Automated spatial separation of self-driving vehicles from other vehicles based on occupant preferences

• US 10,202,117 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gordon, Michael S., Kozloski, James R., Kundu, Ashish, Malkin, Peter K., Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foster, Gerrad A
• Application Number:
  US15/807,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20180065632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product automatically provides spatial separation between a self-driving vehicle (SDV) operating in an autonomous mode and another vehicle on a roadway. One or more processors receive an emotional state descriptor for at least one occupant of the SDV and determine an emotional state of the occupant(s) of the SDV. A vehicle detector on the SDV detects another vehicle and the size of the other vehicle within a predefined proximity of the SDV. A control mechanisms controller determines that a field of view for the occupants in the SDV is blocked by the size of the other vehicle. The processor(s) issue spatial separation instructions to the control mechanisms controller on the SDV to adjust a spacing between the SDV and the other vehicle based on the emotional state descriptor for the occupant(s) in the SDV and the field of view for the occupant(s) in the SDV that is blocked by the size of the other vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically providing spatial separation between a self-driving vehicle (SDV) operating in an autonomous mode and another vehicle on a roadway, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, an emotional state descriptor for at least one occupant in a self-driving vehicle (SDV);

determining, by one or more processors, an emotional state of said at least one occupant in the SDV based on the emotional state descriptor;

detecting, by a vehicle detector on the SDV, another vehicle within a predefined proximity of the SDV;

detecting, by the vehicle detector on the SDV, a size of the other vehicle;

determining, by a control mechanisms controller, that a field of view for the occupants in the SDV is blocked by the size of the other vehicle; and

adjusting, by one or more processors, a spatial separation between the SDV and the other vehicle based on the emotional state of said at least one occupant in the SDV and the field of view for the occupants in the SDV that is blocked by the size of the other vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, the emotional state descriptor for said at least one occupant in the SDV from an input device, wherein the input device receives the emotional state descriptor that is manually input by said at least one occupant.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, the emotional state descriptor for said at least one occupant in the SDV from a biometric sensor within a cabin of the SDV, wherein the biometric sensor detects an emotional state of said at least one occupant.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein multiple occupants are within the SDV, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

receiving, by one or more processors, a weighted emotional state descriptor for each of the multiple occupants within the SDV, wherein a weighting of the emotional state descriptor for each of the multiple occupants is based on an intensity level of an emotional state that is described by the emotional state descriptor;

determining, by one or more processors, a weighted average emotional state descriptor for the multiple occupants within the SDV; and

further adjusting, by the control mechanisms controller, the spatial separation between the SDV and the other vehicle based on the weighted average emotional state descriptor for the multiple occupants within the SDV.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from traffic sensors, a traffic level descriptor of a traffic level on the roadway; and

further adjusting, by the control mechanisms controller, the spatial separation instructions based on the traffic level on the roadway.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the emotional state descriptor describes an emotional state for the at least one occupant in the SDV that is affected by the spatial separation between the SDV and the other vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the emotional state descriptor for said at least one occupant in the SDV is from a group consisting of being happy, angry, nervous and sleepy.

8. A computer program product for automatically providing spatial separation between a self-driving vehicle (SDV) operating in an autonomous mode and another vehicle on a roadway, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving an emotional state descriptor for at least one occupant in a self-driving vehicle (SDV);

detecting another vehicle within a predefined proximity of the SDV;

detecting a size of the other vehicle;

determining that a field of view for the occupants in the SDV is blocked by the size of the other vehicle; and

adjusting a spatial separation between the SDV and the other vehicle based on the emotional state descriptor for said at least one occupant in the SDV and the field of view for the occupants in the SDV that is blocked by the size of the other vehicle.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the emotional state descriptor for said at least one occupant in the SDV from an input device, wherein the input device receives the emotional state descriptor as an input from said at least one occupant.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the emotional state descriptor for said at least one occupant in the SDV from a biometric sensor within a cabin of the SDV, wherein the biometric sensor detects an emotional state of said at least one occupant.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting that the other vehicle is a non-autonomous vehicle that is being operated by a human driver; and

issuing additional spatial separation instructions to a control mechanisms controller on the SDV to further adjust the spatial separation between the SDV and the other vehicle based on detecting that the human driver is operating the other vehicle.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the SDV is a first SDV that is following the other vehicle, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the other vehicle is another SDV;

determining that the first SDV is unable to increase the spatial separation between the first SDV and the other vehicle; and

transmitting, to the other vehicle, instructions to speed up in order to increase the spatial separation between the first SDV and the other vehicle.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein multiple occupants are within the SDV, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a weighted emotional state descriptor for each of the multiple occupants within the SDV;

determining a weighted average emotional state descriptor for the multiple occupants within the SDV; and

issuing additional spatial separation instructions to a control mechanisms controller on the SDV to further adjust the spatial separation between the SDV and the other vehicle based on the weighted average emotional state descriptor for the multiple occupants within the SDV.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from traffic sensors, a traffic level descriptor of a traffic level on the roadway; and

issuing additional spatial separation instructions to a control mechanisms controller on the SDV to further adjust the spatial separation between the SDV and the other vehicle based on the traffic level on the roadway.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to receive an emotional state descriptor for at least one occupant in a self-driving vehicle (SDV), wherein the emotional state descriptor for said at least one occupant in the SDV is received as a text input from said at least one occupant into an input device;

second program instructions to detect another vehicle within a predefined proximity of the SDV;

third program instructions to detect a size of an other vehicle;

fourth program instructions to determine that a field of view for the occupants in the SDV is blocked by the size of the other vehicle; and

fifth program instructions to adjust a spatial separation between the SDV and the other vehicle based on the emotional state descriptor for said at least one occupant in the SDV and the field of view for the occupants in the SDV that is blocked by the size of the other vehicle; and

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium for execution by one or more processors via the computer readable memory.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

sixth program instructions to further adjust the spatial separation between the SDV and the other vehicle based on an accident history of a make and model of the SDV; and

wherein the sixth program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium for execution by one or more processors via the computer readable memory.

17. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

sixth program instructions to further receive the emotional state descriptor for said at least one occupant in the SDV from a biometric sensor within a cabin of the SDV, wherein the biometric sensor detects an emotional state of said at least one occupant; and

wherein the sixth program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium for execution by one or more processors via the computer readable memory.

18. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

sixth program instructions to detect that the other vehicle is a non-autonomous vehicle that is being operated by a human driver; and

seventh program instructions to issue additional spatial separation instructions to a control mechanisms controller on the SDV to further adjust the spatial separation between the SDV and the other vehicle based on detecting that the human driver is operating the other vehicle; and

wherein

the sixth and seventh program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium for execution by one or more processors via the computer readable memory.