# US 12,179,749 B2 · Method and vehicle for responding to a lane blocking object

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- Number: US 12,179,749 B2
- Document ID: US12179749B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/243,319
- Filed: 2023-09-07
- Published: 2023-12-28
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-06
- Assignees: Waymo LLC
- Applicants: Waymo LLC
- Inventors: Nathaniel Fairfield; Vadim Furman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179749B2

## CPC

- B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
- B60W 30/18145: {Cornering}
- B60W 30/18154: {Approaching an intersection}
- B60W 30/18163: {Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres}
- B60W 50/0097: {Predicting future conditions}
- B60W 60/0011: {involving control alternatives for a single driving scenario, e.g. planning several paths to avoid obstacles}
- B60W 60/0017: {of other traffic participants}
- B60W 60/00274: {considering possible movement changes}
- G05D 1/0289: {with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93)}
- G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection}
- B60Q 1/346: {with automatic actuation}
- 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
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- 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})
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a first vehicle autonomously are disclosed. For instance, one or more processors may plan to maneuver the first vehicle to complete an action and predict that a second vehicle will take a particular responsive action. The first vehicle is then maneuvered towards completing the action in a way that would allow the first vehicle to cancel completing the action without causing a collision between the first vehicle and the second vehicle, and in order to indicate to the second vehicle or a driver of the second vehicle that the first vehicle is attempting to complete the action. Thereafter, when the first vehicle is determined to be able to take the action, the action is completed by controlling the first vehicle autonomously according to whether the second vehicle begins to take the particular responsive action.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
controlling, by one or more processors, a first vehicle to maneuver in a first direction along a route in a first lane of a multi-lane road;
when the first vehicle is proceeding towards an object that is at least partially blocking the first lane, predicting, by the one or more processors, second vehicle detected to be driving in a second lane of the multi-lane road in a second direction opposite the first direction of the first vehicle will provide the first vehicle with enough room to safely pass the object;
determining, by the one or more processors based at least in part on a result of the predicting, an action that can be safely completed by the first vehicle in response to the object and the second vehicle; and
controlling, by the one or more processors, the first vehicle to complete the first-action or cancel the action based on the result of the predicting.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the object is an emergency vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the action involves the first vehicle driving partially into the second lane in the first direction in order to move around the object while the second vehicle is driving in the second lane in the second a direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second lane is adjacent to the first lane.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
predicting, by the one or more processors, whether a gap between the first vehicle and the second vehicle will change based on the action taken by the first vehicle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the object is associated with construction.

### Claim 7

A system comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
control a first vehicle to maneuver in a first direction along a route in a first lane of a multi-lane road;
when the first vehicle is proceeding towards an object that is at least partially blocking the first lane, predicting, by the one or more processors, whether a second vehicle detected to be driving in a second lane of the multi-lane road in a second direction opposite the first direction of a first vehicle will provide the first vehicle with enough room to safely pass the object;
determine, based at least in part on a result of the predicting, an action that can be safely completed by the first vehicle in response to the object and the second vehicle; and
control the first vehicle to complete the first-action or cancel the first-action based on the result of the predicting.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, further comprising a perception system configured to provide the one or more processors with information identifying the object.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the object is an emergency vehicle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the action involves the first vehicle driving partially into the second lane in order to move around the object while the second vehicle is driving in the second lane in the second direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the second lane is adjacent to the first lane.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to predict whether a gap between the first vehicle and the second vehicle will change based on the action taken by the first vehicle.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the object is associated with construction.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which instructions are stored, the instructions when performed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:
controlling a first vehicle to maneuver in a first direction along a route in a first lane of a multi-lane road;
when the first vehicle is proceeding towards an object that is at least partially blocking the first lane, predicting whether a second vehicle detected to be driving in a second lane of the multi-lane road in a second direction opposite the first direction of the first vehicle will provide the first vehicle with enough room to safely pass the object;
determining, based at least in part on a result of the predicting, an action that can be safely completed by the first vehicle in response to the object and the second vehicle; and
controlling the first vehicle to complete the action or cancel the action based on the result of the predicting.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the object is an emergency vehicle.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the action involves the first vehicle driving partially into the second lane in the first direction in order to move around the object while the second vehicle is driving in the second lane in the second direction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second lane is adjacent to the first lane.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:
predicting whether a gap between the first vehicle and the second vehicle will change based on the action taken by the first vehicle.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the object is associated with construction.