Sensory stimulation system for an autonomous vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10112623-B2
Application number	US-201715651878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 3, 2016
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A sensory stimulation system for autonomous vehicle (AV) can determine a set of maneuvers of the AV. Based on each respective maneuver, the sensory stimulation system can determine a set of visual stimulation outputs to provide a passenger of the AV with visual indications of the respective maneuver. The sensory stimulation system can then display the set of visual stimulation outputs on a display unit within the interior of the AV prior to executing each respective maneuver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensory stimulation system for an autonomous vehicle (AV), the sensory stimulation system comprising:
at least one display unit within an interior of the AV;
one or more processors; and
one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the sensory stimulation system to:
determine a set of maneuvers to be executed by the AV;
based on each respective maneuver of the set, determine a set of visual stimulation outputs to provide a passenger of the AV with visual indications of the respective maneuver; and
prior to the AV executing the respective maneuver, preemptively display the set of visual stimulation outputs on the at least one display unit.

2. The sensory stimulation system of claim 1 , wherein the set of maneuvers comprise acceleration, braking, and change of direction actions executed by the AV.

3. The sensory stimulation system of claim 1 , wherein the executed instructions cause the sensory stimulation system to determine the set of maneuvers by receiving action data from a control system of the AV, the action data indicating an immediate action plan corresponding to the set of maneuvers to be executed by the AV.

4. The sensory stimulation system of claim 1 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the sensory stimulation system to:
display a live presentation on the at least one display unit, the live presentation presenting the AV operating along a current route.

5. The sensory stimulation system of claim 4 , wherein the live presentation comprises LIDAR data from at least one LIDAR sensor of the AV, the LIDAR data providing a sensor view of a surrounding environment of the AV.

6. The sensory stimulation system of claim 4 , wherein the live presentation comprises live video data from one or more cameras of the AV.

7. The sensory stimulation system of claim 6 , wherein the executed instructions cause the sensory stimulation system to display the live presentation by generating augmented reality features presented on the live video data, the augmented reality features representing actual features in a surrounding environment of the AV.

8. The sensory stimulation system of claim 7 , wherein the augmented reality features comprise (i) an augmented reality representation of the AV traveling along the current route, and (ii) generated representations of proximate external entities to the AV.

9. The sensory stimulation system of claim 8 , wherein the proximate external entities comprise proximate pedestrians, proximate bicyclists, and proximate vehicles to the AV.

10. The sensory stimulation system of claim 4 , wherein the live presentation includes a live map indicating route information of the current route traveled by the AV.

11. An autonomous vehicle (AV) comprising:
a sensor system to generate sensor data indicating a situational environment of the AV;
at least one display unit within an interior of the AV;
acceleration, steering, and braking systems; and
a control system comprising one or more processing resources executing instructions that cause the control system to:
determine a set of maneuvers to execute to autonomously control the acceleration, steering, and braking systems;
based on each respective maneuver of the set, determine a set of visual stimulation outputs to provide a passenger of the AV with visual indications of the respective maneuver; and
prior to executing the respective maneuver, preemptively display the set of visual stimulation outputs on the at least one display unit.

12. The AV of claim 11 , wherein the set of maneuvers comprise acceleration, braking, and change of direction actions executed by the acceleration, steering, and braking systems.

13. The AV of claim 11 , wherein the executed instructions cause the control system to (i) generate action data indicating an immediate action plan corresponding to the set of maneuvers, and (ii) determine the set of visual stimulation outputs based on the action data.

14. The AV of claim 11 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the control system to:
display a live presentation on the at least one display unit, the live presentation presenting the AV operating along a current route.

15. The AV of claim 14 , wherein the live presentation comprises LIDAR data from at least one LIDAR sensor of the sensor system, the LIDAR data providing a sensor view of a surrounding environment of the AV.

16. The AV of claim 14 , wherein the live presentation comprises live video data from one or more cameras of the sensor system.

17. The AV of claim 16 , wherein the executed instructions cause the control system to display the live presentation by generating augmented reality features presented on the live video data, the augmented reality features representing actual features in a surrounding environment of the AV.

18. The AV of claim 17 , wherein the augmented reality features comprise (i) an augmented reality representation of the AV traveling along the current route, and (ii) generated representations of proximate external entities to the AV.

19. The AV of claim 18 , wherein the proximate external entities comprise proximate pedestrians, proximate bicyclists, and proximate vehicles to the AV.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for providing sensory stimulation for one or more riders to indication motion of an autonomous vehicle (AV), wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
determine a set of maneuvers to be executed by the AV;
based on each respective maneuver of the set, determine a set of visual stimulation outputs to provide a passenger of the AV with visual indications of the respective maneuver; and
prior to the AV executing the respective maneuver, preemptively display the set of visual stimulation outputs on at least one display unit of the AV.

Assignees

• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Sweeney Matthew
• Bartel Emily

Classifications

• A61M2205/332

  Force measuring means · CPC title

• B60W40/10

  related to vehicle motion · CPC title

• G05D1/02

  Control of position or course in two dimensions · CPC title

• B60R2300/207

  using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display · CPC title

• B60N2/0244

  with logic circuits · CPC title