Methods and systems for safe out-of-lane driving

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11718290-B2
Application number	US-202117146836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2021
Priority date	Jan 12, 2021
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for navigating a vehicle to veer around a lane obstruction safely into a neighboring lane. The system may plan a trajectory around the obstructed lane. Over a temporal horizon, the system determines temporal margins by measuring an amount of time between a predicted state of a moving actor in the neighboring lane and a predicted state of the vehicle. The system identifies a minimum temporal margin of the temporal margins and determines whether the minimum temporal margin is equal to or larger than a required temporal buffer. If the minimum temporal margin is equal to or larger than the required temporal buffer, the system generates a motion control signal to cause the vehicle to follow the trajectory to veer around the obstruction into the neighboring lane. Otherwise, the system generates a motion control signal to cause the vehicle to reduce speed or stop.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
by one or more sensors of a perception system of an automated vehicle:
obtaining data representative of an obstructed lane condition in a first lane traveled by the automated vehicle, and
obtaining data representative of a moving actor in a second lane neighboring the first lane;

by a processor of the automated vehicle:
obtaining a trajectory of the automated vehicle around the obstructed lane condition, the trajectory including one or more locations in the second lane,
defining a temporal horizon as a time period between a start time corresponding to a first point in time that the automated vehicle is predicted to enter the second lane when following the trajectory and an end time corresponding to a last point in time that the automated vehicle is predicted to be in the second lane when following the trajectory;
for each of a plurality of times t n over the temporal horizon, determining a temporal margin by measuring an amount of time between a predicted state of the automated vehicle along the trajectory and a predicted state of the moving actor in which the moving actor is within a threshold distance from the automated vehicle,
identifying a minimum temporal margin of the determined temporal margins,
determining whether the minimum temporal margin is equal to or larger than a required temporal buffer, and
if the minimum temporal margin is equal to or larger than the required temporal buffer, generating a motion control signal to cause the automated vehicle to follow the trajectory and veer around the obstructed lane condition into the second lane, otherwise generating a motion control signal to cause the automated vehicle to reduce speed or stop.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the minimum temporal margin is not equal to or larger than the required temporal buffer, generating the motion control signal comprises reducing speed of the automated vehicle while continuing to monitor the moving actor.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein continuing to monitor the moving actor comprises:
determining updated temporal margins at each time to over an updated temporal horizon,
identifying a updated minimum temporal margin of the updated temporal margins; and
determining whether the updated minimum temporal margin is equal to or larger than the required temporal buffer.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the required temporal buffer as a function of a lateral distance that the automated vehicle may veer into the second lane.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising also determining the required temporal buffer varies based on a speed of the automated vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, by the processor of the automated vehicle:
using the obtained data of the moving actor to classify the moving actor; and
using the obtained data of the obstructed lane condition to classify an object in the first lane is causing the obstructed lane condition.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the planning of the trajectory includes:
determining a speed of the automated vehicle;
using the classification of the object in the first lane to determine a required clearance between a side of the object in the first lane and a side of the automated vehicle; and
planning the trajectory to maintain the required clearance between the object and the automated vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the object in the first lane comprises one of:
a parked vehicle occupying at least a portion of the first lane;
a stationary object in the first lane; or
a stationary pedestrian in the first lane.

9. A control system for an automated vehicle, the system comprising:
sensors configured to capture data about an environment that is proximate the vehicle;
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising programming instructions that when executed by the processor, will cause the processor to:
receive, from the sensors, sensor data corresponding to an obstructed lane condition in the first lane being traveled by the automated vehicle;
receive, from the sensors, sensor data corresponding to a moving actor in a second lane neighboring the first lane;
obtain a trajectory of the automated vehicle around the obstructed lane condition, the trajectory including one or more locations in the second lane;
define a temporal horizon as a time period between a start time corresponding to a first point in time that the automated vehicle is predicted to enter the second lane when following the trajectory and an end time corresponding to a last point in time that the automated vehicle is predicted to be in the second lane when following the trajectory;
for each of a plurality of times t n over the temporal horizon, determine a temporal margin by measuring an amount of time between a predicted state of the automated vehicle along the trajectory and a predicted state of the moving actor in which the moving actor is within a threshold distance from the automated vehicle;
identify a minimum temporal margin of the determine temporal margins,
determine whether the minimum temporal margin is equal to or larger than a required temporal buffer, and
if the minimum temporal margin is equal to or larger than the required temporal buffer, generate a motion control signal to cause the automated vehicle to follow the trajectory and veer around the obstructed lane condition into the second lane, otherwise generate a motion control signal to cause the automated vehicle to reduce speed or stop.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising programming instructions that will cause the processor to, when the minimum temporal margin is not equal to or larger than the required temporal buffer, cause the automated vehicle to reduce speed of the automated vehicle while continuing to monitor the moving actor.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the programming instructions to cause the processor to continue to monitor the moving actor further comprise programming instructions to:
determine updated temporal margins at each time to over an updated temporal horizon;
identify an updated minimum temporal margin of the updated temporal margins; and
determine whether the updated minimum temporal buffer is equal to or larger than the required temporal buffer.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising programming instructions that when executed by the processor, will cause the processor to determine the required temporal buffer as a function of a lateral distance that the automated vehicle may veer into the second lane.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising programming instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to also determine the required temporal buffer as a function of a speed of the automated vehicle.

14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising, programming instructions that when executed by the processor, will cause the processor to:
use the obtained data of the moving actor to classify the moving actor; and
use the obtained data of the obstructed lane condition to classify an object in the first lane is causing the obstructed lane condition.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, will cause the processor to plan the trajectory further comprise programming instructions to:
determine a speed of the automated vehicle;
use the classification of the object in the first lane to determine a required clearance between a side of the object in the first lane and a side of the automated vehicle; and
plan the trajectory to maint

Assignees

• Argo Ai Llc

Inventors

• Ollis Mark

Classifications

• G05D1/0214

  in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas (monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13) · CPC title

• B60W30/09 Primary

  Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering · CPC title

• B60W30/0956

  the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters · CPC title

• B60W60/0027

  using trajectory prediction for other traffic participants · CPC title

• G06V20/58 Primary

  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