Autonomous vehicle operation adjustment based upon route

• US 10,324,463 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Konrardy, Blake, Christensen, Scott T., Hayward, Gregory, Farris, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jha, Abdhesh K
• Application Number:
  US15/409,236
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Methods and systems for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle control, routing, and automatic feature adjustment are disclosed. Autonomous operation feature usage levels or settings may be automatically adjusted to optimize performance using suitability data for road segments along a route traveled by a vehicle, such as when operating conditions change. Data regarding road segment suitability may be generated from prior operating data for the road segments and retrieved from a map database to aid autonomous vehicle routing, as well as to implement automatic adjustments to feature usage. In some instances, vehicle control may be returned to a vehicle operator, in which case advance warning may be given to enable the operator to prepare to resume control of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for optimizing usage of autonomous operation features of a vehicle during operation, comprising:

identifying, using one or more geolocation components within the vehicle, a location of the vehicle;

accessing, by one or more processors within the vehicle, map data containing information regarding a plurality of road segments, the information including location data associated with each road segment and an indication of suitability for autonomous operation feature use associated with each road segment;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a current road segment from the plurality of road segments based upon the identified location of the vehicle;

monitoring, by one or more sensors disposed within the vehicle, environmental conditions within a vehicle operating environment of the vehicle;

determining, by the one or more processors, one or more optimal usage levels for one or more of the autonomous operation features of the vehicle associated with the current road segment in the environmental conditions within the vehicle operating environment of the vehicle by;

determining a current risk level associated with operation of the vehicle along the current road segment using one or more current usage levels of the autonomous operation features in the environmental conditions;

determining one or more alternative risk levels associated with operation of the vehicle along the current road segment using one or more alternative usage levels of the autonomous operation features in the environmental conditions;

identifying a subset of the one or more alternative usage levels, each alternative usage level of the subset being associated with respective alternative risk levels less than the current risk level; and

selecting the one or more optimal usage levels from the subset of the one or more alternative usage levels based upon the one or more alternative risk levels associated with the one or more alternative usage levels of the subset;

determining, by the one or more processors, a usage level change associated with at least one of the autonomous operation features by comparing the optimal usage levels against the one or more current usage levels of the autonomous operation features; and

implementing, by the one or more processors, the usage level change.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein implementing the usage level change includes adjusting one or more settings of the at least one of the autonomous operation features to implement the usage level change.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more optimal usage levels are selected based at least in part upon one or more variances of the one or more alternative risk levels associated with the one or more alternative usage levels of the subset.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the indication of suitability associated with the current road segment indicates that manual operation is required; and

implementing the usage level change includes (i) providing an alert to a vehicle operator and (ii) disabling the at least one of the autonomous operation features to transfer control of the vehicle to the vehicle operator.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein implementing the usage level change further includes determining that the vehicle operator is prepared to assume manual control of the vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the usage of the autonomous operation features is optimized for each of one or more road segments along a route traversed by the vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying, by the one or more processors, an upcoming road segment along the route;

determining, by the one or more processors, an optimal usage level of autonomous operation feature usage associated with the upcoming road segment, the optimal usage level requiring at least some manual vehicle control by a vehicle operator;

determining, by the one or more processors, a change in autonomous operation feature usage based upon a difference between the current usage levels and the optimal usage level for the upcoming road segment; and

presenting, by a communication device within the vehicle, an alert to the vehicle operator in advance of the vehicle reaching the upcoming road segment.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more geolocation components include a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; and

the current road segment is identified based upon GPS coordinates associated with the current road segment.

