Systems and methods for controlling sensing device field of view

• US 10,495,493 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Reed, Brooks, Ko, Yung-Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): Jimenez, Anthony R
• Application Number:
  US15/635,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20190003862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 Antenna boresight

Abstract

Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a current position of the vehicle along a determined path; retrieving map information that includes a pitch and a curvature of a roadway at or near the current position; determining, based on the map information, a planned pitch and a planned roll of the vehicle at or near the current position; determining, based on the planned pitch and the planned roll, a location of the field of view of the sensing device; determining, based on the location of the field of view and a location of an area of interest, an amount of movement of the sensing device to align the field of view with the area of interest; and generating, one or more control signals to one or more actuators associated with the sensing device based on the determined amount of movement.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a field of view of a sensing device of an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

receiving a current position of the autonomous vehicle along a determined path;

retrieving map information that includes a pitch and a curvature of a roadway at or near the current position;

determining, by a processor, based on the map information, a planned pitch of the autonomous vehicle at or near the current position;

determining, by the processor, based on the map information, a planned roll of the autonomous vehicle at or near the current position;

determining, by the processor, based on the planned pitch and the planned roll of the autonomous vehicle, a location of the field of view of the sensing device;

determining, based on the location of the field of view and a location of an area of interest at the current position, an amount of movement of the sensing device to align the field of view with the area of interest; and

generating, by the processor, one or more control signals to one or more actuators associated with the sensing device to move the sensing device to align the field of view based on the determined amount of movement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating, by the processor, based on the planned roll of the autonomous vehicle, an amount of movement about a first axis to align the field of view of the sensing device with the area of interest at the current position.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

calculating, by the processor, based on the planned pitch of the autonomous vehicle, an amount of movement about a second axis to align the field of view of the sensing device with the area of interest at the current position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generating the one or more control signals to the one or more actuators associated with the sensing device further comprises:

retrieving, by the processor, a geographical coordinate location for the area of interest associated with the current position of the autonomous vehicle from a datastore;

retrieving, by the processor, a vehicle coordinate location for the field of view of the sensing device;

updating, by the processor, the vehicle coordinate location for the field of view based on the planned pitch and planned roll of the autonomous vehicle;

determining, by the processor, based on the updated vehicle coordinate location for the field of view and the geographical coordinate location for the area of interest, an amount of movement about the first axis and the second axis to align the field of view with the area of interest; and

generating, by the processor, the one or more control signals based on the determining.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, sensor signals that provide a substantially real-time roll of a chassis of the autonomous vehicle at the current location of the autonomous vehicle; and

determining, by the processor, a roll of the autonomous vehicle based on the planned roll at the current location and the substantially real-time roll of the chassis.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining the roll of the autonomous vehicle further comprises:

transforming, by the processor, the planned roll into a vehicular coordinate system; and

subtracting, by the processor, the substantially real-time roll of the chassis from the planned roll.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, sensor signals that provide a substantially real-time pitch of a chassis of the autonomous vehicle at the current location of the autonomous vehicle; and

determining, by the processor, a pitch of the autonomous vehicle based on the planned pitch and the substantially real-time pitch of the chassis.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining the pitch of the autonomous vehicle further comprises:

transforming, by the processor, the planned pitch into a vehicular coordinate system; and

subtracting, by the processor, the substantially real-time pitch of the chassis from the planned pitch.

