Feasibility validation for vehicle trajectory selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11458965-B2
Application number	US-201916539873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2019
Priority date	Aug 13, 2019
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for performing one or more validity checks on potential trajectories for a device, such as an autonomous vehicle, to navigate. In some examples, a potential trajectory may be validated based on whether it is consistent with a current trajectory the vehicle is navigating such that the potential and current trajectories are not too different, whether the vehicle can feasibly or kinematically navigate to the potential trajectory from a current state, whether the potential trajectory was punctual or received within a time period of a prior trajectory, and/or whether the potential trajectory passes a staleness check, such that it was created within a certain time period. In some examples, determining whether a potential trajectory is feasibly may include updating a set of feasibility limits based on one or more operational characteristics of statuses of subsystems of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous vehicle monitoring system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory that stores instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
obtain a set of feasibility limits for movement of an autonomous vehicle;
receive a current state of the autonomous vehicle;
receive, at the autonomous vehicle monitoring system, a potential trajectory for validation from an additional system independent from the autonomous vehicle monitoring system, the potential trajectory satisfying a set of conditions for operating the autonomous vehicle and associated with a first type of trajectory;
determine kinematics of the autonomous vehicle to travel to the potential trajectory from the current state;
update a value of the set of feasibility limits based on a current operational status of a subsystem of the autonomous vehicle to create an updated set of feasibility limits;
determine a validity signal indicating whether the kinematics satisfy the updated set of feasibility limits by comparing the kinematics to the updated set of feasibility limits, wherein the updated set of feasibility limits is selected for determining the validity signal based at least in part on the first type of trajectory; and
cause the autonomous vehicle to operate according to the potential trajectory based at least in part on the validity value.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of feasibility limits comprises at least one of a maximum velocity of the autonomous vehicle, a maximum deceleration of the autonomous vehicle in a first direction, a maximum acceleration of the autonomous vehicle in the first direction, a maximum acceleration of the autonomous vehicle in a second direction, and a maximum resultant acceleration.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein determining kinematics of the autonomous vehicle to travel to the trajectory from the current state further comprises determining at least one of a deceleration of the autonomous vehicle in the first direction, an acceleration of the autonomous vehicle in the first direction, an acceleration of the autonomous vehicle in the second direction, and a resultant acceleration.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of feasibility limits comprises at least one physical operational limit imposed on the autonomous vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining kinematics of the autonomous vehicle to travel to the potential trajectory from the current state further comprises:
determining a first position on the potential trajectory;
comparing the first position to a second position associated with the current state of the autonomous vehicle.

6. A method, comprising:
determining at least two feasibility limits for movement of a device based on a status of a subsystem of the device, a feasibility limit of the at least two feasibility limits comprising an acceleration or a deceleration limit in at least one direction and associated with a first type of trajectory to which the feasibility limit applies;
receiving a current state of the device;
receiving, from a first system, a potential trajectory for validation and an indication that the potential trajectory is of the first type of trajectory;
determining kinematics of the device to travel to the potential trajectory from the current state;
determining, based at least in part on the type, a validity value indicating whether the kinematics satisfy the feasibility limit of the at least two feasibility limits for the potential trajectory, wherein the feasibility limit is selected for determining the validity value based on the first type of trajectory; and
cause the device to operate according to the potential trajectory based at least in part on the validity value.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least two feasibility limits comprise at least one physical operational limit imposed on the device to increase safety in operation of the device.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising updating at least one of the at least two feasibility limit based on a current operational status of the at least one subsystem of the device.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the at least two feasibility limits further comprise a least one of a maximum velocity of the device, a maximum acceleration of the device, a maximum deceleration of the device, or a maximum lateral acceleration of the device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the device is an autonomous vehicle, and
wherein determining kinematics of the device to travel to the trajectory from the current state further comprises determining at least one of a deceleration of the autonomous vehicle in the first direction, an acceleration of the autonomous vehicle in the first direction, or an acceleration of the autonomous vehicle in a lateral direction.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining kinematics of the device to travel to the potential trajectory from the current state further comprises:
determining a first position on the potential trajectory; and
comparing the first position to a second position associated with the current state of the autonomous vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the first position on the potential trajectory further comprises determining the first position to minimize a distance between the first position and the second position.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least two feasibility limits are determined based on a current trajectory of the device or the potential trajectory of the device.

14. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
causing the device to operate according to the potential trajectory based at least in part on the validity value.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:
obtain at least two feasibility limits for movement of an autonomous vehicle, a first feasibility limit of the at least two feasibility limits comprising a first acceleration or a first deceleration limit in at least one direction and a second feasibility limit comprising a second acceleration or a second deceleration limit in the at least one direction;
receive a current state of the autonomous vehicle;
receiving, from an additional computer system, a trajectory for validation comprising a type of the trajectory;
determine kinematics of the autonomous vehicle to travel to the trajectory from the current state;
determine a validity value indicating whether the kinematics are equal to or below a feasibility limit of the at least two feasibility limits, wherein the feasibility limit is dynamically adjusted based on an operational status of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein the feasibility limit is selected for the trajectory from at least the first feasibility limit and the second feasibility limit based on the type of the trajectory; and
modify operation of the autonomous vehicle according to the potential trajectory based at least in part on the validity value.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the feasibility limit further comprises at least one physical operational limit of the autonomous vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the feasibility limit further comprises a least one of a maximum velocity of the autonomous vehicle, a maximum acceleration of the autonomous vehicle, a maximum deceleration of the autonomous vehicle, or a maximum lateral ac

Assignees

• Zoox Inc

Inventors

• Olson Sy Kelly
• Macgregor Collin
• Packer Jefferson Bradfield
• Belo David Martins
• Funke Joseph

Classifications

• B60W60/0015

  specially adapted for safety · CPC title

• B60W40/107

  Longitudinal acceleration · CPC title

• B60W2050/009

  Priority selection · CPC title

• B60W40/109

  Lateral acceleration · CPC title

• B60W30/0953 Primary

  the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters · CPC title