System and method for autonomous decision making, corrective action, and navigation in a dynamically changing world

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11630455-B2
Application number	US-201916259463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle system includes a body and a plurality of sensors coupled to the body and configured to generate a plurality of sensor measurements corresponding to the plurality of sensors. The system also includes a control unit configured to: receive inputs from a plurality of sources wherein the plurality sources comprise the plurality of sensors, the inputs comprise the plurality of sensor measurements; determine a confidence level of each input based on other inputs; prioritize, based on the confidence level associated with each input, the inputs; generate, based on the prioritization of the inputs and the confidence level, a combined input with a combined confidence level; and determine, based on the combined input and the combined confidence level, a mission task to be performed.

First claim

We claim:

1. An autonomous vehicle system for controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a body;
a plurality of sensors configured to generate a plurality of sensor measurements corresponding to the plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors measuring a same parameter;
a control unit configured to:
receive inputs from the plurality of sensors, wherein the inputs comprise the plurality of sensor measurements;
receive logical information indicating situations in which the plurality of sensors are operating;
for each respective sensor of the plurality of sensors,
determine, based on the logical information, a risk level associated with a situation in which the respective sensor is operating,
determine, based on the logical information, a precision level associated with the respective sensor,
determine, based on the logical information, an operational condition associated with the situation in which the respective sensor is operating, and
generate a confidence level of each input received from the respective sensor based on: the risk level, the precision level, and the operational condition;

identify a primary input received from a primary sensor of the plurality of sensors;
replace, based on the situation in which the primary sensor is operating, the primary input with a secondary input received from another autonomous vehicle;
validate each input by checking for a trusted certificate associated with each input;
prioritize, based on the confidence level associated with each input, the inputs;
generate, based on the prioritization of the inputs and respective confidence levels, a combined input for the parameter, the combined input being a weighted average of the inputs based on the prioritization of the inputs and the respective confidence levels;
determine a mission task to be performed based on the inputs and the situations; and
control the autonomous vehicle to perform the mission task; and

a database configured to:
store the inputs and the corresponding confidence levels;
store the combined input and the situations; and
store the mission task to be performed.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is an automatic guided vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors include a laser altimeter, a global positioning system (GPS), a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, a radio detecting and ranging (RADAR) system, a transponder, an optic sensor, and/or an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADSB) sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the logical information is received from at least one of: a flight controller, a flight system, a real time kinematic (RTK) satellite navigation, unmanned traffic management (UTM), an air traffic controller (ATC), command and Control (C2), geofence, a weather monitor, aircraft capabilities and limitations, accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, faulty equipment, waypoints and routes, delivery destinations, user inputs, Internet connectivity, satellite connectivity, invalidated communications, or communication with other autonomous vehicles.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inputs further comprise historical data stored in the database.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to group, based on a measurement type, the inputs.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mission task to be performed comprises a forced landing of the autonomous vehicle, disabling one or more of the plurality of sensors, changing a route of the autonomous vehicle, beaconing an emergency status, and/or performing a desired flight maneuver of the autonomous vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the primary input is replaced with the secondary input based on confidence levels of the primary input and the secondary input; and
the trusted certificate is received from one or more of: a flight controller, a flight system, a laser altimeter, GPS, differential GPS, RTK, optic sensors, LIDAR, RADAR, ADSB sensors and transponders, unmanned traffic management (UTM), air traffic controller (ATC), command and control (C2), geofence, weather monitor, and/or aircraft capabilities and limitations.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the confidence level comprises a binary code, the binary code including a matrix of binary code entries.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of sensors are located on the autonomous vehicle.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of sensors are not located on the autonomous vehicle.

12. A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
receiving inputs from a plurality of sensors, wherein the inputs comprise a plurality of sensor measurements for the same parameter;
receiving logical information indicating situations in which the plurality of sensors are operating;
for each respective sensor of the plurality of sensors,
determining, based on the logical information, a risk level associated with a situation in which the respective sensor is operating,
determining, based on the logical information, a precision level associated with the respective sensor,
determining, based on the logical information, an operational condition associated with the situation in which the respective sensor is operating, and
generating a confidence level of each input received from the respective sensor based on: the risk level, the precision level, and the operational condition;

identifying a primary input received from a primary sensor of the plurality of sensors;
replacing, based on the situation in which the primary sensor is operating, the primary input with a secondary input received from another autonomous vehicle;
validating each input by checking for a trusted certificate associated with each input;
prioritizing, based on the confidence level associated with each input, the inputs;
generating, based on the prioritization of the inputs and respective confidence levels, a combined input for the parameter, the combined input being a weighted average of the inputs based on the prioritization of the inputs and the respective confidence levels;
determining a mission task to be performed based on the inputs and the situations; and
controlling the autonomous vehicle to perform the mission task.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensors include a laser altimeter, a global positioning system (GPS), a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, a radio detecting and ranging (RADAR) system, a transponder, an optic sensor, and/or an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADSB) sensor.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensors are located on the autonomous vehicle.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the logical information is received from at least one of: a flight controller, a flight system, a real time kinematic (RTK) satellite navigation, unmanned traffic management (UTM), an air traffic controller (ATC), command and Control (C2), geofence, a weather monitor, aircraft capabilities and limitations, accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, faulty equipment, waypoints and routes, delivery destinations, user inputs, Internet connectivity, satellite connectivity, invalidated communications, or communication with other autonomous vehicles.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• O'Brien John J
• High Donald R
• Mchale Brian
• Winkle David

Classifications

• G06N5/04

  Inference or reasoning models · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G08G5/723

  from the aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title