Detecting and responding to tailgaters

• US 10,168,706 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Dolgov, Dmitri A., Nemec, Philip, Aula, Anne Christina
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/825,883
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0016 of the vehicle or its occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• 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

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle detects a tailgating vehicle and uses various response mechanisms. A vehicle is identified as a tailgater based on whether its characteristics meet a variable threshold. When the autonomous vehicle is traveling at slower speeds, the threshold is defined in distance. When the autonomous vehicle is traveling at faster speeds, the threshold is defined in time. The autonomous vehicle responds to the tailgater by modifying its driving behavior. In one example, the autonomous vehicle adjusts a headway buffer (defined in time) from another vehicle in front of the autonomous vehicle. In this regard, if the tailgater is T seconds too close to the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle increases the headway buffer to the vehicle in front of it by some amount relative to T.

Claims

1. A method for maneuvering a first vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors of a first vehicle, a second vehicle driving behind the first vehicle and in a same lane as the first vehicle;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the second vehicle is a possible tailgating vehicle based a current speed of the first vehicle and a distance between the second vehicle and the first vehicle; and

adjusting, by the one or more processors, a braking profile of the first vehicle based on the determination that the second vehicle is a possible tailgating vehicle, wherein the adjusted braking profile corresponds to a braking pattern for the first vehicle;

maneuvering, by the one or more processors, the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein maneuvering the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile includes braking more forcefully in order to draw the attention of the second vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein maneuvering the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile includes braking more forcefully in order to draw the attention of the second vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein maneuvering the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile includes braking more forcefully in order to increase headway room for the first vehicle to a third vehicle in front of the first vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein maneuvering the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile includes initially braking in a gradual pattern and thereafter transitioning to a more aggressive braking pattern to encourage the second vehicle to brake.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein maneuvering the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile includes braking the first vehicle in a gradual pattern to encourage the second vehicle to brake.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein maneuvering the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile includes braking the first vehicle in a burst pattern to encourage the second vehicle to brake.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein maneuvering the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile includes initially braking the first vehicle in a burst pattern, subsequently reducing the braking, and subsequent to reducing the braking, increasing the braking power to encourage the second vehicle to brake.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the braking profile is further based on a characteristic of the third vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is speed of the third vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is that the third vehicle is stopped.

12. A system for maneuvering a first vehicle, the system comprising one or more processors associated with the first vehicle:

identify a second vehicle driving behind the first vehicle and in a same lane as the first vehicle;

determine that the second vehicle is a possible tailgating vehicle based a current speed of the first vehicle and a distance between the second vehicle and the first vehicle; and

adjust a braking profile of the first vehicle based on the determination that the second vehicle is a possible tailgating vehicle, wherein the adjusted braking profile corresponds to a braking pattern for the first vehicle;

maneuver the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to maneuver the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile by braking more forcefully in order to draw the attention of the second vehicle.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to maneuver the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile by braking more forcefully in order to draw the attention of the second vehicle.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to maneuver the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile by braking more forcefully in order to increase headway room for the first vehicle to a third vehicle in front of the first vehicle.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to maneuver the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile by initially braking in a gradual pattern and thereafter transitioning to a more aggressive braking pattern to encourage the second vehicle to brake.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to maneuver the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile by braking the first vehicle in a gradual pattern to encourage the second vehicle to brake.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to maneuver the first vehicle according to the adjusted braking profile by braking the first vehicle in a burst pattern to encourage the second vehicle to brake.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to adjust the braking profile further based on a characteristic of the third vehicle.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising the first vehicle.