ZONE DRIVING

• US 20120083964A1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Dolgov, Dmitri A., Urmson, Christopher Paul, Montemerlo, Michael Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,509,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/26
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/18 Safety devices; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/221 Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/406 Test-mode; Self-diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17 Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0292 Fail-safe or redundant systems, e.g. limp-home or backup systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• 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 30/186 excessive wear or burn out of friction elements, e.g. clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 : Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 : Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 : using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 : Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 : Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 : Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 : Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 : with safety arrangements
• 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 1/0212 : with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 : in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 : in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 : using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 : using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 : using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 : using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• 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 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 : Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 : Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 : Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30236 : Traffic on road, railway or crossing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 : Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 : Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/223 : using block-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/231 : using full search
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/521 : from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 : involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 : Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 : Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 : Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 : using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns

Abstract

A roadgraph may include a graph network of information such as roads, lanes, intersections, and the connections between these features. The roadgraph may also include one or more zones associated with particular rules. The zones may include locations where driving is typically challenging such as merges, construction zones, or other obstacles. In one example, the rules may require an autonomous vehicle to alert a driver that the vehicle is approaching a zone. The vehicle may thus require a driver to take control of steering, acceleration, deceleration, etc. In another example, the zones may be designated by a driver and may be broadcast to other nearby vehicles, for example using a radio link or other network such that other vehicles may be able to observer the same rule at the same location or at least notify the other vehicle'"'"'s drivers that another driver felt the location was unsafe for autonomous driving.

Claims

1. A method for maneuvering a vehicle, the method comprising:

accessing map information including one or more zones, each zone being associated with a rule that indicates a driver to take control of a control aspect of the vehicle;

identifying, by a processor, a route based on the map information, where the route requires the vehicle to pass through at least one zone of the one or more zones;

maneuvering, by the processor, the vehicle to the destination; and

when the vehicle is within a predetermined distance along the route of the at least one zone, identifying the rule associated with the at least one zone, identifying the control aspect of the identified rule, and notifying the driver of the need to control the identified control aspect through the at least one zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified control aspect includes at least one of steering, acceleration, and braking.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information indicating that the driver has taken control of the identified control aspect;

waiting until the vehicle has left the at least one zone and the driver has relinquished control of the identified control aspect; and

continuing to maneuver the vehicle along the route towards the destination.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving input identifying a destination location and wherein identifying the route is further based on the destination location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving instructions from the driver to avoid the at least one zone;

generating a new route to the destination which does not pass through the at least one zone; and

maneuvering the vehicle along the new route.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the driver has not taken control of the identified control aspect, once the vehicle reaches the at least one zone, maneuvering the vehicle through the at least one zone along the route.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a first location based on the driver controlling a given control aspect of the vehicle;

identifying a second location based on the driver relinquishing control of the given control aspect of the control vehicle;

generating a new zone based on the first location and the second location;

generating a new rule for the new zone based on the given control aspect; and

storing the new zone and the new rule with the map information.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the new zone and the new rule to another vehicle.

9. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of maneuvering a vehicle, the method comprising:

accessing map information including one or more zones, each zone being associated with a rule that indicates a driver to take control of a control aspect of the vehicle;

identifying a route based on the map information, where the route requires the vehicle to pass through at least one zone of the one or more zones;

maneuvering, by the processor, the vehicle along the route; and

when the vehicle is within a predetermined distance along the route of the at least one zone, identifying the rule associated with the at least one zone, identifying the control aspect of the identified rule, and notifying the driver of the need to control the identified control aspect through the at least one zone.

10. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the identified control aspect includes at least one of steering, acceleration, and braking.

11. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving information indicating that the driver has taken control of the identified control aspect;

waiting until the vehicle has left the at least one zone and the driver has relinquished control of the identified control aspect; and

continuing to maneuver the vehicle along the route.

12. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising receiving input identifying a destination location and wherein identifying the route is further based on the destination location.

13. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving instructions from the driver to avoid the at least one zone;

generating a new route to the destination which does not pass through the at least one zone; and

maneuvering the vehicle along the new route.

14. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of control aspects for controlling movement of the vehicle;

memory storing map information including one or more zones, each zone being associated with a rule that indicates a driver to take control of at least one control aspect of the plurality of control aspects;

a processor coupled to the plurality of control aspects and the memory, the processor being operable to;

identify a route based on the map information, where the route requires the vehicle to pass through at least one zone of the one or more zones;

maneuver the vehicle along the route; and

when the vehicle is within a predetermined distance along the route of the at least one zone, identify the rule associated with the at least one zone, identify the control aspect of the identify rule, and notify a driver of the need to control the identified control aspect through the at least one zone.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to, when the driver has not taken control of the identified control aspect and once the vehicle reaches the at least one zone, maneuver the vehicle through the at least one zone along the route.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to:

identify a first location based on the driver controlling a given control aspect of the vehicle;

identify a second location based on the driver relinquishing control of the given control aspect of the vehicle;

generate a new zone based on the first location and the second location;

generate a new rule for the new zone based on the given control aspect; and

store the new zone and the new rule with the map information.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to transmit the new zone and the new rule to another autonomous vehicle.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the identified control aspect include at least one of a steering system, an acceleration system, and a braking system.

19. A method of maneuvering a vehicle, the method comprising:

maneuvering, by a processor, the vehicle along a current path on a roadway;

determining whether the vehicle is within a distance along the current path of at least one zone associated with a rule that requires a driver to take control of at least one control aspect of the vehicle; and

when the vehicle is within the distance along the current path of the at least one zone, notifying the driver of the need to control the at least one control aspect through the at least one zone.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one control aspect includes at least one of steering, acceleration, and braking.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving information indicating that the driver has taken control of the identified control aspect;

waiting until the vehicle has left the at least one zone and the driver has relinquished control of the identified control aspect; and

continuing to maneuver the vehicle by the processor.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising, when the driver has not taken control of the at least one control aspect, once the vehicle reaches the at least one zone, maneuvering the vehicle through the at least one zone.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

identifying a first location based on the driver controlling a given control aspect of the vehicle;

identifying a second location based on the driver relinquishing control of the given control aspect of the vehicle;

generating a new zone based on the first location and the second location;

generating a new rule for the new zone based on the given control aspect; and

storing the new zone and the new rule with the map information.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting the new zone and the new rule to another vehicle.