Systems and methods for communicating intent of an autonomous vehicle

• US 10,429,846 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Nix, Molly Castle, Chin, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/700,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20190064824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/119 Icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/175 Autonomous driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• 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: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/227 Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/646 Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods to communicate intent of an autonomous vehicle. In particular, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can receive, from an autonomy computing system of an autonomous vehicle, data indicating an intent of the autonomous vehicle to perform a driving maneuver. It can be determined that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to a passenger of the autonomous vehicle. Responsive to determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to the passenger of the autonomous vehicle, a graphical interface indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle can be generated and provided for display for viewing by the passenger.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that collectively store instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from an autonomy computing system of an autonomous vehicle, data included in a motion plan for the autonomous vehicle determined by the autonomy computing system and indicating an intent of the autonomous vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent, a plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least a first event and a second event;

selecting, from amongst the plurality of intents and based at least in part on a predetermined hierarchy, the intent of the autonomous vehicle, wherein selecting the intent of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining a relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy;

responsive to determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold, determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to a passenger of the autonomous vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to the passenger;

generating a graphical interface indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle; and

providing for display, for viewing by the passenger, the graphical interface.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a frequency in change of the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a degree of confidence of an event associated with the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface comprising:

a map depicting a current location of the autonomous vehicle; and

a graphic overlay on the map indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface comprising one or more elements depicting an event associated with the intent of the autonomous vehicle.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least the first event and the second event based at least in part on a signal determined from one or more of a map or environmental sensor data.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface:

comprising a graphic indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping; and

indicating an event for which the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping based at least in part on the relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy.

8. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from an autonomy computing system of an autonomous vehicle, data included in a motion plan for the autonomous vehicle determined by the autonomy computing system and indicating an intent of the autonomous vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent, a plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least a first event and a second event;

selecting, from amongst the plurality of intents and based at least in part on a predetermined hierarchy, the intent of the autonomous vehicle, wherein selecting the intent of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining a relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy;

responsive to determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold, determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to a passenger of the autonomous vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to the passenger;

generating a graphical interface indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle; and

providing for display, for viewing by the passenger, the graphical interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a frequency in change of the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a degree of confidence of an event associated with the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface comprising:

a map depicting a current location of the autonomous vehicle; and

a graphic overlay on the map indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface comprising one or more elements depicting an event associated with the intent of the autonomous vehicle.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least the first event and the second event based at least in part on a signal determined from one or more of a map or environmental sensor data.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface:

comprising a graphic indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping; and

indicating an event for which the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping based at least in part on the relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices and from an autonomy computing system of an autonomous vehicle, data included in a motion plan for the autonomous vehicle determined by the autonomy computing system and indicating an intent of the autonomous vehicle;

determining, by the computing system and based at least in part on the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent, a plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least a first event and a second event;

selecting, by the computing system, from amongst the plurality of intents, and based at least in part on a predetermined hierarchy, the intent of the autonomous vehicle, wherein selecting the intent of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining a relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy;

responsive to determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold, determining, by the computing system, that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to a passenger of the autonomous vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to the passenger;

generating, by the computing system, a graphical interface indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle; and

providing for display, by the computing system and for viewing by the passenger, the graphical interface.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a frequency in change of the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a degree of confidence of an event associated with the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface comprising:

a map depicting a current location of the autonomous vehicle; and

a graphic overlay on the map indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein determining the plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least the first event and the second event based at least in part on a signal determined from one or more of a map or environmental sensor data.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface:

comprising a graphic indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping; and

indicating an event for which the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping based at least in part on the relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy.