Method and system for generating a safe navigation path for navigating a driverless vehicle

• US 10,324,473 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wipro Limited
• Original Assignee: Wipro Limited
• Inventors: Sarkar, Manas, Sunil Kumar, Balaji, Sundar Pal, Shyam
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US15/654,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20180348782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• 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: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees

Abstract

The present disclosure in the field of automobile engineering is a method and system for generating a safe navigation path for navigating a driverless vehicle. A path generating system receives one or more pre-generated paths between source point and destination point and an environmental data corresponding to each pre-generated path from one or more sources in real-time. Further, the path generating system identifies one or more navigation points in real-time based on the environmental data, vehicle capability characteristics and vehicle parameters by tracing virtual rays in a preconfigured angle range up to preconfigured distance from each of one or more originating points along each of the one or more pre-generated paths. Finally, the path generating system links the navigation points based on predefined techniques to generate the safe navigation path for navigating driverless vehicle. In the present disclosure, safe navigation path is generated without usage of any sensor.

Claims

1. A method of generating a safe navigation path for navigating a driverless vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, by a path generating system, one or more pre-generated paths between a source point and a destination point and an environmental data corresponding to each of the one or more pre-generated paths from one or more sources in real-time;

identifying, by the path generating system, one or more navigation points in real-time based on the environmental data and one or more vehicle capability characteristics and one or more vehicle parameters by tracing virtual rays in a preconfigured angle range up to a preconfigured distance from each of one or more originating points along each of the one or more pre-generated paths, wherein identifying the one or more navigation points comprises;

realigning position of the traced virtual rays from an originating point in different angles until the traced virtual rays escape one or more obstacles;

identifying the originating point as the navigation point and proceeding for at least one of a preconfigured forward distance or a dynamically generated forward distance to obtain subsequent originating points; and

performing steps of re-aligning and identifying for each of the obtained subsequent originating points until the destination point is reached; and

linking, by the path generating system, the one or more navigation points based on one or more predefined techniques to generate the safe navigation path for navigating the driverless vehicle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the environmental data comprises data related to terrain associated with each of the one or more pre-generated paths and the one or more obstacles associated with each of the one or more pre-generated paths.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position of the traced virtual rays are realigned when the one or more obstacles are present at a preconfigured angle of the traced virtual rays and in a corresponding preconfigured alignment distance range from the originating point, wherein the corresponding preconfigured alignment distance range is selected for each of the preconfigured angle based on the one or more vehicle parameters and the one or more vehicle capability characteristics.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the preconfigured angle is within the preconfigured angle range and the preconfigured alignment distance range corresponding to the preconfigured angle is within the preconfigured distance.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the different angles are at least one of preconfigured or dynamically generated.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

retracting, by the path generating system, from the originating point and selecting an alternative originating point, when the method fails to identify the one or more navigation points from the originating point.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle parameters comprises at least one of dimensions, mass, or wheel friction of the driverless vehicle.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle capability characteristics comprises at least one of a possible rate of change of steering angle at various speeds, turning radius, static inertia, or dynamic inertia of the driverless vehicle.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

recording, by the path generating system, values associated with the one or more vehicle parameters and values associated with the one or more vehicle capability characteristics when the driverless vehicle is initiated.

10. A path generating system for generating a safe navigation path for navigating a driverless vehicle, the path generating system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores processor-executable instructions, which, on execution, causes the processor to;

receive one or more pre-generated paths between a source point and a destination point and an environmental data corresponding to each of the one or more pre-generated paths from one or more sources in real-time;

identify one or more navigation points in real-time based on the environmental data and one or more vehicle capability characteristics and one or more vehicle parameters by tracing virtual rays in a preconfigured angle range up to a preconfigured distance from each of one or more originating points along each of the one or more pre-generated paths, wherein the processor-executable instructions causing the processor to identify the one or more navigation points further causes the processor to;

realign position of the traced virtual rays from an originating point in different angles until the traced virtual rays escape one or more obstacles;

identify the originating point as the navigation point and proceeding for at least one of a preconfigured forward distance or a dynamically generated forward distance to obtain subsequent originating points; and

perform steps of re-aligning and identifying for each of the obtained subsequent originating points until the destination point is reached; and

link the one or more navigation points based on one or more predefined techniques to generate the safe navigation path for navigating the driverless vehicle.

11. The path generating system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the environmental data comprises data related to terrain associated with each of the one or more pre-generated paths and the one or more obstacles associated with each of the one or more pre-generated paths.

12. The path generating system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to realign the position of the traced virtual rays when the one or more obstacles are present at a preconfigured angle of the traced virtual rays and in a corresponding preconfigured alignment distance range from the originating point, wherein the corresponding preconfigured alignment distance range is selected for each of the preconfigured angle based on the one or more vehicle parameters and the one or more vehicle capability characteristics.

13. The path generating system as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the preconfigured angle is within the preconfigured angle range and the preconfigured alignment distance range corresponding to the preconfigured angle is within the preconfigured distance.

14. The path generating system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the different angles are at least one of preconfigured or dynamically generated.

15. The path generating system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to retract from the originating point and select an alternative originating point, when the method fails to identify the one or more navigation points from the originating point.

16. The path generating system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the one or more vehicle parameters comprises at least one of dimensions, mass, or wheel friction of the driverless vehicle.

17. The path generating system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the one or more vehicle capability characteristics comprises at least one of a possible rate of change of steering angle at various speeds, turning radius, static inertia, or dynamic inertia of the driverless vehicle.

18. The path generating system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to record values associated with the one or more vehicle parameters and values associated with the one or more vehicle capability characteristics when the driverless vehicle is initiated.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions stored thereon that when processed by at least one processor causes a path generating system to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more pre-generated paths between a source point and a destination point and an environmental data corresponding to each of the one or more pre-generated paths from one or more sources in real-time;

identifying one or more navigation points in real-time based on the environmental data and one or more vehicle capability characteristics and one or more vehicle parameters by tracing virtual rays in a preconfigured angle range up to a preconfigured distance from each of one or more originating points along each of the one or more pre-generated paths, wherein identifying the one or more navigation points comprises;

realigning position of the traced virtual rays from an originating point in different angles until the traced virtual rays escape one or more obstacles;

identifying the originating point as the navigation point and

proceeding for at least one of a preconfigured forward distance or a dynamically generated forward distance to obtain subsequent originating points; and

performing steps of re-aligning and identifying for each of the obtained subsequent originating points until the destination point is reached; and

linking the one or more navigation points based on one or more predefined techniques to generate the safe navigation path for navigating the driverless vehicle.