Driving pattern recognition and safety control

• US 8,965,621 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Urmson, Christopher Paul, Dolgov, Dmitri A., Nemec, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mazzara, Anne
• Application Number:
  US14/134,221
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23
• US Class Current: 701/23
• 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

Systems and methods are provided for controlling a vehicle. A safe envelope driving pattern is determined to control the vehicle in an autonomous mode. User identification data and sensor data are received from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle. A driver-specific driving pattern is determined based on the received sensor data and the user identification data. Operation of the vehicle is controlled in the autonomous mode based on the identification of the user in the driver'"'"'s seat, the safe envelope driving pattern, and the user-specific driving pattern.

Claims

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

generating, by one or more processors, a driver specific profile by evaluating driver preferences over one or more driving trips in a manual driving mode;

determining, by the one or more processors, a set of safe driving requirements to control the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode, the set of safe driving requirements defining a lane changing limit;

controlling, by the one or more processors, the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode based on the driver specific profile and the lane changing limit of the set of safe driving requirements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of safe driving requirements indicates a minimum distance from the vehicle to a different vehicle positioned in front of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the lane changing limit indicates a frequency of changing lanes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the lane changing limit indicates a speed for changing lanes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the lane changing limit indicates a pattern for passing by other vehicles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the driver specific profile indicates a particular driver preference for changing lanes in order to drive the vehicle faster, and wherein the lane changing limit is used to control the vehicle in the autonomous mode when the particular driver preference causes a conflict the set of safe driving requirements and the driver specific pattern.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the vehicle according to the driver specific profile so long as an overall speed of the vehicle and a frequency of changing lanes are within the set of safe driving requirements.

8. A system for controlling a vehicle, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:

generate a driver specific profile by evaluating driver preferences over one or more driving trips in a manual driving mode;

determine a set of safe driving requirements to control the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode, the set of safe driving requirements defining a lane changing limit;

control the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode based on the driver specific profile and the lane changing limit of the set of safe driving requirements.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of safe driving requirements indicates a minimum distance from the vehicle to a different vehicle positioned in front of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the lane changing limit indicates a frequency of changing lanes.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the lane changing limit indicates a speed for changing lanes.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the lane changing limit indicates a pattern for passing by other vehicles.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the driver specific profile indicates a particular driver preference for changing lanes in order to drive the vehicle faster, and the one or more processors are further configured to use the lane changing limit to control the vehicle in the autonomous mode when the particular driver preference causes a conflict the set of safe driving requirements and the driver specific pattern.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to control the vehicle according to the driver specific profile so long as an overall speed of the vehicle and a frequency of changing lanes are within the set of safe driving requirements.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which instructions are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform a method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:

generating a driver specific profile by evaluating driver preferences over one or more driving trips in a manual driving mode;

determining a set of safe driving requirements to control the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode, the set of safe driving requirements defining a lane changing limit;

controlling the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode based on the driver specific profile and the lane changing limit of the set of safe driving requirements.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the set of safe driving requirements indicates a minimum distance from the vehicle to a different vehicle positioned in front of the vehicle.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the lane changing limit indicates a frequency of changing lanes.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein the lane changing limit indicates a speed for changing lanes.

19. The medium of claim 15, wherein the lane changing limit indicates a pattern for passing by other vehicles.

20. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises controlling the vehicle according to the driver specific profile so long as an overall speed of the vehicle and a frequency of changing lanes are within the set of safe driving requirements.