AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE OPERATED WITH SAFETY AUGMENTATION

• US 20170090480A1
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurora Operations Incorporated (Aurora Innovation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Justin, Zych, Noah
• Granted Patent: US 10,139,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/00 Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles railway seats B61D33/00; cycle seats B62J1/00; aircraft seats B64D11/06, B64D25/04, B64D25/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/022 Actuator failures
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/029 Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle is operable to follow a primary trajectory that forms a portion of a route. While controlling the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle calculates a failsafe trajectory to follow as a response to a predetermined type of event.

Claims

1. A method for operating an autonomous vehicle the method comprising:

controlling the autonomous vehicle to follow a primary trajectory, the primary trajectory forming a portion of a route; and

while controlling the autonomous vehicle, calculating a failsafe trajectory for the autonomous vehicle to follow as a response to a disabling failure or condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined type of event includes a catastrophic event that affects a control system or primary sensor of the autonomous vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating the primary trajectory for a distance the vehicle is expected to traverse over a threshold duration of time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein calculating the primary trajectory includes determining a direction and one or more of a speed or acceleration of the vehicle during the threshold duration of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the failsafe trajectory includes calculating a trajectory for the vehicle to reach a location outside of the flow of traffic.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the location outside of the flow of traffic is on a shoulder or on a center divider.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein calculating the trajectory for the vehicle to reach the location outside of the flow of traffic includes calculating a shortest trajectory to the location.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein calculating the trajectory for the vehicle to reach the location outside of the flow of traffic includes selecting a stopping location from multiple stopping locations which are available to the vehicle at a particular instance.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting the stopping location is based on a characteristic or attribute of the selected stopping location, as compared to other of the multiple stopping locations.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

planning an additional action to perform from the autonomous vehicle after the vehicle implements the failsafe trajectory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the additional action includes transmitting a communication to a network service.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating multiple failsafe trajectories, including at least one failsafe trajectory for a particular type of failure or condition.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the particular type of failure or condition includes at least one of braking failure, steering failure, or sensor failure.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the failsafe trajectory is calculated to meet a threshold level of assurance.

15. A method for operating an autonomous vehicle the method comprising:

controlling the autonomous vehicle to follow a primary trajectory, the primary trajectory forming a portion of a route; and

utilizing one or more geographic constraints to identify a geographic region in which the autonomous vehicle can operate; and

calculating the primary trajectory so that the autonomous vehicle remains within the geographic region.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the primary trajectory is calculated to terminate a planned route of the autonomous vehicle, so that the autonomous vehicle remains within the geographic region.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the primary trajectory is calculated to include turns in a planned route of the autonomous vehicle, to cause the autonomous vehicle to remain within the geographic region.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving, on the autonomous vehicle, an update to the geographic constraint to alter a size of the geographic region.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

while controlling the autonomous vehicle, calculating a failsafe trajectory for the autonomous vehicle to follow as a response to a predetermined type of event.

20. A control system for an autonomous vehicle, the control system comprising:

a memory to store instructions;

one or more processors to;

control the autonomous vehicle to follow a primary trajectory, the primary trajectory forming a portion of a route; and

while controlling the autonomous vehicle, calculate a failsafe trajectory for the autonomous vehicle to follow as a response to a predetermined type of event.