Modifying a vehicle state based on the presence of a special-purpose vehicle

• US 9,694,818 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferguson, David I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US14/936,918
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23- 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4023 large-size vehicles, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18009 related to particular drive situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/001 Planning or execution of driving tasks
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• 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 1/0214 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 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

A method is provided that includes receiving user input identifying a travel destination for a first vehicle, determining, by a processor, a first route for the first vehicle to follow, and configuring the first vehicle to follow the first route. The method further includes obtaining a model for a second vehicle that shares a road with the first vehicle and comparing model to a pre-determined template for a vehicle that is known to be a special purpose vehicle in order to determine whether the first template and the second template match. The method further includes determining, by the processor, a second route that leads to the travel destination, when a match is found to exist, and switching the first vehicle from following the first route to following the second route.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, with one or more processors, sensor data from a sensor of a first vehicle;

determining, with the one or more processors based on the received sensor data, that a second vehicle that shares a road with the first vehicle is an emergency response vehicle;

determining, with the one or more processors based on the received sensor data, that the emergency response vehicle is approaching the first vehicle from behind; and

in response to determining that the emergency response vehicle is approaching the first vehicle from behind, communicating, by the one or more processors, with one or more vehicle systems, the communicating causing the first vehicle to perform a driving action including at least one of changing lanes and pulling over.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the emergency response vehicle is determined to be approaching the first vehicle from behind:

determining whether the emergency response vehicle is in a same lane as the first vehicle;

determining a distance between the emergency response vehicle and the first vehicle; and

when the emergency response vehicle is determined to be in the same lane and the distance is within a predetermined distance, causing the first vehicle to pull over.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising when the emergency response vehicle is determined to be approaching the first vehicle from behind:

determining whether the emergency response vehicle is in a same lane as the first vehicle;

determining a distance between the emergency response vehicle and the first vehicle; and

when the emergency response vehicle is determined not to be in the same lane and the distance is within a predetermined distance, causing the first vehicle to change lanes away from the emergency response vehicle.

4. A method comprising:

receiving, with one or more processors, sensor data from a sensor of a first vehicle;

determining, with the one or more processors based on the received sensor data, whether the second vehicle that shares a road with the first vehicle, wherein the sensor of the first vehicle initiates detection of information regarding a second vehicle is a special purpose vehicle;

determining, with the one or more processors based on the received sensor data, a position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle;

when the second vehicle is determined to be a special purpose vehicle, determining with the one or more processors a driving action to be performed by the first vehicle based on the determined relative position; and

communicating, by the one or more processors, with one or more vehicle systems, the communicating causing the first vehicle to perform the determined driving action.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the driving action comprises at least one of changing direction, changing lanes, changing speed, refraining from changing lanes, maintaining speed, and pulling over.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the special purpose vehicle is an emergency response vehicle.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the special purpose vehicle is one of a construction vehicle, utility vehicle, school bus, garbage truck, taxi.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

after determining that the second vehicle is a special purpose vehicle, determining a state of the second vehicle;

wherein the driving action is determined based on the state of the second vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the state of the second vehicle comprising detecting whether at least one of the following conditions are present:

lights on the second vehicle are flashing, and a siren on the second vehicle is sounding.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting, by the processor, a set of the special purpose vehicles sharing the road with the first vehicle;

wherein the driving action is determined based on a number of the special purpose vehicles in the set.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the special purpose vehicle is detected based on at least one of shape, color, or sound.

12. A system comprising:

one or more processors onboard a first vehicle, the one or more processors being configured to;

receive sensor data from a sensor of a first vehicle, wherein the sensor of the first vehicle initiates detection of information regarding a second vehicle;

determine, based on the received sensor data, whether the second vehicle that shares a road with the first vehicle is a special purpose vehicle;

determine, based on the received sensor data, a position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle;

when the second vehicle is determined to be a special purpose vehicle, determine a driving action to be performed by the first vehicle based on the determined relative position; and

communicate with one or more vehicle systems of the first vehicle, the communicating causing the first vehicle to perform the determined driving action using the one or more vehicle systems.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the driving action comprises at least one of changing direction, changing lanes, changing speed, refraining from changing lanes, maintaining speed, and pulling over.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the special purpose vehicle is an emergency response vehicle.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the special purpose vehicle is one of a construction vehicle, utility vehicle, school bus, garbage truck, taxi.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

after determining that the second vehicle is a predetermined type, determine a state of the second vehicle;

wherein the driving action is determined based on the state of the second vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein determining the state of the second vehicle comprising detecting whether at least one of the following conditions are present:

lights on the second vehicle are flashing, and a siren on the second vehicle is sounding.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

detect a set of the special purpose vehicles sharing the road with the first vehicle;

wherein the driving action is determined based on a number of the special purpose vehicles in the set.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the special purpose vehicle is detected based on at least one of shape, color, or sound.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising the first vehicle.