Visual communication system for autonomous driving vehicles (adv)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018136643-A1
Application number	US-201615353121-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	Nov 16, 2016
Publication date	May 17, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described is a system that provides the ability for an autonomous driving vehicle to visually communicate with other traffic entities such as other autonomous driving vehicles, non-autonomous driving vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and the like. To provide such an ability, the system allows autonomous driving vehicles to communicate using a lighting mechanism. For example, the lighting mechanism may include one or more specialized lights that are provided in addition to any mandated lighting systems required for a vehicle (e.g. brake lights, headlights, turn signals, etc.). Accordingly, the autonomous driving vehicle may communicate with traffic entities to provide additional cues such as intended driving maneuvers, and to provide a mechanism for two-way communication with other autonomous driving vehicles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method of providing autonomous driving control for a first autonomous vehicle, comprising:
determining an initial driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle in response to the first autonomous driving vehicle perceiving a second vehicle; initiating a first visual communication signal provided by the first autonomous driving vehicle, wherein the first visual communication signal represents the initial driving maneuver; detecting a second visual communication signal that is provided by the second vehicle in response to the first visual communication signal; identifying a type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal; and determining a subsequent driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle based on the identified type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second visual communication signals are provided by a lighting mechanism of the first and second vehicles respectively.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal is a driving maneuver for the second vehicle, wherein the second vehicle is a second autonomous driving vehicle.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the subsequent driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle includes modifying the initial driving maneuver.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal is an acknowledgement of the first visual communication signal.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the subsequent driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle includes maintaining the initial driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising initiating, in response to the second visual communication signal being identified as an acknowledgement, a third visual communication signal provided by the first autonomous driving vehicle, wherein the third visual communication signal represents a confirmation that the subsequent driving maneuver will conform to the initial driving maneuver.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the third visual communication signal updates a decision system that provides driving control for the second vehicle, wherein the second vehicle is a second autonomous driving vehicle.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the subsequent driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle includes updating a probability for a decision system used for providing the autonomous driving control, wherein updating the probability is based on the identified type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal.

10 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor coupled to a first autonomous vehicle, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
determining an initial driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle in response to the first autonomous driving vehicle perceiving a second vehicle; initiating a first visual communication signal provided by the first autonomous driving vehicle, wherein the first visual communication signal represents the initial driving maneuver; detecting a second visual communication signal provided by the second vehicle in response to the first visual communication signal; identifying a type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal; and determining a subsequent driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle based on the identified type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal.

11 . The medium of claim 10 , wherein the first and second visual communication signals are provided by a lighting mechanism of the first and second vehicles respectively.

12 . The medium of claim 10 , wherein the identified type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal is a driving maneuver for the second vehicle, wherein the second vehicle is a second autonomous driving vehicle.

13 . The medium of claim 12 , wherein determining the subsequent driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle includes modifying the initial driving maneuver.

14 . The medium of claim 10 , wherein the identified type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal is an acknowledgement of the first visual communication signal.

15 . The medium of claim 14 , wherein determining the subsequent driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle includes maintaining the initial driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle.

16 . The medium of claim 14 , further comprising initiating, in response to the second visual communication signal being identified as an acknowledgement, a third visual communication signal provided by the first autonomous driving vehicle, wherein the third visual communication signal represents a confirmation that the subsequent driving maneuver will conform to the initial driving maneuver.

17 . An autonomous driving control system, comprising:
a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations including
determining an initial driving maneuver for a first autonomous driving vehicle in response to the first autonomous driving vehicle perceiving a second vehicle;
initiating a first visual communication signal provided by the first autonomous driving vehicle, wherein the first visual communication signal represents the initial driving maneuver;
detecting a second visual communication signal provided by the second vehicle in response to the first visual communication signal;
identifying a type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal; and
determining a subsequent driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle based on the identified type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first and second visual communication signals are provided by a lighting mechanism of the first and second vehicles respectively.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the identified type of communication represented by the second visual communication signal is a driving maneuver for the second vehicle, wherein the second vehicle is a second autonomous driving vehicle.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein determining the subsequent driving maneuver for the first autonomous driving vehicle includes modifying the initial driving maneuver.

Assignees

• Baidu Usa Llc

Inventors

• Tao Jiaming
• Hu Jiangtao
• Jiang Yifei
• Li Dong
• Li Liyun
• Yang Guang
• Wang Jingao

Classifications

• B60W2050/0043

  Signal treatments, identification of variables or parameters, parameter estimation or state estimation · CPC title

• B60W50/00 Primary

  Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit {, e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces} · CPC title

• B60Q1/143

  combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers · CPC title

• B60W2556/65

  Data transmitted between vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title