Autonomous vehicle intent signaling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345277-B2
Application number	US-201816161206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2018
Priority date	Oct 16, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

Various technologies described herein pertain to controlling an autonomous vehicle to provide indicators that signal a driving intent of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle includes a plurality of sensor systems that generate a plurality of sensor signals, a notification system, and a computing system. The computing system determines that the autonomous vehicle is to execute a maneuver that will cause the autonomous vehicle to traverse a portion of a driving environment of the autonomous vehicle. The computing system predicts that a person in the driving environment is to traverse the portion of the driving environment based upon the plurality of sensor signals. The computing system then controls the notification system to output a first indicator indicating that the autonomous vehicle plans to yield to the person or a second indicator indicating that the autonomous vehicle plans to execute the maneuver prior to the person traversing the portion of the driving environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
at least one light source;
a plurality of sensors that generate a plurality of sensor signals, the plurality of sensor signals indicative of a person in a driving environment of the autonomous vehicle; and
a computing system that is in communication with the light source and the plurality of sensors, wherein the computing system comprises:
a processor; and
memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
determining that the autonomous vehicle is to execute a maneuver that will cause the autonomous vehicle to traverse a portion of the driving environment;
predicting a future path of the person that traverses the portion of the driving environment, the future path of the person being predicted based upon the plurality of sensor signals;
causing the light source of the autonomous vehicle to output a first visual indicator perceivable external to the autonomous vehicle or a second visual indicator perceivable external to the autonomous vehicle, wherein the first visual indicator indicates that the autonomous vehicle plans to execute the maneuver subsequent to the person traversing the portion of the driving environment, and wherein the second visual indicator indicates that the autonomous vehicle plans to execute the maneuver prior to the person traversing the portion of the driving environment; and
causing the light source to direct emission of the first visual indicator or the second visual indicator on a ground in the driving environment at a location of the person, wherein the light source is orientable to emit the first visual indicator or the second visual indicator on the ground at different areas around the driving environment such that the light source continually articulates and redirects the emission of the first visual indicator or the second visual indicator on the ground in the driving environment at the location of the person as the location of the person changes while traversing the driving environment.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle further comprises a vehicle propulsion system and a braking system, the acts further comprising:
controlling at least one of the vehicle propulsion system or the braking system to execute the maneuver subsequent to the person traversing the portion of the driving environment or controlling at least one of the vehicle propulsion system or the braking system to execute the maneuver prior to the person traversing the portion of the driving environment.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a characteristic of the first visual indicator and a characteristic of the second visual indicator are based on a type of the person, wherein the type of the person is one of:
a pedestrian;
a cyclist; or
an operator of a vehicle.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the light source emits the first visual indicator with a first coloring when the autonomous vehicle plans to execute the maneuver subsequent to the person traversing the portion of the driving environment, wherein the light source emits the second visual indicator with a second coloring when the autonomous vehicle plans to execute the maneuver prior to the person traversing the portion of the driving environment.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one speaker, wherein the at least one speaker is configured to emit a first audible indicator or a second audible indicator, wherein the first audible indicator is emitted when the light source outputs the first visual indicator, and wherein the second audible indicator is emitted when the light source outputs the second visual indicator.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the driving environment is an intersection of a first road and a second road, wherein the autonomous vehicle arrives at the intersection from the first road at a certain time, wherein a vehicle operated by the person arrives at the intersection from the second road at the certain time.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
prior to causing the autonomous vehicle to output the first visual indicator or the second visual indicator, determining that the person is expected to yield to the autonomous vehicle based upon the plurality of sensor signals, wherein outputting the second visual indicator is based upon determining that the person is expected to yield to the autonomous vehicle.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
prior to causing the autonomous vehicle to output the first visual indicator or the second visual indicator, determining that the person is expected to fail to yield to the autonomous vehicle based upon the plurality of sensor signals, wherein outputting the first visual indicator is based upon determining that the person is expected to fail to yield to the autonomous vehicle.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first visual indicator has a first intensity and the second visual indicator has a second intensity, wherein the first intensity is varied based upon a distance between the autonomous vehicle and the person, and wherein the second intensity is varied based upon the distance between the autonomous vehicle and the person.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a characteristic of the first visual indicator and a characteristic of the second visual indicator are a function of weather conditions in the driving environment.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a characteristic of the first visual indicator signifies that the first visual indicator is intended to be communicated to the person detected in the driving environment, and wherein a characteristic of the second visual indicator signifies that the second visual indicator is intended to be communicated to the person detected in the driving environment.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the light source further emits the first visual indicator or the second visual indicator to highlight on the ground the future path of the person predicted to traverse the portion of the driving environment.

13. A method performed by an autonomous vehicle operating in a driving environment, the method comprising:
determining that the autonomous vehicle is to execute a maneuver that will cause the autonomous vehicle to traverse a portion of the driving environment;
predicting a future path of a person in the driving environment that traverses the portion of the driving environment, the future path of the person being predicted based upon a plurality of sensor signals generated by a plurality of sensors of the autonomous vehicle;
determining whether the autonomous vehicle is to yield to the person when the person traverses the portion of the driving environment;
when the autonomous vehicle is to yield to the person:
outputting a first visual indicator perceivable external to the autonomous vehicle, wherein the first visual indicator indicates that the autonomous vehicle plans to execute the maneuver subsequent to the person traversing the portion of the driving environment, wherein the first visual indicator is directed on a ground in the driving environment at a location of the person, and wherein outputting the first visual indicator further comprises orienting a light source of the autonomous vehicle to emit the first visual indicator on the ground at differing areas around the driving environment such that the light source continually articulates and redirects emission of the first visual indicator on the ground in the

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Lujan Eric
• Ghose Shiva
• Branson Elliot
• Gao Peter Ming
• Yan Zhichang
• Yan Zhizhong

Classifications

• B60Q1/525 Primary

  automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data · CPC title

• B60Q1/507

  specific to autonomous vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q1/543

  for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle (indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045) · CPC title

• G08G1/163

  involving continuous checking · CPC title

• B60Q5/005

  automatically actuated · CPC title