# US 10,308,246 B1 · Autonomous vehicle signal control

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- Number: US 10,308,246 B1
- Document ID: US10308246B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/409,107
- Filed: 2017-01-18
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-22
- Assignees: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
- Applicants: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
- Inventors: Blake Konrardy; Scott T. Christensen; Gregory Hayward; Scott Farris
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308246B1

## CPC

- G01C 21/3461: {Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types or segments such as motorways, toll roads or ferries}
- B60L 53/36: by positioning the vehicle
- B60R 16/0234: {related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles}
- B60R 21/0136: responsive to actual contact with an obstacle {, e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle (monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558)}
- B60R 25/04: operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
- B60R 25/102: a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
- B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units
- B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems
- B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems
- B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters}
- B60W 30/16: Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
- B60W 40/04: Traffic conditions
- B60W 60/0023: {in response to energy consumption}
- B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant}
- B60W 60/0059: {Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity}
- G01B 21/00: Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant
- G01C 21/34: Route searching; Route guidance
- G01C 21/3415: {Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents}
- G01C 21/343: {Calculating itineraries (travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047)}
- G01C 21/3438: {Rendezvous; Ride sharing}
- G01C 21/3453: {Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments}
- G01C 21/3469: {Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects}
- G01C 21/3617: {using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement}
- G01C 21/362: {received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application}
- G01C 21/3697: {Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level (G01C21/3679 takes precedence)}
- G01S 19/13: Receivers
- G05B 15/02: electric
- G05B 23/0245: {based on a qualitative model, e.g. rule based; if-then decisions}
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G05D 1/0011: {associated with a remote control arrangement}
- G05D 1/0055: {with safety arrangements}
- G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)}
- G05D 1/0231: {using optical position detecting means (position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16)}
- G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means}
- G05D 1/0255: {using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals (sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93)}
- G05D 1/0285: {using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network}
- G05D 1/0287: {involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16)}
- G05D 1/0289: {with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93)}
- G05D 1/0293: {Convoy travelling}
- G05D 1/0295: {by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet}
- G05D 1/223: Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens
- G05D 1/227: Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements
- G05D 1/228: Command input arrangements located on-board unmanned vehicles
- G05D 1/247: using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons
- G05D 1/249: from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle, e.g. from cameras
- G05D 1/617: Safety or protection, e.g. defining protection zones around obstacles or avoiding hazards (arrangements for controlling the position or course of two or more vehicles for avoiding collisions therebetween G05D1/693; arrangements for reacting to or preventing system or operator failure G05D1/80)
- G05D 1/646: Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path
- G05D 1/69: Coordinated control of the position or course of two or more vehicles
- G05D 1/692: involving a plurality of disparate vehicles
- G05D 1/693: for avoiding collisions between vehicles
- G05D 1/695: for maintaining a fixed relative position of the vehicles, e.g. for convoy travelling or formation flight
- G05D 1/697: for rendezvous of two or more vehicles, e.g. for in-flight refuelling (docking at a base station G05D1/661)
- G06F 11/3688: {for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites}
- G06F 11/3692: {for test results analysis}
- G06F 16/2455: Query execution
- G06F 16/90335: {Query processing}
- G06F 17/00: Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions (information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00)
- G06F 21/32: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
- G06F 21/55: Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
- G06F 30/15: Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
- G06F 30/20: Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30)
- G06Q 10/1093: Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
- G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance
- G06Q 30/0284: {Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters}
- G06Q 30/0645: Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
- G06Q 40/08: Insurance
- G06Q 50/163: Real estate management
- G06Q 50/265: {Personal security, identity or safety}
- G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083)
- G07C 5/006: {Indicating maintenance}
- G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)}
- G07C 5/0808: {Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005)}
- G07C 5/0816: {Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction}
- G07C 5/0841: {Registering performance data (recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B)}
- G07C 9/00563: {using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns}
- G08B 21/00: Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
- G08B 21/02: Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
- G08B 21/18: Status alarms (G08B21/02 takes precedence)
- G08B 25/00: Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems
- G08B 25/014: {Alarm signalling to a central station with two-way communication, e.g. with signalling back}
- G08G 1/017: identifying vehicles (G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence)
- G08G 1/0965: responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
- G08G 1/096725: {where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control}
- G08G 1/096783: {where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element}
- G08G 1/143: {inside the vehicles}
- G08G 1/146: {where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space}
- G08G 1/148: {Management of a network of parking areas}
- G08G 1/161: {Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication}
- G08G 1/165: {for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees}
- G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes}
- G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection}
- G08G 1/20: {Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles}
- G08G 1/205: {Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental}
- G16Y 10/80: Homes; Buildings
- G16Y 30/00: IoT infrastructure
- H04L 12/2803: {Home automation networks}
- H04L 12/2816: {Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00)}
- H04L 12/2825: {Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002)}
- H04L 67/306: User profiles
- H04N 7/183: {for receiving images from a single remote source}
- B60R 2021/0027: {Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services}
- B60R 2021/01013: {Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over}
- B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
- B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
- B60W 2530/209: Fuel quantity remaining in tank
- B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
- B60W 2552/05: Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
- B60W 2552/35: Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
- B60W 2554/4026: Cycles
- B60W 2554/4029: Pedestrians
- B60W 2554/4041: Position
- B60W 2554/406: Traffic density
- B60W 2556/10: Historical data
- G01S 19/42: Determining position
- Y02A 10/40: Controlling or monitoring, e.g. of flood or hurricane; Forecasting, e.g. risk assessment or mapping
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})
- G16Y: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE INTERNET OF THINGS [IoT]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Methods and systems for communicating between autonomous vehicles are described herein. Such communication may be performed for signaling, collision avoidance, path coordination, and/or autonomous control. An autonomous vehicle may determine an upcoming maneuver for the autonomous vehicle and identify a vehicle signal which is indicative of the upcoming maneuver. Then the autonomous vehicle may present the vehicle signal. After presenting the vehicle signal, the autonomous vehicle may perform the maneuver.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for controlling vehicle signals in a vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features, comprising:
determining, at one or more processors in a vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features, an upcoming maneuver for the vehicle;
identifying, by the one or more processors, a vehicle signal which is indicative of the upcoming maneuver;
causing, by the one or more processors, the vehicle to present the vehicle signal; and
after presenting the vehicle signal, causing, by the one or more processors, the vehicle to perform the maneuver; and
decoding, by the one or more processors, one or more other vehicle signals received from one or more other vehicles.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle signal is presented when the vehicle is unable to transmit communications to other vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle signal is an electromagnetic signal outside of a visible light spectrum, wherein another vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features decodes the electromagnetic signal to identify the upcoming maneuver.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle signal indicates at least one of: braking, turning left or right, turning around, reversing, speeding up, slowing down, changing lanes, merging, another vehicle is travelling too close to the vehicle, moving or swerving to avoid a collision with another vehicle, the vehicle is losing control, or a system failure in at least one of the one or more autonomous operation features.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle signal is presented visually via one or more lights attached to the vehicle, or presented audibly via a vehicle horn or one or more speakers.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
simultaneously transmitting, by the one or more processors, a communication to one or more other vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features within a communication range of the vehicle as the vehicle signal is presented, the communication including an indication of the upcoming maneuver;
wherein the other vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features receive the communication and pedestrians or vehicles without autonomous operation features perceive the vehicle signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:
when an acknowledgment signal is not received at the one or more processors from at least one of the one or more other vehicles in response to transmitting the communication, causing, by the one or more processors, the vehicle to present the vehicle signal to the at least one other vehicle.

