Method and system for controlling door locks of autonomous driving vehicles based on lane information

• US 10,438,074 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baidu USA LLC (Baidu Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Baidu USA LLC (Baidu Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zhu, Fan, Kong, Qi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Abby Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US15/622,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20180363337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23, 701 27, 705 4, 348148
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• 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: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road

Abstract

According to one embodiment, when perception data is received that perceives a driving environment of an ADV, the lane configuration of one or more lanes of a road is determined based on the perception data. A speed of the ADV and a lane location of the ADV within a lane in which the ADV is driving are determined based on the lane configuration. A driving scenario is derived based on the lane configuration, the speed of the ADV, and the lane location of the ADV. The door locks of one or more doors of the ADV are locked or unlocked based on the driving scenario. Whether to lock or unlock a door of the ADV may be determined according to a set of door lock control rules in view of the driving scenario at the particular point in time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for operating an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV), the method comprising:

receiving perception data that perceives a driving environment surrounding an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV);

determining, based on the perception data, a lane configuration of one or more lanes of a road in which the ADV is moving;

determining a speed of the ADV and a lane location of the ADV within a lane in which the ADV is moving;

deriving a driving scenario based on the lane configuration, the speed of the ADV, and the lane location of the ADV; and

locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV based on the driving scenario, while the ADV is moving within the lane.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling in a lane other than a slowest lane of the road based on the perception data; and

locking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling in a lane other than the slowest lane of road.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling on a high way or an express lane based on the perception data; and

locking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling on the high way or the express lane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling in a slowest lane of the road based on the perception data;

determining whether the speed of the ADV is below a predetermined threshold; and

unlocking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling in the slowest lane of the road and the speed of the ADV is below the predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is moving with a speed below a predetermined threshold and the ADV is within a parking area or loading zone of the road based on the perception data; and

unlocking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is moving with the speed below the predetermined threshold and is within the parking area or the loading zone of the road.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling in a slowest lane of the road based on the perception data;

determining a distance between the ADV and a curb of the slowest lane based on the perception data; and

unlocking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling in the slowest lane of the road and the distance between the ADV and the curb of the slowest lane is below a first predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining whether the speed of the ADV is below a second predetermined threshold, wherein the door locks are unlocked only if the speed of the ADV is below the second predetermined threshold.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations of operating an autonomous driving vehicle, the operations comprising:

receiving perception data that perceives a driving environment surrounding an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV);

determining, based on the perception data, a lane configuration of one or more lanes of a road in which the ADV is moving;

determining a speed of the ADV and a lane location of the ADV within a lane in which the ADV is moving;

deriving a driving scenario based on the lane configuration, the speed of the ADV, and the lane location of the ADV; and

locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV based on the driving scenario, while the ADV is moving within the lane.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling in a lane other than a slowest lane of the road based on the perception data; and

locking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling in a lane other than the slowest lane of road.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling on a high way or an express lane based on the perception data; and

locking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling on the high way or the express lane.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling in a slowest lane of the road based on the perception data;

determining whether the speed of the ADV is below a predetermined threshold; and

unlocking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling in the slowest lane of the road and the speed of the ADV is below the predetermined threshold.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is moving with a speed below a predetermined threshold and the ADV is within a parking area or loading zone of the road based on the perception data; and

unlocking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is moving with the speed below the predetermined threshold and is within the parking area or the loading zone of the road.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling in a slowest lane of the road based on the perception data;

determining a distance between the ADV and a curb of the slowest lane based on the perception data; and

unlocking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling in the slowest lane of the road and the distance between the ADV and the curb of the slowest lane is below a first predetermined threshold.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the speed of the ADV is below a second predetermined threshold, wherein the door locks are unlocked only if the speed of the ADV is below the second predetermined threshold.

15. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations including

receiving perception data that perceives a driving environment surrounding an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV),

determining, based on the perception data, a lane configuration of one or more lanes of a road in which the ADV is moving,

determining a speed of the ADV and a lane location of the ADV within a lane in which the ADV is moving,

deriving a driving scenario based on the lane configuration, the speed of the ADV, and the lane location of the ADV, and

locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV based on the driving scenario, while the ADV is moving within the lane.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling in a lane other than a slowest lane of the road based on the perception data; and

locking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling in a lane other than the slowest lane of road.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling on a high way or an express lane based on the perception data; and

locking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling on the high way or the express lane.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling in a slowest lane of the road based on the perception data;

determining whether the speed of the ADV is below a predetermined threshold; and

unlocking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling in the slowest lane of the road and the speed of the ADV is below the predetermined threshold.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is moving with a speed below a predetermined threshold and the ADV is within a parking area or loading zone of the road based on the perception data; and

unlocking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is moving with the speed below the predetermined threshold and is within the parking area or the loading zone of the road.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein locking or unlocking one or more door locks of the ADV comprises:

determining whether the ADV is traveling in a slowest lane of the road based on the perception data;

determining a distance between the ADV and a curb of the slowest lane based on the perception data; and

unlocking the one or more door locks, in response to determining that the ADV is traveling in the slowest lane of the road and the distance between the ADV and the curb of the slowest lane is below a first predetermined threshold.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the speed of the ADV is below a second predetermined threshold, wherein the door locks are unlocked only if the speed of the ADV is below the second predetermined threshold.