Autonomous vehicle routing based upon risk of autonomous vehicle takeover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11899452-B2
Application number	US-202117463175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2021
Priority date	Feb 20, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

Various technologies described herein pertain to routing an autonomous vehicle based upon risk of takeover of the autonomous vehicle by a human operator. A computing system receives an origin location and a destination location of the autonomous vehicle. The computing system identifies a route for the autonomous vehicle to follow from the origin location to the destination location based upon output of a computer-implemented model. The computer-implemented model is generated based upon labeled data indicative of instances in which autonomous vehicles are observed to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by human operators while the autonomous vehicles are executing predefined maneuvers. The computer-implemented model takes, as input, an indication of a maneuver in the predefined maneuvers that is performed by the autonomous vehicle when the autonomous vehicle follows a candidate route. The autonomous vehicle then follows the route from the origin location to the destination location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a processor; and
memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
receiving an indication specifying an origin location for a trip in the autonomous vehicle and a destination location for the trip in the autonomous vehicle;
identifying a route for the autonomous vehicle to follow from the origin location to the destination location, the route being identified based on a likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by a human operator, the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator being based on the autonomous vehicle executing a particular maneuver at a particular intersection along the route, the particular maneuver being from a set of predefined maneuvers; and
controlling the autonomous vehicle to follow the route from the origin location to the destination location.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the set of predefined maneuvers comprises:
remaining in a lane on a road;
a left lane change;
a right lane change;
a left turn;
a right turn; and
remaining stationary.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator is further based on a weather condition at the particular intersection in which the autonomous vehicle is to execute the particular maneuver.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator is further based on a time of day at which the autonomous vehicle is to execute the particular maneuver at the particular intersection.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator is further based on a type of traffic control device at the particular intersection.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator is a score outputted by a computer-implemented model, the computer-implemented model being generated based upon labeled data that is indicative of instances in which autonomous vehicles are observed to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by human operators while the autonomous vehicles are executing the predefined maneuvers.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the computer-implemented model takes, as input, an indication of the particular maneuver that is to be performed by the autonomous vehicle at the particular intersection along the route.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator is further identified based on a heat map that specifies likelihoods of autonomous vehicle takeovers at intersections.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the route is further identified based on travel time from the origin location to the destination location.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the route is identified from amongst a plurality of candidate routes.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
generating data regarding an instance of the autonomous vehicle transitioning from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator; and
sending the data from the autonomous vehicle to a remote computing system.

12. A method of controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
receiving an indication specifying an origin location for a trip in the autonomous vehicle and a destination location for the trip in the autonomous vehicle;
identifying a route for the autonomous vehicle to follow from the origin location to the destination location, the route being identified based on a likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by a human operator, the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator being based on the autonomous vehicle executing a particular maneuver at a particular intersection along the route, the particular maneuver being from a set of predefined maneuvers; and
causing the autonomous vehicle to follow the route from the origin location to the destination location.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator is further based on a weather condition at the particular intersection in which the autonomous vehicle is to execute the particular maneuver.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator is further based on a time of day at which the autonomous vehicle is to execute the particular maneuver at the particular intersection.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator is further based on a type of traffic control device at the particular intersection.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator is a score outputted by a computer-implemented model, the computer-implemented model being generated based upon labeled data that is indicative of instances in which autonomous vehicles are observed to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by human operators while the autonomous vehicles are executing the predefined maneuvers.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by the human operator is further identified based on a heat map that specifies likelihoods of autonomous vehicle takeovers at intersections.

18. A computing system, comprising:
a processor; and
memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
receiving an indication specifying an origin location for a trip in an autonomous vehicle and a destination location for the trip in the autonomous vehicle;
identifying a route for the autonomous vehicle to follow from the origin location to the destination location, the route being identified based on a likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon conduction by a human operator, the likelihood that the autonomous vehicle will be caused to transition from operating autonomously to operating based upon cond

Assignees

• Gm Cruise Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Chi-Johnston Geoffrey Louis
• Vaingankar Vishal Suresh
• Joseph Antony
• Skwerer Sean Gregory
• Rech Lucio Otavio Marchioro
• Passa Nitin Kumar
• Freeman Laura Athena
• Hines George Herbert

Classifications

• G05D1/0061 Primary

  for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa · CPC title

• G01C21/20

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01C21/3453

  Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments · CPC title

• G05D1/0217

  in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria · CPC title

• G05D2201/0213

  Physics · mapped topic