# US 11,077,846 B2 · Controlling an autonomous vehicle based upon a predicted imminent lane change > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,846 B2 - Document ID: US11077846B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/371,005 - Filed: 2019-03-31 - Published: 2020-10-01 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-31 - Assignees: GM Cruise Holdings LLC - Applicants: GM Cruise Holdings LLC - Inventors: Christopher Ward; Ted Nitz; Curt Harrington; Christopher Daily-Diamond - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077846B2 ## CPC - B60Q 5/006: {indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians} - B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering - B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters} - B60W 60/00272: {relying on extrapolation of current movement} - G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)} - G05D 1/228: Command input arrangements located on-board unmanned vehicles - 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 - G06V 20/584: {of vehicle lights or traffic lights} - G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection} - B60W 2420/40: Photo, light or radio wave sensitive means, e.g. infrared sensors - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - B60W 2552/53: Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk - B60W 2554/4045: Intention, e.g. lane change or imminent movement - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - B60W 2554/805: Azimuth angle - G06V 10/42: Global feature extraction by analysis of the whole pattern, e.g. using frequency domain transformations or autocorrelation - G06V 20/588: {Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road} - 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 - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - 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}) ## Abstract An autonomous vehicle is described, wherein the autonomous vehicle is configured to estimate a change in direction of a vehicle that is on a roadway and is proximate to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle has a mechanical system, one or more sensors that generate one or more sensor signals, and a computing system in communication with the mechanical system and the one or more sensors. The autonomous vehicle is configured to detect an imminent lane change by another vehicle based on at least one of a computed angle between a wheel of the other vehicle and a longitudinal direction of travel of the other vehicle, a degree of misalignment between the wheel of the other vehicle and a body of the other vehicle, and/or an eccentricity of the wheel of the other vehicle. The mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle is controlled by the computing system based upon the detected imminent lane change. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An autonomous vehicle, comprising: a mechanical system; one or more sensors that generate one or more sensor signals; a computing system in communication with the mechanical system and the one or more sensors, wherein the computing system comprises: a processor; and memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising: identifying a direction of travel of a vehicle nearby the autonomous vehicle based on the one or more sensor signals generated by the one or more sensors; identifying an eccentricity of a wheel of the vehicle based on the one or more sensor signals generated by the one or more sensors; computing, based on the eccentricity of the wheel of the vehicle, an angle between a line that diametrically bisects the wheel of the vehicle and the direction of travel of the vehicle; and controlling the mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle based on the angle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, the acts further comprising: determining a position of the one or more sensors relative to the wheel of the vehicle; wherein the angle is further computed based upon the position of the one or more sensors relative to the wheel of the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, the acts further comprising: predicting that the vehicle is to bias toward a boundary of a lane in which the autonomous vehicle is travelling based upon the computed angle; and responsive to predicting that the vehicle is to bias toward the boundary of the lane in which the autonomous vehicle is travelling, inferring that the vehicle is maneuvering into the lane based upon the computed angle; wherein the mechanical system is further controlled based upon the inference that the vehicle is maneuvering into the lane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, the acts further comprising: predicting a change in direction of the vehicle based upon the computed angle; and activating a horn of the autonomous vehicle based upon the change in direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein controlling the mechanical system based upon the computed angle comprises biasing a position of the autonomous vehicle within a lane of the autonomous vehicle based upon the computed angle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, the acts further comprising: determining a distance of the vehicle relative to the one or more sensors and a velocity of the vehicle in the direction of travel, wherein the mechanical system is controlled based upon the distance and the velocity of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein identifying the direction of travel of the vehicle comprises: determining a first position of the vehicle at a first time; and determining a second position of the vehicle at a second time, wherein the direction of travel of the vehicle is identified based upon the first position and the second position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of an image sensor, a lidar sensor, or a thermal sensor. ### Claim 9 An autonomous vehicle, comprising: a mechanical system; one or more sensors that generate one or more sensor signals; a computing system in communication with the mechanical system and the one or more sensors, wherein the computing system comprises: a processor; and memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising: identifying an eccentricity of a wheel of a vehicle nearby the autonomous vehicle based on the one or more sensor signals, identifying, based on the eccentricity of the wheel of the vehicle, a degree of misalignment between the wheel of the vehicle and a portion of a body of the vehicle, wherein the degree of misalignment is indicative of expected lateral movement by the vehicle; determining a longitudinal speed of the vehicle based on the one or more sensor signals; computing an expected trajectory of the vehicle based on the longitudinal speed of the vehicle and the degree of misalignment; and controlling the mechanical system based on the computed expected trajectory of the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The autonomous vehicle of claim 9, the acts further comprising: determining a position of the wheel of the vehicle relative to a position of the one or more sensors; wherein the expected trajectory is further computed based upon the position of the wheel of the vehicle relative to the one or more sensors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The autonomous vehicle of claim 9, the acts further comprising: identifying that the vehicle is biasing toward a boundary of a lane in which the autonomous vehicle is travelling based upon the degree of misalignment; and responsive to identifying that the vehicle is biasing toward the boundary, inferring that the vehicle is maneuvering into the lane based upon the degree of misalignment; wherein the mechanical system is further controlled based upon the inference that the vehicle is maneuvering into the lane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The autonomous vehicle of claim 9, wherein controlling the mechanical system based upon the expected trajectory comprises biasing a position of the autonomous vehicle within a lane of the autonomous vehicle based upon the expected trajectory. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The autonomous vehicle of claim 9, the acts further comprising: determining a distance between the vehicle and the autonomous vehicle, wherein the mechanical system is further controlled based upon the distance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The autonomous vehicle of claim 9, wherein the longitudinal speed of the vehicle is determined based upon a radar signal output by a radar sensor of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 15 An autonomous vehicle, comprising: a mechanical system; one or more sensors that generate one or more sensor signals; a computing system in communication with the mechanical system and the one or more sensors, wherein the computing system comprises: a processor; and memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising: identifying an eccentricity of a wheel of a vehicle as captured in the one or more sensor signals generated by the one or more sensors; determining a position of the wheel of the vehicle relative to the one or more sensors; computing an expected lateral movement by the vehicle based upon: the position of the wheel relative to the one or more sensors; and the eccentricity of the wheel; and controlling the mechanical system based on the expected lateral movement by the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The autonomous vehicle of claim 15, the acts further comprising: identifying that the vehicle is biasing toward a boundary of a lane in which the autonomous vehicle is travelling based upon the eccentricity of the wheel; and responsive to identifying that the vehicle is biasing toward the boundary, inferring that the vehicle is maneuvering into the lane based upon the eccentricity of the wheel; wherein the mechanical system is further controlled based upon the inference that the vehicle is maneuvering into the lane. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The autonomous vehicle of claim 15, wherein controlling the mechanical system based on the expected lateral movement comprises biasing a position of the autonomous vehicle within a lane of the autonomous vehicle based upon the expected lateral movement. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The autonomous vehicle of claim 15, the acts further comprising: determining a longitudinal speed of the vehicle; wherein the mechanical system is further controlled based upon the longitudinal speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The autonomous vehicle of claim 9, the acts further comprising: predicting a change in direction of the vehicle based upon the expected trajectory of the vehicle; and activating a horn of the autonomous vehicle based upon the change in direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The autonomous vehicle of claim 15, the acts further comprising: predicting a change in direction of the vehicle based upon the expected lateral movement of the vehicle; and activating a horn of the autonomous vehicle based upon the change in direction.