Autonomous vehicle routing and navigation using passenger docking locations

• US 10,012,995 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kojo, Naoki, Thakur, Siddharth Kumar, Meuleau, Nicolas, Saito, Daisuke, Lele, Nikhil
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Luat T
• Application Number:
  US15/268,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23- 25, 701408, 701468
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• 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 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A method and apparatus for autonomous vehicle routing and navigation using passenger docking locations are disclosed. Autonomous vehicle routing and navigation using passenger docking locations may include an autonomous vehicle identifying map information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including a primary destination and a docking location, wherein identifying the map information includes identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location. The autonomous vehicle may identify the docking location as a target docking location for the primary destination based on the map information, generate, based on the map information, route information representing a route for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from an origin in the vehicle transportation network to the target docking location, and traverse the vehicle transportation network from the origin to the target docking location in accordance with the route information.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle comprising:

a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium to;

identify map information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including a primary destination and a docking location, wherein identifying the map information includes identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location;

identify the docking location as a target docking location for the primary destination based on the map information; and

generate, based on the map information, route information representing a route for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from an origin in the vehicle transportation network to the target docking location; and

a trajectory controller configured to operate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the route information such that the autonomous vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the origin to the target docking location.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, in response to performing a docking operation at the target docking location, execute instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium to:

identify, based on the map information, information representing a secondary destination in the vehicle transportation network, wherein the secondary destination is a parking area associated with the primary destination; and

generate, based on the map information, subsequent route information representing a subsequent route for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from the target docking location to the secondary destination.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 2, wherein the trajectory controller is configured to:

operate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the subsequent route information such that the autonomous vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the target docking location to the secondary destination; and

operate the autonomous vehicle to park at the secondary destination.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium to identify the map information such that the docking location information is based on operating information for a plurality of vehicles, wherein the operating information includes a plurality of operations, wherein each operation from the plurality of operations is associated with a respective vehicle from the plurality of vehicles.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4, wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that a stationary period associated with the operation exceeds a minimum docking duration.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4, wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that a maximum docking duration exceeds a stationary period associated with the operation.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4, wherein the operating information associated with a respective vehicle from the plurality of vehicles includes a plurality of event indicators representing a sequence of events for the vehicle, wherein an operation from the plurality of operations includes a plurality of events from the sequence of events, wherein the plurality of events includes a stop event and a subsequent start event, and wherein a stationary period associated with the operation indicates a temporal difference between the start event and the stop event.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4, wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that the operating information includes a vehicle type indicator for the vehicle associated with the operation, wherein the vehicle type indicator indicates that the vehicle is a fleet vehicle.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4, wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that the operating information includes a vehicle operating type indicator for the vehicle associated with the operation, wherein the vehicle operating type indicator indicates that the vehicle is operating as a low occupancy carrier vehicle.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4, wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that the operating information for the vehicle associated with the operation indicates a change in occupancy of the vehicle during a stationary period associated with the operation.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 10, wherein the change in occupancy is detected based on a signal from a seat occupant sensor of the vehicle.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4, wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that the operating information for the vehicle associated with the operation indicates a passenger door open event during a stationary period associated with the operation.

13. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4, wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes:

identifying an operation from the plurality of operations;

identifying a location associated with the operation;

identifying map information corresponding to the location;

determining whether the location is docking eligible based on the map information; and

identifying the operation as a candidate docking operation on a condition that the location is docking eligible.

14. The autonomous vehicle of claim 13, wherein determining whether the location is docking eligible includes:

determining that the location is docking eligible on a condition that the map information indicates that the location is immediately adjacent to a pedestrian walkway;

determining that the location is docking ineligible on a condition that the map information indicates that stopping or loading are prohibited for the location; and

determining that the location is docking eligible on a condition that the map indicates that a spatial difference between the location and an intersection exceeds an intersection docking buffer distance.

15. An autonomous vehicle comprising:

a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium to;

identify map information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including a primary destination and a docking location, wherein identifying the map information includes identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location, wherein the docking location information is based on operating information for a plurality of vehicles, wherein the operating information includes a plurality of operations, wherein each operation from the plurality of operations is associated with a respective vehicle from the plurality of vehicles, wherein the docking location information is determined based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that a stationary period associated with the operation exceeds a minimum docking duration and a maximum docking duration exceeds the stationary period;

identify the docking location as a target docking location for the primary destination based on the map information; and

generate, based on the map information, route information representing a route for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from an origin in the vehicle transportation network to the target docking location; and

a trajectory controller configured to operate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the route information such that the autonomous vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the origin to the target docking location.

16. The autonomous vehicle of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to, in response to performing a docking operation at the target docking location, execute instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium to:

identify, based on the map information, information representing a secondary destination in the vehicle transportation network, wherein the secondary destination is a parking area associated with the primary destination; and

generate, based on the map information, subsequent route information representing a subsequent route for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from the target docking location to the secondary destination.

17. The autonomous vehicle of claim 16, wherein the trajectory controller is configured to:

operate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the subsequent route information such that the autonomous vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the target docking location to the secondary destination; and

operate the autonomous vehicle to park at the secondary destination.

18. The autonomous vehicle of claim 15, wherein the operating information associated with a respective vehicle from the plurality of vehicles includes a plurality of event indicators representing a sequence of events for the vehicle, and wherein an operation from the plurality of operations includes a plurality of events from the sequence of events, wherein the plurality of events includes a stop event and a subsequent start event, and wherein the stationary period associated with the operation indicates a temporal difference between the start event and the stop event.

19. The autonomous vehicle of claim 15, wherein filtering the operating information includes:

identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that;

the operating information for the vehicle associated with the operation includes one or more of;

vehicle type information indicating that the vehicle is a fleet vehicle;

vehicle operating type information indicating that the vehicle is operating as a low occupancy carrier vehicle;

occupancy change information indicating a change in occupancy of the vehicle during the stationary period associated with the operation, wherein the change in occupancy is detected based on a signal from a seat occupant sensor of the vehicle;

or

door event information indicating a passenger door open event during the stationary period associated with the operation; and

a location associated with the operation is docking eligible, wherein identifying the operation as a candidate docking operation includes determining whether the location is docking eligible by;

identifying map information corresponding to the location;

determining that the location is docking eligible on a condition that the map information indicates that the location is immediately adjacent to a pedestrian walkway;

determining that the location is docking ineligible on a condition that the map information indicates that stopping or loading are prohibited for the location; and

determining that the location is docking eligible on a condition that the map information indicates that a spatial difference between the location and an intersection exceeds an intersection docking buffer distance.

20. An autonomous vehicle comprising:

a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium to;

identify map information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including a primary destination and a first docking location, wherein identifying the map information includes identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the first docking location;

identify the first docking location as a target docking location for the primary destination based on the map information;

generate, based on the map information, first route information representing a first route for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from an origin in the vehicle transportation network to the target docking location;

identify, based on the map information, information representing a secondary destination in the vehicle transportation network, wherein the secondary destination is a parking area associated with the primary destination; and

generate, based on the map information, second route information representing a second route for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from the target docking location to the secondary destination; and

a trajectory controller configured to;

operate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the first route information such that the autonomous vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the origin to the target docking location;

in response to the autonomous vehicle arriving at the target docking location, operate the autonomous vehicle such that the autonomous vehicle performs a docking operation at the target docking location; and

in response to performing the docking operation at the target docking location, operate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the second route information such that the autonomous vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the target docking location to the secondary destination and parks at the secondary destination.