Detecting and responding to tailgaters
First Claim
1. A system for controlling aspects of a first vehicle, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:
- receive sensor data from a sensor;
detect, using the sensor data, a second vehicle driving behind a first vehicle;
identify the second vehicle as a potential tailgater of the first vehicle when the second vehicle meets a first threshold tailgating value for tailgating the first vehicle;
use the sensor data to determine whether the potential tailgater is changing lanes;
when the potential tailgater is determined to be changing lanes, wait a predetermined period of time;
after the predetermined period of time, receive updated sensor data from the sensor;
after the predetermined period of time use updated sensor data from the sensor to determine whether the potential tailgater meets a second threshold tailgating value; and
maneuver the first vehicle based on whether the potential tailgater meets the second threshold tailgating value.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An autonomous vehicle detects a tailgating vehicle and uses various response mechanisms. A vehicle is identified as a tailgater based on whether its characteristics meet a variable threshold. When the autonomous vehicle is traveling at slower speeds, the threshold is defined in distance. When the autonomous vehicle is traveling at faster speeds, the threshold is defined in time. The autonomous vehicle responds to the tailgater by modifying its driving behavior. In one example, the autonomous vehicle adjusts a headway buffer (defined in time) from another vehicle in front of the autonomous vehicle. In this regard, if the tailgater is T seconds too close to the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle increases the headway buffer to the vehicle in front of it by some amount relative to T.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A system for controlling aspects of a first vehicle, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:
-
receive sensor data from a sensor; detect, using the sensor data, a second vehicle driving behind a first vehicle; identify the second vehicle as a potential tailgater of the first vehicle when the second vehicle meets a first threshold tailgating value for tailgating the first vehicle; use the sensor data to determine whether the potential tailgater is changing lanes; when the potential tailgater is determined to be changing lanes, wait a predetermined period of time; after the predetermined period of time, receive updated sensor data from the sensor; after the predetermined period of time use updated sensor data from the sensor to determine whether the potential tailgater meets a second threshold tailgating value; and maneuver the first vehicle based on whether the potential tailgater meets the second threshold tailgating value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for controlling aspects of a first vehicle, the method comprising:
-
receiving, by one or more processors, sensor data from a sensor; detecting, using the sensor data, by the one or more processors, a second vehicle driving behind a first vehicle; identifying, by the one or more processors, the second vehicle as a potential tailgater of the first vehicle when the second vehicle meets a first threshold tailgating value for tailgating the first vehicle; using, by the one or more processors, the sensor data to determine whether the potential tailgater is changing lanes; when the potential tailgater is determined to be changing lanes, waiting, by the one or more processors, a predetermined period of time; after the predetermined period of time, receiving, by the one or more processors, updated sensor data from the sensor; after the predetermined period of time, using, by the one or more processors, the updated sensor data to determine whether the potential tailgater meets a second threshold tailgating value; and maneuvering, by the one or more processors, the first vehicle based on whether the potential tailgater meets the second threshold tailgating value. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification