SENSOR FIELD SELECTION

• US 20120310466A1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fairfield, Nathaniel, Zhu, Jiajun, Dolgov, Dmitri A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/28
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to safe and effective use of autonomous vehicles. More specifically, an autonomous vehicle 301, 501 is able to detect objects in its surroundings which are within the sensor fields 410, 411, 430, 431, 420A-423A, 420B-423B, 570-75, 580. In response to detecting objects, the computer 110 may adjust the autonomous vehicle'"'"'s speed or change direction. In some examples, however, the sensor fields may be changed or become less reliable based on objects or other features in the vehicle'"'"'s surroundings. As a result, the vehicle'"'"'s computer 110 may calculate the size and shape of the area of sensor diminution 620, 720 and a new sensor field based on this area of diminution. In response to identifying the area of sensor diminution or the new sensor field, the vehicle'"'"'s computer may change the control strategies of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle having an autonomous operation mode, the method comprising:

controlling, by a processor, operation of the vehicle based on a first control strategy;

identifying a sensor field based on a field of view of one or more sensors of the vehicle;

receiving sensor data from selected ones of the one or more sensors;

identifying a change in sensor perception of the one or more sensors based on the sensor data, the change in the sensor perception including a diminished ability to detect objects within the sensor field;

determining a second control strategy based on the change; and

controlling, by the processor, the operation of the vehicle based on the second control strategy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an object and a location of the object in the sensor field based on the received sensor data; and

wherein identifying the change is based on the location of the object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the change in sensor perception includes calculating an area of diminished sensor perception based on the location of the object in the sensor field, and determining the second control strategy is based on the area of diminished sensor perception.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the change in sensor perception includes calculating a current sensor field based on the location of the object in the sensor field, and determining the second control strategy is based on the current sensor field.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the object is another vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the sensor data indicates that a given one of the one or more sensors is providing unreliable information; and

wherein identifying the change is based on the determined indication.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the unreliable information includes one or more camera images.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that there is no longer a change in sensor perception of the one or more sensors based on the sensor data;

wherein controlling the operation of the vehicle is further based on the first control strategy based on the determination that there is no longer a change.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the operation of the vehicle based on the first control strategy includes maneuvering the vehicle in a first direction, and controlling the operation of the vehicle based on the second control strategy includes maneuvering the vehicle in a second direction different from the first direction.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the operation of the vehicle based on the first control strategy includes maneuvering the vehicle at a first speed and wherein controlling the operation of the vehicle based on the second control strategy includes maneuvering the vehicle at a second speed different from the first speed.

11. A device for controlling a vehicle having an autonomous operation mode, the device comprising:

one or more sensors for detecting objects in the vehicle'"'"'s surroundings; and

a processor coupled to the one or more sensors, the processor being operable to;

control operation of the vehicle based on a first control strategy;

identify a sensor field based on a field of view of the one or more sensors of the vehicle;

receive sensor data from selected ones of the one or more sensors;

identify a change in sensor perception of the one or more sensors based on the sensor data, the change in the sensor perception including a diminished ability to detect objects within the sensor field;

determine a second control strategy based on the change; and

control the operation of the vehicle based on the second control strategy.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to detect an object and a location of the object in the sensor field based on the received sensor data and the processor identifies the change based on the location of the object.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable to identify the change in sensor perception by calculating an area of diminished sensor perception based on the location of the object in the sensor field, and determining the second control strategy is based on the area of diminished sensor perception.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable to identify the change in sensor perception by calculating a current sensor field based on the location of the object in the sensor field, and determining the second control strategy is based on the current sensor field.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operable to identify the object as another vehicle.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to determine that the sensor data indicates that a given one of the one or more sensors is providing unreliable information, and the processor identifies the change based on the determined indication.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the unreliable information includes one or more camera images.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine that there is no longer a change in sensor perception of the one or more sensors based on the sensor data; and

control the operation of the vehicle based on the first control strategy based on the determination that there is no longer a change.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to:

control the operation of the vehicle based on the first control strategy by maneuvering the vehicle in a first direction; and

control the operation of the vehicle based on the second control strategy by maneuvering the vehicle in a second direction different from the first direction.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to:

control the operation of the vehicle based on the first control strategy by maneuvering the vehicle at a first speed; and

control the operation of the vehicle based on the second control strategy by maneuvering the vehicle at a second speed different from the first speed.

21. A tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of controlling a vehicle having an autonomous operation mode, the method comprising:

controlling operation of an vehicle based on a first control strategy;

identifying a sensor field based on a field of view of one or more sensors of the vehicle;

receiving sensor data from selected ones of the one or more sensors;

identifying a change in sensor perception of the one or more sensors based on the sensor data, the change in the sensor perception including a diminished ability to detect objects within the sensor field;

determining a second control strategy based on the change; and

controlling the operation of the vehicle based on the second control strategy.