Off-road autonomous driving

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849883-B2
Application number	US-201615145900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2016
Priority date	May 4, 2016
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a processor with access to a memory storing instructions executable by the processor. The instructions include determining whether an autonomous host vehicle can traverse an environmental obstacle, and if the autonomous host vehicle can traverse the environmental obstacle, controlling an active suspension system in accordance with the environmental obstacle and controlling the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle system comprising:
a processor with access to a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including:
determining whether an autonomous host vehicle can traverse an environmental obstacle; and
if the autonomous host vehicle can traverse the environmental obstacle:
controlling an active suspension system in accordance with the environmental obstacle, and
controlling the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle;

determining whether passengers should exit the autonomous host vehicle prior to the autonomous host vehicle traversing the environmental obstacle; and
generating an alert if the passengers should exit the autonomous host vehicle prior to the autonomous host vehicle traversing the environmental obstacle.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions include presenting the alert to the passengers prior to the autonomous host vehicle traversing the environmental obstacle.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions include receiving a user input authorizing the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle.

4. The vehicle system of claim 3 , wherein controlling the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle occurs in response to the user input authorizing the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions include determining whether all passengers have exited the autonomous host vehicle.

6. The vehicle system of claim 5 , wherein controlling the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle occurs after all passengers have exited the autonomous host vehicle.

7. A vehicle system comprising:
a sensor that detects an environmental obstacle and outputs an obstacle detection signal representing a presence of the environmental obstacle; and
a processor programmed to receive the environmental obstacle detection signal, determining whether an autonomous host vehicle can traverse the environmental obstacle, and
if the autonomous host vehicle can traverse the environmental obstacle:
control an active suspension system in accordance with the environmental obstacle, and
control the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle;

wherein the processor is further programmed to determine whether passengers should exit the autonomous host vehicle prior to the autonomous host vehicle traversing the environmental obstacle.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to generate an alert if the passengers should exit the autonomous host vehicle prior to the autonomous host vehicle traversing the environmental obstacle.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8 , further comprising a user interface that presents the alert to the passengers prior to the autonomous host vehicle traversing the environmental obstacle.

10. The vehicle system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is programmed to receive a user input authorizing the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is programmed to control the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle in response to receiving the user input authorizing the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11 , further comprising a user interface that receives the user input and provides the user input to the processor.

13. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the user input is received wirelessly from a remote device.

14. The vehicle system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is programmed to determine whether all passengers have exited the autonomous host vehicle.

15. The vehicle system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is programmed to control the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle after all passengers have exited the autonomous host vehicle.

16. A method comprising:
receiving a sensor signal representing a presence of an environmental obstacle;
determining that an autonomous host vehicle can traverse an environmental obstacle;
controlling an active suspension system in accordance with the environmental obstacle, and
controlling the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle;
determining whether passengers should exit the autonomous host vehicle prior to the autonomous host vehicle traversing the environmental obstacle; and
generating an alert if the passengers should exit the autonomous host vehicle prior to the autonomous host vehicle traversing the environmental obstacle.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
presenting the alert to the passengers prior to the autonomous host vehicle traversing the environmental obstacle; and
determining whether all passengers have exited the autonomous host vehicle,
wherein controlling the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle occurs after all passengers have exited the autonomous host vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein controlling the active suspension system includes simultaneously actuating a braking system, a throttle system, a steering system, and raising at least one vehicle wheel to traverse the environmental obstacle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lu Jianbo
• Hrovat Davor David
• Tseng Hongtei Eric

Classifications

• B60W2540/215

  Selection or confirmation of options · CPC title

• B60W10/12 Primary

  including control of differentials · CPC title

• B60W2050/0064

  using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit, e.g. remote keypad or mobile phone · CPC title

• B60W2555/20

  Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain · CPC title

• B60W30/02

  Control of vehicle driving stability · CPC title