# US 12,001,214 B2 · System and method for trajectory estimation

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- Number: US 12,001,214 B2
- Document ID: US12001214B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/103,073
- Filed: 2023-01-30
- Published: 2023-06-15
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-24
- Assignees: Aptiv Technologies AG
- Applicants: Aptiv Technologies AG
- Inventors: Chairit Wuthishuwong; Markus Pär Oscar Carlander
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12001214B2

## CPC

- B62D 15/0255: {Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle}
- G05D 1/0214: {in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas (monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13)}
- B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems
- B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
- B60W 30/0953: {the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters}
- B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters}
- B60W 30/12: Lane keeping
- B62D 15/025: {Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence)}
- B62D 15/026: {combined with automatic distance control, i.e. electronic tow bar}
- G01S 13/931: of land vehicles
- G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging
- G05D 1/617: Safety or protection, e.g. defining protection zones around obstacles or avoiding hazards (arrangements for controlling the position or course of two or more vehicles for avoiding collisions therebetween G05D1/693; arrangements for reacting to or preventing system or operator failure G05D1/80)
- G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection}
- B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
- G01S 2013/9318: {Controlling the steering}
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- 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
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})

## Abstract

A system for estimating a trajectory of a vehicle includes vehicle state sensors detecting a state of movement of the vehicle and environment sensors monitoring an environment of the vehicle. A free space module determines a free space corridor based on the detected state of movement of the vehicle and the monitored environment of the vehicle. A goal point determination module determines at least one goal point for the trajectory to be estimated based on the free space corridor. A trajectory planning module estimates a reference trajectory based on the at least one goal point and calculates a deviation between an actual trajectory and the reference trajectory of the vehicle. A trajectory control module minimizes the deviation between the actual trajectory and the reference trajectory of the vehicle and outputs optimal control parameters for the movement of the vehicle based on the minimized deviation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a plurality of sensors having a maximum range of perception capability, the sensors providing information regarding an environment in a vicinity of a vehicle; and
at least one processor and memory configured to:
determine an actual trajectory of the vehicle;
use the information provided by the sensors to determine environmental constraints on movement of the vehicle;
determine a first potential trajectory for the vehicle using a first goal location that is based on the maximum range of perception capability of the plurality of sensors;
determine whether the first potential trajectory satisfies dynamic constraints on the vehicle and the environmental constraints;
use the first potential trajectory as a planned trajectory of the vehicle in response to determining that the first potential trajectory satisfies the dynamic constraints on the vehicle and the environmental constraints;
in response to determining that the first potential trajectory does not satisfy the dynamic constraints on the vehicle and the environmental constraints, determine a second potential trajectory for the vehicle based on a reduced range that is smaller than the maximum range of perception capability, and use the second potential trajectory as the planned trajectory of the vehicle; and
generate control parameters for controlling movement of the vehicle that correspond to minimizing a deviation between the actual trajectory and the planned trajectory.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic constraints include at least one of: a minimum limit of velocity; a maximum limit of velocity; a minimum limit of acceleration in a longitudinal direction; a maximum limit of acceleration in a longitudinal direction; a minimum limit of acceleration in a lateral direction; and a maximum limit of acceleration in a lateral direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental constraints define a free space corridor within which the vehicle can travel without collision.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to:
determine if the deviation between the actual trajectory and the planned trajectory is greater than a predetermined threshold;
determine a remaining steering intervention time; and
estimate an updated reference trajectory based on the remaining steering intervention time in response to the deviation being greater than the predetermined threshold.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to minimize the deviation between the actual trajectory and the planned trajectory of the vehicle by minimizing a cost function based on a single track model of the vehicle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to estimate a compensating curvature which is applied to the actual trajectory in order to redirect the vehicle to the planned trajectory in response to the deviation between the actual trajectory and the planned trajectory of the vehicle increasing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of an optical camera, a Radar system, and a Lidar System.

### Claim 8

A method comprising:
generating, with a plurality of sensors having a maximum range of perception capability, information regarding an environment in a vicinity of a vehicle;
determining, with at least one processor, an actual trajectory of the vehicle;
using, with the at least one processor, the information generated by the sensors to determine environmental constraints on movement of the vehicle;
determining, with the at least one processor, a first potential trajectory for the vehicle using a first goal location that is based on the maximum range of perception capability of the plurality of sensors;
determining, with the at least one processor, whether the first potential trajectory satisfies dynamic constraints on the vehicle and the environmental constraints;
using, with the at least one processor, the first potential trajectory as a planned trajectory of the vehicle in response to determining that the first potential trajectory satisfies the dynamic constraints on the vehicle and the environmental constraints;
in response to determining that the first potential trajectory does not satisfy the dynamic constraints on the vehicle and the environmental constraints, determining, with the at least one processor, a second potential trajectory for the vehicle based on a reduced range that is smaller than the maximum range of perception capability, and use the second potential trajectory as the planned trajectory; and
generating, with the at least one processor, control parameters for controlling movement of the vehicle that correspond to minimizing a deviation between the actual trajectory and the planned trajectory.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the dynamic constraints include at least one of: a minimum limit of velocity; a maximum limit of velocity; a minimum limit of acceleration in a longitudinal direction; a maximum limit of acceleration in a longitudinal direction; a minimum limit of acceleration in a lateral direction; and a maximum limit of acceleration in a lateral direction.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the environmental constraints define a free space corridor within which the vehicle can travel without collision.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
determining, with the at least one processor, if the deviation between the actual trajectory and the planned trajectory is greater than a predetermined threshold;
determining, with the at least one processor, a remaining steering intervention time; and
estimating, with the at least one processor, an updated reference trajectory based on the remaining steering intervention time in response to the deviation being greater than the predetermined threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising minimizing, with the at least one processor, the deviation between the actual trajectory and the planned trajectory of the vehicle by minimizing a cost function based on a single track model of the vehicle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising estimating, with the at least one processor, a compensating curvature which is applied to the actual trajectory in order to redirect the vehicle to the planned trajectory in response to the deviation between the actual trajectory and the planned trajectory of the vehicle increasing.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of an optical camera, a Radar system, and a Lidar System.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for carrying out the method of claim 8.