Intersection phase map

• US 9,779,621 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Urmson, Chris, Templeton, Bradley, Levandowski, Anthony, Teller, Eric, Cullinane, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Mustafa, Imran
• Application Number:
  US15/060,346
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119, 340909-910
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/048 with provision for compensation of environmental or other condition, e.g. snow, vehicle stopped at detector
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/065 by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing information about road features. A server can receive reports from information sources associated with a road feature that can include a road intersection. Each report can include source data obtained at a respective time. The source data from the reports can be stored at the server. The server can construct a phase map, where the phase map is configured to represent a status of the road feature at one or more times. The server can receive an information request related to the road feature at a specified time. In response to the information request, the server can generate an information response including a prediction of a status related to the road feature at the specified time. The prediction can be provided by the phase map and is based on information request. The information response can be sent from the server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, one or more reports from at least one information source, each respective report comprising source data indicative of one or more aspects of a plurality of objects at or proximate to a road intersection being approached by a vehicle at a respective time, wherein the plurality of objects include at least a traffic signal controlling traffic through the road intersection;

storing at least the source data from the one or more reports at the server;

constructing a phase map for the road intersection from at least the source data using the server, wherein the phase map represents a current status of the plurality of objects relative to the road intersection and a prediction of future status of the plurality of objects relative to the road intersection at one or more future times, wherein the prediction of future status of the traffic signal includes indicating a beginning time and an end time between which the traffic signal will di splay a particular color;

determining that, for the traffic signal controlling traffic through the road intersection, a drift has occurred between two consecutive days in the beginning time at which the traffic signal will display the particular color;

determining an amount of the drift in the beginning time between two consecutive days;

determining a level of certainty for the prediction of future status of the plurality of objects including the traffic signal, wherein the level of certainty is based at least on the determined amount of drift;

receiving, at the server, an information request by the vehicle related to the road intersection;

in response to the information request, the server generating, based on the phase map, an information response including the current status of the plurality of objects relative to the road intersection, the prediction of future status of the plurality of objects relative to the road intersection at a specified time at which the vehicle reaches the road intersection, and the level of certainty; and

sending the information response from the server to the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prediction of the future status comprises a predicted red/yellow/green-light status of the traffic signal at the specified time at which the vehicle reaches the intersection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the prediction of the future status of the plurality of objects comprises a prediction of whether an object of the plurality of objects will be in a path of the vehicle at the specified time at which the vehicle reaches the intersection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more reports further comprise information about a condition feature associated with the road intersection, and wherein the condition feature comprises at least one condition selected from the group consisting of a traffic condition, a construction condition, a weather-related condition, and an accident-related condition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the source data comprises data selected from the group consisting of data about another vehicle at or proximate to the road intersection, data about a pedestrian crossing or about to cross the road intersection, data about the traffic signal controlling traffic through the road intersection, data about road construction proximate to the road intersection, data about a timer associated with the road intersection, and data about a blockage of the road intersection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the information response to the information request comprises:

obtaining one or more data items from the source data; and

for each data item of the one or more data items;

determining an age of the data item,

comparing the age of the data item to a threshold age, and

in response to the age of the data item being less than the threshold age, using the data item to determine the response data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the traffic signal is configured to sequence through a series of signals during a predetermined traffic-cycle time, and wherein the threshold age is based on the traffic-cycle time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the level of certainty indicates a period of time different from a respective period of time between the beginning time and the end time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the phase map represents objects that are within a predetermined distance in either direction away from the road intersection, and discards objects that are beyond the predetermined distance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of objects includes an object approaching the road intersection, wherein the prediction of future status of the plurality of objects relative to the road intersection indicates whether the object will obstruct the vehicle at specified time at which the vehicle reaches the road intersection, and wherein the level of certainty represents a probability that the object will obstruct the vehicle at the specified time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the current status of the object indicates that the object is occluded from the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the object is a pedestrian or a bicycle.