Transitioning a mixed-mode vehicle to autonomous mode

• US 8,321,067 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Prada Gomez, Luis Ricardo, Fairfield, Nathaniel, Szybalski, Andy, Nemec, Philip, Urmson, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/293,905
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1- 2, 701/23
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and devices for transitioning a mixed-mode autonomous vehicle from a human driven mode to an autonomously driven mode. Transitioning may include stopping a vehicle on a predefined landing strip and detecting a reference indicator. Based on the reference indicator, the vehicle may be able to know its exact position. Additionally, the vehicle may use the reference indictor to obtain an autonomous vehicle instruction via a URL. After the vehicle knows its precise location and has an autonomous vehicle instruction, it can operate in autonomous mode.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a reference sensor configured to detect a reference indicator, wherein the reference indicator provides reference data, wherein the reference data has an associated autonomous vehicle instruction and global coordinate information; and

,

a control module configured to switch the vehicle from a human-drive mode to an autonomous-drive mode, wherein the autonomous-drive mode comprises the control module executing the autonomous vehicle instruction associated with the reference indicator.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the reference data comprises an internet address.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a landing sensor configured to detect a landing strip responsive to the vehicle stopping.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 3, wherein the reference sensor is configured to detect the reference indicator responsive to the landing sensor detecting the landing strip.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless unit configured to wirelessly retrieve the autonomous vehicle instruction based on at least the reference data;

a memory unit configured to;

(i) store the wirelessly retrieved autonomous vehicle instruction; and

,

(ii) store associations between a plurality of autonomous vehicle instructions and a plurality of reference indicators; and

,

an instruction module configured to read on or more autonomous vehicle instructions from the memory unit based on one or more reference indicators.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the reference sensor is configured to read a graphic containing the reference data.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 6, wherein the graphic is a Quick Response (QR) code.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein an analysis module is configured to decode the reference data.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the reference sensor comprises a radio receiver for wirelessly detecting the reference indicator.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an analysis module configured to calculate a distance and bearing from the reference indicator to the vehicle.

11. A method comprising:

detecting a reference indicator using a reference sensor in a vehicle, wherein the reference indicator provides reference data, wherein the reference data has an associated autonomous vehicle instruction and global coordinate information;

switching the vehicle from a human-drive mode to an autonomous-drive mode; and

,

the autonomous vehicle executing the autonomous vehicle instruction during the autonomous-drive mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reference data comprises an internet address.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting a landing strip using a landing sensor responsive to the vehicle stopping.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting the reference indicator using the reference sensor responsive to detecting the landing strip with the landing sensor.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving the autonomous vehicle instruction based on at least the reference data using a wireless unit;

storing the wirelessly retrieved autonomous vehicle instruction in a memory unit; and

reading the autonomous vehicle instruction associated with the reference data from a database comprising autonomous vehicle instructions, wherein the database is stored in the memory unit.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising reading a graphic containing the reference data with the reference sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the graphic is a Quick Response (QR) code.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising decoding the reference data using an analysis module.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving radio waves for wirelessly detecting the reference indicator using the reference sensor.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising calculating a distance and bearing from the reference indicator to the vehicle using an analysis module.

21. An article of manufacture including a tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions encoded thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions for detecting a reference indicator using a reference sensor in a vehicle, wherein the reference indicator provides reference data, wherein the reference data has an associated autonomous vehicle instruction and global coordinate information;

instructions for switching the vehicle from a human-drive mode to an autonomous-drive mode; and

,

instructions for executing the autonomous vehicle instruction during the autonomous-drive mode.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the reference data comprises an internet address.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21, further comprising instructions for detecting a landing strip using a landing sensor responsive to the vehicle stopping.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, further comprising instructions for detecting the reference indicator using the reference sensor responsive to detecting the landing strip using the landing sensor.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 21, further comprising:

instructions for retrieving the autonomous vehicle instruction based on at least the reference data using a wireless unit;

instructions for storing the wirelessly retrieved autonomous vehicle instruction in a memory unit; and

instructions for reading the autonomous vehicle instruction associated with the reference data from a database comprising autonomous vehicle instructions, wherein the database is stored in the memory unit.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 21, further comprising instructions for reading a graphic containing the reference data using the reference sensor.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the graphic containing the reference data is a QR code.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 21, further comprising instructions for decoding the reference data using an analysis module.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 21, further comprising instructions for receiving radio waves using the reference sensor.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 21, further comprising instructions for calculating a distance and bearing from the reference indicator to the vehicle using an analysis module.