Self-driving vehicle's response to a proximate emergency vehicle

• US 9,869,560 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2015
• 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, ISAAC G
• Application Number:
  US14/815,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20170030725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 701 26
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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: 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 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• 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 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product controls self-driving vehicles (SDVs). An emergency message is transmitted to a receiver within a self-driving vehicle (SDV). The emergency message describes an emergency state of an emergency vehicle and an identified future route of the emergency vehicle. In response to the SDV receiving the emergency message, the SDV is redirected, via an auto-control hardware system on the SDV, to a location and on a route that does not conflict with the identified future route of the emergency vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling self-driving vehicles (SDVs), the computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting, to a receiver within a self-driving vehicle (SDV), an emergency message, wherein the emergency message describes an emergency state of an emergency vehicle and an identified future route of the emergency vehicle, wherein the identified future route is a planned route to an emergency destination for the emergency vehicle that includes a first pathway;

in response to the SDV receiving the emergency message, redirecting, via an auto-control hardware system on the SDV, the SDV to drive to a second pathway that does not conflict with the identified future route of the emergency vehicle; and

in response to the receiver within the SDV receiving the emergency message, automatically transmitting, to the emergency vehicle, real-time current traffic patterns of a current location of the SDV, wherein the real-time current traffic patterns are generated based on positioning signals generated by positioning systems in multiple SDVs that are in the current location of the SDV.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the SDV is initially operating in manual mode in which the SDV is manually controlled by a driver of the SDV, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

in response to the receiver within the SDV receiving the emergency message, one or more processors automatically switching control of the SDV from the manual mode to an autonomous mode, wherein the autonomous mode directs the auto-control hardware system on the SDV to autonomously control movement of the SDV.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, to the receiver within the SDV, the emergency message in response to a warning system being activated within the emergency vehicle, wherein the warning system warns the SDV of the emergency state of the emergency vehicle.

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

adjusting, by one or more processors, a level of autonomous control of the SDV by the auto-control hardware system on the SDV based on a presence of fragile cargo being transported by the SDV.

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

retrieving, by one or more processors, data describing historic traffic patterns of the identified future route; and

adjusting, via the auto-control hardware system on the SDV, said redirecting of the SDV according to the historic traffic patterns of the identified future route.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receivers within multiple SDVs receiving the emergency message, automatically transmitting, to the emergency vehicle, real-time current traffic patterns of current locations of the multiple SDVs.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identified future route is on a first roadway, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

receiving, from multiple SDVs along the identified future route, real-time current traffic patterns of current locations of the multiple SDVs;

redirecting, via auto-control hardware systems on the multiple SDVs, the SDVs to positions that clear out a new route on a second roadway for the emergency vehicle, wherein the first roadway and the second roadway are different roadways; and

transmitting a redirection message to the emergency vehicle, wherein the redirection message redirects the emergency vehicle to the new route after the SDVs have been repositioned to clear out the new route.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the SDV is equipped with a minimum spacing device that automatically maintains a predefined minimum distance between the SDV and another vehicle, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

in response to the SDV receiving the emergency message, modifying the predefined minimum distance between the SDV and said another vehicle.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning, by one or more processors, a driver of the SDV to a cohort of SDV drivers that each have a particular trait; and

adjusting, by one or more processors, a level of autonomous control of the SDV by the auto-control hardware system on the SDV based on traits of non-driver occupants in the SDV.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, by one or more processors, historical data related to a frequency of activation of the autonomous mode in other SDVs in a particular geography; and

adjusting, by one or more processors, a level of autonomous control of the SDV by the auto-control hardware system on the SDV based on the frequency of activation of the autonomous mode in the other SDVs in the particular geography.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the SDV, that the emergency vehicle is more than a predefined distance from the SDV; and

in response to determining that the emergency vehicle is more than a predefined distance from the SDV, directing an SDV control processor in the SDV to turn down a third street in order to avoid the emergency vehicle.

11. A computer program product for controlling self-driving vehicles (SDVs), 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:

transmitting, to a receiver within a self-driving vehicle (SDV), an emergency message, wherein the emergency message describes an emergency state of an emergency vehicle and an identified future route of the emergency vehicle, wherein the identified future route is a planned route to an emergency destination for the emergency vehicle that includes a first pathway; and

in response to the SDV receiving the emergency message, redirecting, via an auto-control hardware system on the SDV, the SDV to drive to a second pathway that does not conflict with the identified future route of the emergency vehicle.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the SDV is initially operating in manual mode in which the SDV is manually controlled by a driver of the SDV, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the receiver within the SDV receiving the emergency message, automatically switching control of the SDV from the manual mode to an autonomous mode, wherein the autonomous mode directs the auto-control hardware system on the SDV to autonomously control movement of the SDV.

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

adjusting a level of autonomous control of the SDV by the auto-control hardware system on the SDV based on traits of non-driver occupants in the SDV.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the SDV is equipped with a minimum spacing device that automatically maintains a predefined minimum distance between the SDV and another vehicle, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the SDV receiving the emergency message, reducing the predefined minimum distance between the SDV and said another vehicle.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to transmit, to a receiver within a self-driving vehicle (SDV), an emergency message, wherein the emergency message describes an emergency state of an emergency vehicle and an identified future route of the emergency vehicle, wherein the identified future route is a planned route to an emergency destination for the emergency vehicle that includes a first pathway;

second program instructions to, in response to the SDV receiving the emergency message, redirect, via an auto-control hardware system on the SDV, the SDV to drive to a second pathway that does not conflict with the identified future route of the emergency vehicle; and

wherein

the first and second program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium for execution by one or more processors via the computer readable memory.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the SDV is initially operating in manual mode in which the SDV is manually controlled by a driver of the SDV, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

third program instructions to, in response to the receiver within the SDV receiving the emergency message, automatically switch control of the SDV from the manual mode to an autonomous mode, wherein the autonomous mode causes the auto-control hardware system on the SDV to autonomously control movement of the SDV; and

wherein

the third program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium for execution by one or more processors via the computer readable memory.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the SDV is equipped with a minimum spacing device that automatically maintains a predefined minimum distance between the SDV and another vehicle, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

third program instructions to, in response to the SDV receiving the emergency message, reduce the predefined minimum distance between the SDV and said another vehicle; and

wherein

the third program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium for execution by one or more processors via the computer readable memory.

18. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

third program instructions to adjust a level of autonomous control of the SDV by the auto-control hardware system on the SDV based on traits of non-driver occupants in the SDV; and

wherein

the third program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium for execution by one or more processors via the computer readable memory.

19. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

third program instructions to transmit, to the receiver within the SDV, the emergency message in response to a warning system being activated within the emergency vehicle, wherein the warning system warns the SDV of the emergency state of the emergency vehicle; and

wherein

the third program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium for execution by one or more processors via the computer readable memory.