Consideration of risks in active sensing for an autonomous vehicle
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- (i) receiving, by a computing system, information from one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle, wherein one or more control processes for the autonomous vehicle are based upon the information;
(ii) determining, by the computing system, an information-improvement expectation that corresponds to an active-sensing action, wherein the active-sensing action comprises an action that is performable by the autonomous vehicle to potentially improve the information upon which at least one of the control processes for the autonomous vehicle is based;
(iii) determining, by the computing system, a risk cost that corresponds to the active-sensing action;
(iv) determining, by the computing system, whether or not the risk cost is less than a threshold risk cost, wherein the threshold risk cost corresponds to the information-improvement expectation;
(v) if the risk cost is less than the threshold risk cost, then initiating the active-sensing action; and
(vi) if the risk cost is greater than or equal than the threshold risk cost, then;
(a) making an adjustment to the active-sensing action that affects the corresponding information-improvement expectation and the determined risk cost; and
(b) repeating (ii) to (iv) for the adjusted active-sensing action until either the determined risk cost is less than the threshold risk cost, or a determination is made that no further adjustments should be made to the active-sensing action.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An autonomous vehicle configured for active sensing may also be configured to weigh expected information gains from active-sensing actions against risk costs associated with the active-sensing actions. An example method involves: (a) receiving information from one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle, (b) determining a risk-cost framework that indicates risk costs across a range of degrees to which an active-sensing action can be performed, wherein the active-sensing action comprises an action that is performable by the autonomous vehicle to potentially improve the information upon which at least one of the control processes for the autonomous vehicle is based, (c) determining an information-improvement expectation framework across the range of degrees to which the active-sensing action can be performed, and (d) applying the risk-cost framework and the information-improvement expectation framework to determine a degree to which the active-sensing action should be performed.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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(i) receiving, by a computing system, information from one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle, wherein one or more control processes for the autonomous vehicle are based upon the information; (ii) determining, by the computing system, an information-improvement expectation that corresponds to an active-sensing action, wherein the active-sensing action comprises an action that is performable by the autonomous vehicle to potentially improve the information upon which at least one of the control processes for the autonomous vehicle is based; (iii) determining, by the computing system, a risk cost that corresponds to the active-sensing action; (iv) determining, by the computing system, whether or not the risk cost is less than a threshold risk cost, wherein the threshold risk cost corresponds to the information-improvement expectation; (v) if the risk cost is less than the threshold risk cost, then initiating the active-sensing action; and (vi) if the risk cost is greater than or equal than the threshold risk cost, then; (a) making an adjustment to the active-sensing action that affects the corresponding information-improvement expectation and the determined risk cost; and (b) repeating (ii) to (iv) for the adjusted active-sensing action until either the determined risk cost is less than the threshold risk cost, or a determination is made that no further adjustments should be made to the active-sensing action. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An autonomous-vehicle system comprising:
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one or more sensor interfaces operable to receive data from one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle; and a computer system configured to; (i) receive, via the one or more sensor interfaces, information from the one or more sensors, wherein one or more control processes for the autonomous vehicle are based upon the information; (ii) determine an information-improvement expectation that corresponds to an active-sensing action, wherein the active-sensing action comprises an action that is performable by the autonomous vehicle to potentially improve the information upon which at least one of the control processes for the autonomous vehicle is based; (iii) determine a risk cost that corresponds to the active-sensing action; (iv) determine whether or not the risk cost is less than a threshold risk cost, wherein the threshold risk cost corresponds to the information-improvement expectation; (v) if the risk cost is less than the threshold risk cost, then initiate the active-sensing action; and (vi) if the risk cost is greater than or equal than the threshold risk cost, then;
(a) make an adjustment to the active-sensing action that affects the corresponding information-improvement expectation and the determined risk cost, and (b) repeat (ii) to (iv) for the adjusted active-sensing action until either the determined risk cost is less than the threshold risk cost, or a determination is made that no further adjustments should be made to the active-sensing action. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a computing system, information from one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle, wherein one or more control processes for the autonomous vehicle are based upon the information; determining, by the computing system, a risk-cost framework that indicates risk costs across a range of degrees to which an active-sensing action can be performed, wherein the active-sensing action comprises an action that is performable by the autonomous vehicle to potentially improve the information upon which at least one of the control processes for the autonomous vehicle is based; determining, by the computing system, an information-improvement expectation framework that indicates information-improvement expectations across the range of degrees to which the active-sensing action can be performed; applying, by the computing system, the risk-cost framework and the information-improvement expectation framework to determine a degree to which the active-sensing action should be performed, wherein a score of the active-sensing action of the determined degree is less than a threshold score, wherein the score is determined based on the risk cost and information-improvement expectation corresponding to the determined degree; and initiating the active-sensing action of the determined degree. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An autonomous-vehicle system comprising:
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one or more sensor interfaces operable to receive data from one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle; and a computer system configured to; receive information from one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle, wherein one or more control processes for the autonomous vehicle are based upon the information; determine a risk-cost framework that indicates risk costs across a range of degrees to which an active-sensing action can be performed, wherein the active-sensing action comprises an action that is performable by the autonomous vehicle to potentially improve the information upon which at least one of the control processes for the autonomous vehicle is based; determine an information-improvement expectation framework that indicates information-improvement expectations across the range of degrees to which the active-sensing action can be performed; apply the risk-cost framework and the information-improvement expectation framework to determine a degree to which the active-sensing action should be performed, wherein a score of the active-sensing action of the determined degree a score that is greater than a threshold score, wherein the score is determined based on the risk cost and information-improvement expectation corresponding to the determined degree; and initiate the active-sensing action of the determined degree. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification