SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXTERNALLY INTERFACING WITH AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE

• US 20170192428A1
• Filed: 01/04/2017
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Cruise Automation, Inc. (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Vogt, Kyle, Rust, Ian, Bier, Solomon, Gross, Drew Allyn
• Granted Patent: US 10,386,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls
• 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 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• 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 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle using an external interface is disclosed. The method includes an external interface that is in operable communication with one or more control systems of the autonomous vehicle. The method allows an entity in proximity of an outside of the autonomous vehicle to interact with the external interface; receives from the entity one or more control inputs, and controls one or more operations of the autonomous vehicle based on the one or more control inputs.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle at an external interface, the method comprising:

at an external interface, operably in communication with the autonomous vehicle;

allowing an entity in a proximity of an outside of the autonomous vehicle to interact with the external interface;

receiving, from the entity, one or more control inputs; and

controlling, by the entity, one or more operations of the autonomous vehicle based on the one or more control inputs received using the external interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the external interface comprises an external digital control interface that is operable to control the autonomous vehicle via interactions with an onboard computer of the autonomous vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the external interface comprises an external digital control interface that is operable to control the autonomous vehicle via interactions with an onboard computer of the autonomous vehicle when the autonomous vehicle is incapable of establishing connectivity with one or more remotely located control data sources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the external interface comprises an external digital control interface that is operable to control the autonomous vehicle via interactions with an onboard computer of the autonomous vehicle when the autonomous vehicle identifies an assistance-desired scenario.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the external interface is operable to control the one or more operations of the autonomous vehicle including a movement operation of the autonomous vehicle from a first location to a second location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the external interface is operable to control the autonomous vehicle based on a proximity of the entity to the outside of the autonomous vehicle or a proximity of the entity to the external interface of the autonomous vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating an identity of the entity via the external interface, wherein the external interface is operably in communication with one or more sensors and/or input receiving devices configured to capture entity authentication data, wherein authenticating the entity includes processing the entity authentication data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authorizing a power to control the autonomous vehicle of the entity via the external interface, wherein the external interface is operably in communication with one or more sensors and/or input receiving devices configured to capture entity authorization data, wherein authorizing the entity includes processing the entity authorization data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying the proximity of the entity to the autonomous vehicle, wherein verifying the proximity includes;

identifying a location of the entity,

determining whether the location of the entity is within a predetermined proximity threshold required for the entity to control the autonomous vehicle via the external interface, wherein if the entity is within the predetermined proximity threshold, enabling the external interface to implement a process for controlling the autonomous vehicle using the external interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the external interface comprises a pressure-sensitive display that is embedded in or positioned at a surface of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the pressure-sensitive display is configured to receive one or more inputs for controlling the autonomous vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the external interface comprises one or more pressure-sensitive areas positioned at or on a surface of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein, based on an application of pressure to one or more sections of the one or more pressure-sensitive areas, the one or more pressure-sensitive areas control an operation of the autonomous vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the external interface includes a portable controller useable by an entity to control one or more operations of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the portable controller is tracked by the autonomous vehicle for purposes of identifying a location to which the autonomous vehicle should move.

13. A method for interacting with an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying whether an interaction with the autonomous vehicle is desired by an entity external to the autonomous vehicle;

verifying whether the entity is authorized to interact with the autonomous vehicle by using an external interface of the autonomous vehicle; and

granting or denying the entity a use of the external interface of the autonomous vehicle based on results of the verification of the authorization of the entity.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating internal interaction requests by an onboarding computer of the autonomous vehicle based on one or more circumstances surrounding the autonomous vehicle without any expressed or implied interaction request from the entity.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying an external interaction request by the entity external to the autonomous vehicle based on detecting one or more expressed actions being performed by the entity and directed toward the autonomous vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the external interaction request includes an interaction desired type indicated by the entity via the external interface, wherein the interaction desired type relates to moving the autonomous vehicle from a first location to a second location identified by the entity.

17. A system for interacting with an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

an onboard computer that controls one or more operations of the autonomous vehicle;

an external interface that is retractable from or positioned at an exterior of the autonomous vehicle;

a local communication interface that communicates data between the external interface and onboard computer of the autonomous vehicle;

wherein an entity that is external to and in proximity to the autonomous vehicle uses the external interface to interact, via the local communication interface, with and/or control the autonomous vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a level of control allowed to the entity is based on an authentication and/or authorization of the entity.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the level of control allowed to the entity is identified based on the authorization and/or authentication of the entity corresponding to one of a plurality of control levels in a predetermined control spectrum for the autonomous vehicle.