Automated vehicle operation to compensate for sensor field-of-view limitations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10969785-B2
Application number	US-201715658065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2017
Priority date	Jul 24, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

An operating system for an automated vehicle equipped with limited field-of-view sensors is provided. The system includes an object-detector and a controller. The object-detector detects objects proximate to a host-vehicle. A field-of-view of the object-detector is characterized by a preferred-portion of the field-of-view, where the preferred-portion is characterized as preferred for using the object-detector. The controller is in communication with the object-detector. The controller steers the host-vehicle to align the preferred-portion with a detected-object. The system optionally includes an intersecting-road-indicator that indicates an intersecting-road connected to an intersection approached by the host-vehicle, and the controller is in communication with the intersecting-road-indicator. The controller designates an intersecting-road as the detected-object, and steers the host-vehicle to align the preferred-portion of the object-detector with the intersecting-road when the host-vehicle approaches the intersection.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for a host-vehicle, comprising:
a location-detector that provides a location of the host-vehicle;
an object-detector that detects objects proximate to the host-vehicle at the location of the host-vehicle, wherein a field-of-view of the object-detector is characterized by a preferred-portion of the field-of-view that is less than a full field-of-view of the object-detector, wherein the object-detector comprises a camera operable to a wide-view-mode that views all of the field-of-view and a telescope-mode that views only the preferred-portion of the field-of-view, wherein the preferred portion is a subset of the field-of-view and has a performance characteristic that is better than an area within the field-of-view but outside the preferred portion; and
a controller in communication with the object-detector, wherein the controller steers the host-vehicle to align the preferred-portion of the field-of-view with one or more detected-objects according to the location of the host-vehicle and a location of the one or more detected-objects, wherein a first object of the one or more detected-objects is a first intersecting-road connected to an intersection approached by the host-vehicle, wherein the controller steers the host-vehicle to align the preferred-portion of the camera with the intersecting-road.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-detector comprises a radar, the field-of-view of the radar is characterized by a sensitivity-pattern that defines side-lobes and a main-lobe, a second object of the one or more detected-objects is an other-vehicle approaching the host-vehicle on a second intersecting-road that intersects a travel-road of the host-vehicle, and the controller steers the host-vehicle to align the main-lobe of the radar with the other-vehicle.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system includes an intersecting-road-indicator that indicates the first intersecting-road, and
the controller is in communication with the intersecting-road-indicator, said controller designates the first intersecting-road as the first object, and steers the host-vehicle to align the preferred-portion of the object-detector with the first intersecting-road when the host-vehicle approaches the intersection.

4. The system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the intersecting-road-indicator is a digital-map.

5. The system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the object-detector comprises a lidar, and the controller steers the host-vehicle to align the field-of-view of the lidar with the intersecting-road.

6. The system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the intersecting-road-indicator comprises the camera, the object-detector comprises a radar, the field-of-view of the radar is characterized by a sensitivity-pattern that defines side-lobes and a main-lobe, and the controller steers the host-vehicle to align the main-lobe of the radar with the intersecting-road.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object-detector is a camera operable to a wide-view mode that views all of the field-of-view and a telescopic mode that views the preferred-portion of the field-of-view, and wherein the controller is configured to steer the host-vehicle to align the preferred portion of the camera with the intersecting-road,
and wherein the controller is configured to:
operate the camera in the wide-view mode until the first object is detected;
steer the host-vehicle to align the preferred portion of the camera with the intersecting-road; and
switch the camera to the telescopic mode.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the performance characteristic is one of sensitivity, resolution, or detection range of the object-detector.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an intersecting-road-indicator that indicates a location of the intersection and information regarding an angle between a travel road of the host-vehicle and the intersecting-road; and
wherein the controller is in communication with the intersecting-road-indicator and is configured to use the information indicated by the intersecting-road-indicator to determine a shape of a maneuver for steering the host-vehicle to align the preferred-portion of the object-detector with the intersecting-road.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the intersecting-road-indicator is a digital map.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the object-detector is a radar, the intersecting-road-indicator is a camera, the field-of-view of the radar is characterized by a sensitivity pattern that defines a main lobe and a plurality of side lobes, and wherein the controller is configured to steer the host-vehicle to align the main lobe of the radar with the intersecting-road.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the object-detector is a lidar, and wherein the controller is configured to steer the host-vehicle to align the field-of-view of the lidar with the intersecting-road, wherein the lidar is used as the intersecting-road-indicator.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the lidar is operable to a slow and wide mode when the field-of-view of the lidar is scanned and is operable to a fast and narrow mode when the preferred portion of the field-of-view of the lidar is scanned.

14. A method comprising:
detecting, using an object-detector, an object proximate to a host-vehicle, wherein a field-of-view of the object-detector is characterized by a preferred-portion of the field-of-view that is less than a full field-of-view of the object-detector, wherein the object-detector comprises a camera operable to a wide-view mode that views all of the field-of-view and a telescope mode that views the preferred-portion of the field-of-view;
determining, using a location-detector, a location of the host-vehicle; and
steering, using a controller in communication with the object-detector, the host-vehicle to align the preferred-portion with one or more detected-objects according to the location of the host-vehicle and a location of the one or more detected-objects, wherein the controller is configured to steer the host-vehicle to align the preferred portion of the camera with an intersecting-road, wherein the controller is configured to:
operate the camera in the wide-view mode until a first object of the one or more detected-objects is detected;
steer the host-vehicle to align the preferred portion of the camera with the intersecting-road; and
switch the camera to the telescope mode.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the camera in the telescope-mode views only the preferred-portion of the field-of-view, the first object is the intersecting-road, and the intersecting-road is connected to an intersection approached by the host-vehicle.

16. The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the object-detector comprises a radar, the field-of-view of the radar is characterized by a sensitivity-pattern that defines side-lobes and a main-lobe, a second object of the one or more detected-objects is an other-vehicle approaching the host-vehicle on an intersecting-road that intersects a travel-road of the host-vehicle, and the controller steers the host-vehicle to align the main-lobe of the radar with the other-vehicle.

17. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising:
designating, using the controller, the intersecting-road as the first object; and
steering the host-vehicle to align the preferred-portion of the object-detector with the intersecting-road when the host-vehicle approaches an intersection connected to the intersecting-road.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein a dir

Assignees

• Motional Ad Llc

Inventors

• Kim Junsung
• Xu Wenda
• Wei Junqing

Classifications

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S13/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S13/46) · CPC title

• G01S13/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S7/481

  Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements · CPC title

• G01S13/867

  Combination of radar systems with cameras · CPC title