Autonomous vehicle application

• US 9,940,834 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Konrardy, Blake, Christensen, Scott T., Hayward, Gregory, Farris, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US15/409,115
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 340901, 340905, 701300, 701301, 701400, 701408-411, 701415, 701418, 701419, 705 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Methods and systems for communicating between autonomous vehicles are described herein. Such communication may be performed for signaling, collision avoidance, path coordination, and/or autonomous control. A computing device may receive communications from autonomous vehicles, where the communications include data for the same road segment, including an indication of a condition of the road segment. The computing device may combine the data for the same road segment to generate an overall indication of the condition of the road segment, which may include a recommendation to vehicles approaching the road segment. Additionally, the computing device may receive a request from a mobile device within a vehicle approaching the road segment to display vehicle data. The overall indication for the road segment may then be displayed on a user interface of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting vehicle data for a road segment based upon data collected from a plurality of vehicles each having one or more autonomous operation features, comprising:

receiving, at one or more processors, a plurality of communications from a plurality of vehicles each having one or more autonomous operation features, wherein each of the plurality of communications includes data corresponding to a same road segment on which the plurality of vehicles travelled, and wherein the data includes an indication of a location within the road segment and an indication of a condition of the road segment at the location;

combining, by the one or more processors, the data for the same road segment from the plurality of communications to generate an overall indication of the condition of the road segment, wherein the overall indication includes a recommendation to vehicles approaching the road segment;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a request to display vehicle data including the overall indication for the road segment from a mobile device within a vehicle approaching the road segment; and

causing, by the one or more processors, the overall indication for the road segment to be displayed on a user interface of the mobile device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the overall indication of the condition of the road segment includes a recommendation to change vehicle operation from a manual mode to an autonomous mode, and in response to receiving the recommendation the vehicle having the mobile device switches to an autonomous mode or the overall indication of the condition of the road segment includes a recommendation to change vehicle operation from the autonomous mode to the manual mode, and in response to receiving the recommendation the vehicle having the mobile device switches to the manual mode.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation includes an action for the vehicle having the mobile device to perform based upon the overall indication of the condition of the road segment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicles obtain the data corresponding to the road segment from a smart infrastructure component.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein an indication of the condition of the road segment at the location includes at least one of:

(i) traffic at the road segment, (ii) a maneuver to be performed by each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles at the location, (iii) an amount of wear and tear on the road segment, (iv) whether the road segment is currently under construction, or (v) unexpected debris on the road segment.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the traffic at the road segment includes:

an indication of a vehicle collision on the road segment, an indication of construction occurring on the road segment, a number of vehicles on the road segment, or a number of vehicles planning to exit the road segment;

wherein the amount of wear and tear on the road segment includes at least one of;

a number of potholes on the road segment, one or more ice patches on the road segment, or one or more cracks in the road segment; and

wherein unexpected debris on the road segment includes at least one of;

a fallen branch on the road segment, a flooded portion of the road segment, a rock on the road segment, fallen cargo on the road segment, a portion of a shredded tire on the road segment, or broken glass on the road segment.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein combining the data for the same road segment from the plurality of communications to generate an overall indication of the condition of the road segment includes:

assigning, by the one or more processors, a weight to the data from each communication based upon the time when the communication is sent, wherein data from communications sent more recently is weighted higher than data from communications sent earlier; and

combining, by the one or more processors, the weighted data for the same road segment to generate the overall indication of the road segment.

8. A computer system configured to present vehicle data for a road segment based upon data collected from a plurality of vehicles each having one or more autonomous operation features, the computer system comprising one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, and/or sensors configured to:

receive a plurality of communications from a plurality of vehicles each having one or more autonomous operation features, wherein each of the plurality of communications includes data corresponding to a same road segment on which the plurality of vehicles travelled, and wherein the data includes an indication of a location within the road segment and an indication of a condition of the road segment at the location;

combine the data for the same road segment from the plurality of communications to generate an overall indication of the condition of the road segment, wherein the overall indication includes a recommendation to vehicles approaching the road segment;

receive a request to display vehicle data including the overall indication for the road segment from a mobile device within a vehicle approaching the road segment; and

