Systems and methods remote control of vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11480960-B2
Application number	US-202017090739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2020
Priority date	Nov 5, 2020
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

The disclosure describes systems and methods including for monitoring and remotely controlling a fleet of autonomous vehicles. The remote vehicle control system determines a control input to control a vehicle based on an action performed on or with a controller bot. The controller bot is configured for use on a horizontal display that displays a map and a vehicle graphic at a location on the map.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote vehicle control system, comprising:
a horizontal display comprising a horizontal surface;
a controller bot on the horizontal surface;
a processor; and
a memory, comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
display on the horizontal surface:
a digital image of a map of a geographical area; and
a vehicle graphic at a location on the map, wherein the location of the vehicle graphic on the map is determined based on vehicle location data received from a vehicle;

determine an action performed on or with the controller bot;
compare the determined action to a set of stored control actions;
determine, if the determined action matches one of the set of stored control actions, a control input that is associated with the one of the set of stored control actions; and
provide, if the determined action matches the one of the set of stored control actions, an alert at the controller bot, wherein the alert comprises a tactile detent or a feedback.

2. The remote, vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller bot is configured to link to the vehicle.

3. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein a position and direction of the controller bot are anchored to a position and direction of the vehicle graphic.

4. The remote vehicle control system of claim 3 , wherein control bot is configured to move on the horizontal surface with movement of the vehicle graphic.

5. The remote vehicle control system of claim 3 , wherein the position and direction of the controller bot and the position and direction of the vehicle graphic are anchored to a fixed position and direction.

6. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller bot is anchored to a fixed position on the horizontal surface.

7. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller bot is configured to be selected to activate a control mode.

8. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein video data from a camera in the vehicle is displayed on at least one of the horizontal display and a vertical display.

9. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller bot is configured to measure a least one of a translational movement, a rotational movement, and a number of force inputs.

10. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein an action performed on or with the controller bot is measured relative to at least one of the position and the orientation of the vehicle graphic.

11. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein an action performed on or with the controller bot is measured relative to at least one of a fixed location and a fixed direction.

12. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein an action performed on or with the controller bot is at least partially measured by a direction from a position of the vehicle graphic to a position of the controller hot.

13. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein an action performed on or with the controller bot is at least partially measured by an angle between a forward direction of the control bot and a forward direction of the vehicle graphic.

14. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the control input is configured to cause the vehicle to at least one of change lane, turn left, turn right, accelerate, and decelerate.

15. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , further comprising a navigation system of the vehicle, wherein the navigation system is configured to provide the vehicle location data to the processor.

16. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to display a plurality of vehicle graphics at locations on the map, wherein the locations of the vehicle graphics on the map are based on vehicle location data received from a plurality of vehicles.

17. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller bot is configured to provide a feedback signal when an action that is performed on or with the controller bot matches a stored control action.

18. The remote vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the alert is a vibration at an angle that is measured relative to a forward direction of the controller bot.

19. A remote vehicle control system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory, comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
display, on a horizontal surface:
a digital image of a map of a geographical area; and
a vehicle graphic at a location on the map, wherein the location of the vehicle graphic on the map is determined based on vehicle location data received from a vehicle;

determine an action performed on or with a controller bot;
compare the determined action to a set of stored control actions;
determine, if the determined action matches one of the set of stored control actions, a control input that is associated with the one of the set of stored control actions; and
provide, if the determined action matches the one of the set of stored control actions, an alert at the controller bot, wherein the alert comprises a tactile detent or a feedback.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Buttolo Pietro
• Vincent John
• Chen Yifan

Classifications

• G08G1/202

  Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching · CPC title

• G05B19/0423 Primary

  Input/output · CPC title

• B60W60/001

  Planning or execution of driving tasks · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• G05B2219/23051

  Remote control, enter program remote, detachable programmer · CPC title