Immobility detection within situational context

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11851091-B2
Application number	US-202117475268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2021
Priority date	Sep 14, 2021
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments for operational envelope detection (OED) with situational assessment are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method comprises: determining at least one current or future constraint for a trajectory of a vehicle in an environment that is associated with the vehicle becoming immobile for an extended period of time; determining a stopping-reason for immobility of the vehicle based on determining the at least one current or future constraint for the trajectory of the vehicle in the environment; identifying a timeout threshold based on the stopping-reason, wherein the timeout threshold is an amount of time a planning system of the vehicle will wait before initiating at least one remedial action to address the immobility; identifying that the timeout threshold is satisfied; and initiating the at least one remedial action for the vehicle based on the identifying that the timeout threshold is satisfied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, with at least one processor, at least one current or future constraint for a trajectory of a vehicle in an environment that is associated with the vehicle becoming immobile for an extended period of time;
determining, with the at least one processor, a stopping-reason for immobility of the vehicle based on determining the at least one current or future constraint for the trajectory of the vehicle in the environment;
determining, based on the stopping-reason, that the stopping-reason is associated with one of a first set of stopping-reasons or a second set of stopping-reasons, wherein the first set of stopping-reasons are stopping-reasons in which the immobility is expected to resolve, and the second set of stopping-reasons are stopping-reasons in which the immobility is expected to not resolve;
identifying, with the at least one processor, a timeout threshold based on whether the stopping-reason is in the first set of stopping-reasons or the second set of stopping-reasons, wherein the timeout threshold is an amount of time a planning system of the vehicle will wait before initiating at least one remedial action to address the immobility;
identifying, with the at least one processor, that the timeout threshold is satisfied; and
initiating, with the at least one processor, the at least one remedial action for the vehicle based on the identifying that the timeout threshold is satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the stopping-reason is that the vehicle is waiting at a traffic light;
determining, based on the stopping-reason, that the immobility is expected to resolve; and
determining, based on the determination that the immobility is expected to resolve, the timeout threshold based on at least one nominal traffic light wait time.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the stopping-reason is the vehicle waiting for a pedestrian or jaywalker to cross a crosswalk;
determining, based on the stopping-reason, that the immobility is expected to resolve; and
determining, based on the determination that the immobility is expected to resolve, the timeout threshold based on at least one nominal pedestrian or jaywalker walking speed.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the stopping-reason is the vehicle waiting at an intersection without a traffic light;
determining, based on the stopping-reason, that the immobility is expected to resolve; and
determining, based on the determination that the immobility is expected to resolve, the timeout threshold based on a number of vehicles in front of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the stopping-reason is the vehicle is proximate to or involved in a traffic accident;
determining, based on the stopping-reason, that the immobility is not expected to resolve; and
determining, based on the determination that the immobility is not expected to resolve, the timeout threshold based on at least one nominal wait time.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the nominal wait time is less than one second.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the stopping-reason is the vehicle is behind a parked vehicle and is blocked from moving by the parked vehicle;
determining, based on the stopping-reason, that the immobility is not expected to resolve; and
determining, based on determination that the immobility is not expected to resolve, the timeout threshold based on at least one nominal wait time.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating the at least one remedial action comprises generating a new route for the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the at least one remedial action, further comprises:
determining that the stopping-reason is that a lane of the vehicle is blocked by a stopped object; and
generating a new trajectory that circumvents the stopped object.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stopping-reason is the vehicle is yielding to another vehicle without intent to proceed, and initiating the at least one remedial action comprises removing the at least one current or future constraint.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stopping-reason is based on perception information associated with a pedestrian at a curbside near a crosswalk, the perception information indicating that the pedestrian does not have intent to cross in the crosswalk, and
wherein initiating the at least one remedial action comprises labeling the pedestrian as not having intent to cross in the crosswalk.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one current or future constraint is at least one of a spatial, velocity or temporal corridor constraint that is based on at least one object in the environment.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the timeout threshold corresponds to the stopping-reason.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the timeout threshold is dependent on a risk associated with the vehicle being immobile for the extended period of time.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is immobile in an intersection and the risk is obstructing cross-traffic.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one remedial action comprises reporting to a remote vehicle assistant that the vehicle is immobile, a duration of the immobility and a reason for the immobility.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stopping-reason includes data indicating a first time and a last time the vehicle became immobile due to the at least one current or future constraint.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stopping-reason further comprises a reason for the immobility that includes an identifier associated with at least one object or map constraint that at least partially causes the vehicle to be immobile for aft the extended period of time.

19. A system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, upon execution of the instructions by the at least one processor, cause a vehicle to perform operations comprising:
determining at least one current or future constraint for a trajectory of the vehicle in an environment that is associated with the vehicle becoming immobile for an extended period of time;
determining a stopping-reason for immobility of the vehicle based on determining the at least one current or future constraint for the trajectory of the vehicle in the environment;
determining, based on the stopping-reason, that the stopping-reason is associated with one of a first set of stopping-reasons or a second set of stopping-reasons, wherein the first set of stopping-reasons are stopping-reasons in which the immobility is expected to resolve, and the second set of stopping-reasons are stopping-reasons in which the immobility is expected to not resolve;
identifying a timeout threshold based on whether the stopping-reason is in the first set of stopping-reasons or the second set of stopping-reasons, wherein the timeout threshold is an amount of time a planning system of the vehicle will wait before initiating at least one remedial action to address the immobility;
identifying that the timeout threshold is satisfied; and
initiating the at least one remedial action for the vehicle based on the identifying that the timeout threshold is satisfied.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining that the stopping-reason is that the vehicle is waiting at a traff

Assignees

• Motional Ad Llc

Inventors

• Pendleton Scott D
• Chen Zhiliang
• Eng You Hong
• Fu James Guo Ming

Classifications

• B60W60/00274 Primary

  considering possible movement changes · CPC title

• B60W50/038

  Limiting the input power, torque or speed · CPC title

• B60W2552/05

  Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads · CPC title

• B60W2552/45

  Pedestrian sidewalk · CPC title

• B60W2554/20

  Static objects · CPC title