Diagnosis and repair for autonomous vehicles

• US 8,874,305 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Dolgov, Dmitri A., Urmson, Christopher Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US13/248,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20120083959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 701/28, 701/29.1, 701/31.6, 701/31.9, 701/32.3, 701/32.5, 701/44, 701/70, 701/71, 701/77, 701/78
• US Class Current: 701/31.9
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/18 Safety devices; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/221 Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/406 Test-mode; Self-diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17 Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0292 Fail-safe or redundant systems, e.g. limp-home or backup systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/186 excessive wear or burn out of friction elements, e.g. clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 : Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 : Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 : using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 : Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 : Combination of radar systems with cameras
• 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: G05B 2219/2637 : Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 : with safety arrangements
• 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: G05D 1/021 : specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 : with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• 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 1/0257 : using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 : using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 : using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 : Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 : Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 : Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 : Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30236 : Traffic on road, railway or crossing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 : Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 : Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/223 : using block-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/231 : using full search
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/521 : from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 : Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 : Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 : Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 : using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns

Abstract

A system and method of controlling a vehicle is provided. In one aspect, the system and method determines the amount of wear on a component of the vehicle and, based on the amount of wear and information derived from the environment surrounding the vehicle (e.g., another vehicle in the path of the vehicle or a requirement to stop at a particular location), maneuvers the vehicle to mitigate further wear on the component.

Claims

1. A method of maneuvering a vehicle comprising:

detecting a characteristic of an environment surrounding the vehicle;

monitoring an actual braking distance of the vehicle;

comparing, with a processor, the actual braking distance to an expected braking distance to determine an amount of brake wear of the vehicle, wherein increases in the amount of brake wear are affected by different maneuvers; and

selecting, with the processor, between a first maneuver and a second maneuver based on the detected characteristic of the environment and the detected amount of brake wear, the second maneuver including an application of brake pressure at a level lesser than that of the first maneuver; and

moving the vehicle in accordance with the selected maneuver,

wherein the first maneuver is selected when there is a first amount of brake wear and the second maneuver is selected when a second amount of brake wear is detected, the second amount being greater than the first amount.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second maneuver includes employing a brake distance longer than a brake distance of the first maneuver.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a characteristic of the environment comprises detecting an object external to the vehicle and maneuvering in response to the object.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the object is a stop sign.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a characteristic of the environment comprises determining a traffic requirement.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is moved autonomously in accordance with the selected maneuver in response to instructions from the processor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the amount of brake wear when the actual braking distance is longer than the expected braking distance.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the vehicle autonomously to a repair facility after the performance of the maneuver.

9. A method of controlling a vehicle comprising:

determining an amount of damage to a first component of the vehicle;

determining a geographic position of the vehicle; and

compensating, with a processor, for the amount of damage to the first component by;

accessing location-specific traffic rule information based on the geographic position of the vehicle; and

changing movement of the vehicle, based on the geographic position and the location-specific traffic rule information, by issuing an instruction to a second component before the first component is engaged.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the geographic position of the vehicle is determined based on traffic requirements at geographic locations and detecting the position of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the damage to the first component of the vehicle comprises brake wear.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first component is a brake, and the second component is a throttle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein to compensate for damage to the brake, the processor issues the instruction to the throttle before the brake is engaged, and wherein the instruction includes a provision of energy to an engine of the vehicle at a lesser amount than if the amount of damage to the brake does not exceed a threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the threshold is associated with excessive wear of the brake.

15. A method of controlling a vehicle comprising:

determining wear on a component of the vehicle;

determining a geographic position of the vehicle;

determining traffic requirements in a path of the vehicle;

selecting, with a processor, between a first and second maneuver based on the determined wear and the determined geographic position, wherein at least one difference between the first and second maneuver is selected from the group consisting of rate of acceleration, rate of deceleration and direction;

moving the vehicle in accordance with the selected maneuver; and

after moving the vehicle in accordance with the selected maneuver, determining whether passengers are present in the vehicle, and moving the vehicle to a repair facility under the control of the processor when passengers are not present in the vehicle.

16. A system of controlling a movement of a vehicle comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible by the processor; and

instructions contained in the memory and executable by the processor,

wherein the instructions comprise;

determining a geographic location of the vehicle relative to a location-dependent vehicle movement restriction,

determining whether a first component of the vehicle is damaged,

providing a first instruction to a second component of the vehicle to move the vehicle so as to comply with the location-dependent movement restriction when the first component is determined to be not damaged, and

providing a second instruction to the second component to move the vehicle so as to comply with the location-dependent movement restriction when the first component is determined to be damaged, wherein the movement instructed by the second instruction is different than the movement instructed by the first instruction, and wherein the second instruction includes a provision of energy to an engine of the vehicle at a lesser amount than that of the first instruction.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second component is a throttle.