Object-detector configuration based on human-override of automated vehicle control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11143760-B2
Application number	US-201815906059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2018
Priority date	Feb 19, 2018
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle control system includes an object-detector, a location-detector, a configuration-map, and a controller-circuit. The object-detector is configured to detect objects proximate to a host-vehicle. The location-detector is configured to indicate a location of the host-vehicle. The configuration-map is configured to indicate a configuration of the object-detector for the location of the host-vehicle when the host-vehicle is operated in an automated-mode. The controller-circuit is in communication with the location-detector, the configuration-map, and the object-detector. The controller-circuit is configured to operate the object-detector in accordance with the configuration for the location of the host-vehicle when the host-vehicle is operated in an automated-mode, detect a human-override of the automated-mode at the location, and update the configuration-map for the location in accordance with objects detected and in response to the human-override of the automated-mode.

First claim

We claim:

1. A vehicle control system, the system comprising:
an object-detector configured to detect objects proximate to a host-vehicle, the object-detector including a light-detection-and-ranging-device (LIDAR) characterized as having a variable scan-frequency;
a location-detector configured to indicate a location of the host-vehicle;
a configuration-map configured to indicate, from among a plurality of configurations available for the object-detector, a particular configuration applicable to the object-detector for a current location of the object-detector, the particular configuration specifying a first value of the scan-frequency to operate the LIDAR; and
a controller-circuit in communication with the object-detector, the location-detector, and the configuration-map, the controller-circuit configured to:
operate the object-detector in accordance with the particular configuration for the current location of the object-detector in an automated-mode of operating the host-vehicle,
detect a human-override of the automated-mode of operating the host-vehicle at the current location, and
in response to the human-override of the automated-mode, update the particular configuration applicable to the object-detector for the current location in accordance with objects detected at the current location, wherein updating the particular configuration comprises providing a second value of the scan-frequency to operate the LIDAR differently in response to the human-override of the automated-mode.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-detector includes a device characterized as having at least one parameter that includes a variable field-of-view, the particular configuration in the configuration-map specifies a first value for the field-of-view to operate the device prior to the human-override, and the update to the particular configuration provides a second value for the field-of-view to operate the device differently in response to the human-override of the automated-mode.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the first value of the field-of-view is characterized as narrower than the second value of the field-of-view.

4. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the first value of the field-of-view is characterized being directed in a first direction, and the second value of the field-of-view is characterized as being directed in a second direction different from the first direction.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-detector includes a device characterized as having at least one parameter that includes a variable frame-rate, the particular configuration in the configuration-map specifies a first value of the frame-rate to operate the device prior to the human-override, and the update to the particular configuration provides a second value of the frame-rate to operate the device differently in response to the human-override of the automated-mode.

6. The system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the first value of the frame-rate is characterized as less than the second value of the frame-rate.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first value of the scan-frequency is characterized as greater than the second value of the scan-frequency.

8. A controller-circuit for a vehicle control system, the controller-circuit comprising:
a first-connection for connecting to an object-detector configured to detect objects proximate to a host-vehicle, the object-detector including a light-detection-and-ranging-device (LIDAR) characterized as having a variable scan-frequency;
a second-connection for connecting to a location-detector configured to indicate a location of the host-vehicle on a digital-map;
a memory for storing a configuration-map configured to indicate, from among a plurality of configurations available for the object detector, a particular configuration applicable to the object-detector for a current location of the host-vehicle when the host-vehicle is operated in an automated-mode, the particular configuration specifying a first value of the scan-frequency to operate the LIDAR; and
a processor in communication with the location-detector, the configuration-map, and the object-detector, the processor configured to:
operate the object-detector in accordance with the particular configuration for the current location of the host-vehicle in the automated-mode of operating the host-vehicle,
detect a human-override of the automated-mode of operating the host-vehicle at the current location, and
in response to the human-override of the automated-mode, update the particular configuration applicable to the object-detector for the current location in accordance with objects detected at the current location, wherein updating the particular configuration comprises providing a second value of the scan-frequency to operate the LIDAR differently in response to the human-override of the automated-mode.

9. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the object-detector includes a device characterized as having at least one parameter that includes a variable field-of-view, the particular configuration in the configuration-map specifies a first value for the field-of-view to operate the device prior to the human-override, and the update to the particular configuration provides a second value for the field-of-view to operate the device differently after the human-override of the automated-mode.

10. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the first value of the field-of-view is characterized as narrower than the second value of the field-of-view.

11. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the first value of the field-of-view is characterized being directed in a first direction, and the second value of the field-of-view is characterized as being directed in a second direction different from the first direction.

12. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the object-detector includes a device characterized as having at least one parameter that includes a variable frame-rate, the particular configuration in the configuration-map specifies a first value of the frame-rate to operate the device prior to the human-override, and the update to the particular configuration provides a second value of the frame-rate to operate the device differently after the human-override of the automated-mode.

13. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the first value of the frame-rate is characterized as less than the second value of the frame-rate.

14. A method of operating a vehicle control system, the method comprising:
operating a host-vehicle in an automated-mode;
determining a current location of a host-vehicle on a digital-map;
operating an object-detector to detect objects proximate to a host-vehicle in accordance with a particular configuration of the object-detector specified by a configuration-map, the object-detector including a light-detection-and-ranging-device (LIDAR) characterized as having a variable scan-frequency, the configuration-map configured to indicate, from among a plurality of configurations available for the obj ect-detector, the particular configuration applicable to the current location of the object-detector and specifying a first value of the scan-frequency to operate the LIDAR; and
detecting a human-override of the automated-mode at the current location; and
in response to the human-override of the automated-mode, updating the particular configuration applicable to the object-detector for the current location in accordance with objects detected at the current location, wh

Assignees

• Motional Ad Llc

Inventors

• Melgangolli Vasudeva Pai
• Kim Junsung
• Bhatia Gaurav
• Wieskamp Jonathan L

Classifications

• B60W60/0053

  from vehicle to occupant · CPC title

• G05D1/0274

  using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30) · CPC title

• G05D1/0238

  using obstacle or wall sensors (G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93) · CPC title

• G05D1/0231

  using optical position detecting means (position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16) · CPC title

• G05D1/0061

  for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa · CPC title