Tamper-resistant sensor for autonomous vehicles
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorJoseph Soryal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one example, a method for resolving sensor conflicts in autonomous vehicles includes monitoring conditions around the autonomous vehicle by analyzing data received from a plurality of sensors, detecting a conflict in the data received from two sensors of the plurality of sensors, sending a first instruction to an auxiliary sensor of the autonomous vehicle that is not one of the plurality of sensors, wherein the first instruction instructs the auxiliary sensor to gather additional data about the conditions around the autonomous vehicle, receiving the additional data from the auxiliary sensor, and making a decision regarding operation of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the decision is based at least in part on the additional data.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- monitoring, by a processing system of an autonomous vehicle, conditions around the autonomous vehicle by analyzing data received from a plurality of sensors;
- detecting, by the processing system, a conflict in the data received from two sensors of the plurality of sensors, wherein the conflict is detected when the data received from the two sensors cannot be simultaneously true;
- sending, by the processing system in response to the detecting the conflict in the data, a first instruction to an auxiliary sensor of the autonomous vehicle that is not one of the plurality of sensors, wherein the first instruction instructs the auxiliary sensor to gather additional data about the conditions around the autonomous vehicle;
- receiving, by the processing system, the additional data from the auxiliary sensor;
- making, by the processing system, a decision to alter an operation of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the decision is based at least in part on the additional data;
- and
- controlling, by the processing system, a vehicle system of the autonomous vehicle to alter the operation of the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the decision.
A system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors distributed throughout an autonomous vehicle to continuously gather data about conditions around the autonomous vehicle;
- a processing system to monitor the conditions based on the data gathered by the plurality of sensors;
- an auxiliary sensor mounted in the autonomous vehicle, wherein the auxiliary sensor operates in an inactive mode as a default, and wherein the auxiliary sensor does not gather data or transmit data in the inactive mode;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- detecting a conflict in the data received from two sensors of the plurality of sensors, wherein the conflict is detected when the data received from the two sensors cannot be simultaneously true;
- sending, in response to the detecting the conflict in the data, a first instruction to the auxiliary sensor, wherein the first instruction instructs the auxiliary sensor to enter an active mode in which the auxiliary sensor gathers additional data about the conditions around the autonomous vehicle;
- receiving the additional data from the auxiliary sensor;
- making a decision to alter an operation of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the decision is based at least in part on the additional data;
- and
- controlling a vehicle system of the autonomous vehicle to alter the operation of the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the decision.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system of an autonomous vehicle, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- monitoring conditions around the autonomous vehicle by analyzing data received from a plurality of sensors;
- detecting a conflict in the data received from two sensors of the plurality of sensors, wherein the conflict is detected when the data received from the two sensors cannot be simultaneously true;
- sending, in response to the detecting the conflict in the data, a first instruction to an auxiliary sensor of the autonomous vehicle that is not one of the plurality of sensors, wherein the first instruction instructs the auxiliary sensor to gather additional data about the conditions around the autonomous vehicle;
- receiving the additional data from the auxiliary sensor;
- making a decision to alter an operation of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the decision is based at least in part on the additional data;
- and
- controlling a vehicle system of the autonomous vehicle to alter the operation of the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the decision.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.