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US 11,886,201 B2Granted
Road-based vehicle guidance system
AssigneeGlydways Inc.
InventorNathan Leefer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle may include a frame structure, a body mounted to the frame structure, and a vehicle navigation system. The vehicle navigation system may include a navigation sensor mounted to the frame structure, and a processor in communication with the navigation sensor. The navigation sensor may be configured to detect reference elements disposed in or on a road on which the vehicle travels. The processor may be configured to receive, from the navigation sensor, signals indicative of a sequence or pattern of detected reference elements. The processor may also be configured to determine, using the received signals, at least one of a position, velocity, or orientation of the vehicle on the road.
Claims20
A vehicle, comprising:
- a vehicle control system, comprising:
- a navigation sensor;
- and
- a processor in communication with the navigation sensor;
- wherein:
- the vehicle control system is configured to:
- in accordance with a determination that the vehicle is travelling along a first segment of a road having reference elements positioned along the first segment of the road, operate the vehicle according to a first mode of operation, including:
- detecting, with the navigation sensor, at least a subset of the reference elements;
- determining, based at least in part on the detected reference elements, one or more vehicle operational parameters, the one or more vehicle operational parameters including at least one of a position, velocity, or orientation of the vehicle;
- and
- performing at least one of accelerating, decelerating, or steering the vehicle in response to the determined one or more vehicle operational parameters;
- detect a transition from the first segment of the road to a second segment of the road, the second segment lacking reference elements positioned along the second segment of the road;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the vehicle is travelling along the second segment of the road, operate the vehicle in a second mode of operation, including performing at least one of accelerating, decelerating, or steering the vehicle based at least in part on images captured by an image sensor on the vehicle.
11 more elements
A method of navigating a road by a vehicle, comprising:
- at a vehicle that is travelling along a road:
- in accordance with a determination that the vehicle is travelling along a first segment of the road having reference elements positioned along the first segment of the road, operating the vehicle according to a first mode of operation, including:
- detecting, by the vehicle, at least a subset of the reference elements;
- determining, based at least in part on the detected reference elements, one or more vehicle operational parameters, the one or more vehicle operational parameters including at least one of a position, velocity, or orientation of the vehicle;
- and
- performing at least one of accelerating, decelerating, or steering the vehicle in response to the determined one or more vehicle operational parameters;
- and
- detecting a transition from the first segment of the road to a second segment of the road, the second segment lacking reference elements positioned along the second segment of the road;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the vehicle is travelling along the second segment of the road, operating the vehicle in a second mode of operation, including performing at least one of accelerating, decelerating, or steering the vehicle based at least in part on images captured by an image sensor on the vehicle.
7 more elements
An autonomous vehicle system comprising:
- a road having:
- a first segment having reference elements positioned along the road;
- a second road segment lacking reference elements positioned along the road;
- and
- a driverless vehicle configured to travel along the road and having a vehicle control system configured to:
- in accordance with a determination that the driverless vehicle is travelling along the first segment of the road, operate the driverless vehicle according to a first mode of operation, including:
- detecting, with a navigation sensor coupled to the driverless vehicle, at least a subset of the reference elements;
- determining, based at least in part on the detected reference elements, one or more vehicle operational parameters, the one or more vehicle operational parameters including at least one of a position, velocity, or orientation of the vehicle;
- and
- performing at least one of accelerating, decelerating, or steering the driverless vehicle in response to the determined one or more vehicle operational parameters;
- detect a transition from the first segment of the road to the second segment of the road;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the driverless vehicle is travelling along the second segment of the road, operate the driverless vehicle in a second mode of operation, including performing at least one of accelerating, decelerating, or steering the driverless vehicle based at least in part on images captured by an image sensor on the driverless vehicle.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.