Vehicle sensing grid having dynamic sensing cell size

• US 9,796,390 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faraday & Future Inc.
• Original Assignee: Faraday & Future Inc.
• Inventors: Halder, Bibhrajit, Gade, Sowmya
• Primary Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US15/089,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20170247036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 340436, 340453, 3406866, 340903
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20012 Locally adaptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20021 Dividing image into blocks, subimages or windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A system that performs a method is disclosed. At a first time, characteristics about an area surrounding a vehicle are determined using a first sensing grid including first sensing cells of a first size. At a second time, after the first time, whether sensing cell size data satisfies sensing cell size change criteria is determined. In response to the determination: in accordance with a determination that the sensing cell size data satisfies the sensing cell size change criteria, characteristics about the area surrounding the vehicle are determined using a second sensing grid including second sensing cells of a second size, different from the first size. In accordance with a determination that the sensing cell size data does not satisfy the sensing cell size change criteria, characteristics about the area surrounding the vehicle are determined using the first sensing grid including the first sensing cells of the first size.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more sensors;

one or more processors coupled to the one or more sensors; and

a memory including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising;

at a first time, determining one or more characteristics about an area surrounding a vehicle using the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to use a first sensing grid including first sensing cells of a first size;

at a second time, after the first time, determining whether sensing cell size data satisfies sensing cell size change criteria, wherein;

the sensing cell size data includes data indicative of;

one or more characteristics of the vehicle,

one or more characteristics of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, or

one or more characteristics of a location of the vehicle, and

the sensing cell size change criteria include;

a criterion that is satisfied when the one or more characteristics of the vehicle include a first characteristic,

a criterion that is satisfied when the one or more characteristics of the road include a second characteristic, or

a criterion that is satisfied when the one or more characteristics of the location of the vehicle include a third characteristic; and

in response to the determination;

in accordance with a determination that the sensing cell size data satisfies the sensing cell size change criteria, determining one or more characteristics about the area surrounding the vehicle using the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to use a second sensing grid including second sensing cells of a second size, different from the first size; and

in accordance with a determination that the sensing cell size data does not satisfy the sensing cell size change criteria, determining one or more characteristics about the area surrounding the vehicle using the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to use the first sensing grid including the first sensing cells of the first size.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second sensing grid does not include the first sensing cells of the first size.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second size is smaller than the first size.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a total size of the first sensing grid equals a total size of the second sensing grid.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the area surrounding the vehicle comprises an area within a predetermined distance of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics about the area surrounding the vehicle include one or more locations of objects surrounding the vehicle, a path of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, types of objects surrounding the vehicle, or movements of objects surrounding the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more characteristics of the vehicle include a speed of the vehicle, and

the sensing cell size data satisfies the sensing cell size change criteria when the speed of the vehicle is below a threshold speed.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensing cell size data further includes data indicative of characteristics of one or more objects in the area surrounding the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the sensing cell size change criteria include a criterion that is satisfied when greater than a threshold number of objects in the area surrounding the vehicle are smaller than a size threshold.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the sensing cell size change criteria include a criterion that is satisfied when greater than a threshold number of objects are in the area surrounding the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the sensing cell size change criteria include a criterion that is satisfied when greater than a threshold density of objects is in the area surrounding the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more characteristics of the vehicle include a driving mode of the vehicle, and

the sensing cell size data satisfies the sensing cell size change criteria when the driving mode of the vehicle is a first driving mode, and does not satisfy the sensing cell size change criteria when the driving mode of the vehicle is a second driving mode, different from the first driving mode.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first driving mode and the second driving mode comprise one or more of an automated parking mode, an automated driving mode, a city driving mode, a highway driving mode, and a reverse driving mode.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensing cell size data satisfies the sensing cell size change criteria when the road includes a curve having greater than a threshold curvature within the area surrounding the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensing cell size data satisfies the sensing cell size change criteria when the road has greater than a threshold number of curves within the area surrounding the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensing cell size data satisfies the sensing cell size change criteria when the road has greater than a threshold number of curves having greater than a threshold curvature within the area surrounding the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensing cell size data satisfies the sensing cell size change criteria when the location of the vehicle is a first location, and does not satisfy the sensing cell size change criteria when the location of the vehicle is a second location, different from the first location.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the first location corresponds to an area with a population density greater than a population density threshold, and the second location corresponds to an area with a population density less than the population density threshold.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

at a first time, determining one or more characteristics about an area surrounding a vehicle using one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to use a first sensing grid including first sensing cells of a first size;

at a second time, after the first time, determining whether sensing cell size data satisfies sensing cell size change criteria, wherein;

the sensing cell size data includes data indicative of;

one or more characteristics of the vehicle,

one or more characteristics of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, or

one or more characteristics of a location of the vehicle, and

the sensing cell size change criteria include;

a criterion that is satisfied when the one or more characteristics of the vehicle include a first characteristic,

a criterion that is satisfied when the one or more characteristics of the road include a second characteristic, or

a criterion that is satisfied when the one or more characteristics of the location of the vehicle include a third characteristic; and

in response to the determination;

in accordance with a determination that the sensing cell size data satisfies the sensing cell size change criteria, determining one or more characteristics about the area surrounding the vehicle using the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to use a second sensing grid including second sensing cells of a second size, different from the first size; and

in accordance with a determination that the sensing cell size data does not satisfy the sensing cell size change criteria, determining one or more characteristics about the area surrounding the vehicle using the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to use the first sensing grid including the first sensing cells of the first size.

20. A vehicle comprising:

one or more sensors;

one or more processors coupled to the one or more sensors; and

a memory including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising;

at a first time, determining one or more characteristics about an area surrounding the vehicle using the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to use a first sensing grid including first sensing cells of a first size;

at a second time, after the first time, determining whether sensing cell size data satisfies sensing cell size change criteria, wherein;

the sensing cell size data includes data indicative of;

one or more characteristics of the vehicle,

one or more characteristics of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, or

one or more characteristics of a location of the vehicle, and

the sensing cell size change criteria include;

a criterion that is satisfied when the one or more characteristics of the vehicle include a first characteristic,

a criterion that is satisfied when the one or more characteristics of the road include a second characteristic, or

a criterion that is satisfied when the one or more characteristics of the location of the vehicle include a third characteristic; and

in response to the determination;

in accordance with a determination that the sensing cell size data satisfies the sensing cell size change criteria, determining one or more characteristics about the area surrounding the vehicle using the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to use a second sensing grid including second sensing cells of a second size, different from the first size; and

in accordance with a determination that the sensing cell size data does not satisfy the sensing cell size change criteria, determining one or more characteristics about the area surrounding the vehicle using the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors configured to use the first sensing grid including the first sensing cells of the first size.