# US 11,079,765 B2 · Methods for communicating state, intent, and context of an autonomous vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,765 B2 - Document ID: US11079765B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/286,294 - Filed: 2019-02-26 - Published: 2019-06-27 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-19 - Applicants: Direct Current Capital LLC - Inventors: Carol Reiley; Daniel Espinel; Ryan Wistort; Michael Paris - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079765B2 ## CPC - B60Q 1/46: for giving flashing caution signals during drive, other than signalling change of direction, e.g. flashing the headlights {or hazard lights} - B60Q 1/26: the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic - B60Q 1/50: for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking - B60Q 1/5035: {electronic displays} - B60Q 1/5037: {the display content changing automatically, e.g. depending on traffic situation} - B60Q 1/507: {specific to autonomous vehicles} - B60Q 1/508: {specific to vehicles driving in fleets or convoys} - 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} - B60Q 1/543: {for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle (indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045)} - B60Q 1/545: {for indicating other traffic conditions, e.g. fog, heavy traffic} - B60Q 1/549: {for expressing greetings, gratitude or emotions} - B60Q 5/006: {indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians} - B60W 30/18154: {Approaching an intersection} - B60W 30/18159: {Traversing an intersection} - B60W 50/082: {Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling} - B60W 60/001: {Planning or execution of driving tasks} - B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant} - 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 1/0061: {for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa} - G05D 1/0214: {in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas (monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13)} - G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means} - B60Q 1/547: {for issuing requests to other traffic participants; for confirming to other traffic participants they can proceed, e.g. they can overtake} - B60Q 2400/50: Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - B60W 2554/4029: Pedestrians - B60W 2756/10: Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle - 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 ## Abstract One variation of a method for communicating state, intent, and context of an autonomous vehicle includes: at a first time, displaying a first icon representing a current state of a vehicle on a rear-facing visual display arranged on the vehicle; navigating toward an intersection; at a second time, detecting a state of the intersection ahead of the vehicle; rendering a second icon representing the state of the intersection at the second time on the rear-facing visual display; detecting a change in the state of the intersection at a third time succeeding the second time; selecting a next navigation action for the vehicle responsive to the change in the state of the intersection at the third time; prior to executing the next navigation action, rendering a third icon representing the next navigation action on the rear-facing visual display; and autonomously executing the next navigation action. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: obtaining a sensor stream via at least one sensor of a vehicle; rendering a first representation on a visual display of the vehicle at a first time period, the first representation corresponding to a current state of the vehicle, the vehicle autonomously navigating toward an intersection based on the sensor stream at the first time period; detecting a distance of the vehicle to the intersection at a second time period based on the sensor stream; detecting a current state of the intersection ahead of the vehicle at the second time period based on the sensor stream; and rendering a second representation on the visual display in response to the distance of the vehicle to the intersection falling within a threshold distance, the second representation corresponding to the current state of the intersection. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: rendering a third representation on the visual display, the third representation corresponding to an upcoming navigation action of the vehicle based on the current state of the intersection. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the third representation includes an icon representative of the upcoming navigation action. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the icon is animated at a rate proportional to an acceleration rate associated with the upcoming navigation action. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the third representation is displayed based on a confidence score for the upcoming navigation action exceeding a threshold score. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the second representation and the third representation are oscillated between on the visual display while the vehicle is stopped at the intersection. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first representation includes an icon indicating that the vehicle is operating in an autonomous driving mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the icon is changed in response to transitioning the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode into a manual driving mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the current state of the intersection ahead of the vehicle is identified based on one or more objects detected in the sensor stream. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second representation includes a position of a pedestrian relative to the vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second representation is rendered in response to arrival of the vehicle at a head of the intersection and in response to detection of a second vehicle behind the vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second representation includes an icon indicating presence of a second vehicle ahead of the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the current state of the intersection ahead of the vehicle comprises an absence of possession, by the vehicle, to right of way at the intersection and the second representation is rendered in connection with a deceleration of the vehicle upon approach to the intersection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second representation is changed in response to confirmation of possession, by the vehicle, of right of way at the intersection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the visual display is mounted to an interior of vehicle or an exterior of the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein distance is determined as a function of a speed of the vehicle approaching the intersection. ### Claim 17 One or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process on a computing system, the computer process comprising: obtaining a sensor stream, the sensor stream captured using at least one sensor of a vehicle; rendering a first representation for display using a visual display of the vehicle at a first time period, the first representation corresponding to a current state of the vehicle, the vehicle autonomously navigating toward an intersection based on the sensor stream at the first time period; detecting a first state of the intersection based on the sensor stream during a second time period; selecting a next navigation action for the vehicle based on the first state of the intersection; detecting a state change of the intersection from the first state to a second state at a third time period based on the sensor stream; rendering a second representation for display using the visual display, the second representation corresponding to an upcoming navigation action to autonomously navigate through the intersection based on the state change of the intersection. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The one or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the second representation is rendered in response to the vehicle being detected within a threshold distance of the intersection. ### Claim 19 One or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process on a computing system, the computer process comprising: obtaining a sensor stream, the sensor stream captured using at least one sensor of a vehicle; rendering a first representation for display using a visual display of the vehicle at a first time period, the first representation corresponding to a current state of the vehicle, the vehicle autonomously navigating toward an intersection based on the sensor stream; selecting a next navigation action for navigating through the intersection at the first time period; detecting possession, by the vehicle, of right of way to enter the intersection based on the sensor stream at a second time period; and rendering a second representation the for display using visual display in response to detecting possession, by the vehicle, of right of way to enter the intersection, the second representation including the next navigational action, the vehicle autonomously executing the next navigation action to autonomously navigate through the intersection. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The or more tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19, further comprising: rendering a third representation for display using visual display in response to detecting absence of possession, by the vehicle, of right of way to enter the intersection.