System and method of providing recommendations to users of vehicles

• US 9,658,620 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chatham, Andrew Hughes, Nemec, Philip, Urmson, Christopher Paul, Dolgov, Dmitri A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US14/727,273
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/18 Safety devices; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/221 Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/406 Test-mode; Self-diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17 Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0292 Fail-safe or redundant systems, e.g. limp-home or backup systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/186 excessive wear or burn out of friction elements, e.g. clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 : Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 : Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 : using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• 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 17/86 : Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 : Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 : with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 : specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 : with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 : in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 : 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 1/0257 : 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 1/0274 : using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• 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: G05D 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 : Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 : Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 : Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 : Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30236 : Traffic on road, railway or crossing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 : Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 : Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/223 : using block-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/231 : using full search
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/521 : from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 : Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 : Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 : using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns

Abstract

A system and method is provided of providing recommendations to a user of a vehicle. In one aspect, the vehicle navigates autonomously and the sensors provide information that is based on the location of the vehicle and output from sensors directed to the environment surrounding the vehicle. In further aspects, both current and previous sensor data is used to make the recommendation, as well as data based on the sensors of other vehicles.

Claims

1. A first vehicle comprising:

navigation controls,

a processor,

a memory comprising instructions executable by the processor, and

a wireless signal receiver,

wherein the instructions comprise;

receiving first data based on information collected from a sensor affixed to a separate vehicle that senses an aspect of the environment surrounding the separate vehicle,

determining a first, second or third trust level based on indicia of the trustworthiness of the first data, where the first trust level indicates greater trustworthiness than the second trust level, and the second trust level indicates greater trustworthiness than the third trust level,

directing the navigation controls to steer the first vehicle based on the first data when the determined trust level is the first trust level,

directing the navigation controls to slow the speed of the first vehicle based on the first data when the determined trust level is the second trust level, and

not directing the navigation controls based on the first data when the determined trust level is the third trust level.

2. The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein determining a trust level comprises selecting the first trust level when a vendor associated with the separate vehicle is known.

3. The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein determining a trust level comprises selecting the second trust level when a vendor associated with the separate vehicle is not known.

4. The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein determining a trust level comprises selecting the first trust level when the first data is cryptographically signed and the signature is verifiable.

5. The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein directing the vehicle navigation controls to steer the first vehicle comprises directing the vehicle to change lanes.

6. The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first data indicates the presence of an object to be avoided by the first vehicle.

7. The first vehicle of claim 6, wherein directing the vehicle navigation controls to steer the first vehicle comprises directing the first vehicle to take evasive action to avoid the object.

8. The first vehicle of claim 6, wherein directing the vehicle navigation controls to slow the speed of the first vehicle comprises slowing the first vehicle to avoid hitting the object.

9. The first vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a sensor affixed to the first vehicle, and wherein directing the vehicle navigation controls to steer the first vehicle and slow the first vehicle down are also based on the information provided by the sensor affixed to the first vehicle.