Detecting lane closures and lane shifts by an autonomous vehicle

• US 8,825,259 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferguson, David I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/923,743
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/3, 701/20, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/28, 701/36, 701/41, 701/50, 701/96, 701/117, 701/300, 701/301, 701/468, 701/469, 701/470, 104/31, 104/48, 104/88.04, 104/124, 104/130.07, 104/139, 104/298, 104/299, 104/300, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/901, 340/903, 340/905, 340/935, 340/942, 340/988, 342/42, 342/46, 342/70, 342/71, 342/357.31, 342/457, 180/167, 180/168, 180/169, 414/228, 414/537, 367/909
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0016 of the vehicle or its occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• 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: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• 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 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• 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

Abstract

In an example implementation, an autonomous vehicle is configured to detect closures and lane shifts in a lane of travel. The vehicle is configured to operate in an autonomous mode and determine a presence of an obstacle substantially positioned in a lane of travel of the vehicle using a sensor. The lane of travel has a first side, a second side, and a center, and the obstacle is substantially positioned on the first side. The autonomous vehicle includes a computer system. The computer system determines a lateral distance between the obstacle and the center, compares the lateral distance to a pre-determined threshold, and provides instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, using at least one sensor of an autonomous vehicle, a presence of an obstacle substantially positioned in a lane of travel of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the lane of travel has a first side, a second side, and a center, and wherein the obstacle is substantially positioned on the first side;

determining, using a processor, a lateral distance between the obstacle and the center;

comparing the lateral distance to a pre-determined threshold; and

providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the comparison comprises based on the lateral distance being greater than the pre-determined threshold, providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle to continue operating in the lane of travel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the comparison comprises based on the lateral distance being less than the pre-determined threshold, providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle to adjust operating in the lane of travel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the comparison comprises based on the lateral distance being less than the pre-determined threshold:

determining, using the at least one sensor, a presence of a second obstacle, wherein the second obstacle is substantially positioned on the second side, wherein the second obstacle is different than the obstacle, and wherein the second obstacle is at a second lateral distance to the center;

determining, based on the lateral distance and the second lateral distance, a lane constraint that defines an amount of space between the obstacle and the second obstacle;

making a second comparison, using the processor, of the lane constraint to the pre-determined threshold; and

providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the second comparison.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising based on the lane constraint being greater than the pre-determined threshold and the second lateral distance being greater than the pre-determined threshold, providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle to continue operating in the lane of travel in a manner that allows the autonomous vehicle to travel between and past the obstacle and the second obstacle.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising based on the lane constraint being less than the pre-determined threshold or the second lateral distance being less than the pre-determined threshold, providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle to adjust operating in the lane of travel.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining the lane constraint based on an absolute value of a difference between the lateral distance and the second lateral distance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first side comprises a left side of the autonomous vehicle and the second side comprises a right side of the autonomous vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the pre-determined threshold based on a width of the autonomous vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the pre-determined threshold based on a width of the lane of travel.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a sensor configured to determine a presence of an obstacle substantially positioned in a lane of travel of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in an autonomous mode in the lane of travel, wherein the lane of travel has a first side, a second side, and a center, and wherein the obstacle is substantially positioned on the first side; and

a computer system, wherein the computer system is configured to;

determine a lateral distance between the obstacle and the center;

compare the lateral distance to a pre-determined threshold; and

provide instructions to control the vehicle based on the comparison.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the computer system is further configured to provide instructions to control the vehicle to continue operating in the lane of travel.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the computer system is further configured to provide instructions to control the vehicle to adjust operating in the lane of travel.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the computer system is further configured to based on the lateral distance being less than the pre-determined threshold:

determine, using the at least one sensor, a presence of a second obstacle, wherein the second obstacle is substantially positioned on the second side, wherein the second obstacle is different than the obstacle, and wherein the second obstacle is at a second lateral distance to the center;

determine, based on the lateral distance and the second lateral distance, a lane constraint that defines an amount of space between the obstacle and the second obstacle;

making a second comparison, using the processor, of the lane constraint to the pre-determined threshold; and

provide instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the second comparison.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the computer system is further configured to based on the lane constraint being greater than the pre-determined threshold and the second lateral distance being greater than the pre-determined threshold, provide instructions to control the autonomous vehicle to continue operating in the lane of travel in a manner that allows the autonomous vehicle to travel between and past the obstacle and the second obstacle.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the computer system is further configured to based on the lane constraint being less than the pre-determined threshold or the second lateral distance being less than the pre-determined threshold, provide instructions to control the autonomous vehicle to adjust operating in the lane of travel.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the lane constraint based on calculating an absolute value of a difference between the lateral distance and the second lateral distance.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a computer system in an autonomous vehicle, cause the computer system to perform functions comprising:

determining, using at least one sensor of the autonomous vehicle, a presence of an obstacle substantially positioned in a lane of travel of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the lane of travel has a first side, a second side, and a center, and wherein the obstacle is substantially positioned on the first side;

determining, using a processor, a lateral distance between the obstacle and the center;

comparing the lateral distance to a pre-determined threshold; and

providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the comparison.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer system to perform functions comprising:

based on the lateral distance being greater than the pre-determined threshold, providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle to continue operating in the lane of travel; and

based on the lateral distance being less than the pre-determined threshold, providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle to adjust operating in the lane of travel.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer system to perform functions comprising based on the lateral distance being less than the pre-determined threshold:

determining, using the at least one sensor, a presence of a second obstacle, wherein the second obstacle is substantially positioned on the second side, wherein the second obstacle is different than the obstacle, and wherein the second obstacle is at a second lateral distance to the center;

determining, based on the lateral distance and the second lateral distance, a lane constraint that defines an amount of space between the obstacle and the second obstacle;

making a second comparison, using the processor, of the lane constraint to the pre-determined threshold; and

providing instructions to control the autonomous vehicle based on the second comparison.