Traffic signal response for autonomous vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10377378-B2
Application number	US-201815958365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2018
Priority date	Jul 31, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to determining whether a vehicle should continue through an intersection. For example, the one or more of the vehicle's computers may identify a time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red. The one or more computers may also estimate a location of a vehicle at the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red. A starting point of the intersection may be identified. Based on whether the estimated location of the vehicle is at least a threshold distance past the starting point at the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red, the computers can determine whether the vehicle should continue through the intersection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
identifying, by one or more computing devices, a time when a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
estimating, by the one or more computing devices, a location of a vehicle at the identified time that a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
detecting, by the one or more computing devices, a starting point of an intersection associated with a traffic signal light;
determining, by the one or more computing devices, whether the estimated location of the vehicle is at least a threshold distance past the starting point into the intersection;
when the estimated location of the vehicle is determined to be at least a threshold distance past the starting point into the intersection, determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the vehicle should continue through the intersection;
after determining that the vehicle should go through the intersection, estimating, a second location of the vehicle at the time that the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red; and determining whether the estimated second location of the vehicle is at least a second threshold distance past the starting point, wherein the second threshold distance is less than the threshold distance.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, when the estimated location of the vehicle is determined not to be at least a threshold distance past the starting point, determining that the vehicle should stop at or before the starting point.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a time when a traffic signal light turned from green to yellow;
identifying a length of time that the traffic signal light will remain yellow; and
wherein identifying the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red is based on the time when a traffic signal light turned from green to yellow and a length of time that the traffic signal light will remain yellow.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein identifying the length of time include calculating the length of time based on a speed limit of a roadway on which the vehicle is traveling.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein identifying the length of time includes retrieving a default value.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein identifying the length of time includes accessing a plurality of lengths of times for various traffic signal lights and retrieving a value corresponding to the traffic signal light.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimated location of the vehicle corresponds to an estimated location of a portion of the vehicle proximate to a rear of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red is based on information received from a device remote from the vehicle.

9. A system comprising one or more computing devices configured to:
identify a time when a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
estimate a location of a vehicle at the identified time that a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
detect a starting point of an intersection associated with a traffic signal light;
determine whether the estimated location of the vehicle is at least a threshold distance past the starting point into the intersection;
when the estimated location of the vehicle is determined to be at least a threshold distance past the starting point into the intersection, determine that the vehicle should continue through the intersection;
after determining that the vehicle should go through the intersection, estimate, a second location of the vehicle at the time that the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red; and
determine whether the estimated second location of the vehicle is at least a second threshold distance past the starting point, wherein the second threshold distance is less than the threshold distance.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to, when the estimated location of the vehicle is determined not to be at least a threshold distance past the starting point, determine that the vehicle should stop at or before the starting point.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:
identify a time when a traffic signal light turned from green to yellow;
identify a length of time that the traffic signal light will remain yellow; and
identify the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red based on the time when a traffic signal light turned from green to yellow and a length of time that the traffic signal light will remain yellow.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to identify the length of time by calculating the length of time based on a speed limit of a roadway on which the vehicle is traveling.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to identify the length of time by retrieving a default value.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to identify the length of time by accessing a plurality of lengths of times for various traffic signal lights and retrieving a value corresponding to the traffic signal light.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the estimated location of the vehicle corresponds to an estimated location of a portion of the vehicle proximate to a rear of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to identify the time when the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red based on information received from a device remote from the vehicle.

17. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:
identifying a time when a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
estimating a location of a vehicle at the identified time that a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
detecting a starting point of an intersection associated with a traffic signal light;
determining whether the estimated location of the vehicle is at least a threshold distance past the starting point into the intersection;
when the estimated location of the vehicle is determined to be at least a threshold distance past the starting point into the intersection, determining that the vehicle should continue through the intersection;
after determining that the vehicle should go through the intersection, estimating, a second location of the vehicle at the time that the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red; and
determining whether the estimated second location of the vehicle is at least a second threshold distance past the starting point, wherein the second threshold distance is less than the threshold distance.

18. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises when the estimated location of the vehicle is determined not to be at least a threshold distance past the starting point, determining that the vehicle should stop at or before the starting point.

19. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
identifying a time when a traffic signal light turned from green to yellow;
identifying a length of time that the traffic signal light will remain yellow; and
wherein identifying the time

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Gutmann Jens-Steffen Ralf
• Wendel Andreas
• Fairfield Nathaniel
• Dolgov Dmitri A
• Burnette Donald Jason

Classifications

• B60W2555/60

  Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way · CPC title

• G08G1/096791

  where the origin of the information is another vehicle · CPC title

• B60W30/18154 Primary

  Approaching an intersection · CPC title

• G08G1/09623 Primary

  Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle (G08G1/0967 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G08G1/09626

  where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map · CPC title