# US 10,373,501 B2 · Automated vehicle control strategy for pedestrian crowds

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- Number: US 10,373,501 B2
- Document ID: US10373501B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/591,680
- Filed: 2017-05-10
- Published: 2018-11-15
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-10
- Assignees: Aptiv Technologies AG
- Applicants: Aptiv Technologies Limited
- Inventors: Junqing Wei; Wenda Xu; Jong Ho Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373501B2

## CPC

- G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
- B60K 31/0008: {including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path}
- B60Q 5/006: {indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians}
- B60W 30/08: {Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences}
- B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
- B60W 30/18159: {Traversing an intersection}
- B60W 60/0017: {of other traffic participants}
- 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 1/0055: {with safety arrangements}
- G06V 20/584: {of vehicle lights or traffic lights}
- G08G 1/09623: {Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle (G08G1/0967 takes precedence)}
- G08G 1/096783: {where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element}
- G08G 1/165: {for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees}
- G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes}
- B60Q 1/525: {automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data}
- B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
- B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
- B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects
- B60W 2554/20: Static objects
- B60W 2554/4029: Pedestrians
- B60W 2554/4049: Relationship among other objects, e.g. converging dynamic objects
- B60W 2555/60: Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
- G06T 2207/30252: Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
- G06T 2207/30261: Obstacle
- G06V 40/103: {Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition}
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- 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
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- 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})
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

A system for operating an automated vehicle in a crowd of pedestrians includes an object-detector, optionally, a signal detector, and a controller. The object-detector detects pedestrians proximate to a host-vehicle. The signal-detector detects a signal-state displayed by a traffic-signal that displays a stop-state that indicates when the host-vehicle should stop so the pedestrians can cross in front of the host-vehicle, and displays a go-state that indicates when the pedestrians should stop passing in front of the host-vehicle so that the host-vehicle can go forward. The controller is in control of movement of the host-vehicle and in communication with the object-detector and the signal-detector. The controller operates the host-vehicle to stop the host-vehicle when the stop-state is displayed, and operates the host-vehicle to creep-forward after a wait-interval after the traffic-signal changes to the go-state when the pedestrians fail to stop passing in front of the host-vehicle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for operating an automated vehicle in a crowd of pedestrians, said system comprising:
an object-detector that detects pedestrians proximate to a host-vehicle; and
a controller in control of movement of the host-vehicle and in communication with the object-detector, said controller operates the host-vehicle to stop the host-vehicle when pedestrians pass in front of the host-vehicle, and operates the host-vehicle to creep-forward after a wait-interval when the pedestrians continue to pass in front of the host-vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system includes a warning-device detectable by the pedestrians, said warning-device activated when the controller operates the host-vehicle to creep-forward.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the warning-device is an acoustic-transducer that emits an audible beep when activated.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the warning-device is a light-source that emits a flashing-light when activated.

### Claim 5

A system for operating an automated vehicle in a crowd of pedestrians, said system comprising:
an object-detector that detects pedestrians proximate to a host-vehicle;
a signal-detector that detects a signal-state displayed by a traffic-signal, wherein the traffic-signal displays a stop-state that indicates when the host-vehicle should stop so the pedestrians can cross in front of the host-vehicle, and displays a go-state that indicates when the pedestrians should stop passing in front of the host-vehicle so that the host-vehicle can go forward on a path that is free from pedestrians; and
a controller in control of movement of the host-vehicle and in communication with the object-detector and the signal-detector, said controller operates the host-vehicle to stop the host-vehicle when the stop-state is displayed, and operates the host-vehicle to creep-forward after a wait-interval after the traffic-signal changes to the go-state when the pedestrians fail to stop passing in front of the host-vehicle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the system includes a warning-device detectable by the pedestrians, said warning-device activated when the controller operates the host-vehicle to creep-forward.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the warning-device is an acoustic-transducer that emits an audible beep when activated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the warning-device is a light-source that emits a flashing-light when activated.