Detection system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11488476-B2
Application number	US-201815866188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2018
Priority date	Jan 9, 2018
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A detection system includes a first-sensor, a second-sensor, and a controller. The first-sensor is mounted on a host-vehicle. The first-sensor detects objects in a first-field-of-view. The second-sensor is positioned at a second-location different than the first-location. The second-sensor detects objects in a second-field-of-view that at least partially overlaps the first-field of view. The controller is in communication with the first-sensor and the second-sensor. The controller selects the second-sensor to detect an object-of-interest in accordance with a determination that an obstruction blocks a first-line-of-sight between the first-sensor and the object-of-interest.

First claim

We claim:

1. A detection system, comprising:
a first-sensor positioned at a first-location on a host-vehicle, the first-sensor detecting and tracking objects in a first-field-of-view;
a plurality of second-sensors positioned at a plurality of second-locations different than the first-location, each of said plurality of second-sensors detecting objects in its respective second-field-of-view that at least partially overlaps the first-field-of-view;
a controller in communication with the first-sensor and the plurality of second sensors, the controller configured to:
track at least one object-of-interest in the first-field-of-view;
determine, during the tracking, that the first-field-of-view has become obstructed;
responsive to determining that the first-field-of-view has become obstructed:
select a second-sensor that has a least obstructed view of the object-of interest among the plurality of second-sensors;
receive sensor data from the second-sensor including the object-of interest;
use the sensor data to track the object-of-interest; and
operate the host-vehicle in a fully autonomous mode to avoid interference or collision with the object-of-interest.

2. The detection system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second-sensor is mounted on the host-vehicle.

3. The detection system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second-sensor is mounted on a second-vehicle.

4. The detection system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein data from the second-sensor is both requested and transferred from the second-vehicle to the host-vehicle using a communications protocol.

5. The detection system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second-sensor is part of a transportation-infrastructure.

6. The detection system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein data from the second-sensor is requested from the transportation-infrastructure by the host-vehicle using a communications protocol.

7. The detection system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein data from the second-sensor is transferred from the transportation-infrastructure to the host-vehicle using a communications protocol.

8. The detection system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second-sensor is directional and the second-field-of-view is adjusted to detect the object-of-interest.

9. The detection system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the controller selects the second-sensor based on a proximity of the second-sensor to both the host-vehicle and the object-of-interest.

10. The detection system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the controller polls available sensors within a communications-range and prioritizes data from the available sensors by a point-of-view of the second-sensor, a sensor-distance of the second-sensor from the host-vehicle, and an object-distance of the second-sensor to the object-of-interest.

11. The detection system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-of-interest is a pedestrian.

12. The detection system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-of-interest is an other-vehicle.

13. The detection system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-of-interest is a lane-marking.

14. The detection system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-of-interest is an edge of a roadway.

15. The detection system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the object-of-interest is a traffic-intersection.

16. A detection method, comprising:
detecting and tracking objects in a first-field-of-view with a first-sensor, the first-sensor positioned at a first-location on a host-vehicle;
detecting objects in a second-field-of-view with a plurality of second-sensors, the plurality of second-sensors positioned at a plurality of second-locations different than the first-location, the second-field-of-view of each of the plurality of second-sensors at least partially overlapping the first-field-of-view;
tracking, with a controller in communication with the first-sensor and the plurality of second-sensors, at least one object-of-interest in the first-field-of-view;
determining, during the tracking, that the first-field-of-view has become obstructed;
responsive to determining that the first-field-of-view has become obstructed:
selecting, with the controller, a second-sensor from the plurality of second sensors that has a least obstructed view of the object-of-interest among the plurality of second-sensors;
receiving sensor data from the second-sensor including the object-of-interest;
using the sensor data to track the object-of-interest; and
operating the host-vehicle in a in a fully autonomous mode to avoid interference or collision with the object-of-interest.

17. The detection method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the second-sensor is mounted on the host-vehicle.

18. The detection method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the second-sensor is mounted on a second-vehicle.

19. The detection method in accordance with claim 18 , wherein data from the second-sensor is both requested and transferred from the second-vehicle to the host-vehicle using a communications protocol.

20. The detection method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the second-sensor is part of a transportation-infrastructure.

21. The detection method in accordance with claim 20 , wherein data from the second-sensor is requested from the transportation-infrastructure by the host-vehicle using a communications protocol.

22. The detection method in accordance with claim 20 , wherein data from the second-sensor is transferred from the transportation-infrastructure to the host-vehicle using a communications protocol.

23. The detection method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the second-sensor is directional and the second-field-of-view is adjusted to detect the object-of-interest.

24. The detection method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the controller selects the second-sensor based on a proximity of the second-sensor to both the host-vehicle and the object-of-interest.

25. The detection method in accordance with claim 24 , wherein the controller polls available sensors within a communications-range and prioritizes data from the available sensors by a point-of-view of the second-sensor, a sensor-distance of the second-sensor from the host-vehicle, and an object-distance of the second-sensor to the object-of-interest.

26. The detection method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the object-of-interest is a pedestrian.

27. The detection method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the object-of-interest is an other-vehicle.

28. The detection method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the object-of-interest is a lane-marking.

29. The detection method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the object-of-interest is an edge of a roadway.

30. The detection method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the object-of-interest is a traffic-intersection.

Assignees

• Motional Ad Llc

Inventors

• Kim Junsung
• Wei Junqing
• Xu Wenda
• Bhatia Gaurav

Classifications

• G01S13/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S13/878 Primary

  Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S13/874 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06V20/58

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title

• G01S13/87

  Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar · CPC title

• B60W30/08

  Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences · CPC title