# US 12,215,531 B1 · Control system for vehicle doors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,531 B1 - Document ID: US12215531B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/125,580 - Filed: 2020-12-17 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-17 - Assignees: Zoox, Inc. - Applicants: Zoox, Inc. - Inventors: William Cheringal; Evan David Cook; Nigil Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215531B1 ## CPC - E05F 15/40: Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions - B60J 5/0413: {Inner panel, e.g. characterised by carrying components} - B60J 5/0469: {for door panels, e.g. hemming (hemming equipment B21D39/00)} - B60J 5/0479: {without B-pillar or releasable B-pillar, i.e. the pillar is moving with door} - B60J 5/06: slidable; foldable - E05F 15/659: Control circuits therefor - E05F 15/70: with automatic actuation - G01R 19/16571: {comparing AC or DC current with one threshold, e.g. load current, over-current, surge current or fault current (G01R19/16514, G01R19/16519, G01R19/16528, G01R19/16533, G01R19/1659 take precedence; measuring currents by using elements sensitive to the magnetic field generated G01R15/14; measuring earth resistance G01R27/18; testing for leakage or short circuits in electrical apparatus G01R31/52)} - H02P 5/74: controlling two or more AC dynamo-electric motors (H02P5/46, H02P5/60 take precedence) - H02P 23/14: Estimation or adaptation of motor parameters, e.g. rotor time constant, flux, speed, current or voltage - H02P 23/24: Controlling the direction, e.g. clockwise or counterclockwise - E05Y 2201/434: Electromotors; Details thereof - E05Y 2400/44: Sensors not directly associated with the wing movement - E05Y 2400/54: Obstruction or resistance detection - E05Y 2900/531: Doors - H02P 2205/01: Current loop, i.e. comparison of the motor current with a current reference - E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING - B60J: WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES (fastening, suspending, closing, or opening of such devices E05) - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF ## Abstract Techniques for controlling a vehicle based on a collision avoidance algorithm are discussed herein. The vehicle receives sensor data and can determine that the sensor data represents an object in an environment through which the vehicle is travelling. A computing device associated with the vehicle determines a collision probability between the vehicle and the object at predicted locations of the vehicle and object at a first time. Updated locations of the vehicle and object can be determined, and a second collision probability can be determined. The vehicle is controlled based at least in part on the collision probabilities. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the vehicle to perform operations comprising: receiving a signal to operate a door of the vehicle to open or close; determining a pitch and a roll of the vehicle; determining a historical current changing over time and being previously used by a motor to operate the door of the vehicle with a previous pitch and a previous roll; determining, based at least in part on the historical current, and the pitch and the roll, an expected current to operate the door; controlling the motor to operate the door; measuring an actual current used by the motor to operate the door; determining that the actual current exceeds the expected current by a threshold amount; detecting, based at least in part on the actual current exceeding the expected current by the threshold amount, an obstruction of the door preventing the door from opening or closing; and performing an action based at least in part on detecting the obstruction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the action comprises at least one of: controlling the motor to cease operating the door; or controlling the motor to operate the door in an opposite direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein: the door comprises a first sub-panel and a second sub-panel, the motor is operably coupled to the first sub-panel, a second motor is operably coupled to the second sub-panel, and the operations further comprise: determining, based at least in part on the at least one of the pitch or the roll, a second expected current to operate the second sub-panel, the second expected current being different than the expected current; measuring a second actual current used by the second motor to operate the second sub-panel; and determining that the second actual current exceeds the second expected current by a second threshold amount, wherein detecting the obstruction is further based at least in part on the second actual current exceeding the second expected current by the second threshold amount. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the door comprises a first door disposed on a first lateral side of the vehicle, and the vehicle comprises a second door disposed on a second lateral side of the vehicle opposite the first lateral side, the operations further comprising: determining, based at least in part on the signal, which door to operate from among the first door and the second door, wherein determining the expected current to operate the door is further based at least in part on which of the first door or the second door is to be operated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein determining the expected current is further based at least in part on at least one of: a temperature; or a voltage applied to the motor. ### Claim 6 A method comprising: receiving a signal to operate a door of a vehicle; determining a physical state associated with the vehicle; determining a historical current changing over time and being previously used by a motor to operate the door of the vehicle with a previous pitch and a previous roll; determining, based at least in part on the historical current, and the physical state, an expected current to operate the door; controlling the motor to operate the door; determining an actual current used by the motor to operate the door; determining that the actual current exceeds the expected current by a threshold amount; detecting, based at least in part on the actual current exceeding the expected current by the threshold amount, an obstruction of the door; and performing an action based at least in part on detecting the obstruction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein determining the physical state comprises determining pitch and a roll of the vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein determining the expected current to operate the door is further based on: determining the door to open from among multiple doors of the vehicle; and determining a lateral side of the vehicle on which the door is located. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein: the vehicle is part of a fleet of vehicles; and determining the expected current is further based at least in part on one or more expected currents associated with one or more other vehicles in the fleet of vehicles. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the signal indicates to operate the door to close, and the action comprises controlling the motor to operate the door to open. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, the operations further comprising: determining a second historical current crowd shared between a fleet of vehicles, the second historical current being associated with operation of another door of another vehicle previously at a location of the vehicle, wherein determining the expected current further comprises determining the expected current based at least in part on the second historical current. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the door comprises a first door disposed on a first lateral side of the vehicle, and the vehicle comprises a second door disposed on a second lateral side of the vehicle opposite the first lateral side, the method further comprising: determining, based at least in part on the signal, which door to operate from among the first door and the second door, wherein determining the expected current to operate the door is further based at least in part on which of the first door or the second door is to be operated. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the expected current is further based at least in part on at least one of: a temperature. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein: the door comprises a first sub-panel and a second sub-panel; the motor is operably coupled to the first sub-panel and the second sub-panel via a linkage such that the motor is operable to control both the first sub-panel and the second sub-panel; determining the expected current is based at least in part on operating the first sub-panel and the second sub-panel; and detecting the obstruction comprises detecting the obstruction with at least one of the first sub-panel or the second sub-panel. ### Claim 15 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving a signal to operate a panel of a vehicle; determining a physical state associated with the vehicle; determining a historical current changing over time and being previously used by a motor to operate the panel of the vehicle with previous pitch and a previous roll; determining, based at least in part on the historical current, and the physical state, an expected current to operate the panel; controlling the motor to operate the panel; determining an actual current used by the motor to operate the panel; determining that the actual current exceeds the expected current by a threshold amount; and detecting, based at least in part on the actual current exceeding the expected current by the threshold amount, an obstruction of the panel; and performing an action based at least in part on detecting the obstruction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein determining the physical state comprises determining a pitch and a roll of the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein determining the expected current to operate the panel is further based on: determining the panel to open from among multiple panels of the vehicle; and determining a lateral side of the vehicle on which the panel is located. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the signal indicates to operate the panel to open, and the action comprises controlling the motor to cease operating the panel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the signal indicates to operate the panel to close, and the action comprises controlling the motor to operate the panel to open. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the panel is a first panel disposed on a first lateral side of the vehicle, and the vehicle comprises a second panel disposed on a second lateral side of the vehicle opposite the first lateral side, the operations further comprising: determining, based at least in part on the signal, which panel to operate from among the first panel and the second panel, wherein determining the expected current to operate the panel is further based at least in part on which of the first panel or the second panel is to be operated.