### Claim 8

A computer system configured to control vehicle signals in a vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features, the computer system comprising one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, or sensors configured to:
determine, in a vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features, an upcoming maneuver for the vehicle;
identify a vehicle signal which is indicative of the upcoming maneuver;
cause the vehicle to present the vehicle signal; and
after presenting the vehicle signal, cause the vehicle to perform the maneuver,
wherein the vehicle signal is presented when the vehicle is unable to transmit communications to other vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The computer system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle signal is an electromagnetic signal outside of a visible light spectrum, wherein another vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features decodes the electromagnetic signal to identify the upcoming maneuver.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The computer system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle signal indicates at least one of: braking, turning left or right, turning around, reversing, speeding up, slowing down, changing lanes, merging, another vehicle is travelling too close to the vehicle, moving or swerving to avoid a collision with another vehicle, the vehicle is losing control, or a system failure in at least one of the one or more autonomous operation features.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The computer system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle signal is presented visually via one or more lights attached to the vehicle, or presented audibly via a vehicle horn or one or more speakers.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The computer system of claim 8, wherein the one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, or sensors are further configured to:
simultaneously transmit a communication to one or more other vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features within a communication range of the vehicle as the vehicle signal is presented, the communication including an indication of the upcoming maneuver;
wherein the other vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features receive the communication and pedestrians or vehicles without autonomous operation features perceive the vehicle signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The computer system of claim 12, wherein the one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, or sensors are further configured to:
when an acknowledgment signal is not received from at least one of the one or more other vehicles in response to transmitting the communication, cause the vehicle to present the vehicle signal to the at least one other vehicle.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The computer system of claim 8, wherein the one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, or sensors are further configured to:
decode one or more other vehicle signals received from one or more other vehicles.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a set of instructions that, when executed on one or more processors in a head unit of a vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features, causes the one or more processors to:
determine an upcoming maneuver for the vehicle;
identify a vehicle signal which is indicative of the upcoming maneuver;
cause the vehicle to present the vehicle signal; and
after presenting the vehicle signal, cause the vehicle to perform the maneuver,
wherein the vehicle signal is an electromagnetic signal outside of a visible light spectrum, and wherein another vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features decodes the electromagnetic signal to identify the upcoming maneuver.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the vehicle signal is presented when the vehicle is unable to transmit communications to other vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of instructions further causes the one or more processors to:
simultaneously transmit a communication to one or more other vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features within a communication range of the vehicle as the vehicle signal is presented, the communication including an indication of the upcoming maneuver;
wherein the other vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features receive the communication and pedestrians or vehicles without autonomous operation features perceive the vehicle signal.