Robotic vehicle active safety systems and methods

• US 9,630,619 B1
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoox Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zoox Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lind, Amanda Blair, Kentley, Timothy David, Levinson, Jesse Sol
• Primary Examiner(s): Patton, Spencer
• Application Number:
  US14/932,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20170120904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0015 Prevention of collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/508 specific to vehicles driving in fleets or convoys
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/549 for expressing greetings, gratitude or emotions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0011 involving control alternatives for a single driving scenario, e.g. planning several paths to avoid obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0027 : using trajectory prediction for other traffic participants
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 : specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 : Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 : Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 : Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3867 : Geometry of map features, e.g. shape points, polygons or for simplified maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 : Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 : Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 : Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 : Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 : Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/875 : for determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 : combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 : using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 : Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 : using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4972 : Alignment of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 : by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 : by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 : using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 : by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/2246 : displaying a map of the environment
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/2249 : using augmented reality
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/226 : Communication links with the remote-control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/6987 : by centralised control off-board any of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2105/22 : of humans
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2107/13 : Spaces reserved for vehicle traffic, e.g. roads, regulated airspace or regulated waters
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2109/10 : Land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/25 : Fusion techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/26 : Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning

Abstract

Systems and methods implemented in algorithms, software, firmware, logic, or circuitry may be configured to process data and sensory input to determine whether an object external to an autonomous vehicle (e.g., another vehicle, a pedestrian, road debris, a bicyclist, etc.) may be a potential collision threat to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be configured to implement active safety measures to avoid the potential collision and/or mitigate the impact of an actual collision to passengers in the autonomous vehicle and/or to the autonomous vehicle itself. Interior safety systems, exterior safety systems, a drive system or some combination of those systems may be activated to implement active safety measures in the autonomous vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving trajectory data representing a trajectory of a driverless, autonomous vehicle in an environment external to the autonomous vehicle;

sensing an object in the environment;

determining object data comprising a position of the object, an object type of the object, and an object classification of the object;

determining one or more predicted locations of the object in the environment based on the object data;

determining a predicted collision location based on the trajectory data and the one or more predicted locations of the object in the environment;

determining a first threshold location in the environment between the object and the predicted collision location;

determining a second threshold location in the environment between the object and the predicted collision location, the second threshold location being closer to the collision location than the first threshold location;

sensing an updated position of the object in the environment;

implementing a first safety action using a safety system in response to the updated position corresponding to the first threshold location; and

implementing a second safety action using the safety system in response to the updated position corresponding to the second threshold location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the safety system comprises an acoustic beam steering array, the first safety action comprises emitting a first audio alert at a first angle relative to the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle and the second safety action comprises emitting a second audio alert at a second angle relative to the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the safety system comprises a light emitter, the first safety action comprises emitting a first light pattern, and the second safety action comprises emitting a second light pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the safety system comprises an alert system for alerting the object of a possible collision, the method further comprising determining a collision avoidance trajectory to maneuver the autonomous vehicle from the trajectory.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting the collision avoidance trajectory for use in maneuvering the autonomous vehicle from the trajectory.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first safety action has a first urgency and the second safety action has a second urgency.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the safety system comprises at least one of an external bladder or a seat belt tensioning system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementing the first safety action or the implementing the second safety action comprises moving a seat positioned in an interior of the autonomous vehicle from a first position to a second position.

9. A system comprising:

an autonomous vehicle configured to drive autonomously on a roadway, the autonomous vehicle having a plurality of sensors for sensing an object in an environment surrounding the autonomous vehicle; and

a computing system communicatively coupled to the autonomous vehicle to receive data from the plurality of sensors and to transmit instructions to control components of the autonomous vehicle, the computing system being programmed to;

determine a trajectory of the autonomous vehicle;

determine a first location of the object and a type of the object;

determine, based on the first location of the object and the type of the object, a predicted region comprising a region in which the object is predicted to travel;

determine a first threshold boundary within the predicted region and a second threshold boundary within the predicted region;

cause the autonomous vehicle to emit a first alert having a first urgency based on a determination that an updated location of the object coincides with the first threshold boundary; and

cause the autonomous vehicle to emit a second alert having a second urgency based on a determination that the updated location of the object coincides with the second threshold boundary.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further programmed to determine a predicted collision location of the autonomous vehicle and the object and the first threshold boundary is relatively farther from the predicted collision location than the second threshold boundary.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the predicted collision location is in the predicted region.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the autonomous vehicle is a bi-directional vehicle configured to drive forward in a first direction or drive forward in a substantially opposite second direction without turning around the autonomous vehicle, and the computing system is further programmed to generate instructions for the autonomous vehicle to change direction from driving forward in the first direction along the trajectory to driving forward in the second direction without turning around based on a determination that the updated location of the object coincides with the second threshold boundary.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further programmed to generate instructions to activate a safety system of the autonomous vehicle based on a determination that the updated location of the object coincides with the second threshold boundary.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the safety system comprises an external bladder or a seat belt tensioning system.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the autonomous vehicle further includes an acoustic safety system, the first alert comprises a first audio alert emitted by the acoustic safety system, and the second alert comprises a second audio alert emitted by the acoustic safety system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the acoustic safety system comprises an acoustic beam steering array, the first audio alert is emitted at a first angle relative to the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle, and the second audio alert is emitted at a second angle relative to the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the autonomous vehicle further includes a light emitter, the first alert comprises a first emitted light pattern emitted by the light emitter, and the second alert comprises a second emitted light pattern emitted by the light emitter.