Autonomous vehicle interaction with external environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9855890-B2
Application number	US-201414566974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

Arrangements relate to the interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle. Such interaction can occur in various ways. For example, a non-verbal human gesture in the external environment can be detected. The non-verbal human gesture can be identified. A future driving maneuver can be determined based on the identified non-verbal human gesture. The autonomous vehicle can be caused to implement the determined future driving maneuver. As another example, the external environment of the autonomous vehicle can be detected to identify a person (e.g. a human pedestrian, a human bicyclist, a human driver or occupant of another vehicle, etc.) therein. The identified person can be located. It can be determined whether the person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle can be caused to send a directional message to the person.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein;
locating the identified person;
determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle; and
responsive to determining that the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional audial message to the person, the directional audial message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device, wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional audial message to the person includes:
adjusting a position of an external speaker mounted on the autonomous vehicle to be substantially aligned with the location of the identified person; and
causing the directional audial message to be emitted from the external speaker.

2. A method of interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein;
locating the identified person;
determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle; and
responsive to determining that the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional audial message to the person, the directional audial message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device,
a plurality of external speakers being mounted on the autonomous vehicle, the plurality of external speakers including at least one external speaker on a front portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one external speaker on a rear portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one external speaker on a first lateral side of the autonomous vehicle, and at least one speaker on a second lateral side of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional audial message to the person includes:
selecting at least one of the plurality of external speakers that is substantially aligned with the location of the identified person; and
causing the directional audial message to be emitted from the selected at least one of the plurality of external speakers.

3. A method of interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein;
locating the identified person;
determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle; and
responsive to determining that the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional visual message to the person, the directional visual message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device, and wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional visual message to the person includes:
adjusting a position of an externally facing display mounted on the autonomous vehicle to be substantially aligned with the location of the identified person; and
causing the directional visual message to be presented on the externally facing display.

4. A method of interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein;
locating the identified person;
determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle; and
responsive to determining that the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional visual message to the person, the directional visual message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device,
the autonomous vehicle including a plurality of externally facing displays mounted on the autonomous vehicle, the plurality of externally facing displays including at least one externally facing display on a front portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one externally facing display on a rear portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one externally facing display on a first lateral side of the autonomous vehicle, and at least one externally facing display on a second lateral side of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional visual message includes:
selecting at least one of the plurality of externally facing displays that is substantially aligned with the location of the identified person; and
causing the directional visual message to be presented on the selected at least one of the plurality of externally facing displays.

5. A method of interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein;
locating the identified person;
determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle; and
responsive to determining that the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional message to the person, the directional message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device;
wherein sending the directional message includes activating a humanoid figure to present a non-verbal gesture, and wherein the humanoid figure is a physical object located within or on the autonomous vehicle.

6. A system for interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:
an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle including:
a sensor system operable to detect the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein and operable to locate the identified person;
an external speaker, the external speaker being mounted on the autonomous vehicle, the external speaker having an associated position, the position of the external speaker being adjustable;
a processor located onboard the autonomous vehicle, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle; and
responsive to determining that the person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional audial message to the person, the directional audial message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device,
wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional audial message to the person includes:
adjusting the position of the external speaker to be substantially aligned with the location of the identi

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• James Michael R
• Prokhorov Danil V

Classifications

• B60K35/65

  Instruments specially adapted for specific vehicle types or users, e.g. for left- or right-hand drive · CPC title

• B60K35/53

  Movable instruments, e.g. slidable · CPC title

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/21

  using visual output, e.g. blinking lights or matrix displays · CPC title

• B60K35/26

  using acoustic output · CPC title