Autonomous police vehicle

• US 10,269,242 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ahmad, Mohamed, Banvait, Harpreetsingh, Gurghian, Alexandru Mihai, Charette, Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US15/208,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20180018869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/00 Indexing codes relating to the type of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/26 Military
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4042 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00259 Surveillance operations
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 License plates
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0137 for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/054 photographing overspeeding vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

Techniques pertaining to an autonomous police vehicle are described. A method may involve a processor associated with an autonomous vehicle obtaining an indication of violation of one or more traffic laws by a first vehicle. The method may also involve the processor maneuvering the autonomous vehicle to pursue the first vehicle. The method may further involve the processor remotely executing one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a processor associated with an autonomous vehicle, information with respect to a first vehicle;

maneuvering, by the processor, the autonomous vehicle to pursue the first vehicle responsive to the information indicating violation of one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle; and

remotely executing, by the processor, one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle,

wherein the violation of one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle comprises exceeding a speed limit for a section of road on which the first vehicle travels, failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to stop at a red traffic light, or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the information comprises:

controlling a sensor to point the sensor in a predetermined direction;

receiving data from the sensor; and

determining that a speed of the first vehicle exceeded a threshold speed based on the received data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the information comprises:

controlling a sensor to point the sensor in a predetermined direction;

receiving one or more images from the sensor;

analyzing the one or more images; and

determining that at least one of the one or more traffic laws has been violated by the first vehicle responsive to a result of the analyzing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the information comprises wirelessly receiving a signal from a remote device or a second vehicle indicating that at least one of the one or more traffic laws has been violated by the first vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the maneuvering of the autonomous vehicle to pursue the first vehicle comprises:

tracking a location of the first vehicle; and

controlling operations related to at least a speed and a steering of the autonomous vehicle based on a result of the tracking.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remotely executing of the one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle comprises:

controlling a camera on the autonomous vehicle to point the camera toward a license plate of the first vehicle;

zooming the camera to obtain an enlarged view of the license plate; and

triggering the camera to capture an image of the enlarged view of the license plate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remotely executing of the one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle comprises:

establishing wireless communication with the first vehicle; and

wirelessly transmitting a first message to the first vehicle, the first message indicating the violation of the one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the remotely executing of the one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle further comprises:

wirelessly receiving a response from the first vehicle, the response indicating that the first vehicle was in an autonomous driving mode at a time of the violation of the one or more traffic laws;

determining a disposition regarding the violation of the one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle which was in the autonomous driving mode; and

wirelessly transmitting a second message to the first vehicle, the second message indicating the disposition as a result of the determining.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the remotely executing of the one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle further comprises:

wirelessly receiving a response from the first vehicle, the response including an image of a driver'"'"'s license of a human driver of the first vehicle;

verifying an authenticity of the driver'"'"'s license;

responsive to a positive result of the verifying of the authenticity, determining a disposition regarding the violation of the one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle which was in a manual driving mode; and

wirelessly transmitting a second message to the first vehicle, the second message indicating the disposition as a result of the determining.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a machine learning tool to learn about one or more locations at which the violation of the one or more traffic laws by one or more vehicles is visible; and

maneuvering the autonomous vehicle to park at one of the one or more locations.

11. An apparatus implementable in an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

at least one sensor; and

a processor coupled to receive data from and to control operations of the at least one sensor, the processor configured to perform operations comprising;

obtaining information with respect to a first vehicle from the at least one sensor;

maneuvering the autonomous vehicle to pursue the first vehicle responsive to the information indicating violation of one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle; and

remotely executing one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle,

wherein the violation of one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle comprises exceeding a speed limit for a section of road on which the first vehicle travels, failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to stop at a red traffic light, or a combination thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, in obtaining the information, the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:

controlling the at least one sensor to point the sensor in a predetermined direction;

receiving data from the at least one sensor; and

determining that a speed of the first vehicle exceeded a threshold speed based on the received data.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, in obtaining the information, the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:

controlling the at least one sensor to point the sensor in a predetermined direction;

receiving one or more images from the at least one sensor;

analyzing the one or more images; and

determining that at least one of the one or more traffic laws has been violated by the first vehicle responsive to a result of the analyzing.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, in maneuvering the autonomous vehicle to pursue the first vehicle, the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:

tracking a location of the first vehicle; and

controlling operations related to at least a speed and a steering of the autonomous vehicle based on a result of the tracking.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, in remotely executing the one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle, the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:

controlling a camera on the autonomous vehicle to point the camera toward a license plate of the first vehicle;

zooming the camera to obtain an enlarged view of the license plate; and

triggering the camera to capture an image of the enlarged view of the license plate.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, in remotely executing the one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle, the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:

establishing wireless communication with the first vehicle; and

wirelessly transmitting a first message to the first vehicle, the first message indicating the violation of the one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, in remotely executing the one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle, the processor is configured to further perform operations comprising:

wirelessly receiving a response from the first vehicle, the response indicating that the first vehicle was in an autonomous driving mode at a time of the violation of the one or more traffic laws;

determining a disposition regarding the violation of the one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle which was in the autonomous driving mode; and

wirelessly transmitting a second message to the first vehicle, the second message indicating the disposition as a result of the determining.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, in remotely executing the one or more actions with respect to the first vehicle, the processor is configured to further perform operations comprising:

wirelessly receiving a response from the first vehicle, the response including an image of a driver'"'"'s license of a human driver of the first vehicle;

verifying an authenticity of the driver'"'"'s license;

responsive to a positive result of the verifying of the authenticity, determining a disposition regarding the violation of the one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle which was in a manual driving mode; and

wirelessly transmitting a second message to the first vehicle, the second message indicating the disposition as a result of the determining.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to further perform operations comprising:

executing a machine learning tool to learn about one or more locations at which the violation of the one or more traffic laws by one or more vehicles is visible; and

maneuvering the autonomous vehicle to park at one of the one or more locations.

20. An apparatus implementable in an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detect a movement of a first vehicle and provide sensor data indicative of a result of the detecting;

a communication device configured to wirelessly receive and transmit data;

a vehicle control interface configured to communicate with one or more components of the autonomous vehicle for maneuvering of the autonomous vehicle; and

a processor coupled to at least one sensor, the communication device and the vehicle control interface, the processor configured to perform operations comprising;

determining a violation of one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle based on sensor data received from the at least one sensor, data received from the communication device, or a combination thereof; and

maneuvering the autonomous vehicle, via the vehicle control interface, to pursue the first vehicle responsive to the determining of the violation,

wherein the violation of one or more traffic laws by the first vehicle comprises exceeding a speed limit for a section of road on which the first vehicle travels, failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to stop at a red traffic light, or a combination thereof.