Driverless vehicle

• US 8,930,059 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arriver Software AB (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ryan A. Neff
• Inventors: Neff, Ryan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US14/022,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20140012455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/27, 701/36, 701 41- 45, 701 70- 99, 701/101, 701116-119, 701/400, 701408-410, 701/412, 701/414, 701/416, 701/422, 701/423, 701/445, 701468-469, 701/472, 701/478, 701482-484, 701/495, 701300-302, 180167-170, 706/3, 706/45, 706/900, 706/903, 706/905, 706/913, 340933-943
• US Class Current: 701/23
• 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: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0251 extracting 3D information from a plurality of images taken from different locations, e.g. stereo vision stereoscopic image analysis H04N13/00; depth recovery from images G06T7/593
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0285 using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network

Abstract

Each respective vehicle of a plurality of vehicles transports a vehicle navigation system. A position determining system determines a position and a velocity of the respective vehicle and an information acquisition system is operable to determine a displacement and velocity between the respective vehicle and a vehicle adjacent to the respective vehicle. An information communication system of a respective vehicle is operable to transmit first information (that vehicle'"'"'s velocity and position) to other vehicles and to receive information from other vehicles regarding their velocities and positions. A vehicle routing system can determine a target routing and target velocity for moving the respective vehicle over a path including the roadway. Based on the received or determined information, the velocity of the respective vehicle can be controlled.

Claims

1. A processor-based electronic system for use in a state of the electronic system being installed on or in a first vehicle or transported by the first vehicle, output of the electronic system being usable to automatically control a velocity of the first vehicle on a roadway subject to simultaneous travel thereon by a plurality of vehicles, the electronic system comprising:

an information communication system configured to transmit first information from the first vehicle for reception by the plurality of vehicles on the roadway within a transmission range of the first vehicle, the first information including position information and velocity information indicating a position and a velocity of the first vehicle determined by circuitry and a first clock associated with the first vehicle, the information communication system further being configured to receive second information transmitted from the plurality of vehicles, the second information including position information and velocity information and corresponding timestamps, each timestamp generated by a respective clock associated with the respective vehicle and indicating a time at which the position information and velocity information corresponding to a position and a velocity of the respective vehicle is generated by circuitry associated with the respective vehicle, and

wherein the first information and the received second information are usable by a vehicle velocity control system associated with the first vehicle to control the velocity of the first vehicle based on a target routing, the position and the velocity of the first vehicle, and based at least partly on the received position information, at least partly on the received velocity information and at least partly on the received timestamps corresponding thereto.

2. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic system is configured to determine an estimate of a velocity of traffic on the roadway using the first information and the second information.

3. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a position determining system associated with the first vehicle configured to determine the position and the velocity of the first vehicle based at least partly on the received position information, at least partly on the received velocity information and at least partly on the received timestamps corresponding thereto.

4. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information communication system is configured to retransmit information comprising the position information, the velocity information and the corresponding timestamps of the received second information for reception at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles other than from which such information is received.

5. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the vehicle velocity control system, wherein the vehicle velocity control system is configured to a) assign a first weight to the velocity of a selected one of the plurality of vehicles which is near the first vehicle, b) assign a second weight to the velocity of a second one of the plurality of vehicles farther away from the first vehicle than the selected vehicle, the second weight being lower than the first weight, and c) control the velocity of the first vehicle based on the weighted velocities of the selected vehicle and the second vehicle.

6. The electronic system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the vehicle velocity control system includes a mechanism for decelerating the first vehicle without requiring an action of a human driver.

7. The electronic system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the vehicle velocity control system includes a mechanism for accelerating the first vehicle without requiring an action of a human driver.

8. The electronic system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the vehicle velocity control system includes a mechanism for steering the first vehicle without requiring an action of a human driver.

9. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an information acquisition system having a plurality of sensors configured to sense a displacement between the first vehicle and at least one vehicle adjacent to the first vehicle and to determine a velocity of the at least one adjacent vehicle using the sensors, the electronic system further comprising a vehicle velocity control system configured to control the velocity of the first vehicle based on a target routing, the position and the velocity of the first vehicle, and based at least partly on the received position information, at least partly on the received velocity information, at least partly on the received timestamps corresponding thereto, and at least partly on the displacement between the first vehicle and the at least one adjacent vehicle.

