Internal safety systems for robotic vehicles

• US 10,303,174 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoox Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zoox Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kentley-Klay, Timothy David, Gamara, Rachad Youssef, Behere, Sagar
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US15/886,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20180157265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 26
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01566 key rotating about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42709 involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2400/00 : Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• 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 2554/00 : Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 : Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4023 : large-size vehicles, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4026 : Cycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 : Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 : Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4044 : Direction of movement, e.g. backwards
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 : Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/06 : Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/08 : Electric propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 : Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 : Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 : Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 : Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 : Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 : Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 : the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 : Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0016 : of the vehicle or its occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0027 : using trajectory prediction for other traffic participants
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/32 : Structuring or formatting of map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 : combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 : Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 : using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 : involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 : with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0248 : in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 : using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 : using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 : using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 : by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/04 : for teaching control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 : Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Systems, apparatus and methods implemented in algorithms, hardware, software, firmware, logic, or circuitry may be configured to process data and sensory input to determine whether an object external to an autonomous vehicle (e.g., another vehicle, a pedestrian, road debris, a bicyclist, etc.) may be a potential collision threat to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be configured to implement interior active safety systems to protect passengers of the autonomous vehicle during a collision with an object or during evasive maneuvers by the autonomous vehicle, for example. The interior active safety systems may be configured to provide passengers with notice of an impending collision and/or emergency maneuvers by the vehicle by tensioning seat belts prior to executing an evasive maneuver and/or prior to a predicted point of collision.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle safety system activation, comprising:

receiving sensor data from a sensor associated with a vehicle;

determining a vehicle location within an environment, wherein the vehicle location identifies one or more of a position or an orientation of the vehicle within the environment;

calculating, based at least in part on the vehicle location, a vehicle trajectory, wherein the vehicle trajectory indicates a subset of a planned path associated with navigating the vehicle between at least a first location and a second location within the environment;

identifying an object within the environment;

determining an object location, wherein the object location identifies one or more of a position or an orientation of the object within the environment;

determining an object trajectory based at least in part on the object location; and

causing a safety system to activate based at least in part on the vehicle trajectory and the object trajectory.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the safety system comprises at least one of an interior safety system, an exterior safety system, or a drive system.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is a first object, and wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a second object within the environment;

determining a first priority associated with the first object;

determining a second priority associated with the second object; and

determining to activate the safety system for the first object based at least in part on the first priority and the second priority.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the object location is a first object location and the object trajectory is a first object trajectory, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a second object location, wherein the second object location identifies one or more of a position or an orientation of the second object within the environment; and

determining a second object trajectory based at least in part on the second object location,

wherein determining the first priority is based at least in part on the first object trajectory, and wherein determining the second priority is based at least in part on the second object trajectory.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

determining a first type of object associated with the first object; and

determining a second type of object associated with the second object,

wherein determining the first priority is based at least in part on the first type of object, and wherein determining the second priority is based at least in part on the second type of object.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object location is a first object location and the one or more of the position or the orientation of the object within the environment is one or more of a first position or a first orientation of the object within the environment, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a second object location, wherein the second object location identifies one or more of a second position or a second orientation of the object within the environment; and

determining a behavior associated with the object based at least in part on the first object location and the second object location,

wherein causing the safety system to activate is further based on the behavior associated with the object.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object location is a first object location, the one or more of the position or the orientation of the object within the environment is one or more of a first position or a first orientation of the object within the environment, the object trajectory is a first object trajectory, and the safety system is a first safety system, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a second object location, wherein the second object location identifies one or more of a second position or a second orientation of the object within the environment;

determining a second object trajectory based at least in part on the second object location; and

causing a second safety system to activate based at least in part on the vehicle trajectory and the second object trajectory.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving sensor data from a sensor associated with a vehicle;

determining a vehicle location within an environment, wherein the vehicle location identifies one or more of a position or an orientation of the vehicle within the environment;

