Controlling an autonomous vehicle based upon a predicted imminent lane change

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904771-B2
Application number	US-202318298492-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2023
Priority date	Mar 31, 2019
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle is configured to estimate a change in direction of a vehicle that is on a roadway and is proximate to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle has a mechanical system, one or more sensors that generate one or more sensor signals, and a computing system in communication with the mechanical system and the one or more sensors. The autonomous vehicle is configured to detect an imminent lane change by another vehicle based on at least one of a computed angle between a wheel of the other vehicle and a longitudinal direction of travel of the other vehicle, a degree of misalignment between the wheel of the other vehicle and a body of the other vehicle, and/or an eccentricity of the wheel of the other vehicle. The mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle is controlled by the computing system based upon the detected imminent lane change.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a mechanical system;
at least one sensor system that generates at least one sensor signal; and
a computing system in communication with the mechanical system and the at least one sensor system, the computing system comprises:
a processor; and
memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
identifying points along a perimeter of a wheel of a vehicle nearby the autonomous vehicle based on the at least one sensor signal generated by the at least one sensor system;
identifying a line between the points along the perimeter of the wheel that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle nearby the autonomous vehicle, wherein the line is parallel to a surface that contacts the wheel;
detecting an angle between the line that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle and a direction of travel of the vehicle; and
controlling the mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle based on the angle.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor system comprises a lidar sensor system that generates a point cloud, and wherein the points along the perimeter of the wheel are identified from the point cloud.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the line between the points along the perimeter of the wheel that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle passes through a center of the wheel.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the line between the points along the perimeter of the wheel that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle is a secant line that extends across the wheel at a position other than through a center of the wheel.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
detecting the direction of travel of the vehicle nearby the autonomous vehicle based on the at least one sensor signal generated by the at least one sensor system.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein controlling the mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle based on the angle further comprises controlling the mechanical system to bias a position of the autonomous vehicle within a lane in which the autonomous vehicle is traveling based on the angle.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the position of the autonomous vehicle within the lane is biased by changing a lateral position of the autonomous vehicle within the lane.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the position of the autonomous vehicle within the lane is biased by changing a longitudinal position of the autonomous vehicle relative to a position of the vehicle.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
activating a horn of the autonomous vehicle based on the angle when an expected trajectory of the vehicle specified by the angle is towards the autonomous vehicle.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
detecting an imminent lane change by the vehicle into a lane in which the autonomous vehicle is traveling based on the angle;
wherein the mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle is controlled responsive to detection of the imminent lane change by the vehicle into the lane in which the autonomous vehicle is traveling to cause at least one of acceleration of the autonomous vehicle, deceleration of the autonomous vehicle, or a lane change of the autonomous vehicle.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein controlling the mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle based on the angle further comprises controlling a braking system to cause the autonomous vehicle to decelerate based on the angle.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
detecting a distance from the autonomous vehicle to the vehicle based on the at least one sensor signal generated by the at least one sensor system; and
detecting a velocity of the vehicle based on the at least one sensor signal generated by the at least one sensor system;
wherein the mechanical system is further controlled based on the distance from the autonomous vehicle and the velocity of the vehicle.

13. A method of controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
identifying points along a perimeter of a wheel of a vehicle nearby the autonomous vehicle based on at least one sensor signal generated by a least one sensor system of the autonomous vehicle;
identifying a line between the points along the perimeter of the wheel that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle nearby the autonomous vehicle, wherein the line is parallel to a surface that contacts the wheel at a base of the wheel;
detecting an angle between the line that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle and a direction of travel of the vehicle; and
controlling a mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle based on the angle.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one sensor system comprises a lidar sensor system that generates a point cloud, and wherein the points along the perimeter of the wheel are identified from the point cloud.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the line between the points along the perimeter of the wheel that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle passes through a center of the wheel.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the line between the points along the perimeter of the wheel that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle is a secant line that extends across the wheel at a position other than through a center of the wheel.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
detecting the direction of travel of the vehicle nearby the autonomous vehicle based on the at least one sensor signal generated by the at least one sensor system.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling the mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle based on the angle further comprises controlling the mechanical system to bias a position of the autonomous vehicle within a lane in which the autonomous vehicle is traveling based on the angle.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
detecting an imminent lane change by the vehicle into a lane in which the autonomous vehicle is traveling based on the angle;
wherein the mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle is controlled responsive to detection of the imminent lane change by the vehicle into the lane in which the autonomous vehicle is traveling to cause at least one of acceleration of the autonomous vehicle, deceleration of the autonomous vehicle, or a lane change of the autonomous vehicle.

20. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a mechanical system;
a lidar sensor system that generates a point cloud; and
a computing system in communication with the mechanical system and the lidar sensor system, the computing system comprises:
a processor; and
memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
identifying points along a perimeter of a wheel of a vehicle nearby the autonomous vehicle from the point cloud generated by the lidar sensor system;
identifying a line between the points along the perimeter of the wheel that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle nearby the autonomous vehicle, wherein the line is parallel to a surface that contacts the wheel at a base of the wheel;
detecting an angle between the line that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle and a direction of travel of the vehicle;
detecting an imminent lane chan

Assignees

• Gm Cruise Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Ward Christopher
• Nitz Ted
• Harrington Curt
• Daily-Diamond Christopher

Classifications

• B60Q5/006 Primary

  indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians · CPC title

• B60W30/09

  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

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• G06V20/58

  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