Regional operation modes for autonomous vehicles

• US 9,304,515 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Cudak, Gary D., Hardee, Christopher J., Roberts, Adam, Rodriguez, Adrian X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/260,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20150309512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 703/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0088 Adaptive recalibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/80 Country specific, e.g. driver age limits or right hand drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• 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 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A computer receives data detailing operation of a plurality of at least partially manually operated automobiles. The computer determines one or more trends in the operation of the plurality of at least partially manually operated automobiles, based at least in part on the data detailing the operation of the plurality of manually operated vehicles. The computer generates one or more operational rules, based, at least in part, on the one or more trends. The computer transmits the one or more operational rules to one or more at least semi-autonomous vehicles.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by program instructions on a computing device,

receiving data detailing operation of a plurality of at least partially manually operated automobiles;

determining one or more trends in the operation of the plurality of at least partially manually operated automobiles, based at least in part on the data detailing the operation of the plurality of manually operated vehicles;

generating one or more operational rules that are valid for a first geographic area, based, at least in part, on the one or more trends; and

transmitting the one or more operational rules to one or more at least semi-autonomous vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a first set of information to the one or more at least semi-autonomous vehicles, wherein the first set of information instructs the one or more semi-autonomous vehicles to deviate from at least one of the one or more operational rules;

receiving data detailing one or more reactions of one or more operators of a second plurality of at least partially manually operated vehicles operating within the first geographic area; and

updating at least one of the one or more operational rules, based at least in part on the data detailing the one or more reactions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein collecting data detailing one or more reactions comprises:

detecting one or more images of a facial expression; and

analyzing the one or more images of the facial expression to determine an operator response, wherein the analysis comprises performing facial expression recognition to determine a sentiment associated with the operator response.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the sentiment associated with the operator response is positive, updating the one or more operational rules to reflect the positive operator response to the deviation from the at least one of the one or more operational rules.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the sentiment associated with the operator response is neutral, updating, by one or more computer processors, the one or more operational rules to reflect the neutral operator response to the deviation from the at least one of the one or more operational rules as if the operator response was positive.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the driver response is negative, updating the one or more operational rules to reflect the negative operator response to the deviation from the at least one of the one or more operational rules.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the driver response is negative includes determining the sentiment associated with the operator response includes at least one of fear, shock, surprise, and anger.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the one or more operational rules comprises:

assigning a first set of one or more priority values to the one or more trends;

assigning a second set of one or more priority values to one or more traffic laws; and

determining the one or more operational rules, based at least in part on the first set of one or more priority values and the second set of one or more priority values.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

updating the first set of one or more priority values based at least in part on determining that a sentiment associated with an operator response is positive.

10. A computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, wherein the one or more computer-readable storage media is not a signal, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive data detailing operation of a plurality of at least partially manually operated automobiles;

program instructions to determine one or more trends in the operation of the plurality of at least partially manually operated automobiles, based at least in part on the data detailing the operation of the plurality of manually operated vehicles;

program instructions to generate one or more operational rules that are valid for a first geographic area, based, at least in part, on the one or more trends; and

program instructions to transmit the one or more operational rules to one or more at least semi-autonomous vehicles.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

program instructions to transmit a first set of information to the one or more at least semi-autonomous vehicles, wherein the first set of information instructs the one or more semi-autonomous vehicles to deviate from at least one of the one or more operational rules;

program instructions to receive data detailing one or more reactions of one or more operators of a second plurality of at least partially manually operated vehicles operating within the first geographic area; and

program instructions to update at least one of the one or more operational rules, based at least in part on the data detailing the one or more reactions.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the program instructions to collect data detailing one or more reactions comprises:

program instructions to detect one or more images of a facial expression; and

program instructions to analyze the one or more images of the facial expression to determine an operator response, wherein the analysis comprises performing facial expression recognition to determine a sentiment associated with the operator response.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

responsive to determining that the sentiment associated with the operator response is positive, program instructions to update the one or more operational rules to reflect the positive operator response to the deviation from the at least one of the one or more operational rules.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

responsive to determining that the driver response is negative, program instructions to update the one or more operational rules to reflect the negative operator response to the deviation from the at least one of the one or more operational rules.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the program instructions to generate the one or more operational rules comprises:

program instructions to assign a first set of one or more priority values to the one or more trends;

program instructions to assign a second set of one or more priority values to one or more traffic laws; and

program instructions to determine the one or more operational rules, based at least in part on the first set of one or more priority values and the second set of one or more priority values.

16. A computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable storage media, wherein the one or more computer-readable storage media is not a signal;

program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive data detailing operation of a plurality of at least partially manually operated automobiles;

program instructions to determine one or more trends in the operation of the plurality of at least partially manually operated automobiles, based at least in part on the data detailing the operation of the plurality of manually operated vehicles;

program instructions to generate one or more operational rules that are valid for a first geographic area, based, at least in part, on the one or more trends; and

program instructions to transmit the one or more operational rules to one or more at least semi-autonomous vehicles.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

program instructions to transmit a first set of information to the one or more at least semi-autonomous vehicles, wherein the first set of information instructs the one or more semi-autonomous vehicles to deviate from at least one of the one or more operational rules;

program instructions to receive data detailing one or more reactions of one or more operators of a second plurality of at least partially manually operated vehicles operating within the first geographic area; and

program instructions to update at least one of the one or more operational rules, based at least in part on the data detailing the one or more reactions.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the program instructions to collect data detailing one or more reactions comprises:

program instructions to detect one or more images of a facial expression; and

program instructions to analyze the one or more images of the facial expression to determine an operator response, wherein the analysis comprises performing facial expression recognition to determine a sentiment associated with the operator response.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

responsive to determining that the sentiment associated with the operator response is positive, program instructions to update the one or more operational rules to reflect the positive operator response to the deviation from the at least one of the one or more operational rules.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

responsive to determining that the driver response is negative, program instructions to update the one or more operational rules to reflect the negative operator response to the deviation from the at least one of the one or more operational rules.