Actively adapting to driving environments based on human interactions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11072342-B2
Application number	US-201916279857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2019
Priority date	Feb 19, 2019
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle includes navigating the autonomous vehicle based on a set of rules. The method also includes identifying an abnormality in a current driving situation. The method further includes prompting a passenger of the autonomous vehicle to interact with a driver of a first vehicle in response to identifying the abnormality. The method still further includes controlling the autonomous vehicle to violate one or more rules of the set of rules in response to an indication of a successful interaction with the driver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
navigating the autonomous vehicle based on a set of rules;
identifying an abnormality in a current driving situation;
prompting a passenger of the autonomous vehicle to interact with a driver of a first vehicle in response to identifying the abnormality;
receiving, from the passenger, an input at an interference of the autonomous vehicle indicating a successful interaction or an unsuccessful interaction with the driver; and
controlling the autonomous vehicle to violate at least one rule of the set of rules based on the input indicating the successful interaction with the driver.

2. The method of claim 1 , in which identifying the abnormality comprises:
determining both a velocity of the autonomous vehicle and a velocity of the first vehicle are less than a threshold for a period of time, or
determining an amount of traffic exceeds a traffic threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that the first vehicle is operating in a manual mode based on the first vehicle violating at least one rule of the set of rules or input from a sensor of the autonomous vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the autonomous vehicle to continue to follow the set of rules based on the input indicating the unsuccessful interaction with the driver or when an input is not received after prompting the passenger.

5. The method of claim 1 , in which the set of rules comprise rules to prevent a collision with another object.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the autonomous vehicle to follow the set of rules after violating the at least one rule.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising prompting the passenger via an interactive display of the autonomous vehicle.

8. An apparatus for controlling an autonomous vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor configured:
to navigate the autonomous vehicle based on a set of rules;
to identify an abnormality in a current driving situation;
to prompt a passenger of the autonomous vehicle to interact with a driver of a first vehicle in response to identifying the abnormality;
to receive, from the passenger, an input at an interference of the autonomous vehicle indicating a successful interaction or an unsuccessful interaction with the driver; and
to control the autonomous vehicle to violate at least one rule of the set of rules based on the input indicating the successful interaction with the driver.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , in which the at least one processor is further configured to identify the abnormality by:
determining both a velocity of the autonomous vehicle and a velocity of the first vehicle are less than a threshold for a period of time, or
determining an amount of traffic exceeds a traffic threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , in which the at least one processor is further configured to determine that the first vehicle is operating in a manual mode based on the first vehicle violating at least one rule of the set of rules or input from a sensor of the autonomous vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , in which the at least one processor is further configured to control the autonomous vehicle to continue to follow the set of rules based on the input indicating the unsuccessful interaction with the driver or when an input is not received after prompting the passenger.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , in which the set of rules comprise rules to prevent a collision with another object.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , in which the at least one processor is further configured to control the autonomous vehicle to follow the set of rules after violating the at least one rule.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , in which the at least one processor is further configured to prompt the passenger via an interactive display of the autonomous vehicle.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon for controlling an autonomous vehicle, the program code executed by a processor and comprising:
program code to navigate the autonomous vehicle based on a set of rules;
program code to identify an abnormality in a current driving situation;
program code to prompt a passenger of the autonomous vehicle to interact with a driver of a first vehicle in response to identifying the abnormality;
program code to receive, from the passenger, an input at an interference of the autonomous vehicle indicating a successful interaction or an unsuccessful interaction with the driver; and
program code to control the autonomous vehicle to violate at least one rule of the set of rules based on the input indicating the successful interaction with the driver.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , in which the program code to identify the abnormality comprises:
program code to determine both a velocity of the autonomous vehicle and a velocity of the first vehicle are less than a threshold for a period of time, or
program code to determine an amount of traffic exceeds a traffic threshold.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising program code to determine that the first vehicle is operating in a manual mode based on the first vehicle violating at least one rule of the set of rules or input from a sensor of the autonomous vehicle.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising program code to control the autonomous vehicle to continue to follow the set of rules based on the input indicating the unsuccessful interaction with the driver or when an input is not received after prompting the passenger.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , in which the set of rules comprise rules to prevent a collision with another object.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising program code to control the autonomous vehicle to follow the set of rules after violating the at least one rule.

Assignees

• Toyota Res Inst Inc

Inventors

• Kong Soonho
• Decastro Jonathan
• Arechiga Nikos
• Permenter Frank

Classifications

• G08G1/166 Primary

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• G08G1/162

  event-triggered · CPC title

• B60W30/18159

  Traversing an intersection · CPC title

• G08G1/0133

  for classifying traffic situation · CPC title

• B60W30/18163

  Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres · CPC title