9. A computer system for optimizing usage of autonomous operation features of a vehicle during operation, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more geolocation components disposed within the vehicle and communicatively connected to the one or more processors;

a map database communicatively connected to the one or more processors and storing map data containing information regarding a plurality of road segments, the information including location data associated with each road segment and an indication of suitability for autonomous operation feature use associated with each road segment; and

a program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to;

identify a location of the vehicle using the one or more geolocation components;

identify a current road segment from the plurality of road segments of the map data in the map database based upon the identified location of the vehicle;

monitor environmental conditions within a vehicle operating environment of the vehicle by one or more sensors disposed within the vehicle;

determine one or more optimal usage levels for one or more of the autonomous operation features of the vehicle associated with the current road segment in the environmental conditions within the vehicle operating environment of the vehicle based upon the map data by;

determining a current risk level associated with operation of the vehicle along the current road segment using one or more current usage levels of the autonomous operation features in the environmental conditions;

determining one or more alternative risk levels associated with operation of the vehicle along the current road segment using one or more alternative usage levels of the autonomous operation features in the environmental conditions;

identifying a subset of the one or more alternative usage levels, each alternative usage level of the subset being associated with respective alternative risk levels less than the current risk level; and

selecting the one or more optimal usage levels from the subset of the one or more alternative usage levels based upon the one or more alternative risk levels associated with the one or more alternative usage levels of the subset;

determine a usage level change associated with at least one of the autonomous operation features by comparing the optimal usage levels against the one or more current usage levels of the autonomous operation features; and

implement the usage level change.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the instructions that cause the computer system to implement the usage level change cause the computer system to adjust one or more settings of the at least one of the autonomous operation features to implement the usage level change.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein:

the indication of suitability associated with the current road segment indicates that manual operation is required; and

implementing the usage level change includes (i) providing an alert to a vehicle operator and (ii) disabling the at least one of the autonomous operation features to transfer control of the vehicle to the vehicle operator.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to:

identify an upcoming road segment along the route;

determine an optimal usage level of autonomous operation feature usage associated with the upcoming road segment, the optimal usage level requiring at least some manual vehicle control by a vehicle operator;

determine a change in autonomous operation feature usage based upon a difference between the current usage levels and the optimal usage level for the upcoming road segment; and

present an alert to the vehicle operator in advance of the vehicle reaching the upcoming road segment.

13. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions for optimizing usage of autonomous operation features of a vehicle during operation that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

identify a location of the vehicle using one or more geolocation components within the vehicle;

access map data containing information regarding a plurality of road segments, the information including location data associated with each road segment and an indication of suitability for autonomous operation feature use associated with each road segment;

identify a current road segment from the plurality of road segments based upon the identified location of the vehicle;

monitor environmental conditions within a vehicle operating environment of the vehicle by one or more sensors disposed within the vehicle;

determine one or more optimal usage levels for one or more of the autonomous operation features of the vehicle associated with the current road segment in the environmental conditions within the vehicle operating environment of the vehicle by;

determining a current risk level associated with operation of the vehicle along the current road segment using one or more current usage levels of the autonomous operation features in the environmental conditions;

determining one or more alternative risk levels associated with operation of the vehicle along the current road segment using one or more alternative usage levels of the autonomous operation features in the environmental conditions;

identifying a subset of the one or more alternative usage levels, each alternative usage level of the subset being associated with respective alternative risk levels less than the current risk level; and

selecting the one or more optimal usage levels from the subset of the one or more alternative usage levels based upon the one or more alternative risk levels associated with the one or more alternative usage levels of the subset;

determine a usage level change associated with at least one of the autonomous operation features by comparing the optimal usage levels against the one or more current usage levels of the autonomous operation features; and

implement the usage level change.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions that cause the computer system to implement the usage level change cause the computer system to adjust one or more settings of the at least one of the autonomous operation features to implement the usage level change.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

the indication of suitability associated with the current road segment indicates that manual operation is required; and

implementing the usage level change includes (i) providing an alert to a vehicle operator and (ii) disabling the at least one of the autonomous operation features to transfer control of the vehicle to the vehicle operator.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further storing executable instructions that cause the computer system to:

identify an upcoming road segment along the route;

determine an optimal usage level of autonomous operation feature usage associated with the upcoming road segment, the optimal usage level requiring at least some manual vehicle control by a vehicle operator;

determine a change in autonomous operation feature usage based upon a difference between the current usage levels and the optimal usage level for the upcoming road segment; and

present an alert to the vehicle operator in advance of the vehicle reaching the upcoming road segment.