Prioritizing vehicle navigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10768637-B2
Application number	US-201816117868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2018
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media may be configured to facilitate prioritization of vehicle navigation. One or more vehicles in an environment of a priority vehicle may be identified. Priorities of the vehicle(s) and the priority vehicle may be determined. A desired navigation of the priority vehicle in the environment may be determined based on the priorities of the vehicle(s) and the priority vehicle. An instruction may be provided to at least one of the vehicle(s) based on the desired navigation of the priority vehicle in the environment. The instruction may characterize one or more maneuvers to be performed by the at least one of the vehicle(s) to facilitate the desired navigation of the priority vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform:
identifying vehicles in an environment of a priority vehicle, wherein the vehicles include a first vehicle configured to receive direct commands from the system and second and third vehicles that do not receive direct commands from the system, the first vehicle being in front of the third vehicle, and the third vehicle being in front of the priority vehicle,
determining relative priorities of the first vehicle and the priority vehicle, the priority vehicle determined to have a higher priority than the first vehicle;
determining a desired navigation of the priority vehicle in the environment based on the relative priorities of the first vehicle and the priority vehicle; and
providing an instruction to the first vehicle based on the desired navigation of the priority vehicle in the environment, the instruction characterizing one or more maneuvers to be performed by the first vehicle to facilitate the desired navigation of the priority vehicle, wherein:
in response to the priority vehicle being obstructed by the second vehicle and the third vehicle, the instruction comprises commanding the first vehicle to move in front of the second vehicle, and to reduce a speed of the first vehicle to a speed lower than a speed of the third vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle includes an autonomous vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to perform:
providing an instruction to the second vehicle using a signal of the priority vehicle to convey one or more maneuvers to be performed by the priority vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second vehicle includes a non-autonomous vehicle, an uncommunicative autonomous vehicle, or an incompatible autonomous vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to perform:
providing an instruction to the first vehicle and a fourth vehicle configured to receive direct commands from the system, the instruction including a command causing that causes the first and fourth vehicles to perform one or more maneuvers to confine a movement of the second vehicle in the environment.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instruction is provided by the priority vehicle to the first vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instruction is provided by a central server to the first vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the relative priorities of the first vehicle and the priority vehicle are determined based on a vehicle type or a priority bid.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to perform:
sending a second instruction to the priority vehicle or the first vehicle, the second instruction commanding the priority vehicle or the first vehicle to signal for the second vehicle to perform a second maneuver.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle, the third vehicle, and the priority vehicle are travelling on a first lane, the second vehicle is on a second lane adjacent to the first lane, and the instruction provides:
a command to the first vehicle to switch to the second lane in front of the second vehicle; and
a second command to the priority vehicle to pass the second vehicle and the first vehicle.

11. A method implemented by a computing system including one or more processors and storage media storing machine-readable instructions, wherein the method is performed using the one or more processors, the method comprising:
identifying vehicles in an environment of a priority vehicle, wherein the vehicles include a first vehicle configured to receive direct commands from the system and second and third vehicles that do not receive direct commands from the system, the first vehicle being in front of the third vehicle, and the third vehicle being in front of the priority vehicle;
determining relative priorities of the first vehicle and the priority vehicle, the priority vehicle determined to have a higher priority than the first vehicle;
determining a desired navigation of the priority vehicle in the environment based on the relative priorities of the first vehicle and the priority vehicle; and
providing an instruction to the first vehicle based on the desired navigation of the priority vehicle in the environment, the instruction characterizing one or more maneuvers to be performed by the first vehicle to facilitate the desired navigation of the priority vehicle, wherein:
in response to the priority vehicle being obstructed by the second vehicle and the third vehicle, the instruction comprises commanding the first vehicle to move in front of the second vehicle, and to reduce a speed of the first vehicle to a speed lower than a speed of the third vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing an instruction to the second vehicle using a signal of the priority vehicle to convey one or more maneuvers to be performed by the priority vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second vehicle includes a non-autonomous vehicle, an uncommunicative autonomous vehicle, or an incompatible autonomous vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing an instruction to the first vehicle and a fourth vehicle configured to receive direct commands from the system, the instruction including a command that causes the first and fourth vehicles to perform one or more maneuvers to confine a movement of the second vehicle in the environment.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the instruction is provided by the priority vehicle to the first vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the instruction is provided by a central server to the first vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the respective priorities of the first vehicle and the priority vehicle are determined based on a vehicle type or a priority bid.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform:
identifying vehicles in an environment of a priority vehicle, wherein the vehicles include a first vehicle configured to receive direct commands from the system and second and third vehicles that do not receive direct commands from the system, the first vehicle being in front of the third vehicle, and the third vehicle being in front of the priority vehicle;
determining relative priorities of the first vehicle and the priority vehicle, the priority vehicle determined to have a higher priority than the first vehicle;
determining a desired navigation of the priority vehicle in the environment based on the relative priorities of the first vehicle and the priority vehicle, and based on a collective travel time for the first vehicle and the priority vehicle; and
providing an instruction to the first vehicle based on the desired navigation of the priority vehicle in the environment, the instruction characterizing one or more maneuvers to be performed by the first vehicle to facilitate the desired navigation of the priority vehicle, wherein:
in response to the priority vehicle being obstructed by the second vehicle and the third vehicle, the instruction comprises commanding the first vehicle to move in front of the second vehicle, and to reduce a speed of the first vehicle to a speed lower than a speed of the third vehicle.

Assignees

• Pony Ai Inc

Inventors

• He Xing
• Yu Xiang
• Lou tiancheng
• Peng Jun
• Deng Nengxiu
• Song Hao

Classifications

• G01C21/20 Primary

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• G08G1/0965 Primary

  responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• G05D2201/0213

  Physics · mapped topic

• G05D1/0293 Primary

  Convoy travelling · CPC title