cause the overall indication for the road segment to be displayed on a user interface of the mobile device.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the overall indication of the condition of the road segment includes a recommendation to change vehicle operation from a manual mode to an autonomous mode, and in response to receiving the recommendation the vehicle having the mobile device switches to an autonomous mode or the overall indication of the condition of the road segment includes a recommendation to change vehicle operation from the autonomous mode to the manual mode, and in response to receiving the recommendation the vehicle having the mobile device switches to the manual mode.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the recommendation includes an action for the vehicle having the mobile device to perform based upon the overall indication of the condition of the road segment.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of vehicles obtain the data corresponding to the road segment from a smart infrastructure component.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein an indication of the condition of the road segment at the location includes at least one of:

(i) traffic at the road segment, (ii) a maneuver to be performed by each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles at the location, (iii) an amount of wear and tear on the road segment, (iv) whether the road segment is currently under construction, or (v) unexpected debris on the road segment.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the traffic at the road segment includes:

an indication of a vehicle collision on the road segment, an indication of construction occurring on the road segment, a number of vehicles on the road segment, or a number of vehicles planning to exit the road segment;

wherein the amount of wear and tear on the road segment includes at least one of;

a number of potholes on the road segment, one or more ice patches on the road segment, or one or more cracks in the road segment; and

wherein unexpected debris on the road segment includes at least one of;

a fallen branch on the road segment, a flooded portion of the road segment, a rock on the road segment, fallen cargo on the road segment, a portion of a shredded tire on the road segment, or broken glass on the road segment.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein to combine the data for the same road segment from the plurality of communications to generate an overall indication of the condition of the road segment, the one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, and/or sensors are configured to:

assign a weight to the data from each communication based upon the time when the communication is sent, wherein data from communications sent more recently is weighted higher than data from communications sent earlier; and

combine the weighted data for the same road segment to generate the overall indication of the road segment.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a set of instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

receive a plurality of communications from a plurality of vehicles each having one or more autonomous operation features, wherein each of the plurality of communications include data corresponding to a same road segment on which the plurality of vehicles travelled, and wherein the data includes an indication of a location within the road segment and an indication of a condition of the road segment at the location;

combine the data for the same road segment from the plurality of communications to generate an overall indication of the condition of the road segment, wherein the overall indication includes a recommendation to vehicles approaching the road segment;

receive a request to display vehicle data including the overall indication for the road segment from a mobile device within a vehicle approaching the road segment; and

cause the overall indication for the road segment to be displayed on a user interface of the mobile device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the overall indication of the condition of the road segment includes a recommendation to change vehicle operation from a manual mode to an autonomous mode, and in response to receiving the recommendation the vehicle having the mobile device switches to an autonomous mode or the overall indication of the condition of the road segment includes a recommendation to change vehicle operation from the autonomous mode to the manual mode, and in response to receiving the recommendation the vehicle having the mobile device switches to the manual mode.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the recommendation includes an action for the vehicle having the mobile device to perform based upon the overall indication of the condition of the road segment.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein an indication of the condition of the road segment at the location includes at least one of:

(i) traffic at the road segment, (ii) a maneuver to be performed by each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles at the location, (iii) an amount of wear and tear on the road segment, (iv) whether the road segment is currently under construction, or (v) unexpected debris on the road segment.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the traffic at the road segment includes:

an indication of a vehicle collision on the road segment, an indication of construction occurring on the road segment, a number of vehicles on the road segment, or a number of vehicles planning to exit the road segment;

wherein the amount of wear and tear on the road segment includes at least one of;

a number of potholes on the road segment, one or more ice patches on the road segment, or one or more cracks in the road segment; and

wherein unexpected debris on the road segment includes at least one of;

a fallen branch on the road segment, a flooded portion of the road segment, a rock on the road segment, fallen cargo on the road segment, a portion of a shredded tire on the road segment, or broken glass on the road segment.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein to combine the data for the same road segment from the plurality of to generate an overall indication of the condition of the road segment, the set of instructions causes the one or more processors to:

assign a weight to the data from each communication based upon the time when the communication is sent, wherein data from communications sent more recently is weighted higher than data from communications sent earlier; and

combine the weighted data for the same road segment to generate the overall indication of the road segment.