Route risk mitigation

• US 9,932,033 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arity International Limited (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Slusar, Mark V., Bogovich, Jason Brian, Jordan Peters, Julie A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US14/733,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20160167652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/26 Wheel slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• 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 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3874 : Structures specially adapted for data searching and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance

Abstract

A method is disclosed for analyzing historical accident information to adjust driving actions of an autonomous vehicle over a travel route in order to avoid accidents which have occurred over the travel route. Historical accident information for the travel route can be analyzed to, for example, determine accident types which occurred over the travel route and determine causes and/or probable causes of the accident types. In response to determining accident types and causes/probable causes of the accident types over the travel route, adjustments can be made to the driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the travel route. In addition, in an embodiment, historical accident information can be used to analyze available travel routes and select a route which presents less risk of accident than others.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an autonomous driving system of an autonomous vehicle from an on-board diagnostics system associated with the autonomous vehicle, near real-time vehicle travel information corresponding to driving conditions experienced by the autonomous vehicle during travel along a route, wherein the near real-time vehicle travel information comprises vehicle sensor information received from one or more vehicle sensors associated with the autonomous vehicle;

receiving, by the autonomous driving system of the autonomous vehicle, from a personal navigation device, a first travel route for the autonomous vehicle and a second travel route for the autonomous vehicle;

determining, by the autonomous driving system of the autonomous vehicle, a first route risk value for the first travel route and a second route risk value for the second travel route, wherein the first route risk value and the second route risk value are determined based on a direction that the autonomous vehicle travels through a road segment and the near real-time vehicle travel information received from the on-board diagnostics system associated with the autonomous vehicle;

comparing, by the autonomous driving system of the autonomous vehicle, the first route risk value to the second route risk value to identify a travel route of the first travel route and the second travel route having less route risk;

selecting, by the autonomous driving system of the autonomous vehicle, the travel route of the first travel route and the second travel route identified as having the less route risk; and

operating, by the autonomous driving system of the autonomous vehicle, one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises controlling one or more of acceleration of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, deceleration of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, steering of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, or route navigation of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises analyzing historical accident information of vehicles engaged in autonomous driving over the selected travel route to identify at least a first accident of a plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route for vehicles engaged in autonomous driving.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises identifying a cause of the first accident and adjusting driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route based on the cause of the first accident to avoid the first accident.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the cause of the first accident comprises identifying the cause of the first accident to be excess speed, and wherein adjusting the driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route based on the cause of the first accident comprises reducing a speed of travel of the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the cause of the first accident comprises identifying the cause of the first accident to be lack of vehicle traction on a road, and wherein adjusting the driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route based on the cause of the first accident comprises engaging an all-wheel-drive function of the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the cause of the first accident comprises identifying the cause of the first accident to be a wildlife crossing, and wherein adjusting the driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route based on the cause of the first accident comprises reducing a speed of travel of the autonomous vehicle and preparing the autonomous vehicle for sudden braking or evasive maneuvers over the selected travel route.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises notifying an operator of the autonomous vehicle of the plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein notifying the operator of the autonomous vehicle of the plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route comprises presenting one or more of a list of the plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route or a route safety map which identifies where the plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route have occurred along the selected travel route.

9. An autonomous driving system of an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous driving system comprising:

at least one processor;

one or more vehicle sensors associated with the autonomous vehicle; and

memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the autonomous driving system to;

receive, from an on-board diagnostics system associated with the autonomous vehicle, near real-time vehicle travel information corresponding to driving conditions experienced by the autonomous vehicle during travel along a route, wherein the near real-time vehicle travel information comprises vehicle sensor information received from the one or more vehicle sensors associated with the autonomous vehicle;

receive, from a personal navigation device, a first travel route for the autonomous vehicle and a second travel route for the autonomous vehicle;

determine a first route risk value for the first travel route and a second route risk value for the second travel route, wherein the first route risk value and the second route risk value are determined based on a direction that the autonomous vehicle travels through a road segment and the near real-time vehicle travel information received from the on-board diagnostics system associated with the autonomous vehicle;

compare the first route risk value to the second route risk value to identify a travel route of the first travel route and the second travel route having less route risk;

select the travel route of the first travel route and the second travel route identified as having the less route risk; and

operate one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises controlling one or more of acceleration of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, deceleration of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, steering of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, or route navigation of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route.

10. The autonomous driving system of claim 9, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises analyzing historical accident information of vehicles engaged in autonomous driving over the selected travel route to identify at least a first accident of a plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route for vehicles engaged in autonomous driving.

11. The autonomous driving system of claim 10, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises identifying a cause of the first accident and adjusting driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route based on the cause of the first accident to avoid the first accident.

12. The autonomous driving system of claim 11, wherein identifying the cause of the first accident comprises identifying the cause of the first accident to be excess speed, and wherein adjusting the driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route based on the cause of the first accident comprises reducing a speed of travel of the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route.

13. The autonomous driving system of claim 11, wherein identifying the cause of the first accident comprises identifying the cause of the first accident to be lack of vehicle traction on a road, and wherein adjusting the driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route based on the cause of the first accident comprises engaging an all-wheel-drive function of the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route.

14. The autonomous driving system of claim 11, wherein identifying the cause of the first accident comprises identifying the cause of the first accident to be a wildlife crossing, and wherein adjusting the driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route based on the cause of the first accident comprises reducing a speed of travel of the autonomous vehicle and preparing the autonomous vehicle for sudden braking or evasive maneuvers over the selected travel route.

15. The autonomous driving system of claim 10, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises notifying an operator of the autonomous vehicle of the plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route.

16. The autonomous driving system of claim 15, wherein notifying the operator of the autonomous vehicle of the plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route comprises presenting one or more of a list of the plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route or a route safety map which identifies where the plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route have occurred along the selected travel route.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by an autonomous driving system comprising at least one processor and one or more vehicle sensors associated with an autonomous vehicle, cause the autonomous driving system to:

receive, from an on-board diagnostics system associated with the autonomous vehicle, near real-time vehicle travel information corresponding to driving conditions experienced by the autonomous vehicle during travel along a route, wherein the near real-time vehicle travel information comprises vehicle sensor information received from the one or more vehicle sensors associated with the autonomous vehicle;

receive, from a personal navigation device, a first travel route for the autonomous vehicle and a second travel route for the autonomous vehicle;

determine a first route risk value for the first travel route and a second route risk value for the second travel route, wherein the first route risk value and the second route risk value are determined based on a direction that the autonomous vehicle travels through a road segment and the near real-time vehicle travel information received from the on-board diagnostics system associated with the autonomous vehicle;

compare the first route risk value to the second route risk value to identify a travel route of the first travel route and the second travel route having less route risk;

select the travel route of the first travel route and the second travel route identified as having the less route risk; and

operate one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises controlling one or more of acceleration of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, deceleration of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, steering of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route, or route navigation of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises analyzing historical accident information of vehicles engaged in autonomous driving over the selected travel route to identify at least a first accident of a plurality of accidents which have historically occurred over the selected travel route for vehicles engaged in autonomous driving.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein operating the one or more driving aspects of the autonomous vehicle based on the selected travel route comprises identifying a cause of the first accident and adjusting driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route based on the cause of the first accident to avoid the first accident.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein identifying the cause of the first accident comprises identifying the cause of the first accident to be excess speed, and wherein adjusting the driving actions planned for the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route based on the cause of the first accident comprises reducing a speed of travel of the autonomous vehicle over the selected travel route.