Pedestrian notifications

• US 8,954,252 B1
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Urmson, Christopher Paul, Mahon, Ian James, Dolgov, Dmitri A., Zhu, Jiajun
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nelson, Sara
• Application Number:
  US14/095,107
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 701/24, 701/36, 701/45, 701/70, 701/96, 701/301, 701/302, 701/25, 340/435, 340/436, 340/901, 340/903, 340/937, 340/943, 348/148, 382/103, 382/104, 382/107, 180/168, 180/169
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5037 the display content changing automatically, e.g. depending on traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/547 for issuing requests to other traffic participants; for confirming to other traffic participants they can proceed, e.g. they can overtake
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17558 specially adapted for collision avoidance or collision mitigation road vehicle drive control systems for collision avoidance otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/09
• 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 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to notifying a pedestrian of the intent of a self-driving vehicle. For example, the vehicle may include sensors which detect an object such as a pedestrian attempting or about to cross the roadway in front of the vehicle. The vehicle'"'"'s computer may then determine the correct way to respond to the pedestrian. For example, the computer may determine that the vehicle should stop or slow down, yield, or stop if it is safe to do so. The vehicle may then provide a notification to the pedestrian of what the vehicle is going to or is currently doing. For example, the vehicle may include a physical signaling device, an electronic sign or lights, a speaker for providing audible notifications, etc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maneuvering, by one or more processors, a vehicle along a route including a roadway in an autonomous driving mode without continuous input from a driver;

receiving, by the one or more processors, sensor data about an external environment of the vehicle collected by sensors associated with the vehicle;

identifying, by the one or more processors, an object in the external environment of the vehicle from the sensor data;

determining, by one or more processors, that the object is likely to cross the roadway based on a current heading and speed of the object as determined from the sensor data; and

based on the determination, selecting, by the one or more processors, a plan of action for responding to the object including yielding to the object; and

providing, by the one or more processor, without specific initiating input from the driver, a notification to the object indicating that the vehicle will yield to the object and allow the object to cross the roadway.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a projected path of the object will cross with a projected path of the vehicle, wherein the projected path of the vehicle is based on the route; and

wherein the plan of action is selected further based on the determination that a projected path of an object will cross with a projected path of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plan of action is selected only when the object is a pedestrian.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is likely to cross the roadway is further based on a proximity of the object to the roadway.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is likely to cross the roadway is further based on a location of the object relative to a crosswalk.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the plan of action includes determining whether if the vehicle slows down or continues on a current path of the vehicle, the object would have at least a minimum amount of time, given a distance a pedestrian has to travel along the predicted path across the roadway, to cross the roadway without the vehicle coming within a threshold distance of the object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the plan of action includes determining, by the one or more processors, whether the vehicle is able to come to a complete stop within a threshold distance of the projected path of the object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the vehicle is able to come to a complete stop within a threshold distance is based on the capabilities of a braking system of the vehicle, predetermined braking limits, and the distance between the vehicle and the projected path of the object along the projected path of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes playing an audible instruction message indicative of the selected plan through a speaker of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is provided by displaying an image indicative of the selected plan of action on an electronic sign mounted on the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is provided by displaying text indicative of the selected plan of action on an electronic sign mounted on the vehicle.

12. A system comprising one or more processors configured to:

maneuver a vehicle along a route including a roadway in an autonomous driving mode without continuous input from a driver;

receive sensor data about an external environment of the vehicle collected by sensors associated with the vehicle;

identify an object in the external environment of the vehicle from the sensor data;

determine that the object is likely to cross the roadway based on a current heading and speed of the object as determined from the sensor data;

determine that a projected path of the object will cross with a projected path of the vehicle, wherein the projected path of the vehicle is based on the route; and

based on the determinations, select a plan of action for responding to the object including yielding to the object; and

provide without specific initiating input from the driver, a notification to the object indicating that the vehicle will yield to the object and allow the object to cross the roadway.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the notification is provided by displaying an image indicative of the selected plan of action on an electronic sign mounted on the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine that the object is likely to cross the roadway further based on a proximity of the object to the roadway.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine that the object is likely to cross the roadway further based on a location of the object relative to a crosswalk.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the plan of action that includes determining whether if the vehicle slows down or continues on a current path of the vehicle, the object would have at least a minimum amount of time, given a distance the pedestrian has to travel along the predicted path across the roadway, to cross the roadway without the vehicle coming within a threshold distance of the object.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the plan of action includes determining whether the vehicle is able to come to a complete stop within a threshold distance of the projected path of the object.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine that the vehicle is able to come to a complete stop within a threshold distance based on the capabilities of a braking system of the vehicle, predetermined braking limits, and the distance between the vehicle and the projected path of the object along the projected path of the vehicle.