Determining changes in a driving environment based on vehicle behavior

• US 10,192,442 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2017
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferguson, David I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Melton, Todd M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roberson, Jason R
• Application Number:
  US15/468,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20170278400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/32 Structuring or formatting of map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3819 Road shape data, e.g. outline of a route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for determining whether a driving environment has changed relative to previously stored information about the driving environment. The apparatus may include an autonomous driving computer system configured to detect one or more vehicles in the driving environment, and determine corresponding trajectories for those detected vehicles. The autonomous driving computer system may then compare the determined trajectories to an expected trajectory of a hypothetical vehicle in the driving environment. Based on the comparison, the autonomous driving computer system may determine whether the driving environment has changed and/or a probability that the driving environment has changed, relative to the previously stored information about the driving environment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors of a first vehicle configured to;

use pre-stored map information to control the first vehicle in an autonomous driving mode,

receive sensor information including information about a second vehicle in a driving environment of the first vehicle for a predetermined period of time,

determine first state information based on the received sensor information, the first state information identifying positions traveled for the second vehicle over time,

determine a first trajectory based on the first state information, the first trajectory corresponding to an actual path taken by the second vehicle for the predetermined period of time,

determine an expected trajectory for the second vehicle based on the pre-stored map information, the pre-stored map information comprising information about the driving environment, and

compare the determined expected trajectory with the determined first trajectory, and

generate a warning based on the comparison of the determined trajectory with the determined first trajectory; and

a display configured to display the warning to an occupant of the first vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine a deviation metric value by comparing the determined expected trajectory with the determined first trajectory; and

determine that the driving environment has changed from the pre-stored map information to an extent that the pre-stored map information is no longer accurate when the deviation metric value exceeds a deviation metric threshold.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the display is further configured to display a warning based on the determined change in the driving environment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to

determine a probability that the driving environment has changed relative to the pre-stored map information;

associate one or more actions based on the determined probability that the driving environment has changed;

establish one or more probability thresholds that correspond to the one or more actions; and

perform the one or more actions when the one or more probability thresholds have been met or exceeded.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more probability thresholds include a first probability threshold and when the first probability threshold has been met or exceeded a first action is performed.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first action includes displaying a warning that the driving environment has changed.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more probability thresholds include a second probability threshold and when a second probability threshold has been met or exceeded a second action is performed.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second action includes requesting updated map information based on the comparison.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the second action includes displaying a warning that the driving environment has changed.

19. The system of claim 2, wherein the determined deviation metric value comprises a maximum deviation metric value representing a maximum difference between the determined first trajectory and the determined expected trajectory.

10. A method comprising:

using, by one or more processors of a first vehicle, pre-stored map information to control first vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

receiving, with the one or more processors, sensor information including information about a second vehicle in a driving environment of the first vehicle for a predetermined period of time;

determining, with the one or more processors, first state information based on the received sensor information, the first state information identifying positions traveled for the second vehicle over time;

determining, with the one or more processors, a first trajectory based on the first state information, the first trajectory corresponding to an actual path taken by the second vehicle for the predetermined period of time;

determining, with the one or more processors, an expected trajectory for the second vehicle based on pre-stored map information, the pre-stored map information comprising information about the driving environment;

comparing, with the one or more processors, the determined expected trajectory with the determined first trajectory; and

displaying, with the one or more processors, a warning to an occupant of the first vehicle based on the comparison.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a deviation metric value by comparing the determined expected trajectory with the determined first trajectory; and

determining that the driving environment has changed from the pre-stored map information to an extent that the pre-stored map information is no longer accurate when the deviation metric value exceeds a deviation metric threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a warning based on the determined change in the driving environment.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a probability that the driving environment has changed relative to the pre-stored map information;

associating one or more actions based on the determined probability that the driving environment has changed;

establishing one or more probability thresholds that correspond to the one or more actions; and

performing the one or more actions when the one or more probability thresholds have been met or exceeded.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more probability thresholds include a first probability threshold and when the first probability threshold has been met or exceeded a first action is performed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first action includes displaying a warning that the driving environment has changed.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more probability thresholds include a second probability threshold and when a second probability threshold has been met or exceeded a second action is performed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second action includes requesting updated map information based on the comparison.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second action includes displaying a warning that the driving environment has changed.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the determined deviation metric value comprises a maximum deviation metric value representing a maximum difference between the determined first trajectory and the determined expected trajectory.