Selectively controlling a self-driving vehicle's access to a roadway

• US 9,836,973 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DoorDash, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gordon, Michael S., Kozloski, James R., Kundu, Ashish, Malkin, Peter K., Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jelani
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fei, Jordan S
• Application Number:
  US15/007,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20170213458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/00 Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 13/04 movable to allow or prevent passage E01F13/12, E01F15/12 take precedence; removing part of barrier for occasional passage E01F13/024; gates for allowing passage through fences E06B11/02
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 13/046 the obstructing members moving up in a translatory motion, e.g. telescopic barrier posts for lane control E01F9/594
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 13/048 with obstructing members moving in a translatory motion, e.g. vertical lift barriers, sliding gates E01F13/046, E01F13/105 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 13/06 by swinging into open position about a vertical or horizontal axis parallel to the road direction, i.e. swinging gates
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 13/10 Vehicle barriers specially adapted for allowing passage in one direction only
• 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: G08G 1/097 Supervising of traffic control systems, e.g. by giving an alarm if two crossing streets have green light simultaneously

Abstract

A processor-implemented method selectively controls a self-driving vehicle'"'"'s access to a roadway. A vehicle interrogation hardware device receives an autonomous capability signal from an approaching self-driving vehicle. One or more processors compare predefined roadway conditions to current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway. In response to the predefined roadway conditions matching the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway within a predetermined range, the processor(s) determine whether the level of autonomous capability of the approaching self-driving vehicle is adequate to safely maneuver the approaching self-driving vehicle through the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway. In response to determining that the level of autonomous capability of the self-driving vehicle is adequate to safely maneuver the approaching self-driving vehicle through the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway, an automatic barricade controlling device positions an automatic barricade to provide the approaching self-driving vehicle with access to the access-controlled roadway.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method of selectively controlling a self-driving vehicle'"'"'s access to a roadway, the processor-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a vehicle interrogation hardware device, an autonomous capability signal from an approaching self-driving vehicle, wherein the approaching self-driving vehicle is approaching an access-controlled roadway, wherein access to the access-controlled roadway is limited to self-driving vehicles that are deemed qualified to travel on the access-controlled roadway, and wherein the autonomous capability signal describes a level of autonomous capability of the approaching self-driving vehicle for maneuvering through predefined roadway conditions;

comparing, by one or more processors, the predefined roadway conditions to current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway;

in response to the predefined roadway conditions matching the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway within a predetermined range, determining, by one or more processors, whether the level of autonomous capability of the approaching self-driving vehicle is adequate to safely maneuver the approaching self-driving vehicle through the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway; and

in response determining that the level of autonomous capability of the self-driving vehicle is adequate to safely maneuver the approaching self-driving vehicle through the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway, positioning, by an automatic barricade controlling device, an automatic barricade to provide the approaching self-driving vehicle with access to the access-controlled roadway, wherein the automatic barricade is a physical barricade that is positioned at an entrance of the access-controlled roadway.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the vehicle interrogation hardware device, that another approaching vehicle is operating in manual mode; and

in response to determining that said another approaching vehicle is operating in manual mode, positioning, by the automatic barricade controlling device, the automatic barricade to block said another approaching vehicle from accessing the access-controlled roadway.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the access-controlled roadway is a vehicular surface from a group consisting of street, a tunnel, a ferry, a parking spot, and a service bay.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, sensor readings from sensors that monitor the access-controlled roadway, wherein the sensor readings describe a current real-time condition of the access-controlled roadway; and

determining, by one or more processors, the current roadway conditions based on the received sensor readings.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the vehicle interrogation hardware device, a description of a physical state of the approaching self-driving vehicle;

retrieving, by one or more processors, an accident history of other vehicles that have a same physical state as that of the approaching self-driving vehicle while traveling on the access-controlled roadway;

determining, by one or more processors, whether the accident history of the other vehicles traveling on the access-controlled roadway exceeds a predetermined limit; and

in response to the one or more processors determining that the accident history of the other vehicles exceeds the predetermine limit while traveling on the access-controlled roadway, positioning, by the automatic barricade controlling device, the automatic barricade to block the approaching self-driving vehicle from accessing the access-controlled roadway.

6. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway comprise a curve radius of a curve in the access-controlled roadway being less than a predefined value.

7. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway comprise an absence of guardrails on one or more sections of the access-controlled roadway.

