Expert mode for vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10322717-B2
Application number	US-201715398454-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2017
Priority date	Jan 4, 2016
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

Systems and method are provided for controlling an autonomous vehicle. In one embodiment, a method for controlling an autonomous vehicle comprises determining that assistance is required for continued movement of the autonomous vehicle; and facilitating movement of the autonomous vehicle via implementation, by a processor onboard the autonomous vehicle, of manual instructions provided from a remote user that is remote from the autonomous vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
determining that assistance is required for continued movement of the autonomous vehicle;
obtaining instructions, from a remote user that is remote from the autonomous vehicle, to relax a constraint of a roadway on which the autonomous vehicle is travelling that would interfere with movement of the autonomous vehicle; and
facilitating movement of the autonomous vehicle via implementation, by a processor onboard the autonomous vehicle, of the instructions provided from the remote user that is remote from the autonomous vehicle, to thereby relax the constraint for the roadway on which the autonomous vehicle is travelling.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that an obstacle is obstructing proposed movement of the autonomous vehicle along an initial path;
wherein:
the step of obtaining the instructions comprises obtaining manual instructions, from the remote user, to relax the constraint in facilitating movement of the autonomous vehicle around the obstacle; and
the step of implementing the manual instructions comprises implementing the manual instructions, via the processor onboard the autonomous vehicle, to facilitate movement of the autonomous vehicle around the obstacle.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of implementing the manual instructions comprises:
generating, via the processor onboard the autonomous vehicle, an alternate path for the autonomous vehicle to move around the obstacle using the manual instructions for the relaxed constraint.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of implementing the manual instructions further comprises:
receiving manual confirmation, from the remote user, of the remote user's acceptance of the alternate path; and
implementing the alternate path, upon receiving the manual confirmation, via instructions provided by the processor onboard the autonomous vehicle.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the step of obtaining the manual instructions comprises:
obtaining manual instructions from the remote user to adjust a lane boundary of the roadway that would interfere with movement of the autonomous vehicle around the obstacle; and

the step of implementing the manual instructions comprises:
implementing the manual instructions, via the processor onboard the autonomous vehicle, to facilitate movement of the autonomous vehicle around the obstacle using the adjusted lane boundary.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the constraint comprises a lane marker for the roadway; and
the constraint is relaxed via a virtual re-drawing of the lane marker for the roadway by the remote operator.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the constraint comprises a double yellow lane marker for the roadway; and
the constraint is relaxed via a virtual re-drawing of the double yellow lane marker for the roadway by the remote operator.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the virtual re-drawing of the lane marker for the roadway is performed by a human remote operator via a computer input device that is coupled to a computer device that is disposed remote from the autonomous vehicle.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
generating, via the processor onboard the autonomous vehicle, an alternative path for the autonomous vehicle, using the re-drawn lane marker for the roadway.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of generating the alternative path comprises generating the alternate path using relative motion constraints, but that are more relaxed as compared with previous relative motion constraints utilized prior to the determining that assistance is required.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of generating the alternative path comprises generating the alternate path using the re-drawn lane marker via a heuristic of an A star algorithm.

12. A system for controlling an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:
a remote computer module configured to:
determine that assistance is required for continued movement of the autonomous vehicle; and
obtain instructions, from a remote user that is remote from the autonomous vehicle, to relax a constraint of a roadway on which the autonomous vehicle is travelling that would interfere with movement of the autonomous vehicle; and

an autonomous vehicle computer module configured to facilitating movement of the autonomous vehicle via implementation, by a processor onboard the autonomous vehicle, of the instructions provided from the remote user that is remote from the autonomous vehicle, to thereby relax the constraint for the roadway on which the autonomous vehicle is travelling.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the autonomous vehicle computer module is configured to detect that an obstacle is obstructing proposed movement of the autonomous vehicle along an initial path;
the remote computer module is configured to obtain manual instructions, from the remote user, to relax the constraint in facilitating movement of the autonomous vehicle around the obstacle; and
the autonomous vehicle computer module is further configured to implement the manual instructions, via the processor onboard the autonomous vehicle, to facilitate movement of the autonomous vehicle around the obstacle.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the autonomous vehicle computer module is configured to generate, via the processor onboard the autonomous vehicle, an alternate path for the autonomous vehicle to move around the obstacle using the manual instructions for the relaxed constraint.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the remote computer module is configured to receive manual confirmation, from the remote user, of the remote user's acceptance of the alternate path; and
the autonomous vehicle computer module is configured to implement the alternate path, upon receiving the manual confirmation, via instructions provided by the processor onboard the autonomous vehicle.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the remote computer module is configured to obtain manual instructions from the remote user to adjust a lane boundary of the roadway that would interfere with movement of the autonomous vehicle around the obstacle; and
the autonomous vehicle computer module is configured to implement the manual instructions, via the processor onboard the autonomous vehicle, to facilitate movement of the autonomous vehicle around the obstacle using the adjusted lane boundary.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the constraint comprises a lane marker for the roadway; and
the constraint is relaxed via a virtual re-drawing of the lane marker for the roadway by the remote operator.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein:
the constraint comprises a double yellow lane marker for the roadway; and
the constraint is relaxed via a virtual re-drawing of the double yellow lane marker for the roadway by the remote operator.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the autonomous vehicle computer module is further configured to generate an alternative path for the autonomous vehicle, using the re-drawn lane marker for the roadway, using relative motion constraints, but that are more relaxed as compared with previous relative motion constraints utilized prior to the determining that assistance is required.

20. A system for controlling an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:
an interface disposed remote from the autonomous vehicle, the interface configured to receive manual instructions from a remote user, who is remote

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Rust Ian

Classifications

• G08G1/00

  Traffic control systems for road vehicles (arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 {; automatic vehicle control B62D}) · CPC title

• B60W30/00 Primary

  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 title

• G05D1/0027 Primary

  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 title

• G05D2201/0213

  Physics · mapped topic

• G05D1/0219 Primary

  ensuring the processing of the whole working surface · CPC title