# US 11,440,567 B2 · System to handle communication delays between an autonomous driving system and vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,567 B2 - Document ID: US11440567B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/811,463 - Filed: 2020-03-06 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06 - Assignees: Baidu USA LLC - Applicants: Baidu USA LLC - Inventors: Fan Zhu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440567B2 ## CPC - B60W 60/0018: {by employing degraded modes, e.g. reducing speed, in response to suboptimal conditions} - B60W 60/00186: {related to the vehicle} - B60W 50/029: Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts - B60W 60/0011: {involving control alternatives for a single driving scenario, e.g. planning several paths to avoid obstacles} - B60W 60/0025: {specially adapted for specific operations} - B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant} - B60W 60/0057: {Estimation of the time available or required for the handover} - B60W 60/0059: {Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity} - H04W 4/48: for in-vehicle communication - B60W 2050/0295: {Inhibiting action of specific actuators or systems} - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering 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 - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Embodiments disclose systems and methods to operate an autonomous vehicle. In one embodiment, a system (an electronic controlled unit (ECU) of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV)) receives a command, the command sent by an autonomous driving system (ADS) of the ADV. The system determines a communication state between the ECU and the ADS based on a state machine corresponding to a timing of the received command. If the communication state is of a first state, the system operates the ADV based on the received command. If the communication state is of a second state, the system releases a throttle of the ADV. If the communication state is of a third state, the system releases a throttle of the ADV and brakes using a first threshold of acceleration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for operating an autonomous driving vehicle, the method comprising: receiving a command, by an electronic controlled unit (ECU) of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV), the command sent by an autonomous driving system (ADS) of the ADV, wherein the ECU includes an embedded system in automotive electronics that controls one or more electrical systems or subsystems of the ADV; determining a communication state between the ECU and the ADS based on a state machine corresponding to a timing of the received command; if the communication state is of a first state, operating the ADV based on the received command; if the communication state is of a second state, releasing a throttle of the ADV; if the communication state is of a third state, releasing a throttle of the ADV and issuing braking based on a first threshold of acceleration; and if the communication state is of a fourth state, releasing a throttle of the ADV and issuing braking based on a second threshold of acceleration, wherein a communication state is of: the first state if the ECU receives the command within a first delay threshold; the second state if the ECU receives the command between the first delay threshold and a second delay threshold; the third state if the ECU receives the command between the second delay threshold and a third delay threshold; and the fourth state if the ECU receives the command beyond the third delay threshold, wherein the first, second, and third delay thresholds are three, six, and nine communication cycles, respectively. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a feedback signal by the ECU based on the communication state, wherein the ADS receives the feedback signal from the ECU to determine a status of the ADV. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a status of the ADV is one of an autonomous mode, a recoverable autonomous mode, or a manual mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the communication state between the ECU and the ADS to be the fourth state if a command is not received by the third delay threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the ECU operates the ADV from the autonomous mode or the recoverable autonomous mode to the manual mode if the communication state is of a fourth state. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the ADS sends a command to the ECU to operate the ADV from the manual mode to the autonomous mode. ### Claim 7 A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving a command, by an electronic controlled unit (ECU) of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV), the command sent by an autonomous driving system (ADS) of the ADV, wherein the ECU includes an embedded system in automotive electronics that controls one or more electrical systems or subsystems of the ADV; determining a communication state between the ECU and the ADS based on a state machine corresponding to a timing of the received command; if the communication state is of a first state, operating the ADV based on the received command; if the communication state is of a second state, releasing a throttle of the ADV; if the communication state is of a third state, releasing a throttle of the ADV and issuing braking based on a first threshold of acceleration; and if the communication state is of a fourth state, releasing a throttle of the ADV and issuing braking based on a second threshold of acceleration, wherein a communication state is of: the first state if the ECU receives the command within a first delay threshold; the second state if the ECU receives the command between the first delay threshold and a second delay threshold; the third state if the ECU receives the command between the second delay threshold and a third delay threshold; and the fourth state if the ECU receives the command beyond the third delay threshold, wherein the first, second, and third delay thresholds are three, six, and nine communication cycles, respectively. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise generating a feedback signal by the ECU based on the communication state, wherein the ADS receives the feedback signal from the ECU to determine a status of the ADV. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein a status of the ADV is one of an autonomous mode, a recoverable autonomous mode, or a manual mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the ECU operates the ADV from the autonomous mode or the recoverable autonomous mode to the manual mode if the communication state is of a fourth state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the ADS sends a command to the ECU to operate the ADV from the manual mode to the autonomous mode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise determining the communication state between the ECU and the ADS to be the fourth state if a command is not received by the third delay threshold. ### Claim 13 A data processing system, comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations including receiving a command, by an electronic controlled unit (ECU) of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV), the command sent by an autonomous driving system (ADS) of the ADV, wherein the ECU includes an embedded system in automotive electronics that controls one or more electrical systems or subsystems of the ADV; determining a communication state between the ECU and the ADS based on a state machine corresponding to a timing of the received command; if the communication state is of a first state, operating the ADV based on the received command; if the communication state is of a second state, releasing a throttle of the ADV; if the communication state is of a third state, releasing a throttle of the ADV and issuing braking based on a first threshold of acceleration; and if the communication state is of a fourth state, releasing a throttle of the ADV and issuing braking based on a second threshold of acceleration, wherein a communication status is of: the first state if the ECU receives the command within a first delay threshold; the second state if the ECU receives the command between the first delay threshold and a second delay threshold; the third state if the ECU receives the command between the second delay threshold and a third delay threshold; and the fourth state if the ECU receives the command beyond the third delay threshold, wherein the first, second, and third delay thresholds are three, six, and nine communication cycles, respectively. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise generating a feedback signal by the ECU based on the communication state, wherein the ADS receives the feedback signal from the ECU to determine a status of the ADV. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein a status of the ADV is one of an autonomous mode, a recoverable autonomous mode, or a manual mode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the ECU operates the ADV from the autonomous mode or the recoverable autonomous mode to the manual mode if the communication state is of a fourth state. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the ADS sends a command to the ECU to operate the ADV from the manual mode to the autonomous mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise determining the communication state between the ECU and the ADS to be the fourth state if a command is not received by the third delay threshold.