Real Time Risk Assessment and Operational Changes with Semi-Autonomous Vehicles

• US 20170234689A1
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Kumar, Surender, Madigan, Regina, Gibson, Timothy W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,942,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• 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 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0015 specially adapted for safety
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• 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 1/0061 : for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance

Abstract

A route risk mitigation system and method using real-time information to improve the safety of vehicles operating in semi-autonomous or autonomous modes. The method mitigates the risks associated with driving by assigning real-time risk values to road segments and then using those real-time risk values to select less risky travel routes, including less risky travel routes for vehicles engaged in autonomous driving over the travel routes. The route risk mitigation system may receive location information, real-time operation information, (and/or other information) and provide updated associated risk values. In an embodiment, separate risk values may be determined for vehicles engaged in autonomous driving over the road segment and vehicles engaged in manual driving over the road segment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, an indication of a first travel route associated with an autonomous vehicle;

determining a first risk value comprising an indication of an accident risk associated with traversal of the first travel route by a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

determining a second risk value comprising an indication of an accident risk associated with traversal of the first travel route by a vehicle in a manual driving mode;

responsive to determining, based on the first risk value and the second risk value, that the autonomous driving mode is associated with a lower risk of an accident, causing a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the autonomous driving mode is a safer mode for traversal of the first travel route; and

responsive to determining, based on the first risk value and the second risk value, that the manual driving mode is associated with a lower risk of an accident, causing a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the manual driving mode is the safer mode for traversal of the first travel route.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first risk value is determined based on historical accident information of vehicles engaged in autonomous driving mode over the first travel route and wherein the second risk value is determined based on historical accident information of vehicles engaged in manual driving mode over the first travel route.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving information regarding operation of a vehicle currently located on at least a portion of the first travel route, a condition of a road at a location proximate to the first travel route, or a weather condition present or expected at a location along the first travel route; and

adjusting at least one of the first risk value and the second risk value, based on the received information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from a vehicle different from the autonomous vehicle.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

associating the condition of the road at the location proximate to the first travel route to a condition of a road at a different location, based on the different location having a characteristic similar to the road at the location proximate to the first travel route; and

updating a risk value associated with the road at the different location.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

based on at least one of the first risk value and the second risk value, causing the autonomous vehicle to;

switch from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode, activate external lighting, reduce speed, sense other vehicles nearby, communicate a condition to other vehicles or to a network, alter a vehicle dynamics profile, pre-tension seat belts or activate windshield wipers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information regarding operation of a vehicle currently located on at least a portion of the first travel route, a condition of a road at a location proximate to the first travel route, or a weather condition present or expected at a location along the first travel route;

determining, based at least on part on the received information, an adjusted first risk value comprising an indication of an accident risk associated with traversal of the first travel route by a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

determining, based at least on part on the received information, an adjusted second risk value comprising an indication of an accident risk associated with traversal of the first travel route by a vehicle a manual driving mode;

responsive to determining, based on the adjusted first risk value and the adjusted second risk value, that the autonomous driving mode is associated with a lower risk of an accident, causing a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the autonomous driving mode is a safer mode for traversal of the first travel route; and

responsive to determining, based on the adjusted first risk value and the adjusted second risk value, that the manual driving mode is associated with a lower risk of an accident, causing a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the manual driving mode is the safer mode for traversal of the first travel route.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, first historical accident information of vehicles engaged in an autonomous driving mode over a first travel route;

receiving second historical accident information of vehicles engaged in a manual driving mode over the first travel route

based on the first historical accident information, determining a first risk value comprising an indication of an accident risk associated with traversal of a first travel route by a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

based on the second historical accident information, determining a second risk value comprising an indication of an accident risk associated with traversal of the first travel route by a vehicle in a manual driving mode;

generating a data store comprising the first risk value and the second risk value, wherein the first risk value and the second risk value are associated, in the data store, with the first travel route;

receiving an indication of a planned travel route associated with an autonomous vehicle, wherein the planned travel route comprises at least the first travel route; and

outputting a notification identifying one driving mode of the autonomous driving mode and the manual driving mode, wherein the one driving mode is a safer mode for traversal of the first travel route.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving information regarding operation of a vehicle currently located on at least a portion of the first travel route, a condition of a road at a location proximate to the first travel route, or a weather condition present or expected at a location along the first travel route; and

adjusting at least one of the first risk value and the second risk value, based on the received information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from a vehicle different from the autonomous vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, based on the first risk value and the second risk value, that the autonomous driving mode is associated with a lower risk of an accident; and

causing a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the autonomous driving mode is a safer mode for traversal of the planned travel route.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, based on the first risk value and the second risk value, that the manual driving mode is associated with a lower risk of an accident for an upcoming portion of the planned travel route; and

causing a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the manual driving mode is a safer mode for traversal of the upcoming portion of the planned travel route.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, based at least on the first risk value, that an alternate travel route is safer that the planned travel route; and

causing a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the alternate travel route is safer than the planned travel route.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

causing the autonomous vehicle to traverse the alternate travel route.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

based on at least one of the first risk value and the second risk value, causing the autonomous vehicle to;

switch from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode, activate external lighting, reduce speed, sense other vehicles nearby, communicate a condition to other vehicles or to a network, alter a vehicle dynamics profile, pre-tension seat belts or activate windshield wipers.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions; and

a memory storing the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive an indication of a first travel route associated with an autonomous vehicle;

determine a first risk value comprising an indication of an accident risk associated with traversal of the first travel route by a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

determine a second risk value comprising an indication of an accident risk associated with traversal of the first travel route by a vehicle in a manual driving mode;

responsive to determining, based on the first risk value and the second risk value, that the autonomous driving mode is associated with a lower risk of an accident, cause a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the autonomous driving mode is a safer mode for traversal of the first travel route; and

responsive to determining, based on the first risk value and the second risk value, that the manual driving mode is associated with a lower risk of an accident, cause a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the manual driving mode is the safer mode for traversal of the first travel route.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first risk value is determined based on historical accident information of vehicles engaged in autonomous driving mode over the first travel route and wherein the second risk value is determined based on historical accident information of vehicles engaged in manual driving mode over the first travel route.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, the apparatus further comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive information regarding operation of a vehicle currently located on at least a portion of the first travel route, a condition of a road at a location proximate to the first travel route, or a weather condition present or expected at a location along the first travel route; and

adjust at least one of the first risk value and the second risk value, based on the received information.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, the apparatus further comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

based on at least one of the first risk value and the second risk value, cause the autonomous vehicle to;

switch from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode, activate external lighting, reduce speed, sense other vehicles nearby, communicate a condition to other vehicles or to a network, alter a vehicle dynamics profile, pre-tension seat belts or activate windshield wipers.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, the apparatus further comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive information regarding operation of a vehicle currently located on at least a portion of the first travel route, a condition of a road at a location proximate to the first travel route, or a weather condition present or expected at a location along the first travel route;

determine, based at least on part on the received information, an adjusted first risk value comprising an indication of an accident risk associated with traversal of the first travel route by a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

determine, based at least on part on the received information, an adjusted second risk value comprising an indication of an accident risk associated with traversal of the first travel route by a vehicle a manual driving mode;

responsive to determining, based on the adjusted first risk value and the adjusted second risk value, that the autonomous driving mode is associated with a lower risk of an accident, cause a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the autonomous driving mode is a safer mode for traversal of the first travel route; and

responsive to determining, based on the adjusted first risk value and the adjusted second risk value, that the manual driving mode is associated with a lower risk of an accident, cause a driver of the autonomous vehicle to be notified that the manual driving mode is the safer mode for traversal of the first travel route.