Route Planning for an Autonomous Vehicle

• US 20170356746A1
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motional AD, LLC (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: nuTonomy, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Iagnemma, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 11,092,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• 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

Abstract

Among other things, a viability of a route is determined. The route includes a sequence of connected road segments to be traveled by an autonomous vehicle from a starting position to a goal position. The route conforms to stored road network information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising

by computer determining a viability of a route comprising a sequence of connected road segments to be traveled by an autonomous vehicle from a starting position to a goal position, the route conforming to stored road network information.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the viability of the route comprises an ability of the autonomous vehicle to travel the route safely.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the viability comprises that the autonomous vehicle cannot safely travel the route.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the viability status of the route comprises an ability of the autonomous vehicle to travel the route robustly.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the viability status comprises that the autonomous vehicle cannot travel the route robustly.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the computer determines a viability of each of a set of routes.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the computer determines the viability as of a given time.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the route is one of two or more candidate routes determined by a route planning process.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the route is eliminated from consideration as a candidate route.

10. The method of claim 1 in which the viability status depends on characteristics of sensors on the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the characteristics comprise an actual or estimated level of performance as a function of current or predicted future conditions.

12. The method of claim 1 in which the viability status depends on characteristics of software processes.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the software processes comprise processing of data from sensors on the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12 in which the software processes comprise motion planning.

15. The method of claim 12 in which the software processes comprise decision-making.

16. The method of claim 12 in which the software processes comprise vehicle motion control.

17. The method of claim 12 in which the characteristics comprise an actual or estimated level of performance as a function of current or predicted future conditions.

18. The method of claim 1 in which the viability status depends on characteristics of road features.

19. The method of claim 18 in which the characteristics of the road features comprise spatial characteristics of intersections, roundabouts, or junctions.

20. The method of claim 18 in which the characteristics of the road features comprise connectivity characteristics of intersections, roundabouts, or junctions.

21. The method of claim 18 in which the characteristics of the road features comprise spatial orientations.

22. The method of claim 18 in which the characteristics of the road features comprise roadworks or traffic accidents.

23. The method of claim 18 in which the characteristics of the road features comprise roughness.

24. The method of claim 18 in which the characteristics of the road features comprise poor visibility due to curvature and slope.

25. The method of claim 18 in which the characteristics of the road features comprise poor prior driving performance by an autonomous vehicle.

26. The method of claim 18 in which the characteristics of the road features comprise poor prior simulation performance by a modeled autonomous vehicle.

27. The method of claim 18 in which the characteristics of the road features comprise physical navigation challenges in inclement weather.

34. The method of claim 1 in which the viability depends on characteristics of sensors on the vehicle.

35. The method of claim 34 in which the characteristics comprise an actual or estimated level of performance as a function of current or predicted future conditions.

52. The method of claim 1 comprising updating the viability status of the route as the autonomous vehicle is traveling the route.

28. A computer-implemented method comprising

by computer determining a viability for travel by an autonomous vehicle of one or more road segments belonging to a body of road network information, and

making the viability status of the road segments available for use in connection with road network information.

29. The method of claim 28 in which the viability of the road segment comprises an ability of the autonomous vehicle to travel the road segment safely.

30. The method of claim 28 in which the viability comprises that the autonomous vehicle cannot safely travel the road segment.

31. The method of claim 28 in which the viability of the route comprises an ability of the autonomous vehicle to travel the road segment robustly.

32. The method of claim 31 in which the viability comprises that the autonomous vehicle cannot travel the road segment robustly.

33. The method of claim 28 in which the computer determines the viability as of a given time.

36. The method of claim 28 in which the viability depends on characteristics of software processes.

37. The method of claim 36 in which the software processes comprise processing of data from sensors on the vehicle.

38. The method of claim 36 in which the software processes comprise motion planning.

39. The method of claim 36 in which the software processes comprise decision-making.

40. The method of claim 36 in which the software processes comprise vehicle motion control.

41. The method of claim 36 in which the characteristics comprise an actual or estimated level of performance as a function of current or predicted future conditions.

42. The method of claim 36 in which the viability status depends on characteristics of the road segment.

43. The method of claim 42 in which the characteristics of the road segment comprise spatial characteristics of intersections, roundabouts, or junctions.

44. The method of claim 42 in which the characteristics of the road segment comprise connectivity characteristics of intersections, roundabouts, or junctions.

45. The method of claim 42 in which the characteristics of the road segment comprise spatial orientations.

46. The method of claim 42 in which the characteristics of the road segment comprise roadworks or traffic accidents.

47. The method of claim 42 in which the characteristics of the road segment comprise roughness.

48. The method of claim 42 in which the characteristics of the road segment comprise poor visibility due to curvature and slope.

49. The method of claim 42 in which the characteristics of the road segment comprise poor prior driving performance by an autonomous vehicle.

50. The method of claim 42 in which the characteristics of the road segment comprise poor prior simulation performance by a modeled autonomous vehicle.

51. The method of claim 42 in which the characteristics of the road segment comprise physical navigation challenges in inclement weather.