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Methods and systems for determining instructions for pulling over an autonomous vehicle

  • US 9,523,984 B1
  • Filed: 07/12/2013
  • Issued: 12/20/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method performed by a computing system configured to control an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

  • receiving, by at least one processor of the computing system, and from one or more sensors in communication with the computing system, sensor data indicative of lane boundaries of a region of a road of travel ahead of the autonomous vehicle and one or more road boundaries indicating an edge of the road in the region;

    based on the sensor data and further based on a size of the autonomous vehicle, the at least one processor;

    (i) determining a distance between the autonomous vehicle and the lane boundaries of the road, (ii) determining a distance between the autonomous vehicle and the one or more road boundaries, (iii) comparing the determined distances to a predetermined threshold distance and to the size of the autonomous vehicle, and (iv) based on the determined distances satisfying the predetermined threshold, selecting the region to be a region in which to pull over and stop the autonomous vehicle;

    based on a speed of the autonomous vehicle and based on the region, determining, by the at least one processor, a braking profile for reducing the speed of the autonomous vehicle while travelling within the region;

    based on the braking profile, determining, by the at least one processor, a trajectory the autonomous vehicle navigates within the region while reducing the speed of the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the braking profile;

    the at least one processor continuously determining up-to-date instructions to cause the autonomous vehicle to pull over and stop during travel as an environment of the autonomous vehicle changes and storing the up-to-date instructions in a memory of the computing system accessible by the at least one processor; and

    based on the stored up-to-date instructions, the computing system causing the autonomous vehicle to pull over and stop in the region while navigating along the trajectory and reducing the speed of the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the braking profile.

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