Distributed computing among vehicles

• US 10,162,357 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Michalakis, Nikolaos, Mason, Julian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/459,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20180267547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for collaboratively determining an object. The method includes receiving sensor data indicating an object at a first vehicle of a group of vehicles communicating with each other, transmitting a first request including the sensor data and specifying a first task for determining the object from the first vehicle to a second vehicle of the group of vehicles, and transmitting a second request specifying a second task for determining the object from the first vehicle to a third vehicle of the group of vehicle. The first task is performed by the second vehicle to produce first intermediate data, and the second task is performed by the third vehicle based on the intermediate data produced by the second vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving sensor data indicating an object at a first vehicle of a group of vehicles communicating with each other;

when the first vehicle has insufficient computation resources to determine the object, the computation resources of the first vehicle are unavailable, or the first vehicle does not trust a determination of the object made by the computation resources of the first vehicle, transmitting a first request including the sensor data and specifying a first task for determining the object from the first vehicle to a second vehicle of the group of vehicles, the first task being performed by the second vehicle to produce first intermediate data; and

transmitting a second request specifying a second task for determining the object from the first vehicle to a third vehicle of the group, the second task being performed by the third vehicle based on the first intermediate data produced by the second vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a conclusion of determining the object from the third vehicle performing the second task to reach the conclusion of determining the object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating vehicle profiles at the first vehicle corresponding to other members of the group of vehicles.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting vehicles for respective tasks for determining the object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting vehicles for respective tasks for determining the object include:

selecting a vehicle having the most computation resources in a list of vehicles capable of performing a task to perform the task.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting vehicles for respective tasks for determining the object include:

selecting a vehicle whose communication channel to the first vehicle has the least delay in a list of vehicles capable of performing a task to perform the task.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting vehicles for respective tasks for determining the object include:

selecting a vehicle of the same make as the first vehicle in a list of vehicles capable of performing a task to perform the task.

8. An autonomous driving system, comprising circuitry configured to:

receive sensor data indicating an object at a first vehicle of a group of vehicles communicating with each other;

when the first vehicle has insufficient computation resources to determine the object, the computation resources of the first vehicle are unavailable, or the first vehicle does not trust a determination of the object made by the computation resources of the first vehicle, transmit a first request including the sensor data and specifying a first task for determining the object from the first vehicle to a second vehicle of the group of vehicles, the first task being performed by the second vehicle to produce first intermediate data; and

transmit a second request specifying a second task for determining the object from the first vehicle to a third vehicle of the group, the second task being performed by the third vehicle based on the first intermediate data produced by the second vehicle.

9. The autonomous driving system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive a conclusion of determining the object from the third vehicle performing the second task to reach the conclusion of determining the object.

10. The autonomous driving system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to create vehicle profiles at the first vehicle corresponding to other members of the group of vehicles.

11. The autonomous driving system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to select vehicles for respective tasks for determining the object.

12. The autonomous driving system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to select a vehicle having the most computation resources in a list of vehicles capable of performing a task to perform the task.

13. The autonomous driving system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to select a vehicle whose communication channel to the first vehicle has the least delay in a list of vehicles capable of performing a task to perform the task.

14. The autonomous driving system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to select a vehicle of the same make as the first vehicle in a list of vehicles capable of performing a task to perform the task.