VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE, VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND TRAFFIC INFORMATION SUPPLYING SYSTEM

• US 20180151066A1
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Published: 05/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: OBA, Eiji
• Granted Patent: US 11,164,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0285 using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/247 using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A system for an autonomous vehicle that receives driving environment information corresponding to a driving environment provided by another autonomous vehicle, and determines a navigation route based on a degree of reliability of the driving environment information provided by the another autonomous vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive driving environment information corresponding to a driving environment provided by another autonomous vehicle; and

circuitry configured to determine a navigation route based on a degree of reliability of the driving environment information provided by the another autonomous vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to select one of a plurality of navigation routes based on a degree of reliability of the driving environment information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein

determining the navigation route includes identifying a preferred lane of a plurality of lanes on the navigation route.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein

the degree of reliability of the driving environment information is determined based on information indicating a time at which the driving environment information was acquired.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the driving environment information in association with time information indicating a timing at which the driving environment information was acquired.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein

the circuitry is configured to determine the degree of reliability of the driving environment information based on the time information stored in the memory in associated with the driving environment information.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein

the circuitry is configured to assign a first degree of reliability to a first piece of driving environment information acquired at a first time and a second degree of reliability to a second piece of driving environment information acquired at a second time prior to the first time, the first degree of reliability being greater than the second degree of reliability.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein

the driving environment information provided by the another autonomous vehicle is acquired by one or more sensors at the another autonomous vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein

the driving environment information provided by the another autonomous vehicle is acquired by an image sensor at the another autonomous vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein

the system is an electronic system configured to be implemented by the autonomous vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein

the communication interface is configured to receive the driving environment information from one or more servers.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control an driving system of the autonomous vehicle based on the navigation route determined based on the degree of reliability of the driving environment information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the driving system in a safe driving mode if the degree of reliability of the driving environment information is lower than a first threshold value.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein

controlling the driving system in the safe driving mode includes at least one of reducing a maximum speed of the autonomous vehicle, expediting brake control of the autonomous vehicle or setting a greater inter-vehicle distance for the autonomous vehicle.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control changing a driving mode of the autonomous vehicle to a manual driving mode if the degree of reliability of the driving environment information is lower than a second threshold value which is lower than the first threshold value.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein

the system is one or more servers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein

the communication interface is configured to transmit the determined navigation route to the autonomous vehicle.

18. A system for implementation in an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive, from one or more servers, driving environment information corresponding to a driving environment provided by another autonomous vehicle; and

circuitry configured to;

determine a navigation route based on a degree of reliability of the driving environment information received from the one or more servers; and

control a driving system of the autonomous vehicle based on the determined navigation route.

19. A system for implementation by an autonomous vehicle comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive driving environment information corresponding to a driving environment provided by another autonomous vehicle; and

circuitry configured to

control the autonomous vehicle to follow a navigation route determined based on a degree of reliability of the driving environment information provided by the another autonomous vehicle;

identify differences between the driving environment information provided by the another autonomous vehicle and characteristics of the driving environment detected by the autonomous vehicle; and

control the communication interface to transmit information indicating the differences between the driving environment information provided by the another autonomous vehicle and the characteristics of the driving environment detected by the autonomous vehicle.

20. A method implemented by a system configured for use in an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, by a communication interface of the system, driving environment information corresponding to a driving environment provided by another autonomous vehicle;

controlling, by circuitry of the system, the autonomous vehicle to follow a navigation route determined based on a degree of reliability of the driving environment information provided by the another autonomous vehicle;

identifying, by the circuitry, differences between the driving environment information provided by the another autonomous vehicle and characteristics of the driving environment detected by the autonomous vehicle; and

controlling, by the circuitry, the communication interface to transmit information indicating the differences between the driving environment information provided by the another autonomous vehicle and the characteristics of the driving environment detected by the autonomous vehicle.