Differentiating roadways by elevation

• US 10,446,027 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Nirmal
• Primary Examiner(s): Tun, Nay
• Application Number:
  US15/837,662
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1652 with ranging devices, e.g. LIDAR or RADAR
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• 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: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/137 the indicator being in the form of a map

Abstract

This technology relates to selectively providing details of surrounding roads to passengers of a vehicle. One or more computing devices may calculate a plane relative to an orientation of the vehicle based upon at least one of the vehicle'"'"'s location, pitch, and yaw. For each surrounding road a distance between the surrounding road and the plane may be determined by the one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices may generate and display a video indicating a projected trajectory of the vehicle and objects detected by sensors on the vehicle, on a map corresponding to a route the vehicle is currently following and virtual representations of surrounding roads which are within a predefined distance of the location of the vehicle based on the determined distance for each of the surrounding roads.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for selectively providing details of surrounding roads to passengers of a vehicle, the method comprising:

calculating, by one or more computing devices, a plane relative to an orientation of the vehicle based upon the vehicle'"'"'s location and an orientation parameter for the vehicle;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, for each surrounding road, an elevational distance between that surrounding road and the plane; and

generating and displaying, by the one or more computing devices, a video indicating a projected trajectory of the vehicle and objects detected by sensors on the vehicle, the video including a map corresponding to a route the vehicle is currently following and virtual representations of surrounding roads which are within a threshold elevational distance of the plane based on the determined elevational distance for each of the surrounding roads.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein calculating the plane includes determining a vector normal to the plane based on the vehicle'"'"'s location, and the orientation parameter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the orientation parameter is one of a pitch vector or a yaw vector.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining for each surrounding road the elevational distance between the surrounding road and the plane includes:

separating the surrounding road into portions, and

determining the elevational distance between the plane and at least one location coordinate within each portion of the road.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein generating and displaying, virtual representations of surrounding road which are within a threshold elevational distance of the location of the vehicle includes:

displaying portions of the surrounding road where the portions of the surrounding road are within the threshold elevational distance.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, removing or fading from display, virtual representations of surrounding roads which are outside of the threshold elevational distance.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the elevational distance between the surrounding road and the plane is defined as an angular displacement.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the angular displacement is the angle between a vector from a point on the plane to a location coordinate of the surrounding road and the plane.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the threshold elevational distance is no more than 5 degrees relative to the vehicle'"'"'s location in the plane.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the threshold elevational distance is no more than 3 meters.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the threshold elevational distance is-varies based upon a distance of the surrounding road to the vehicle'"'"'s location.

12. A system for selectively providing details of surrounding roads to passengers of a vehicle, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:

calculate a plane relative to an orientation of the vehicle based upon the vehicle'"'"'s location and an orientation parameter for the vehicle;

determine, for each surrounding road, an elevational distance between that surrounding road and the plane; and

generate and display a video indicating a projected trajectory of the vehicle and objects detected by sensors on the vehicle, the video including a map corresponding to a route the vehicle is currently following and virtual representations of surrounding road which are within a threshold elevational distance of the location of the vehicle based on the determined elevational distance for each of the surrounding roads.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein calculating the plane includes determining a vector normal to the plane based on the vehicle'"'"'s location and the orientation parameter.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein determining for each surrounding road the elevational distance between the surrounding road and the plane includes:

separating the surrounding road into portions, and

determining the elevational distance between the plane and at least one location coordinate within each portion of the road.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein generating and displaying, virtual representations of surrounding roads which are within a threshold elevational distance of the location of the vehicle includes:

displaying portions of the surrounding road where the portions of the surrounding road are within the threshold elevational distance.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising, removing or fading from display, virtual representations of surrounding roads which are outside of the threshold elevational distance.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the elevational distance between the surrounding road and the plane is defined as an angular displacement.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the angular displacement is the angle between a vector from a point on the plane to a location coordinate of the surrounding road and the plane.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the threshold elevational distance is no more than 5 degrees relative to the vehicle'"'"'s location in the plane.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the threshold elevational distance is no more than 3 meters.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the threshold elevational distance varies based upon a distance of the surrounding road to the vehicle'"'"'s location.