Driverless vehicle movement processing and cloud systems

• US 10,821,845 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Issued: 11/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
• Original Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
• Inventors: Penilla, Angel A., Penilla, Albert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y
• Application Number:
  US15/714,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20180012497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/22 Standstill, e.g. zero speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0015 Prevention of collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 : Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 : Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 : Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 : Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/806 : Relative heading
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 : Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 : Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/10 : Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 : Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 : Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 : Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 : Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 : Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 : Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 : Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 : Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 : specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 : Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 : Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 : 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 2013/9321 : Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 : Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 : associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 : characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• 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 1/021 : specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 : Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 : Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 : involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 : using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 : Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 : Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 : Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 : Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 : dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 : Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 : event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 : involving continuous checking
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 : Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A system for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator is provided. The system of the vehicle includes a global positioning system (GPS) for identifying a vehicle location and a communications system for communicating with a server of a cloud system. The server is configured to identify that the vehicle location is near or at a parking location. The communications system is configured to receive mapping data for the parking location from the server, and the mapping data is at least in part used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical object when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location. The mapping data is processed by electronics of the vehicle so that when the vehicle is automatically moved collision with the at least one physical object is avoided and the electronics of the vehicle is configured to process a combination of sensor data obtained by sensors of the vehicle. The processing of the sensor data uses image data obtained from one or more cameras and light data obtained from one or more optical sensors.

Claims

1. A system for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator, the system comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) for identifying a vehicle location;

a communications system for communicating with a server of a cloud system, the server is configured to identify that the vehicle location is near or at a parking location;

the communications system is configured to receive mapping data for the parking location from the server, the mapping data is at least in part used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical object when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location, wherein said mapping data includes one or more fixed sensors of the parking location and wherein at least part of the mapping data is processed by electronics of the vehicle so that when the vehicle is automatically moved collision with the at least one physical object is avoided;

the electronics of the vehicle is configured to process a combination of sensor data obtained by sensors of the vehicle, the processing of the sensor data uses image data obtained from one or more cameras and light data obtained from one or more optical sensors;

the electronics of the vehicle is configured to initiate control of the vehicle to automatically move the vehicle from the current location to the destination location at the parking location,

the electronics of the vehicle is configured to use updates to the vehicle location obtained from said GPS while processing the combination of sensor data for when the vehicle is moved along the path, wherein one or more of said fixed sensors of the parking location are processed along with the sensor data obtained by said sensors of the vehicle for moving the vehicle along the path;

the electronics of the vehicle is configured to automatically stop movement of the vehicle when an obstacle is identified to be in a way of the path and automatically resume movement of the vehicle when the obstacle is no longer identified to be in the way of the path.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the destination location is a parking spot for the vehicle at the parking location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors of the vehicle further include radar, and the radar is processed along with the combination of sensor data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors of the vehicle further include ultrasonic sensors that produce and use sound data, the sound data is processed along with the combination of sensor data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronics of the vehicle is interfaced with each of the sensors of the vehicle, the sensors are configured to collect data for the vehicle, including in front of the vehicle, on sides of the vehicle, in back of the vehicle, under the vehicle, or above the vehicle, or combinations of two or more thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein sensors of the parking location further include sensors of one or more vehicles located in the parking location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the parking location is one of a parking garage, a parking lot, a private property area, a garage and drive-way, a private residence, a public location, or a combination of private and public spaces.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronics of the vehicle is configured to receive instructions to proceed with controlling the vehicle to begin automatic movement via a remote computing device, and the remote computing device is a computing device that is either portable or not portable and the remote computing device has access to the Internet to communicate with the server and the electronics of the vehicle, the communications system of the vehicle enabling wireless communication via one or more of a peer-to-peer communication, or Wi-Fi communication, or a near field communication (NFC), or a Bluetooth communication.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical object is a human, the human being tracked to determine if a collision is imminent, the vehicle is configured to stop to avoid collision with the human when the vehicle is automatically moved without said human operator.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the destination location is an ad hoc parking spot.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising,

biometric sensors of the vehicle to identify a profile of a passenger of the vehicle, the profile being used to automatically apply settings to the vehicle for use of the vehicle by the passenger.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said fixed sensors of the parking location includes GPS data that relates to location of said at least one of said fixed sensors, and said data is configured to be communicated, received or obtained by the electronics of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein GPS data is used to identify a GPS location of said at least one physical object at the parking location, or of said obstacle at the parking location, or of a moving object at the parking location, or of another vehicle at the parking location.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said GPS data is calibrated to improve a determination of location of said one or more fixed sensors at the parking location.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the destination location is an ad hoc parking spot that is not pre-marked, and the path is made to said ad hoc parking spot.