Visually obstructed object detection for automated vehicle using V2V/V2I communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11772489-B2
Application number	US-202117565036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2021
Priority date	May 2, 2017
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

An object-detection system for an automated vehicle includes an object-detector, a receiver, and a controller. The object-detector detects detectable-objects proximate to a host-vehicle. The receiver receives an indication of an object-presence from other-transmitters proximate to the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the object-detector and the receiver. The controller is configured to operate the host-vehicle to avoid interference with a hidden-object when the hidden-object is not detected by the object-detector and the object-presence is indicated by at least two instances of the other-transmitters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automated vehicle comprising:
an object-detector;
a receiver;
a controller in communication with the object-detector and the receiver, said controller configured to:
obtain, using the receiver, data from two or more transmitters that indicate an object-presence associated with a hidden-object, wherein redundancy of the data is established and the hidden-object is valid;
determine, based on the data, a portion of a field-of-view of the object-detector that is obstructed;
determine, based at least in part on a comparison of a location of the hidden-object with the portion of the field-of-view of the object-detector that is obstructed, whether the hidden-object is positioned in the portion of the field-of-view of the object-detector that is obstructed; and
in accordance with the hidden-object being detected in the portion of the field-of-view that is obstructed, operate the automated vehicle to avoid interference with the hidden-object.

2. The automated vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the hidden-object is not detected by the object-detector when a line-of-sight to the hidden-object from the object-detector is obstructed.

3. The automated vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the automated vehicle is operated by the controller to avoid interference with the hidden-object when hosts of the two or more transmitters are detected by the object-detector.

4. The automated vehicle of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the hosts is another vehicle.

5. The automated vehicle of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the hosts is a traffic camera.

6. The automated vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine, based on the data, a classification of the hidden-object; and
determine, based at least in part on the location and classification, whether the hidden-object is detected in the field-of-view.

7. The automated vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine, based on the data, a direction of travel of the hidden-object; and
determine, based at least in part on the location and direction of travel, whether the hidden-object is detected in the field-of-view.

8. The automated vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the hidden-object is another vehicle.

9. The automated vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the data from the two or more transmitters is redundant.

10. The automated vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the automated vehicle is located at an intersection, and in accordance with the hidden-object not being detected in the field-of-view of the object-detector, command the automated vehicle to wait a period of time before entering the intersection.

11. A method comprising:
obtaining, using a receiver of an automated vehicle, data from two or more transmitters that indicate an object-presence associated with a hidden-object, wherein redundancy of the data is established and the hidden-object is valid;
determining, based on the data, a portion of a field-of-view of an object-detector that is obstructed;
determining, based at least in part on a comparison of a location of the hidden-object with the portion of the field-of-view of the object-detector that is obstructed, whether the hidden-object is positioned in the portion of the field-of-view of the object-detector that is obstructed; and
in accordance with the hidden-object being detected in the portion of the field-of-view that is obstructed, operate the automated vehicle to avoid interference with the hidden-object.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hidden-object is not detected by the object-detector when a line-of-sight to the hidden-object from the object-detector is obstructed.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the automated vehicle is operated to avoid interference with the hidden-object when hosts of the two or more transmitters are detected by the object-detector.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the hosts is another vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the hosts is a traffic camera.

16. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
determining, based on the data, a classification of the hidden-object; and
determining, based at least in part on the location and classification, whether the hidden-object is detected in the field-of-view.

17. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
determining, based on the data, a direction of travel of the hidden-object; and
determining, based at least in part on the location and direction of travel, whether the hidden-object is detected in the field-of-view.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hidden-object is another vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data from the two or more transmitters is redundant.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the automated vehicle is located at an intersection, and in accordance with the hidden-object not being detected in the field-of-view of the object-detector, command the automated vehicle to wait a period of time before entering the intersection.

Assignees

• Motional Ad Llc

Inventors

• Kim Junsung
• Bhatia Gaurav

Classifications

• B60W2554/80

  Spatial relation or speed relative to objects · CPC title

• B60K31/0008 Primary

  including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path · CPC title

• B60T8/17558

  specially adapted for collision avoidance or collision mitigation (road vehicle drive control systems for collision avoidance otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/09) · CPC title

• G01S7/003

  Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations · CPC title

• G01S13/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title