Modifying behavior of autonomous vehicle based on predicted behavior of other vehicles

• US 8,457,827 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferguson, David I., Dolgov, Dmitri A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRUSHABER, FREDERICK M
• Application Number:
  US13/420,820
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23- 28, 180/169
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/20 Data confidence level
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0011 involving control alternatives for a single driving scenario, e.g. planning several paths to avoid obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00274 considering possible movement changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00276 for two or more other traffic participants
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous mode could determine a current state of the vehicle and the current state of the environment of the vehicle. The environment of the vehicle includes at least one other vehicle. A predicted behavior of the at least one other vehicle could be determined based on the current state of the vehicle and the current state of the environment of the vehicle. A confidence level could also be determined based on the predicted behavior, the current state of the vehicle, and the current state of the environment of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the confidence level may be related to the likelihood of the at least one other vehicle to perform the predicted behavior. The vehicle in the autonomous mode could be controlled based on the predicted behavior, the confidence level, and the current state of the vehicle and its environment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, using a computer system, a current state of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in an autonomous mode;

determining, using the computer system, a current state of an environment of the vehicle, wherein the environment of the vehicle comprises at least one other vehicle;

determining, using the computer system, a predicted behavior of the at least one other vehicle based on at least the current state of the vehicle and the current state of the environment of the vehicle, wherein the predicted behavior comprises at least one of the at least one other vehicle accelerating, the at least one other vehicle decelerating, the at least one other vehicle changing heading, the at least one other vehicle changing lanes, the at least one other vehicle leaving the roadway, the at least one other vehicle responding to a third vehicle, or the at least one other vehicle responding to an obstacle;

determining, using the computer system, a confidence level, wherein the confidence level comprises a likelihood of the at least one other vehicle to perform the predicted behavior, and wherein the confidence level is based on at least the predicted behavior, the current state of the vehicle, and the current state of the environment of the vehicle; and

controlling, using the computer system, the vehicle in the autonomous mode based on the predicted behavior, the confidence level, the current state of the vehicle, and the current state of the environment of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current state of the vehicle comprises determining at least one of a current speed of the vehicle, a current heading of the vehicle, a current position of the vehicle, and a current lane of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current state of the environment of the vehicle comprises determining at least one of a respective position of the at least one other vehicle, a respective speed of the at least one other vehicle, and a position of an obstacle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the vehicle comprises at least one of controlling the vehicle to accelerate, controlling the vehicle to decelerate, controlling the vehicle to change heading, controlling the vehicle to change lanes, controlling the vehicle to shift within the current lane and controlling the vehicle to provide a warning notification.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the warning notification comprises at least one of a horn signal, a light signal, and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication message transmission.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle communication message transmission is transmitted using a dedicated short range communications (DSRC) device.

7. A vehicle, comprising:

at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to acquire;

i) vehicle state information; and

ii) environment state information;

wherein the vehicle state information comprises information about a current state of the vehicle, wherein the environment state information comprises information about a current state of an environment of the vehicle, wherein the environment of the vehicle comprises at least one other vehicle; and

a computer system configured to;

i) determine the current state of the vehicle based on the vehicle state information;

ii) determine the current state of the environment of the vehicle based on the environment state information;

iii) determine a predicted behavior of the at least one other vehicle based on at least the current state of the vehicle and the current state of the environment of the vehicle, wherein the predicted behavior comprises at least one of the at least one other vehicle accelerating, the at least one other vehicle decelerating, the at least one other vehicle changing heading, the at least one other vehicle changing lanes, the at least one other vehicle leaving the roadway, the at least one other vehicle responding to a third vehicle, or the at least one other vehicle responding to an obstacle;

iv) determine a confidence level, wherein the confidence level comprises a likelihood of the at least one other vehicle to perform the predicted behavior, and wherein the confidence level is based on at least the predicted behavior, the current state of the vehicle, and the current state of the environment of the vehicle; and

v) control the vehicle in the autonomous mode based on the predicted behavior, the confidence level, the current state of the vehicle, and the current state of the environment of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a camera, a radar system, a lidar system, a global positioning system, and an inertial measurement unit.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the computer system is further configured to determine the current state of the vehicle based on at least one of a current speed of the vehicle, a current heading of the vehicle, a current position of the vehicle, and a current lane of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the computer system is further configured to determine the current state of the environment of the vehicle based on at least one of a respective position of the at least one other vehicle, a respective speed of the at least one other vehicle, a position of an obstacle, and a map of the roadway.

11. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the computer system is further configured to cause at least one of accelerating the vehicle, decelerating the vehicle, changing a heading of the vehicle, changing a lane of the vehicle, shifting a position of the vehicle within a current lane, and providing a warning notification.

12. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the warning notification comprises at least one of a horn signal, a light signal, and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication message transmission.

13. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle communication message transmission is transmitted using a dedicated short range communications (DSRC) device.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to perform functions comprising:

determining a current state of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in an autonomous mode;

determining a current state of an environment of the vehicle, wherein the environment of the vehicle comprises at least one other vehicle;

determining a predicted behavior of the at least one other vehicle based on at least the current state of the vehicle and the current state of the environment of the vehicle, wherein the predicted behavior comprises at least one of the at least one other vehicle accelerating, the at least one other vehicle decelerating, the at least one other vehicle changing heading, the at least one other vehicle changing lanes, the at least one other vehicle leaving the roadway, the at least one other vehicle responding to a third vehicle, or the at least one other vehicle responding to an obstacle;

determining a confidence level, wherein the confidence level comprises a likelihood of the at least one other vehicle to perform the predicted behavior, and wherein the confidence level is based on at least the predicted behavior, the current state of the vehicle and the current state of the environment of the vehicle; and

controlling the vehicle in the autonomous mode based on the predicted behavior, the confidence level, the current state of the vehicle, and the current state of the environment of the vehicle.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the functions further comprise acquiring sensor data from at least one sensor, wherein the sensor data comprises:

i) vehicle state information; and

ii) environment state information;

wherein determining the current state of the vehicle comprises using the vehicle state information, wherein determining the current state of the environment of the vehicle comprises using the environment state information.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein determining the current state of the vehicle comprises determining at least one of a current speed of the vehicle, a current heading of the vehicle, a current position of the vehicle, and a current lane of the vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein determining the current state of the environment of the vehicle comprises determining at least one of a respective position of the at least one other vehicle, a respective speed of the at least one other vehicle, a position of an obstacle, and a map of the roadway.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the warning notification comprises at least one of a horn signal, a light signal, and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication message transmission.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein controlling the vehicle comprises at least one of controlling the vehicle to accelerate, controlling the vehicle to decelerate, controlling the vehicle to change heading, controlling the vehicle to change lanes, controlling the vehicle to shift within the current lane and controlling the vehicle to provide a warning notification.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle communication message transmission is transmitted using a dedicated short range communications (DSRC) device.