9. A system for controlling a field of view of a sensing device of an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a source of a current position of the autonomous vehicle along a determined path;

a source of map information that includes a pitch and a curvature of a roadway at or near the current position;

the sensing device having the field of view, and the field of view of the sensing device movable by one or more actuators associated with the sensing device;

a controller, having a processor, that is configured to;

determine, based on the map information, a planned pitch of the autonomous vehicle at or near the current position;

determine, based on the map information, a planned roll of the autonomous vehicle at or near the current position;

determine, based on the planned pitch and the planned roll of the autonomous vehicle, a location of the field of view of the sensing device;

determine, based on the location of the field of view and a location of an area of interest at the current position, an amount of movement of the sensing device to align the field of view with the area of interest; and

generate one or more control signals to the one or more actuators associated with the sensing device to move the sensing device to align the field of view based on the determined amount of movement.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to calculate, based on the planned roll of the autonomous vehicle, an amount of movement about a first axis to align the field of view of the sensing device with the area of interest at or near the current position.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to calculate, based on the planned pitch of the autonomous vehicle, an amount of movement about a second axis to align the field of view of the sensing device with the area of interest at or near the current position.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to generate the one or more control signals to the one or more actuators associated with the sensing device based on a geographical coordinate location for the area of interest associated with the current position of the autonomous vehicle that is retrieved from a datastore and a vehicle coordinate location for the field of view of the sensing device that is retrieved from a second datastore, the controller configured to update the vehicle coordinate location for the field of view based on the planned pitch and planned roll of the autonomous vehicle, to determine, based on the updated vehicle coordinate location for the field of view and the geographical coordinate location for the area of interest, an amount of movement about the first axis and the second axis to align the field of view with the area of interest, and to generate the one or more control signals based on the determination of the amount of movement.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to receive sensor signals that provide a substantially real-time roll of a chassis of the autonomous vehicle at the current location of the autonomous vehicle, and to determine a roll of the autonomous vehicle based on the planned roll at the current location and the substantially real-time roll of the chassis.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to determine the roll of the autonomous vehicle based on a transformation of the planned roll into a vehicular coordinate system, and the controller is configured to subtract the substantially real-time roll of the chassis from the planned roll.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to receive sensor signals that provide a substantially real-time pitch of a chassis of the autonomous vehicle at the current location of the autonomous vehicle, and to determine a pitch of the autonomous vehicle based on the planned pitch and the substantially real-time pitch of the chassis.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to determine the pitch of the autonomous vehicle based on a transformation of the planned pitch into a vehicular coordinate system, and the controller is configured to subtract the substantially real-time pitch of the chassis from the planned pitch.

17. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a source of a current position of the autonomous vehicle along a determined path;

a source of map information that includes a pitch and a curvature of a roadway at or near the current position;

a sensing device having a field of view, and the field of view of the sensing device movable by one or more actuators associated with the sensing device;

a controller, having a processor, that is configured to;

determine based on the map information, a planned pitch of the autonomous vehicle at or near the current position;

determine based on the map information, a planned roll of the autonomous vehicle at or near the current position;

receive sensor signals that provide a substantially real-time pitch of a chassis of the autonomous vehicle at the current location of the autonomous vehicle;

determine a pitch of the autonomous vehicle at the current position based on the planned pitch and the substantially real-time pitch;

determine, based on the pitch and the planned roll of the autonomous vehicle, a location of the field of view of the sensing device;

determine, based on the location of the field of view and a location of an area of interest at the current position, an amount of movement of the sensing device to align the field of view with the area of interest; and

generate one or more control signals to the one or more actuators associated with the sensing device to move the sensing device to align the field of view based on the determined amount of movement.

18. The autonomous vehicle of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to receive sensor signals that provide a substantially real-time roll of a chassis of the autonomous vehicle at the current location of the autonomous vehicle, to determine a roll of the autonomous vehicle at the current position based on the planned roll and the substantially real-time roll, and to determine the location of the field of view of the sensing device based on the pitch and the roll of the autonomous vehicle.

19. The autonomous vehicle of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to determine the roll of the autonomous vehicle based on a transformation of the planned roll into a vehicular coordinate system, and the controller is configured to subtract the substantially real-time roll of the chassis from the planned roll.

20. The autonomous vehicle of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to determine the pitch of the autonomous vehicle based on a transformation of the planned pitch into a vehicular coordinate system, and the controller is configured to subtract the substantially real-time pitch of the chassis from the planned pitch.