Mapping active and inactive construction zones for autonomous driving

• US 9,575,490 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferguson, David I., Burnette, Donald Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US14/828,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20150355640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31.4, 701/36, 701/45, 701/50, 701/465, 382/199, 348/118, 345/418, 340/901, 406/060.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• 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 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00184 related to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0236 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 : Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to differentiating between active and inactive construction zones. In one example, this may include identifying a construction object associated with a construction zone. The identified construction object may be used to map the area of the construction zone. Detailed map information may then be used to classify the activity of the construction zone. The area of the construction zone and the classification may be added to the detailed map information. Subsequent to adding the construction zone and the classification to the detailed map information, the construction object (or another construction object) may be identified. The location of the construction object may be used to identify the construction zone and classification from the detailed map information. The classification of the classification may be used to operate a vehicle having an autonomous mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, updated detailed map information identifying an area of a construction zone and a classification of an activity type of the construction zone as active or inactive, wherein the activity type of the construction zone is classified as active when the characteristics of the construction zone indicate that there have been changes to a roadway as compared to stored detailed map information;

subsequent to receiving the updated detailed map information, identifying, by the one or more processors, a construction object at a given location;

identifying, by the one or more processors, an area of the construction zone at the given location;

accessing, by the one or more processors, the classification of the activity type of the construction zone from the detailed map information; and

operating, by the one or more processors, a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode based on the accessed classification, wherein when the activity type of the construction zone is classified as active, operating the vehicle based on the classification includes operating the vehicle in a manual driving mode through the area of the construction zone.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after operating the vehicle based on the accessed classification:

reclassifying the activity type of the construction zone; and

updating the classification of the construction zone in the detailed map information based on the reclassifying.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein operating the vehicle based on the classification includes determining whether to drive the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode or a manual driving mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated detailed map information identifying the construction zone is further received with instructions for controlling driving behaviors of the vehicle in the area of the construction zone and wherein operating the vehicle is further based on the instructions for controlling the driving behaviors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or both of the active or inactive classifications comprise one or both of a time component identifying when work at the construction zone will be performed or roadway lanes affected by construction at the construction zone.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising sending the updated classification to another vehicle.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated detailed map information is received from one or more processors in a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode.

7. A system comprising:

memory storing detailed map information

one or more processors configured to;

receive an updated detailed map information identifying a construction zone and a classification of an activity type of the construction zone as active or inactive, wherein the activity type of the construction zone is classified as active when the characteristics of the construction zone indicate that there have been changes to a roadway as compared to stored detailed map information;

subsequent to receiving the updated detailed map information, identify a construction object at a given location;

identify an area of the construction zone at the given location;

accessing the classification of the activity type of the construction zone from the detailed map information; and

operate a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode based on the accessed classification, wherein when the activity type of the construction zone is classified as active, operating the vehicle based on the classification includes operating the vehicle in a manual driving mode through the area of the construction zone.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, after operating the vehicle based on the accessed classification:

reclassify the activity type of the construction zone; and

update the classification of the construction zone in the detailed map information based on the reclassifying.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein operating the vehicle based on the classification includes determining whether to drive the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode or a manual driving mode.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the updated detailed map information identifying the construction zone is further received with instructions for controlling driving behaviors of the vehicle in the area of the construction zone and wherein operating the vehicle is further based on the instructions for controlling the driving behaviors.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein one or both of the active or inactive classifications comprise one or both of a time component identifying when work at the construction zone will be performed or roadway lanes affected by construction at the construction zone.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein operating the vehicle based on the classification.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send the updated classification to a remote computer.

14. A non-transitory, tangible machine readable medium on which instructions are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving updated detailed map information identifying a construction zone and a classification of an activity type of the construction zone as active or inactive, wherein the activity type of the construction zone is classified as active when the characteristics of the construction zone indicate that there have been changes to a roadway as compared to stored detailed map information;

subsequent to receiving the updated detailed map information, identifying a construction object at a given location;

identifying an area of a construction zone at the given location;

accessing the classification of the activity type of the construction zone from the detailed map information; and

operating a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode based on the accessed classification, wherein when the activity type of the construction zone is classified as active, operating the vehicle based on the classification includes operating the vehicle in a manual driving mode through the area of the construction zone.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises, after operating the vehicle based on the accessed classification:

reclassifying the activity type of the construction zone; and

updating the classification of the construction zone in the detailed map information based on the reclassifying.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein operating the vehicle based on the classification includes determining whether to drive the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode or a manual driving mode.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein the updated detailed map information identifying the construction zone is further received with instructions for controlling driving behaviors of the vehicle in the area of the construction zone and wherein operating the vehicle is further based on the instructions for controlling the driving behaviors.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein one or both of the active or inactive classifications comprise one or both of a time component identifying when work at the construction zone will be performed or roadway lanes affected by construction at the construction zone.

19. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises sending the updated classification to a remote computer.