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US 11,899,448 B2Granted
Autonomous vehicle that is configured to identify a travel characteristic based upon a gesture
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsThomas Scott, Peter Ming Gao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An autonomous vehicle is described herein. The autonomous vehicle is configured to determine that a person is proximate the autonomous vehicle at a location that is external to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle is further configured to determine that the person is attempting to hail the autonomous vehicle through use of a gesture. The autonomous vehicle identifies the gesture being performed by the person, and responsive to identifying the gesture, identifies a travel intent that the person is imparting to the autonomous vehicle by way of the gesture. The autonomous vehicle then operates based upon the travel intent.
Claims20
An autonomous vehicle comprising:
- a sensor system that is configured to generate a sensor signal, wherein the sensor signal indicates that a person is at a location that is external to the autonomous vehicle;
- a computing system that is in communication with the sensor system and receives the sensor signal generated by the sensor system, wherein the computing system comprises:
- a processor;
- and
- memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
- responsive to receiving the sensor signal and based upon the sensor signal, identifying a contactless gesture that is being performed by the person, wherein the contactless gesture indicates:
- that the person is requesting a ride from the autonomous vehicle;
- and
- a desired destination of the person who is requesting the ride from the autonomous vehicle, wherein the contactless gesture is identified from amongst a plurality of predefined contactless gestures;
- identifying the desired destination of the person based upon:
- the contactless gesture;
- and
- an identity of the person who is performing the contactless gesture, wherein a combination of the contactless gesture and the identity of the person is mapped to the desired destination in a gesture library, and further wherein the autonomous vehicle is to transport the person along a route that begins at the location and ends at the desired destination upon the person entering the autonomous vehicle;
- and
- subsequent to identifying the desired destination, controlling operation of the autonomous vehicle based upon the desired destination.
12 more elements
A method performed by an autonomous vehicle while the autonomous vehicle is in motion, the method comprising:
- generating, by a sensor system of the autonomous vehicle, a first sensor signal that is indicative of surroundings of the autonomous vehicle;
- detecting, by a processor of a computing system of the autonomous vehicle and based upon the first sensor signal, that a person is represented in the first sensor signal;
- subsequent to detecting that the person is represented in the first sensor signal, identifying, by the processor and based upon the first sensor signal, a contactless gesture being performed by the person from amongst a plurality of predefined contactless gestures;
- generating, by a second sensor system of the autonomous vehicle, a second sensor signal, wherein the second sensor signal comprises data that is indicative of features of a face of the person;
- subsequent to detecting that the person is represented in the first sensor signal, recognizing an identity of the person based upon the data that is indicative of the features of the face of the person;
- responsive to identifying the contact less gesture, identifying, by the processor:
- that the person is requesting a ride from the autonomous vehicle;
- and
- a desired destination, wherein the desired destination is identified based upon both the identity of the person and the contactless gesture that was identified from amongst the plurality of predefined contactless gestures, and further wherein the autonomous vehicle is to transport the person along a route that ends at the desired destination;
- and
- responsive to identifying the desired destination and based upon the desired destination, performing a driving maneuver.
8 more elements
An autonomous vehicle comprising:
- a propulsion system;
- a sensor system;
- and
- a computing system that is in communication with the propulsion system and the sensor system, wherein the computing system is programmed to perform acts comprising:
- based upon a sensor signal received from the sensor system, identifying that a person is gesturing to request a ride from the autonomous vehicle;
- responsive to identifying that the person is gesturing to request the ride, controlling the propulsion system such that velocity of the autonomous vehicle is decreased;
- while the velocity of the autonomous vehicle is decreased and while the autonomous vehicle is still in motion, identifying, based upon the sensor signal, a contactless gesture being made by the person from amongst a plurality of predefined contactless gestures;
- determining an identity of the person who is gesturing to request the ride;
- responsive to identifying the contactless gesture and the identity of the person being determined, identifying a desired destination for the person, wherein the desired destination is identified from a computer-readable gesture library based upon both the contactless gesture and the identity of the person;
- computing a route between a current location of the autonomous vehicle and the desired destination, wherein the autonomous vehicle is to transport the person along a route that ends at the desired destination upon the person entering the autonomous vehicle;
- and
- subsequent the person entering the autonomous vehicle, controlling the propulsion system while the autonomous vehicle navigates the route to the desired destination.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.