10. The electronic system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sensors of the information acquisition system are configured to detect a hazard on the roadway, to measure displacement of the first vehicle from the detected hazard, the electronic system further comprising a vehicle velocity control system configured to control the velocity of the first vehicle based further on the displacement of the first vehicle from the detected hazard.

11. The electronic system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information acquisition system is configured further to determine a boundary of the roadway.

12. The electronic system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information acquisition system is configured further to detect impaired traction between the first vehicle and a surface of the roadway and the first information includes information relating to the detected impaired traction.

13. The electronic system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second information includes information relating to impaired traction detected between at least one of the plurality of vehicles and the surface of the roadway, and the vehicle velocity control system is configured to control the velocity of the first vehicle based further on the information relating to the impaired traction of the at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

14. The electronic system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sensors of the information acquisition system include a plurality of electronic cameras and the information acquisition system is configured to determine the displacement between the first vehicle and the at least one adjacent vehicle through processing of stereoscopic imaging obtained from the electronic cameras.

15. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information communication system is further configured to retransmit the position information and velocity information received from at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles regarding the determined position and the determined velocity of the at least one vehicle for receipt by an electronic system installed in or on a second vehicle or transported by the second vehicle, the second vehicle being of the plurality of vehicles.

16. The system as in claim 1, wherein the information communication system is configured to not utilize second information received by the information communication system which relates to a position and a velocity of any vehicle of the plurality of vehicles which is positioned beyond a radius of potential interaction from the determined position of the first vehicle.

17. A processor-based electronic system for use in a state of the electronic system being installed on or in a first vehicle or transported by the first vehicle, output of the electronic system being usable to automatically control a velocity of the first vehicle on a roadway subject to simultaneous travel thereon by a plurality of vehicles, the electronic system comprising:

an information communication system configured to transmit first information from the first vehicle for reception by the plurality of vehicles on the roadway within a transmission range of the first vehicle, the first information including position information and velocity information indicating a position and a velocity of the first vehicle determined by circuitry and a first clock associated with the first vehicle, the information communication system further being configured to receive second information transmitted from the plurality of vehicles, the second information including position information and velocity information and corresponding timestamps, each timestamp generated by a respective clock associated with the respective vehicle and indicating a time at which the position information and velocity information corresponding to a position and a velocity of the respective vehicle is generated by circuitry associated with the respective vehicle, wherein the first clock is configured to maintain synchronization with a terrestrial source clock reference signal receivable by the first clock; and

a vehicle velocity control system configured to control the velocity of the first vehicle based on a target routing, the position and the velocity of the first vehicle, and based at least partly on the received position information, at least partly on the received velocity information and at least partly on the received timestamps corresponding thereto and the vehicle velocity control system being configured to decelerate the first vehicle without requiring an action of a human driver,

wherein the information communication system is configured to retransmit information comprising the position information, the velocity information and the corresponding timestamps of the received second information for reception at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles other than from which such information is received.

18. A processor-based electronic system for use in a state of the electronic system being installed on or in a first vehicle or transported by the first vehicle, output of the electronic system being usable to automatically control a velocity of the first vehicle on a roadway subject to simultaneous travel thereon by a plurality of vehicles, the electronic system comprising:

an information communication system configured to transmit first information from the first vehicle for reception by the plurality of vehicles on the roadway within a transmission range of the first vehicle, the first information including position information and velocity information indicating a position and a velocity of the first vehicle determined by circuitry and a first clock associated with the first vehicle, the information communication system further being configured to receive second information transmitted from the plurality of vehicles, the second information including position information and velocity information and corresponding timestamps, each timestamp generated by a respective clock associated with the respective vehicle and indicating a time at which the position information and velocity information corresponding to a position and a velocity of the respective vehicle is generated by circuitry associated with the respective vehicle,

the electronic system further comprising an information acquisition system having a plurality of sensors configured to sense a displacement between the first vehicle and at least one vehicle adjacent to the first vehicle and to determine a velocity of the at least one adjacent vehicle using the sensors, and the electronic system, and

the electronic system further comprising a vehicle velocity control system configured to control the velocity of the first vehicle based on a target routing, the position and the velocity of the first vehicle, and based at least partly on the received position information, at least partly on the received velocity information, at least partly on the received timestamps corresponding thereto, and at least partly on the displacement between the first vehicle and the at least one adjacent vehicle.