Communication between autonomous vehicle and external observers

• US 10,303,257 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Invention, LLC
• Original Assignee: Applied Invention, LLC
• Inventors: Hillis, W. Daniel, Williams, Kjerstin I., Tombrello, Thomas A., Sarrett, James W., Khanlian, Luke W., Kaehler, Adrian L., Howe, Russel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramesh, Krishnan
• Application Number:
  US15/273,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20170010679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 701 28, 701301, 701 23
• 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 1/5037 the display content changing automatically, e.g. depending on traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/508 specific to vehicles driving in fleets or convoys
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/545 for indicating other traffic conditions, e.g. fog, heavy traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/547 for issuing requests to other traffic participants; for confirming to other traffic participants they can proceed, e.g. they can overtake
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/549 for expressing greetings, gratitude or emotions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a method for an autonomous vehicle (e.g., a fully autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle) to communicate with external observers. The method includes: receiving a task at the autonomous vehicle; collecting data that characterizes a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle from a sensor coupled to the autonomous vehicle; determining an intended course of action for the autonomous vehicle to undertake based on the task and the collected data; and conveying a human understandable output via an output device, the human understandable output expressly or implicitly indicating the intended course of action to an external observer.

Claims

1. A method for an autonomous vehicle to communicate with external observers, comprising:

collecting data that characterizes a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle from a sensor coupled to the autonomous vehicle;

determining an intended course of action for the autonomous vehicle to undertake based on an assigned task and the collected data;

identifying an external observer and a location of the external observer in the surrounding environment based on the collected data; and

projecting, via an audio or visual apparatus, at the location of the external observer a human understandable output indicative of the intended course of action and a machine-readable output encoded within the human understandable output, the machine-readable output requiring a machine processor to interpret the machine-readable output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the external observer comprises identifying an external observer directing traffic.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein collecting data that characterizes the surrounding environment includes detecting a gesture associated with the external observer directing traffic.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the intended course of action for the autonomous vehicle includes based on the gesture associated with the external observer, determining the intended course of action for the autonomous vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein projecting the human understandable output includes indicating an avoidance area that the autonomous vehicle intends to avoid.

6. A system for an autonomous vehicle to communicate with external observers, comprising:

a processor configured to;

collect data that characterizes a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle from a sensor coupled to the autonomous vehicle;

determine an intended course of action for the autonomous vehicle to undertake based on an assigned task and the collected data;

identify an external observer and a location of the external observer in the surrounding environment based on the collected data; and

project, via an audio or visual apparatus, at the location of the external observer a human understandable output indicative of the intended course of action and a machine-readable output encoded within the human understandable output, the machine-readable output requiring a machine processor to interpret the machine-readable output.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor configured to identify the external observer comprises the processor configured to identify an external observer directing traffic.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor configured to collect data that characterizes the surrounding environment includes the processor configured to detect a gesture associated with the external observer directing traffic.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor configured to determine the intended course of action for the autonomous vehicle includes the processor configured to, based on the gesture associated with the external observer, determine the intended course of action for the autonomous vehicle.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor configured to project the human understandable output includes the processor configured to indicate an avoidance area that the autonomous vehicle intends to avoid.