Autonomous vehicle communication configuration system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9740205-B2
Application number	US-201615219992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2016
Priority date	Dec 8, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle (AV) can include a communication system to communicate with a backend system, a sensor system to collect sensor data representing an operational environment of the AV, and a control system that can processes the sensor data to (i) perform a localization operation to determine a location and an orientation of the AV within a given region, and (ii) autonomously operate the AV's acceleration, braking, and steering system throughout the given region. Based on the localization operation, the AV can implement a set of configuration commands to configure the communication system to transmit and receive data with the backend system using a number of specified network nodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication configuration system for a fleet of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in a given region, the communication configuration system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication configuration system to:
receive localization data from a respective AV of the fleet of AVs, the localization data comprising a location and an orientation of the respective AV;
using a network resource map, select a proximate network node relative to the respective AV based on the location of the respective AV, the network resource map indicating locations of network nodes for connecting the fleet of AVs with a backend system; and
based on the orientation of the respective AV, transmit configuration commands to the respective AV to cause the respective AV to configure an on-board communication system to transmit and receive data with the proximate network node.

2. The communication configuration system of claim 1 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the communication configuration system to:
using the localization data of the respective AV, perform a ray tracing operation to identify a plurality of network nodes through which the respective AV can communicate with the backend system.

3. The communication configuration system of claim 2 , wherein the executed instructions cause the communication configuration system to select the proximate network node based on results of the ray tracing operation.

4. The communication configuration system of claim 3 , wherein the results of the ray tracing operation indicate that the selected proximate network node provides a highest signal strength.

5. The communication configuration system of claim 3 , wherein the results of the ray tracing operation indicate an optimal communication channel available for the respective AV to communicate with the backend system.

6. The communication configuration system of claim 5 , wherein the configuration commands further cause the respective AV to select the optimal communication channel to communicate with the backend system via the selected proximate network node.

7. The communication configuration system of claim 1 , wherein the localization data for the respective AV is received periodically as the respective AV travels throughout the given region.

8. The communication configuration system of claim 7 , wherein the executed instructions cause the communication configuration system to select proximate network nodes and transmit configuration commands in response to each instance of the periodically received localization data.

9. The communication configuration system of claim 1 , wherein the network resource map is either (i) stored locally in the one or more memory resources, or (ii) stored remotely and accessible by the communication configuration system via one or more networks.

10. A computer-implemented method of managing communications between a backend system and a fleet of autonomous vehicles (AVs) operating throughout a given region, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:
receiving localization data from a respective AV of the fleet of AVs, the localization data comprising a location and an orientation of the respective AV;
using a network resource map, selecting a proximate network node relative to the respective AV based on the location of the respective AV, the network resource map indicating locations of network nodes for connecting the fleet of AVs with a backend system; and
based on the orientation of the respective AV, transmitting configuration commands to the respective AV to cause the respective AV to configure an on-board communication system to transmit and receive data with the proximate network node.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
using the localization data of the respective AV, performing a ray tracing operation to identify a plurality of network nodes through which the respective AV can communicate with the backend system.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors select the proximate network node based on results of the ray tracing operation.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the results of the ray tracing operation indicate that the selected proximate network node provides a highest signal strength.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the results of the ray tracing operation indicate an optimal communication channel available for the respective AV to communicate with the backend system.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the configuration commands further cause the respective AV to select the optimal communication channel to communicate with the backend system via the selected proximate network node.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the localization data for the respective AV is received periodically as the respective AV travels throughout the given region.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors select proximate network nodes and transmit configuration commands in response to each instance of the periodically received localization data.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the network resource map is either (i) stored locally in the one or more memory resources, or (ii) stored remotely and accessible by the communication configuration system via one or more networks.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive localization data from a respective AV of a fleet of AVs, the localization data comprising a location and an orientation of the respective AV;
using a network resource map, select a proximate network node relative to the respective AV based on the location of the respective AV, the network resource map indicating locations of network nodes for connecting the fleet of AVs with a backend system; and
based on the orientation of the respective AV, transmit configuration commands to the respective AV to cause the respective AV to configure an on-board communication system to transmit and receive data with the proximate network node.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
using the localization data of the respective AV, perform a ray tracing operation to identify a plurality of network nodes through which the respective AV can communicate with the backend system.

Assignees

• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Ross William
• Aitken Michael

Classifications

• H04W72/51

  based on terminal or device properties · CPC title

• H04B17/318

  Received signal strength · CPC title

• H04W4/046

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W84/005

  Moving wireless networks · CPC title

• H04W4/026

  using orientation information, e.g. compass · CPC title