# US 12,759,591 B1 · Occlusion detection and monitoring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,591 B1 - Document ID: US12759591B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/359,800 - Filed: 2023-07-26 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-07-26 - Assignees: Zoox, Inc. - Applicants: Zoox, Inc. - Inventors: Lakshay Garg; Max Gier; Akash Arora; Weifu Wang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759591B1 ## CPC - B60W 60/00276: {for two or more other traffic participants} - B60W 40/04: Traffic conditions - 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 Techniques are discussed for controlling a vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle, based on occluded regions in an environment. A system may receive a path associated with an autonomous vehicle traversing an environment. A system may detect a road segment associated with an intersection of the path and a path of a potential object. A system may determine, based at least in part on a termination condition, a length along the road segment. A system may determine, based on environment data and sensor data associated with the autonomous vehicle, an occluded region along the road segment within the length. A system may determine whether the occluded region is relevant. A system may determine, based on a minimum time to collision and determining that the occluded region is relevant, a heatmap of cost values associated with the occluded region. A system may control the autonomous vehicle based on the heatmap. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving a path associated with an autonomous vehicle traversing an environment; detecting a road segment associated with an intersection of the path and a path of a potential object; determining that the intersection satisfies a relevance condition, wherein the relevance condition indicates to process the intersection for a potential occlusion; determining, based at least in part on a termination condition and the intersection satisfying the relevance condition, a length along the road segment and a set of additional road segments, wherein at least one of the set of additional road segments connects to the road segment, wherein the termination condition is defined based on one or more of a threshold number of predefined roadway features or a threshold distance; determining, based on environment data and sensor data associated with the autonomous vehicle, an occluded region within the length; determining, based on a minimum time to collision and determining that the occluded region is relevant, a heatmap of cost values associated with the occluded region, wherein a cost value in the heatmap represents a prediction about how long it will take for an occluded vehicle to arrive at a first position associated with the intersection from a second position associated with the occluded region; and controlling the autonomous vehicle based on the heatmap. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the termination condition comprises one or more of: the threshold distance from the intersection to a terminating position associated with the termination condition, a first travel time to the intersection from the terminating position, a second travel time from the intersection to the terminating position, or a threshold number of turns between the intersection and the terminating position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein determining whether the intersection is relevant comprises determining whether the autonomous vehicle is expected to yield to the potential object. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein determining whether the autonomous vehicle is expected to yield comprises determining a presence of one or more of: a right on red intersection, an unprotected left intersection, the autonomous vehicle leaving a parking lane or spot, the autonomous vehicle entering an oncoming lane, a yield sign, or a stop sign. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein: the heatmap is a first heatmap, the operations further comprise determining a second heatmap, and controlling the autonomous vehicle is further based at least in part on the second heatmap. ### Claim 6 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by one or more processors, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: detecting a road segment associated with an intersection of a path associated with a vehicle traversing an environment and a path of a potential object; determining that the intersection is a relevant intersection based at least in part on determining that the intersection satisfies a relevance condition, wherein the relevance condition indicates to process the intersection for a potential occlusion; determining, based at least in part on a termination condition, a length along the road segment and a set of additional road segments, wherein at least one of the set of additional road segments connects to the road segment, wherein the road segment is at least partially within a boundary of the relevant intersection; determining, based on environment data and sensor data associated with the vehicle, an occluded region associated with the length along the road segment and the set of additional road segments; determining a cost value based on determining that the occluded region is relevant, wherein the cost value represents a prediction about how long it will take for an occluded vehicle to arrive at a first position associated with the intersection from a second position associated with the occluded region; and controlling the vehicle based on the cost value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein determining the length comprises: determining the length along the road segment based at least in part on one or more of: (i) a road boundary, (ii) a maximum distance, (iii) a maximum number of turns, or (iv) a travel time to or from the intersection; and determining the occluded region within the length. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein: determining that the intersection is relevant comprises determining whether the vehicle is expected to yield to the potential object, and determining whether the vehicle is expected to yield comprises determining a presence of one or more of: a right on red intersection, an unprotected left intersection, the vehicle leaving a parking lane or spot, the vehicle entering an oncoming lane, a yield sign, or a stop sign. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, the operations further comprising determining that an area of the occluded region exceeds a threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, the operations further comprising determining that the intersection is off of the path associated with the vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, the operations further comprising determining, based on the sensor data, absence of a dynamic object within the length and between the vehicle and the occluded region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein determining the cost value comprises: determining a location within the length; determining a time at which the potential object is expected to reach the location; and determining, based on the time, the cost value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein controlling the vehicle comprises: determining a heatmap of cost values based on the cost value; and controlling the vehicle based on the heatmap. ### Claim 14 A method comprising: detecting a road segment associated with an intersection of a path associated with a vehicle traversing an environment and a path of a potential object; determining that the intersection is a relevant intersection based at least in part on determining that the intersection satisfies a relevance condition, wherein the relevance condition indicates to process the intersection for a potential occlusion; determining, based at least in part on a termination condition, a length along the road segment and a set of additional road segments, wherein at least one of the set of additional road segments connects to the road segment, wherein the road segment is at least partially within a boundary of the relevant intersection; determining, based on environment data and sensor data associated with the vehicle, an occluded region associated with the length along the road segment and the set of additional road segments; determining, based on the environment data and the sensor data associated with the vehicle, the occluded region within the length; determining a cost value based on determining that the occluded region is relevant, wherein the cost value represents a prediction about how long it will take for an occluded vehicle to arrive at a first position associated with the intersection from a second position associated with the occluded region; and controlling the vehicle based on the cost value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein determining the length comprises: determining the length along the road segment based at least in part on one or more of: (i) a road boundary, (ii) a maximum distance, (iii) a maximum number of turns, or (iv) a travel time to or from the intersection; and determining the occluded region within the length. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein: determining that the intersection is relevant comprises determining whether the vehicle is expected to yield to the potential object; and determining whether the vehicle is expected to yield comprises determining a presence of one or more of: a right on red intersection, an unprotected left intersection, the vehicle leaving a parking lane or spot, the vehicle entering an oncoming lane, a yield sign, or a stop sign. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising determining that an area of the occluded region exceeds a threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising determining that the intersection is off the path associated with the vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein further comprising determining, based on the sensor data, absence of a dynamic object within the length and between the vehicle and the occluded region. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein determining the cost value comprises: determining a location within the length; determining a time at which the potential object is expected to reach the location; and determining, based on the time, the cost value.