System for parking an autonomous vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807221-B2
Application number	US-202016861803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2020
Priority date	Apr 29, 2020
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

The subject disclosure relates to features that improve safety for autonomous vehicle (AV) maneuvers and in particular, that improve safety for parallel parking. A process of the disclosed technology includes steps for initiating a parking maneuver, navigating the AV into a parking location, and detecting a roadway grade with respect to a direction of the AV. In some aspects, the process can further include steps for automatically adjusting a wheel angle of the AV based on the roadway grade with respect to the direction of the AV. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for adjusting tire rotation of an autonomous vehicle (AV), the system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
initiate, by an AV navigation and planning system, a parking maneuver;
navigate, by the AV navigation and planning system, the AV into a parking location in a roadway;
detect a roadway grade of the roadway with respect to a direction of the AV, the roadway grade comprising a roadway incline or a roadway decline with respect to the direction of the AV;
determine a threshold roadway grade selected to trigger adjustment of a wheel angle of the AV, the threshold roadway grade being determined based on at least one of a map location associated with the roadway, one or more AV characteristics, and a weather condition associated with a scene that includes the roadway, the threshold roadway grade comprising a threshold incline or a threshold decline with respect to the direction of the AV;
determine whether the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade; and
automatically adjust the wheel angle of the AV based on a determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein detecting the roadway grade further comprises:
collecting environmental data using one or more AV sensors; and
determining the roadway grade based on the environmental data.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein detecting the roadway grade further comprises:
determine the roadway grade based on a location of the AV and a map database.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
adjusting the wheel angle in a direction away from a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
adjusting the wheel angle toward a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to initiate the parking maneuver in response to a user request indicating that the AV should park.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to initiate the parking maneuver in response to a timeout period that is exceeded by the AV in the AV waiting to provide a user pick-up service.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:
initiating, by an AV navigation and planning system, a parking maneuver;
navigating, by the AV navigation and planning system, the AV into a parking location in a roadway;
detecting a roadway grade of the roadway with respect to a direction of the AV, the roadway grade comprising a roadway incline or a roadway decline with respect to the direction of the AV;
determining a threshold roadway grade selected to trigger adjustment of a wheel angle of the AV, the threshold roadway grade being determined based on at least one of a map location associated with the roadway, one or more AV characteristics, and a weather condition associated with a scene that includes the roadway, the threshold roadway grade comprising a threshold incline or a threshold decline with respect to the direction of the AV;
determining whether the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade; and
automatically adjusting a wheel angle of the AV based on a determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:
collecting environmental data using one or more AV sensors; and
determining the roadway grade based on the environmental data.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining the roadway grade based on a location of the AV and a map database.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
adjusting the wheel angle in a direction away from a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
adjusting the wheel angle toward a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising initiating the parking maneuver in response to a user request indicating that the AV should park.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising initiating the parking maneuver in response to a timeout period exceeded by the AV in the AV waiting to provide a user pick-up service.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
initiate, by an AV navigation and planning system, a parking maneuver;
navigate, by the AV navigation and planning system, the AV into a parking location in a roadway;
detect a roadway grade of the roadway with respect to a direction of the AV, the roadway grade comprising a roadway incline or a roadway decline with respect to the direction of the AV;
determine a threshold roadway grade selected to trigger adjustment of a wheel angle of the AV, the threshold roadway grade being determined based on at least one of a map location associated with the roadway, one or more AV characteristics, and a weather condition associated with a scene that includes the roadway, the threshold roadway grade comprising a threshold incline or a threshold decline with respect to the direction of the AV;
determine whether the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade; and
automatically adjust a wheel angle of the AV based on a determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform:
collect environmental data using one or more AV sensors; and
determine the roadway grade based on the environmental data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
referencing a map database to determine the roadway grade based on a location of the AV.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
adjusting the wheel angle in a direction away from a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein automatically adjusting the wheel angle of the AV further comprises:
adjusting the wheel angle toward a curb that is adjacent to the AV based on the determination that the roadway grade exceeds the threshold roadway grade.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the parking maneuver is initiated in response from a user request indicating that the

Assignees

• Gm Cruise Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Mcknew Jennifer Devar
• Holben Ryan

Classifications

• G05D1/226

  Communication links with the remote-control arrangements · CPC title

• B60W2552/15

  Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction · CPC title

• B60W30/06 Primary

  Automatic manoeuvring for parking · CPC title

• B60W40/06

  Road conditions · CPC title

• B60W60/00253

  Taxi operations · CPC title