calculating, based at least in part on the vehicle location, a vehicle trajectory, wherein the vehicle trajectory indicates a portion of a planned path associated with navigating the vehicle between at least a first location and a second location within the environment;

identifying an object within the environment;

determining an object location, wherein the object location identifies one or more of a position or an orientation of the object within the environment;

determining, based at least in part on the object location, an object trajectory; and

causing a safety system to activate based at least in part on the vehicle trajectory and the object trajectory.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the object is a first object, and wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a second object within the environment;

determining a first priority associated with the first object;

determining a second priority associated with the second object; and

determining to activate the safety system for the first object based at least in part on the first priority and the second priority.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the object location is a first object location and the object trajectory is a first object trajectory, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a second object location, wherein the second object location identifies one or more of a position or an orientation of the second object within the environment; and

determining a second object trajectory based at least in part on the second object location,

wherein determining the first priority is based at least in part on the first object trajectory, and wherein determining the second priority is based at least in part on the second object trajectory.

11. The system as recited in claim 9, the operations further comprising:

determining a first type of object associated with the first object; and

determining a second type of object associated with the second object,

wherein determining the first priority is based at least in part on the first type of object, and wherein determining the second priority is based at least in part on the second type of object.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the object location is a first object location and the one or more of the position or the orientation of the object within the environment is one or more of a first position or a first orientation of the object within the environment, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a second object location, wherein the second object location identifies one or more of a second position or a second orientation of the object within the environment; and

determining a behavior associated with the object based at least in part on the first object location and the second object location,

wherein causing the safety system to activate is further based on the behavior asociated with the object.

13. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the object location is a first object location, the one or more of the position or the orientation of the object within the environment is one or more of a first position or a first orientation of the object within the environment, the object trajectory is a first object trajectory, and the safety system is a first safety system, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a second object location, wherein the second object location identifies one or more of a second position or a second orientation of the object within the environment;

determining a second object trajectory based at least in part on the second object location; and

causing a second safety system to activate based at least in part on the vehicle trajectory and the second object trajectory.

14. The system as recited in claim 8, the operations further comprising:

determining a classification associated with the object;

determining, based at least in part on the classification, a subclass associated with the object; and

selecting the safety system based at least in part on the subclass associated with the object;

determining to activate the safety system for the first object based at least in part on the first priority and the second priority.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a system to perform operations comprising:

receiving sensor data from a sensor associated with a vehicle;

determining a vehicle location within an environment, wherein the vehicle location identifies one or more of a position or an orientation of the vehicle within the environment;

navigating the vehicle along a vehicle trajectory, wherein the vehicle trajectory indicates a subset of a planned path associated with navigating the vehicle between at least the first location and a second location within the environment;

determining an object location of an object within the environment;

determining, based at least in part on the object location, an object trajectory;

causing a safety system to activate based at least in part on the vehicle trajectory and the object trajectory.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the object is a first object, and wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a second object within the environment;

determining a first priority associated with the first object;

determining a second priority associated with the second object; and

wherein causing the safety system to activate is further based on the behavior associated with the object.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the object location is a first object location and the object trajectory is a first object trajectory, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a second object location of the second object within the environment; and

determining, based at least in part on the second object location, a second object trajectory,

wherein determining the first priority is based at least in part on the first object trajectory, and wherein determining the second priority is based at least in part on the second object trajectory.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, the operations further comprising:

determining a first type of object associated with the first object; and

determining a second type of object associated with the second object,

wherein determining the first priority is based at least in part on the first type of object, and wherein determining the second priority is based at least in part on the second type of object.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the object location is a first object location, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a second object location within the environment; and

determining a behavior associated with the object based at least in part on the first object location and the second object location,

wherein causing the safety system to activate is further based on the behavior associated with the object.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the object location is a first object location, the object trajectory is a first object trajectory, and the safety system is a first safety system, and wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a second object location within the environment;

determining, based at least in part on the second object location, a second object trajectory; and

causing a second safety system to activate based at least in part on the vehicle trajectory and the second object trajectory.