# US 10,870,430 B2 · Communicating the autonomy status of vehicles

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- Number: US 10,870,430 B2
- Document ID: US10870430B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/866,625
- Filed: 2018-01-10
- Published: 2019-02-14
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-10
- Assignees: Intel Corporation
- Applicants: Intel Corporation
- Inventors: David Relihan; Michael O'Reilly
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870430B2

## CPC

- B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters}
- B60Q 1/26: the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
- B60W 40/09: Driving style or behaviour
- 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)
- G08G 1/0133: {for classifying traffic situation}
- G08G 1/096725: {where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control}
- G08G 1/09675: {where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle}
- G08G 1/096791: {where the origin of the information is another vehicle}
- B60W 2530/00: Input parameters relating to vehicle conditions or values, not covered by groups B60W2510/00 or B60W2520/00
- B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects
- G08C 23/04: using light waves, e.g. infrared
- H04W 84/005: {Moving wireless networks}
- H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
- 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
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- 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})
- G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

In one example, an autonomy system assigns a trust level to a vehicle, wherein the trust level is a lowest trust level. The autonomy system may modify the trust level to fully autonomous in response to an indicator light providing a fully autonomous status prior to a maneuver as indicated by the indicator light. Additionally, the autonomy system may modify the trust level to driver controlled in response to the indicator light providing a driver controlled status prior to the maneuver as indicated by the indicator light.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for visible light communications, comprising:
a receiver to receive an indicator light with encoded visible light communication (VLC) data;
a memory that is to store instructions and that is communicatively coupled to the display; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the light source and the memory, wherein when the processor is to execute the instructions, the processor is to:
assign a trust level to a vehicle, wherein the trust level is a lowest trust level and is modified based on an autonomy status received in the encoded visible light communication data;
modify the trust level to fully autonomous in response to the indicator light providing a fully autonomous status prior to a maneuver as indicated by the indicator light; and
modify the trust level to driver controlled in response to the indicator light providing a driver controlled status prior to the maneuver as indicated by the indicator light.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator light is to signal the maneuver to be perceived by humans and the autonomy status that is not perceived by humans.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the trust level is modified based on a driving system level of the vehicle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the fully autonomous status and the driver controlled status correspond to bit values generated by the indicator light via visible light communications.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the driver controlled status comprises a level zero, one, two or three driving system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the fully autonomous status comprises a level four or five driving system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the fully autonomous status and the driver controlled status are generated by the indicator light via visible light communications.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the trust level is stored for vehicles in a field of view.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the maneuver is a turn from a first street onto a second street.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the maneuver is a lane change from a first lane to a second lane.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the trust level remains a lowest trust level in response to the vehicle not providing the fully autonomous status or the driver controlled status.

### Claim 12

A method, comprising:
assigning a trust level to a vehicle, wherein the trust level is a lowest trust level that is modified based on received encoded visible light communication data from an indicator light;
modifying the trust level to fully autonomous in response to the indicator light providing a fully autonomous status prior to a maneuver as indicated by the indicator light; and
modifying the trust level to driver controlled in response to the indicator light providing a driver controlled status prior to the maneuver as indicated by the indicator light.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the indicator light is to signal the maneuver to be perceived by humans and an autonomy status that is not perceived by humans.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the trust level is modified based on an autonomy status of the vehicle.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the trust level is modified based on a driving system level of the vehicle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the fully autonomous status and the driver controlled status correspond to bit values generated by the indicator light via visible light communications.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the driver controlled status comprises a level zero, one, two or three driving system.

### Claim 18

An apparatus, comprising:
a trust level tracker to assign a trust level to a vehicle, wherein the trust level is a lowest trust level that is modified based on received encoded visible light communication data from an indicator light;
the trust level tracker to modify the trust level to fully autonomous in response to the indicator light providing a fully autonomous status prior to a maneuver as indicated by the indicator light; and
the trust level tracker to modify the trust level to driver controlled in response to the indicator light providing a driver controlled status prior to the maneuver as indicated by the indicator light.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the indicator light is to signal the maneuver to be perceived by humans and an autonomy status that is not perceived by humans.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the trust level is modified based on an autonomy status of the vehicle.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the trust level is modified based on a driving apparatus level of the vehicle.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the fully autonomous status and the driver controlled status correspond to bit values generated by the indicator light via visible light communications.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the driver controlled status comprises a level zero, one, two or three driving apparatus.

### Claim 24 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the fully autonomous status comprises a level four or five driving apparatus.