Trackless transit system with adaptive vehicles

• US 8,793,036 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2010
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Koon, Phillip L., Stephens, Gentry B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US12/887,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20120072051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/36, 701/117, 701/32.3, 701/32.4, 701/400, 701/408, 701/410, 701/412, 701/414, 701/418, 701/420, 701/422, 701/482, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 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 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for providing a trackless transit system and controlling adaptive trackless vehicles within that system. Aspects include an autonomous vehicle transit system for controlling vehicle movement of trackless vehicles in the transit system. The system includes a command, control and orchestration system (CCOS) and vehicle controllers. Each vehicle controller is associated with a trackless vehicle and communicates a current location to the CCOS, receives a navigation command, and controls the trackless vehicle according to the navigation command. Further, the CCOS provides navigation commands to the vehicle controllers to control movements of the trackless vehicles within the transit system according to vehicle position information received from the vehicle controllers. According to embodiments, a trackless vehicle may be switched between a driver controlled mode in which the vehicle is controlled by a driver and a system controlled mode in which the vehicle is controlled by the CCOS.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle transit system for controlling vehicle movement of a plurality of trackless vehicles in the transit system, comprising:

a controlled area in which the plurality of trackless vehicles operate;

a command, control and orchestration system (CCOS); and

a plurality of vehicle controllers, each vehicle controller associated with a trackless vehicle of the plurality of trackless vehicles and operative to communicate vehicle position information to the CCOS, to receive a navigation command, and to control the trackless vehicle according to the navigation command in a system controlled mode in the controlled area,

wherein the CCOS is operative to provide navigation commands to the plurality of vehicle controllers to control movements of the plurality of trackless vehicles within the transit system according to vehicle position information received from the plurality of vehicle controllers, wherein at least one of the plurality of trackless vehicles is configured to enter and exit the controlled area and to operate in a driver controlled mode inside and outside the controlled area, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of trackless vehicles is further configured to switch from the driver controlled mode to the system controlled mode prior to entering the controlled area.

2. The transit system of claim 1, wherein a vehicle controller of the plurality of vehicle controllers is operative to determine the vehicle position information of the trackless vehicle associated with the vehicle controller using a position sensor associated with the trackless vehicle, and wherein the vehicle position information includes the current location of the trackless vehicle.

3. The transit system of claim 2, wherein the CCOS is operative to:

determine a destination address of the trackless vehicle;

determine a vehicle route on which to navigate the trackless vehicle from the current location to the destination address; and

send, to the vehicle controller, navigation commands for navigating the trackless vehicle from the current location to the destination address according to the vehicle route.

4. The transit system of claim 3, further comprising a kiosk in the controlled area presenting a user interface to a user, wherein the CCOS is further operative to determine a destination address of the trackless vehicle comprises receiving a destination address from the user via the user interface presented on the kiosk.

5. The transit system of claim 2, further comprising a drive-by-wire module in communication with the vehicle controller and operative to control speed and direction of the trackless vehicle according to one or more navigation commands received by the vehicle controller,

wherein the vehicle controller is further operative to control the trackless vehicle according to the navigation command by sending an instruction to the drive-by-wire module for controlling the speed and direction of the trackless vehicle.

6. The transit system of claim 2, further comprising a perception sensor operative to perceive and communicate vehicle surroundings to the CCOS via the vehicle controller, and

wherein the CCOS is further operative to utilize the vehicle surroundings received from the perception sensor via the vehicle controller to dynamically update the vehicle route from the current location of the trackless vehicle to the destination address to avoid collisions with one or more trackless vehicles whose movements are also being controlled by the CCOS.

7. A method for controlling movement of trackless vehicles within an autonomous vehicle transit system, comprising:

operating the trackless vehicles in a driver controlled mode inside and outside a controlled area of the autonomous vehicle transit system;

switching from the driver controlled mode to a system controlled mode prior to entering the controlled area sending a destination address for a trackless vehicle to a CCOS;

receiving, from the CCOS, at least one navigation command corresponding to navigating the trackless vehicle along a vehicle route from a current location to the destination address; and

upon receiving the at least one navigation command, executing the at least one navigation command such that the trackless vehicle is navigated within the controlled area along the vehicle route from the current location to the destination address.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising projecting a location marker for allowing the CCOS to determine the current location of the trackless vehicle.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

perceiving vehicle surroundings around the trackless vehicle;

communicating the vehicle surroundings to the CCOS for creation of an updated vehicle route according to the vehicle surroundings;

receiving an updated navigation command corresponding to the updated vehicle route; and

executing the updated navigation command such that the trackless vehicle is navigated along the updated vehicle route to the destination address.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the navigation command comprises a steering instruction for controlling the direction of the trackless vehicle, an acceleration instruction for moving the trackless vehicle, a brake instruction for braking the trackless vehicle, or a gear instruction for selecting a drive gear or a reverse gear.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein switching the trackless vehicle from the driver controlled mode to the system controlled mode comprises activating a vehicle autonomy kit that when activated, is mechanically connected to one or more actuators controlling the trackless vehicle and operative to receive one or more navigation commands from the CCOs and to autonomously control the trackless vehicle to execute the one or more navigation commands, and that when deactivated, is mechanically disconnected from the one or more actuators of the trackless vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein activating the vehicle autonomy kit comprises:

powering on a communications port;

upon powering on the communications port, establishing a connection with the CCOS; and

sending a request to be controlled by the CCOS.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising switching the vehicle from operating in the system controlled mode in which the trackless vehicle is controlled by the CCOS to the driver controlled mode in which the trackless vehicle is controlled by a driver in the controlled area.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein sending a destination address comprises sending a destination address from the trackless vehicle to the CCOS.

14. A vehicle autonomy kit for navigating a trackless vehicle in a transit system, comprising:

a position sensor operative to track a current location of the trackless vehicle;

a vehicle perception sensor operative to perceive and communicate vehicle surroundings to a vehicle controller;

the vehicle controller operative to

send vehicle surroundings perceived by the vehicle perception sensor to a CCOS, and

receive navigation commands from the CCOS for navigating the trackless vehicle within a controlled area in a system controlled mode; and

a drive-by-wire module, in communication with the vehicle controller, and operative to control speed and direction of the trackless vehicle in the controlled area according to one or more navigation commands received by the vehicle controller, wherein the trackless vehicle is configured to enter and exit the controlled area and to operate in a driver controlled mode inside and outside the controlled area, and wherein the trackless vehicle is further configured to switch from the driver controlled mode to the system controlled mode prior to entering the controlled area.

15. The vehicle autonomy kit of claim 14, further comprising a communications port for receiving the navigation commands over a communications network.

16. The vehicle autonomy kit of claim 14, further comprising one or more actuators for controlling:

a steering component and a gear component for adjusting the direction of the trackless vehicle, and

an acceleration component and a brake component for adjusting the speed of the trackless vehicle.

17. The vehicle autonomy kit of claim 14, further comprising a switch for switching the trackless vehicle from the system controlled mode in which the trackless vehicle is controlled by commands received at the vehicle controller, and the driver controlled mode in which the trackless vehicle is controlled by a driver.

18. The vehicle autonomy kit of claim 14, further comprising a passenger sensor operative to sense and communicate if a passenger is within the trackless vehicle to the vehicle controller, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to present a user interface to the passenger when the passenger is within the trackless vehicle and wherein the passenger is permitted to use the user interface to send requests to the CCOS to route the trackless vehicle to a specific location within the controlled area.

19. The vehicle autonomy kit of claim 14, further comprising an input device operative to receive and communicate an input received by a passenger within the trackless vehicle.