Control and systems for autonomously driven vehicles

• US 8,126,642 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Gray & Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Trepagnier, Paul Gerard, Nagel, Jorge Emilio, Dooner, Matthew Taylor, Dewenter, Michael Thomas, Traft, Neil Michael, Drakunov, Sergey, Kinney, Powell, Lee, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US12/289,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• 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 1/024 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 1/0248 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A navigation and control system including one or more position sensors configured to generate position signals indicative of the location and heading of a vehicle. The system includes one or more operation control mechanisms having inputs and producing outputs which control an operation of the vehicle and includes a self-contained autonomous controller disposed remote from the operation control mechanisms. The autonomous controller includes a processor configured to receive the position signals from the position sensors and to generate operation control signals defining an updated travel path for the vehicle, and a programmable interface providing communication among the position sensors, the operation control mechanisms, and the processor. The programmable interface is configured to normalize inputs to the processor from the position sensors and to generate compatible operation control signals applied as the inputs to the operation control mechanisms, whereby the self-contained autonomous controller is configurable for operation with a variety of different sensors and different operation control mechanisms.

Claims

1. A navigation and control system comprising:

one or more position sensors configured to generate position signals indicative of the location and heading of a vehicle;

one or more operation control mechanisms having inputs and producing outputs which control an operation of the vehicle; and

a self-contained autonomous controller disposed remote from the operation control mechanisms, comprising,

a processor configured to receive the position signals from the position sensors and to generate operation control signals defining an updated travel path for the vehicle, and

a programmable interface providing communication among the position sensors, the operation control mechanisms, and the processor, and configured to normalize inputs to the processor from the position sensors and to generate compatible operation control signals applied as the inputs to the operation control mechanisms, whereby the self-contained autonomous controller is configurable for operation with a variety of different sensors and different operation control mechanisms.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more object sensors configured to generate object signals indicative of objects with respect to a travel path of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is configured to receive the object signals from the object sensors, to identify from the object signals objects which are stationary and objects which are moving with respect to the travel path of the vehicle, and to generate operation control signals defining said updated travel path taking into consideration the identified stationary and moving objects and the position signals.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the programmable interface is configured to provide communication among the position sensors, the object sensors, the operation control mechanisms, and the processor, and is configured to normalize inputs to the processor from the object sensors.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the object sensors comprise a light detection and ranging device configured to produce a beam and detect a reflection of the beam from the objects.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the object sensors comprise a laser radar device configured to produce a beam and detect a reflection, at the wavelength of the beam, from the objects.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the object sensors comprise a camera configured to provide an image of the travel path from which objects are identified.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a map storage area configured to store logical maps of waypoints along the travel path of the vehicle for use by the self-contained autonomous controller, said logical map including at least one of directions from one waypoint to another, geospatial coordinates of the waypoints, intersections of roads along a travel path for the vehicle,

wherein the processor is programmed with an obstacle identification algorithm to determine if objects detected by the one or more object sensors are said waypoints by comparison of an object position to the geospatial coordinates of the waypoints.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a program interface configured to enter programming instructions to the programmable interface.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide at least one of direction and speed control instructions to the operation control mechanisms in a drive by wire format whereby the processor electrically controls at least one of engine throttling, vehicle steering, and vehicle braking.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a map storage area configured to store logical maps of waypoints along the travel path of the vehicle for use by the self contained autonomous controller, said logical map including at least one of directions from one waypoint to another, geospatial coordinates of the waypoints, intersections of roads along a travel path for the vehicle, and

times associated with traveling between different waypoints.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the position sensor comprises at least one of a global positioning system device or an inertial navigation system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:

a variable structure observer configured to identify a position, velocity, and geometry of objects in a vicinity of the vehicle, predict the position and velocity of the identified objects in time, and estimate future positions of the identified objects.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:

a route finding algorithm configured to determine for said travel path a route of the vehicle between two waypoints based on recorded traffic patterns between the two waypoints.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the route finding algorithm is configured to determine the route based on at least one of recorded times to travel between the two waypoints, a history of congestion areas between the two waypoints, and real-time reports of congestion.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the route finding algorithm is configured to determine the route based on respective weighted averages for a number of specific travel routes between the two waypoints, respective weighted averages including said at least one of the recorded times to travel between the two waypoints, the history of congestion areas between the two waypoints, and the real-time reports of congestion.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera configured to provide an image of the travel path; and

said processor based on the image identifies a lane for the travel path of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said processor is configured to determine if there is an obstruction in the identified lane.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to determine an avoidance path around at least one of stationary or moving objects.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said processor is configured to determine said avoidance path by predicting a likelihood of collision with the stationary or moving objects, wherein:

