System and method for automatically detecting key behaviors by vehicles

• US 9,216,737 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Jiajun, Ferguson, David Ian Franklin, Dolgov, Dmitri A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/570,321
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• 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 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0015 specially adapted for safety
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00276 for two or more other traffic participants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to detecting discrete actions by traveling vehicles. The features described improve the safety, use, driver experience, and performance of autonomously controlled vehicles by performing a behavior analysis on mobile objects in the vicinity of an autonomous vehicle. Specifically, an autonomous vehicle is capable of detecting and tracking nearby vehicles and is able to determine when these nearby vehicles have performed actions of interest by comparing their tracked movements with map data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

controlling, by one or more computing devices, an autonomous vehicle in accordance with a first control strategy;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, sensor data indicating a detection of a first object;

classifying, by the one or more computing devices, the first object based on the sensor data;

accessing, by the one or more computing devices, behavior data based on a classification of the first object, wherein the behavior data identifies potential actions of the first object that are to result in a change in control strategy, and wherein at least one of the potential actions identified in the behavior data is the action of changing from traveling on a first road element to travelling on a second road element;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the first object has performed an action identified in the behavior data; and

based on the determination, altering the control strategy of the autonomous vehicle by the one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first road element is a first lane of traffic on a roadway, and wherein the second road element is a second lane of traffic on the roadway.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the control strategy of the autonomous vehicle comprises positioning the autonomous vehicle relative to the first object in a predefined manner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the control strategy of the autonomous vehicle comprises having the autonomous vehicle change from travelling in a first lance of traffic to travelling in a second lane of traffic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the control strategy of the autonomous vehicle comprises altering at least one of a position, heading, speed, and acceleration of the autonomous vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object is classified as a vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the first object has performed an action identified in the behavior data further comprises determining that the first object has changed from travelling on the first road element to travelling on the second road element.

8. A method comprising:

controlling, by one or more computing devices, an autonomous vehicle;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, sensor data indicating a position of a first object external to the autonomous vehicle;

classifying, by the one or more computing devices, the first object based on the sensor data;

accessing, by the one or more computing devices, map data having a plurality of road elements;

comparing the sensor data with the map data;

identifying, by the one or more computing devices, that the first object is travelling on a first road element from the plurality of road elements;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, that based on the comparison of the sensor data with the map data, the first object has travelled from the first road element to a second road element; and

altering, by the one or more computing devices, at least one of a position, heading, speed, and acceleration of the autonomous vehicle based on the determination that the first object has travelled from the first road element to the second road element.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first road element is a first lane of traffic on a roadway, and wherein the second road element is a second lane of traffic on the roadway.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein altering at least one of the position, heading, speed, and acceleration of the autonomous vehicle comprises positioning the autonomous vehicle relative to the first object in a predefined manner.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a request to navigate between a first location and a second location; and

autonomously navigating, by the one or more computing devices, the autonomous vehicle along a path between the first location and a second location; and

wherein altering at least one of a position,

heading, and speed of the autonomous vehicle, occurs while the autonomous vehicle is travelling along the path.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a relative position of the autonomous vehicle with each of the one or more nearby vehicles, and

wherein associating each of the one or more nearby vehicles with a road graph element is based on the relative position.

13. A system for controlling an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

one or more sensors for detecting a one or more vehicles in an autonomous vehicle'"'"'s surroundings; and

one or more processors configured to;

control an autonomous vehicle in accordance with a first control strategy;

receive sensor data indicating a detection of a first object;

classify the first object based on the sensor data;

access behavior data based on a classification of the first object, wherein the behavior data identifies potential actions of the first object that are to result in a change in control strategy, and wherein at least one of the potential actions of the first object is the first object changing from traveling on a first road element to travelling on a second road element;

determine that the first object has performed an action identified in the behavior data; and

alter the control strategy of the autonomous vehicle based on the determination.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first road element is a first lane of traffic on a roadway, and wherein the second road element is a second lane of traffic on the roadway.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein altering the control strategy of the autonomous vehicle comprises positioning the autonomous vehicle relative to the first object in a predefined manner.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein altering the control strategy of the autonomous vehicle comprises having the autonomous vehicle change from travelling in a first lance of traffic to travelling in a second lane of traffic.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein altering the control strategy of the autonomous vehicle comprises altering at least one of a position, heading, speed, and acceleration of the autonomous vehicle.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor data includes information relating to at least one of a position, heading, speed, and acceleration of the first object.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein determining that the first object has performed an action identified in the behavior data further comprises determining that the first object has changed from travelling on the first road element to travelling on the second road element.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a request for navigation between a first location and a second location; and

autonomously navigate the autonomous vehicle along a path between the first location and a second location; and

wherein altering the control strategy occurs while the autonomous vehicle travels along the path.