exterior environmental and object information;

generating, by the arithmetic logic unit, from the exterior environmental and object information a three-dimensional map comprising exterior animate objects in spatial proximity to the vehicle;

determining, by the arithmetic logic unit executing one or more behavioral models and based on the three-dimensional map, a predicted behavior of one or more of the exterior animate objects and from the occupant-related information a predicted behavior of one or more vehicle occupants;

based on the three-dimensional map and predicted behaviors of the one or more exterior animate objects and one or more vehicle occupants, issuing, by arithmetic logic unit, a command to a vehicle component to perform a vehicle driving operation;

causing, by the arithmetic logic unit, the different vehicle not to transmit to a remote control source or navigation source exterior environmental and object information collected by a respective plurality of sensors of the different vehicle in temporal proximity to the vehicle collection of the exterior environmental and object information; and

causing, by the arithmetic logic unit, transmission, to a remote control source or navigation source, of the current vehicle-related information and current occupant-related information, three-dimensional map, current spatial location of the vehicle, and predicted behavior of one or more of the exterior animate objects and/or one or more of the vehicle occupants.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting, by the arithmetic logic unit and to a remote control source or navigation source, the exterior environmental and object information collected by plurality of sensors, wherein the different vehicle transmits current vehicle-related information and current occupant-related information collected by the respective plurality of sensors of the different vehicle to the remote control source or navigation source but does not transmit navigation source exterior environmental and object information collected by a respective plurality of sensors of the different vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the arithmetic logic unit causes transmission of the predicted behaviors of the one or more exterior animate objects to the different vehicle for execution by a microprocessor of the different vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the arithmetic logic unit causes transmission of the predicted behaviors of the one or more occupants of the vehicle to the different vehicle for execution by a microprocessor of the different vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a lidar sensor, radar sensor, ultrasonic sensor, camera, and infrared sensor, wherein the command is one or more of an acceleration rate of the vehicle, a deceleration rate of the vehicle, a steering angle of the vehicle, and an inter-object spacing of the vehicle relative to an exteriorly located object, and wherein the vehicle transmits to the control source or navigation source an identifier associated with the vehicle and different vehicle in connection with the three-dimensional map.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein what vehicles are in the ad hoc network is based on one or more of spatial location or proximity of potentially networked vehicles, received signal strength by one potentially networked vehicle of a signal transmitted by another potentially networked vehicle, directions of travel of potentially networked vehicles, roadway type traveled by potentially networked vehicles, types of potentially networked vehicles, models of potentially networked vehicles, and manufacturers of potentially networked vehicles and wherein which vehicles are members of the ad hoc network change in response to vehicle movement.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the predicted behavior is for a selected exterior animate object in the three-dimensional map, wherein the vehicle receives a different second predicted behavior of the selected exterior animate object generated by another vehicle, and based on the three-dimensional map and the first and second predicted behaviors of the selected exterior animate object, and issues a command to a vehicle component to perform a vehicle driving operation, wherein the first and second predicted behaviors, each executed alone by the arithmetic logic unit, produce different commands, wherein the command corresponds to one or more of an acceleration event, an acceleration rate, a deceleration event, a deceleration rate, a steering angle relative to a reference axis, and a spacing distance between an exterior surface of the vehicle and a nearby object.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second predicted behavior has a corresponding application limitation defining when the second predicted behavior is to be used instead of the first predicted behavior, and wherein the corresponding application limitation is one or more of a temporal limitation, a spatial limitation, and an event duration limitation.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second predicted behavior is received as part of navigation information comprising a dimensional array of features, each feature having an attribute of location and category and wherein the navigation information comprises or references the second predicted behavior, wherein the navigation information further comprises one or more of a command to the vehicle arithmetic logic unit, request to the vehicle arithmetic logic unit, warning of a hazard, instruction to be performed by the vehicle arithmetic logic unit, rule to be applied by the vehicle arithmetic logic unit, and link to one or more of the command, request, warning, instruction or rule, wherein the navigation information comprises a flag field to indicate whether or not the navigation information comprises a predicted behavior to be considered by the vehicle, and wherein the microprocessor forward the identified autonomous driving information to at least one other autonomous vehicle in spatial proximity to the autonomous vehicle for possible execution by a microprocessor of the at least one other autonomous vehicle, and wherein an autonomous mode of operation of the vehicle is at least level 2 or higher.

19. A method for autonomous operation of a vehicle, comprising:

providing a vehicle comprising a vehicle interior for receiving one or more occupants, a plurality of sensors to collect vehicle-related information, occupant-related information, and exterior environmental and object information associated with the vehicle;

, an automatic vehicle location system to determine a current spatial location of the vehicle, a computer readable medium to store networking instructions to form an ad hoc network comprising the vehicle and a different vehicle, an arithmetic logic unit that performs mathematical operations, a data bus that, at the request of the arithmetic logic unit, sends data to or receives data from the computer readable medium, an address bus that, at the request of the arithmetic logic unit, sends an address to the computer readable medium, a read and write line that, at the request of the arithmetic logic unit, commands the computer readable medium whether to set or retrieve a location corresponding to the address, and one or more registers that enable the arithmetic logic unit to perform mathematical operations;

determining, by the arithmetic logic unit, a current spatial location of the vehicle;

receiving, by the arithmetic logic unit, current vehicle-related information, current occupant-related information, and exterior environmental and object information;

generating, by the arithmetic logic unit, from the exterior environmental and object information a three-dimensional map comprising exterior animate objects in spatial proximity to the vehicle;

determining, by the arithmetic logic unit executing one or more behavioral models and based on the three-dimensional map, a predicted behavior of one or more of the exterior animate objects and from the occupant-related information a predicted behavior of one or more vehicle occupants;

based on the three-dimensional map and predicted behaviors of the one or more exterior animate objects and one or more vehicle occupants, issuing, by arithmetic logic unit, a command to a vehicle component to perform a vehicle driving operation;

causing, by the arithmetic logic unit, a communication to be transmitted to the different vehicle commanding the different vehicle not to transmit to a remote control source or navigation source exterior environmental and object information collected by a respective plurality of sensors of the different vehicle in temporal proximity to the vehicle collection of the exterior environmental and object information;

causing, by the arithmetic logic unit, transmission, to a remote control source or navigation source, of the current vehicle-related information and current occupant-related information, three-dimensional map, current spatial location of the vehicle, and predicted behavior of one or more of the exterior animate objects and/or one or more of the vehicle occupants; and

causing, by the arithmetic logic unit, transmission of the predicted behaviors of the one or more exterior animate objects and one or more occupants of the vehicle to the different vehicle for execution by a microprocessor of the different vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting, by the arithmetic logic unit and to a remote control source or navigation source, the exterior environmental and object information collected by plurality of sensors, wherein the different vehicle transmits current vehicle-related information and current occupant-related information collected by the respective plurality of sensors of the different vehicle to the remote control source or navigation source but does not transmit navigation source exterior environmental and object information collected by a respective plurality of sensors of the different vehicle.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the vehicle transmits to the control source or navigation source an identifier associated with the vehicle and different vehicle in connection with the three-dimensional map.