as a first action, a vehicle'"'"'s velocity is modified along the travel path to determine if there exists a first solution for the avoidance path;

as a second action upon no existence of the first solution, a swerving maneuver is implemented along the travel path to determine if there exists a second solution for the avoidance path; and

as a third action upon no existence of the first solution or the second solution, the vehicle is stopped.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said processor is configured to determine said avoidance path based on a virtual path analysis utilizing a sliding mode program to predict an optimum trajectory for avoidance of the stationary and moving objects,

wherein said sliding mode analysis is programmed to generate a steering command based on 1) a moving point (x*(s), y*(s)) of the vehicle from the travel path, 2) a distance s(t) of the vehicle from the travel path, and 3) an error vector E(t) of an actual vehicle position (x(t), y(t)) from the moving point (x*(s(t)), y*(s(t))),

wherein the error vector E(t) accommodates time dependent non-linear factors capable of causing the vehicle to deviate from the travel path or deviate from an approach path to the travel path.

21. A method for navigation and control of a vehicle, comprising:

generating position signals indicative of the location and heading of a vehicle;

normalizing the position signals by way of a programmable interface to produce normalized position signals;

producing from the normalized position signals operation control signals; and

normalizing the operation control signals by way of the programmable interface to produce normalized operation control signals which control an operation of the vehicle along an updated travel path for the vehicle.

22. A drivable unit comprising:

a vehicle including,

one or more position sensors configured to generate position signals indicative of the location and heading of a vehicle;

one or more operation control mechanisms having inputs and producing outputs which control an operation of the vehicle; and

a self-contained autonomous controller disposed remote from the at least one operation control mechanism, comprising,

a processor configured to receive the position signals from the position sensors and to generate operation control signals defining an updated travel path for the vehicle, and

a programmable interface providing communication among the position sensors, the operation control mechanisms, and the processor, and configured to normalize inputs to the processor from the position sensors and to generate compatible operation control signals applied as the inputs to the operation control mechanisms, whereby the self-contained autonomous controller is configurable for operation with a variety of different sensors and different operation control mechanisms.

23. The unit of claim 22, wherein the vehicle comprises a land-based vehicle.

24. The unit of claim 23, wherein the land-based vehicle comprises at least one of an automobile, a truck, a sport utility vehicle, rescue vehicle, an agricultural vehicle, a mining vehicle, an escort vehicle, a toy vehicle, a reconnaissance vehicle, a test-track vehicle, and an armored vehicle.

25. The unit of claim 22, wherein the vehicle comprises watercraft.

26. The unit of claim 25, wherein the watercraft comprises at least one of a boat, a ship, a barge, a tanker, an amphibious vehicle, a hovercraft, and an armored ship.

27. The unit of claim 22, wherein the vehicle comprises an autonomous vehicle without driver-assisted control.

28. The unit of claim 22, wherein the vehicle comprises a driver-controlled vehicle with computer-assisted control.

29. The unit of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to recognize driver impairment.

30. The unit of claim 29, wherein the processor is configured to recognize driver impairment from a biometric sensor or from an analysis of driver-control of the vehicle.

31. The unit of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to control the vehicle in an event of an input command.

32. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing program instructions for execution on a processor in a vehicle, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the functions of:

receiving position signals indicative of the location and heading of a vehicle, said position signals having been normalized by way of a programmable interface to produce normalized position signals;

producing from the normalized position signals operation control signals; and

outputting the operation control signals to the programmable interface to produce normalized operation control signals which control an operation of the vehicle along an updated travel path for the vehicle.

33. A navigation and control system comprising:

one or more operation control mechanisms having inputs and producing outputs which control an operation of a vehicle; and

a processor, connected to the one or more operation control mechanisms, configured to generate a steering command based on

     1) a moving point (x*(s), y*(s)) of the vehicle from a travel path,

     2) a distance s(t) of the vehicle from the travel path, and

     3) an error vector E(t) of an actual vehicle position (x(t), y(t)) from the moving point (x*(s(t)), y*(s(t))),

wherein the error vector E(t) accommodates time dependent non-linear factors capable of causing the vehicle to deviate from the travel path or deviate from an approach path to the travel path.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the processor is configured to determine a travel direction for the vehicle based on the error vector E(t) satisfying a differential equation of the form d/dt E(t)=−

kE(t) and converging to zero for an optimum travel direction.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the processor in determining said moving point (x*(s), y*(s)) along the travel path includes in the determination the non-linear factors including at least one of a front wheel speed, a rear wheel speed, a degree of slip in between, and vehicle skid.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the processor in determining said moving point (x*(s), y*(s)) along the travel path includes in the determination a time derivative of s(t) relative to the travel path to account for said non-linear factors.