# US 12,459,484 B2 · Methods and systems for reducing vehicle delay based on movement prediction > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,459,484 B2 - Document ID: US12459484B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/661,240 - Filed: 2024-05-10 - Published: 2025-03-06 - Granted: 2025-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2023-08-17 - Assignees: TORC Robotics, Inc. - Applicants: Torc Robotics, Inc. - Inventors: Rikki Valverde; Lorenzo Tarsitano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12459484B2 ## CPC - B60W 10/024: {including control of torque converters} - B60W 30/18154: {Approaching an intersection} - B60W 50/0097: {Predicting future conditions} - B60W 60/00274: {considering possible movement changes} - B60W 2050/0088: {Adaptive recalibration} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2510/0275: Clutch torque - B60W 2554/20: Static objects - B60W 2554/4045: Intention, e.g. lane change or imminent movement - B60W 2555/60: Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way - B60W 2556/10: Historical data - 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 ## Abstract A method may include monitoring, by a processor associated with an autonomous vehicle, a status of a traffic light. The method may include monitoring, by the processor, a movement status of at least one vehicle within a same lane as the autonomous vehicle, the at least one vehicle having a stationary position in relation to the traffic light. The method may include executing, by the processor, a computer model to predict a change of movement status for the at least one vehicle in accordance with the status of the traffic light. The method may include in response to the computer model predicting a change of movement status for the at least one vehicle from the stationary position to a moving status, instructing, by the processor, the autonomous vehicle to increase a torque value of the autonomous vehicle at a predetermined time before the change of the movement status. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for reducing vehicle delay, the system comprising: a sensor configured to detect a surrounding environment of an autonomous vehicle; and a computing device comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage, the computing device in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to: receive, from the sensor, sensor data representing the surrounding environment; process the sensor data to generate a constraint relating to a movement of the autonomous vehicle; compute a longitudinal path for the autonomous vehicle based on the constraint; and initiate the movement of the autonomous vehicle corresponding to the longitudinal path upon satisfaction of the constraint. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the constraint comprises at least one of: a physical constraint, a distance-time constraint, a velocity-time constraint, a velocity-distance constraint, a stationary vehicle constraint, or a traffic light constraint. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to process map data to generate the longitudinal path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to engage a powertrain based on the longitudinal path. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to process the sensor data to detect a change in a movement status of at least one vehicle in the surrounding environment to satisfy the constraint. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the processor monitors a brake light of the at least one vehicle from the sensor data to detect the change in the movement status of the at least one vehicle in the surrounding environment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising increasing a torque value at a predetermined time corresponding to the longitudinal path. ### Claim 8 An autonomous vehicle comprising: a powertrain comprising a transmission and a brake; a sensor disposed on the autonomous vehicle configured to detect a surrounding environment; and a computing device in communication with the sensor, the computing device comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage, the processor configured to: receive, from the sensor, sensor data representing the surrounding environment; process the sensor data to generate a predicted time for a longitudinal path based on the surrounding environment; compute a torque value for the longitudinal path; engage a clutch of the transmission to provide the torque value at the predicted time; disengage the brake upon satisfaction of a constraint corresponding to the surrounding environment within the predicted time; and initiate a movement of the autonomous vehicle corresponding to the longitudinal path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The autonomous vehicle of claim 8, wherein the computing device is implemented in an electronic control unit of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The autonomous vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to process location data and historical data to generate the longitudinal path. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The autonomous vehicle of claim 8, wherein the predicted time corresponds to a time to activate the powertrain of the autonomous vehicle to execute the longitudinal path. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The autonomous vehicle of claim 11, wherein the time to activate the powertrain for the movement of the autonomous vehicle is at least 1.5 seconds. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The autonomous vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to detect a status of at least one vehicle from the sensor data to generate the predicted time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The autonomous vehicle of claim 8, further comprising disengaging the clutch upon failure to satisfy the constraint within the predicted time. ### Claim 15 A method for reducing autonomous vehicle delay, the method comprising: receiving sensor data representing a surrounding environment of an autonomous vehicle; processing the sensor data to predict a change of movement status in the surrounding environment; computing a longitudinal path for the autonomous vehicle based on the change of movement status; and initiating a movement of the autonomous vehicle corresponding to the longitudinal path. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising generating a constraint relating to the movement of the autonomous vehicle based on the sensor data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising processing location data and historical data to compute the longitudinal path. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein initiating the movement comprises engaging a powertrain based on the longitudinal path. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein processing the sensor data comprises detecting the change of movement status of at least one vehicle from the sensor data. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein detecting the change of movement status comprises detecting a change in a brake light of the at least one vehicle from the sensor data to detect the change in movement status of the at least one vehicle.