Methods and systems for smooth trajectory generation for a self-driving vehicle
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:
- controlling, using a computer system, a vehicle in an autonomous mode to follow a first trajectory, the first trajectory comprising a pre-determined path;
receiving data indicating a second trajectory;
defining a plurality of vertices based on the first trajectory;
defining a first set of cost functions for the plurality of vertices, wherein each cost function in the first set assigns to a respective vertex in the plurality of vertices a respective cost based on a distance from the respective vertex to the second trajectory;
defining a second set of cost functions for the plurality of vertices, wherein each cost function in the second set assigns to a respective vertex in the plurality of vertices a respective cost based on a distance from the respective vertex to an estimated center of a road lane on which the vehicle is currently traveling;
optimizing the location of the vertices in the plurality of vertices based on at least the costs assigned by the first set of cost functions and the second set of cost functions;
determining a transitional trajectory based on the optimized vertices, wherein the transitional trajectory transitions from the first trajectory to the second trajectory; and
controlling the vehicle in the autonomous mode to follow the transitional trajectory.
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Abstract
A vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous mode is provided. The vehicle is configured to follow a baseline trajectory. Changes to the baseline trajectory are received by a computer system associated with the vehicle. The computer system creates a function representing the current trajectory of the vehicle, as well as one or more functions defining any desired trajectory criteria, and generates an optimization problem from the functions, which, when solved, provide a new trajectory for the vehicle to follow that moves efficiently and smoothly toward the changed baseline trajectory.
208 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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controlling, using a computer system, a vehicle in an autonomous mode to follow a first trajectory, the first trajectory comprising a pre-determined path; receiving data indicating a second trajectory; defining a plurality of vertices based on the first trajectory; defining a first set of cost functions for the plurality of vertices, wherein each cost function in the first set assigns to a respective vertex in the plurality of vertices a respective cost based on a distance from the respective vertex to the second trajectory; defining a second set of cost functions for the plurality of vertices, wherein each cost function in the second set assigns to a respective vertex in the plurality of vertices a respective cost based on a distance from the respective vertex to an estimated center of a road lane on which the vehicle is currently traveling; optimizing the location of the vertices in the plurality of vertices based on at least the costs assigned by the first set of cost functions and the second set of cost functions; determining a transitional trajectory based on the optimized vertices, wherein the transitional trajectory transitions from the first trajectory to the second trajectory; and controlling the vehicle in the autonomous mode to follow the transitional trajectory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A vehicle, comprising:
a computer system configured to control the vehicle in an autonomous mode to follow a first trajectory, the first trajectory comprising a pre-determined path, receive data indicating a second trajectory, define a plurality of vertices based on the first trajectory, define a first set of cost functions for the plurality of vertices, wherein each cost function in the first set assigns to a respective vertex in the plurality of vertices a respective cost based on a distance from the respective vertex to the second trajectory, define a second set of cost functions for the plurality of vertices, wherein each cost function in the second set assigns to a respective vertex in the plurality of vertices a respective cost based on a distance from the respective vertex to an estimated center of a road lane on which the vehicle is traveling, optimize the vertices in the plurality of vertices based on at least the costs assigned by the first set of cost functions and the second set of cost functions, determine a transitional trajectory based on the optimized vertices, wherein the transitional trajectory transitions from the first trajectory to the second trajectory, and control the vehicle in the autonomous mode to follow the transitional trajectory. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to perform functions, the functions comprising:
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controlling a vehicle in an autonomous mode to follow a first trajectory, the first trajectory comprising a pre-determined path; receiving data indicating a second trajectory; defining a plurality of vertices based on the first trajectory; defining a first set of cost functions for the plurality of vertices, wherein each cost function in the first set assigns to a respective vertex in the plurality of vertices a respective cost based on a distance from the respective vertex to the second trajectory; defining a second set of cost functions for the plurality of vertices, wherein each cost function in the second set assigns to a respective vertex in the plurality of vertices a respective cost based on a distance from the respective vertex to an estimated center of a road lane on which the vehicle is currently traveling; optimizing the vertices in the plurality of vertices based on at least the costs assigned by the first set of cost functions and the second set of cost functions; determining a transitional trajectory based on the optimized vertices, wherein the transitional trajectory transitions from the first trajectory to the second trajectory; and controlling the vehicle in the autonomous mode to follow the transitional trajectory. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification