US 11,380,204 B2Granted

Controlling articulating sensors of an autonomous vehicle

AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC

InventorsElliot Branson, Eric Lujan, Benjamin Earle Weinstein-Raun

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Abstract

An autonomous vehicle is described herein. The autonomous vehicle comprises a first sensor and a second sensor having limited fields of view, an articulation system, and a computing system. The computing system determines a first region and a second region external to the autonomous vehicle based on a sensor prioritization scheme comprising a ranking of regions surrounding the autonomous vehicle. The computing system then causes the articulation system to orient the first sensor towards the first region and the second region towards the second region. Responsive to receiving a sensor signal from the first sensor indicating that an object has entered a field of view of the first sensor, the computing system determines a third region having a higher ranking than the second region within the sensor prioritization scheme. The computing system then causes the articulation system to orient the second sensor towards the third region.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a first sensor having a first limited field of view;
a second sensor having a second limited field of view;
an articulation system configured to orient the first sensor and the second sensor towards regions surrounding the autonomous vehicle;
a computing system that is in communication with the first sensor, the second sensor, and the articulation system, the computing system comprising:
a processor;
and
memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
determining a ranking of regions external to the autonomous vehicle based on a maneuver being performed by the autonomous vehicle and whether an obstruction is detected in the first limited field of view of the first sensor or the second limited field of view of the second sensor during the maneuver;
and
causing the articulation system, based on the ranking of the regions, to orient the first sensor towards a first region such that the first limited field of view encompasses the first region and orient the second sensor towards a second region such that the second limited field of view encompasses the second region.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/914,421Filed 28 Jun 2020 · continuation
Priority: 1 Aug 2018
Published: US 2020/0043343 A115 Oct 2020
Granted: 5 Jul 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification39 codes

G01S 13/931
For anti-collision purposes: of land vehicles
G08G 1/166
Anti-collision systems: for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
B60W 60/001
Drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles: planning or execution of driving tasks
G01S 7/40
Of systems according to group G01S13/00: means for monitoring or calibrating

Family

Application16/052,088Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Aug 2018
US 2020/0327810 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Oct 2020
US 10,706,724 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2020/0043343 A1Published application
US 11,380,204 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.