8. A computer program product for selectively controlling a self-driving vehicle'"'"'s access to a roadway, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving an autonomous capability signal from an approaching self-driving vehicle, wherein the approaching self-driving vehicle is approaching an access-controlled roadway, wherein access to the access-controlled roadway is limited to self-driving vehicles that are deemed qualified to travel on the access-controlled roadway, and wherein the autonomous capability signal describes a level of autonomous capability of the approaching self-driving vehicle for maneuvering through predefined roadway conditions;

comparing the predefined roadway conditions to current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway;

in response to the predefined roadway conditions matching the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway within a predetermined range, determining whether the level of autonomous capability of the approaching self-driving vehicle is adequate to safely maneuver the approaching self-driving vehicle through the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway; and

in response to determining that the level of autonomous capability of the self-driving vehicle is adequate to safely maneuver the approaching self-driving vehicle through the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway, positioning, via an automatic barricade controlling device, an automatic barricade to provide the approaching self-driving vehicle with access to the access-controlled roadway, wherein the automatic barricade is a physical barricade that is positioned at an entrance of the access-controlled roadway.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that another approaching vehicle is operating in manual mode; and

in response to determining that said another approaching vehicle is operating in manual mode, positioning, via the automatic barricade controlling device, the automatic barricade to block said another approaching vehicle from accessing the access-controlled roadway.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the access-controlled roadway is a vehicular surface from a group consisting of a ferry, a parking spot, and a service bay.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving sensor readings from sensors that monitor the access-controlled roadway, wherein the sensor readings describe a current real-time condition of the access-controlled roadway; and

determining the current roadway conditions based on the received sensor readings.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a description of a physical state of the approaching self-driving vehicle;

retrieving an accident history of other vehicles that have a same physical state as that of the approaching self-driving vehicle while traveling on the access-controlled roadway;

determining whether the accident history of the other vehicles traveling on the access-controlled roadway exceeds a predetermined limit; and

in response to determining that the accident history of the other vehicles exceeds the predetermine limit while traveling on the access-controlled roadway, positioning, via the automatic barricade controlling device, the automatic barricade to block the approaching self-driving vehicle from accessing the access-controlled roadway.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway comprise a curve radius of a curve in the access-controlled roadway being less than a predefined value.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway comprise an absence of guardrails on one or more sections of the access-controlled roadway.

15. A roadway access-controlling station comprising:

a supervisory computer;

a vehicle interrogation hardware device; and

an automatic barricade controlling device,

wherein the vehicle interrogation hardware device receives an autonomous capability signal from an approaching self-driving vehicle, wherein the approaching self-driving vehicle is approaching an access-controlled roadway, wherein access to the access-controlled roadway is limited to self-driving vehicles that are deemed qualified to travel on the access-controlled roadway, and wherein the autonomous capability signal describes a level of autonomous capability of the approaching self-driving vehicle for maneuvering through predefined roadway conditions;

wherein the supervisory computer compares the predefined roadway conditions to current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway;

wherein the supervisory computer, in response to the predefined roadway conditions matching the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway within a predetermined range, determines whether the level of autonomous capability of the approaching self-driving vehicle is adequate to safely maneuver the approaching self-driving vehicle through the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway; and

wherein the automatic barricade controlling device, in response the supervisory computer determining that the level of autonomous capability of the self-driving vehicle is adequate to safely maneuver the approaching self-driving vehicle through the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway, positions an automatic barricade to provide the approaching self-driving vehicle with access to the access-controlled roadway, wherein the automatic barricade is a physical barricade that is positioned at an entrance of the access-controlled roadway.

16. The roadway access-controlling station of claim 15, wherein:

the vehicle interrogation hardware device determines that another approaching vehicle is operating in manual mode; and

wherein

in response to the vehicle interrogation hardware device determining that said another approaching vehicle is operating in manual mode, the automatic barricade controlling device positions the automatic barricade to block said another approaching vehicle from accessing the access-controlled roadway.

17. The roadway access-controlling station of claim 15, wherein the access-controlled roadway is a vehicular surface from a group consisting of a tunnel, a ferry, and a parking spot.

18. The roadway access-controlling station of claim 15, wherein:

the supervisory computer receives sensor readings from sensors that monitor the access-controlled roadway, wherein the sensor readings describe a current real-time condition of the access-controlled roadway; and

wherein

the supervisory computer determines the current roadway conditions based on the received sensor readings.

19. The roadway access-controlling station of claim 15, wherein the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway comprise a curve radius of a curve in the access-controlled roadway being less than a predefined value.

20. The roadway access-controlling station of claim 15, wherein the current roadway conditions of the access-controlled roadway comprise an absence of guardrails on one or more sections of the access-controlled roadway.