RISK MITIGATION FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES RELATIVE TO TURNING OBJECTS

• US 20160176398A1
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Prokhorov, Danil V., Vladimerou, Vladimeros
• Granted Patent: US 9,701,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering

Abstract

Arrangements related to the mitigation of risk for an autonomous vehicle relative to turning objects are presented. An object in an external environment of the autonomous vehicle that is turning toward the autonomous vehicle can be detected. It can be determined whether the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle. Responsive to determining that the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle, a driving maneuver for the autonomous vehicle can be determined to avoid being impinged upon by the detected object. The autonomous vehicle can be caused to implement the determined driving maneuver.

Claims

1. A method of mitigating risk for an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

while approaching an intersection from a first direction in a turn lane, detecting an object that is turning toward the autonomous vehicle from a second direction that is transverse to the first direction;

determining whether the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle;

responsive to determining that the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle, determining a driving maneuver for the autonomous vehicle to avoid being impinged upon by the detected object; and

causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined driving maneuver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle includes determining whether the detected object will pass through at least a portion of a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle includes determining whether the detected object will pass within a predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving maneuver includes stopping short of an originally intended stopping point in a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving maneuver includes moving the autonomous vehicle safely backward substantially in a longitudinal direction at least partially within a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving maneuver includes moving the autonomous vehicle substantially in a lateral direction away from the detected object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving maneuver includes moving the autonomous vehicle at least partially into a travel lane that is adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the driving maneuver would safely violate a traffic rule.

9. The method of claim 1, further including:

prompting an occupant of the autonomous vehicle for permission to implement the determined driving maneuver, wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined driving maneuver is performed responsive to receiving permission to implement the determined driving maneuver.

10. A risk mitigation system for an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

a sensor system operable to;

while approaching an intersection from a first direction in a turn lane, detect an object that is turning toward the autonomous vehicle from a second direction that is transverse to the first direction;

a processor operatively connected to the sensor system, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising;

determining whether the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle;

responsive to determining that the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle, determining a driving maneuver for the autonomous vehicle to avoid being impinged upon by the detected object; and

causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined driving maneuver.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein determining whether the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle includes determining whether the detected object will pass through at least a portion of a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein determining whether the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle includes determining whether the detected object will pass within a predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the driving maneuver includes stopping short of an originally intended stopping point in a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the driving maneuver includes moving the autonomous vehicle safely backward substantially in a longitudinal direction at least partially within a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the driving maneuver includes moving the autonomous vehicle substantially in a lateral direction away from the detected object.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the driving maneuver includes moving the autonomous vehicle at least partially into a travel lane that is adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the driving maneuver would safely violate a traffic rule.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the executable operations further include:

prompting an occupant of the autonomous vehicle for permission to implement the determined driving maneuver, wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined driving maneuver is performed responsive to receiving permission to implement the determined driving maneuver.

19. A computer program product for mitigating risk for an autonomous vehicle, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therein, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

responsive to detecting an object that is turning toward the autonomous vehicle from a second direction that is transverse to the first direction while the autonomous vehicle is approaching an intersection from a first direction in a turn lane, determining whether the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle;

responsive to determining that the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle, determining a driving maneuver for the autonomous vehicle to avoid being impinged upon by the detected object; and

causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined driving maneuver.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein determining whether the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle includes determining whether the detected object will pass through at least a portion of a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle.