# US 12,761,650 B2 · Virtual barriers for reserved corridors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,761,650 B2 - Document ID: US12761650B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/159,771 - Filed: 2023-01-26 - Published: 2023-09-07 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-28 - Assignees: Cavnue Technology, LLC - Applicants: Cavnue Technology, LLC - Inventors: Demetrios Vasili Kellari - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12761650B2 ## CPC - 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)} - G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)} - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for sending data indicating a plurality of virtual barriers to an agent traveling on a roadway, wherein the plurality of virtual barriers separate the roadway into a first corridor of the roadway and a second corridor of the roadway, obtaining sensor data captured by one or more sensors installed on the roadway, wherein the sensor data characterizes a state of the agent traveling on the roadway, predicting, from the sensor data, lateral movement of the agent from the first corridor of the roadway towards the second corridor of the roadway, and sending a signal based on the lateral movement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for managing movement of vehicles along roadways having virtual barriers, the method comprising: sending data indicating a plurality of virtual barriers to an agent traveling on a roadway, wherein the plurality of virtual barriers separate the roadway into a first corridor of the roadway, a second corridor of the roadway, and a buffer zone between the first corridor and the second corridor, the first corridor running parallel to the second corridor on opposite sides of the plurality of virtual barriers, wherein the second corridor is a reserved corridor dedicated for agents of a target vehicle type, the target vehicle type comprising one of autonomous, semi-autonomous, or human operated; obtaining sensor data captured by one or more sensors installed on the roadway, wherein the sensor data characterizes a state of the agent traveling on the roadway in a direction within the first corridor; determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is making a lateral movement from the first corridor of the roadway into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor of the roadway to travel in the direction within the second corridor; determining a type of the agent, the type comprising one of autonomous, semi-autonomous, or human operated; determining that the type of the agent is different from the target vehicle type; and in response to (i) determining that the agent is making the lateral movement from the first corridor into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor, and (ii) determining that the type of the agent is different from the target vehicle type, before the agent enters the second corridor, sending a signal to one or more devices to cause controlling movement of the agent to move away from the second corridor of the roadway or to return back to the first corridor of the roadway, wherein the signal encoding response data that is processable by the one or more devices, the response data being dependent on the type of the agent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first corridor and the second corridor are separated by the plurality of virtual barriers that do not physically exist, wherein vehicles on the roadway are not allowed to move between the first corridor and the second corridor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the lateral movement of the agent comprises at least one of merging, weaving, or cutting-in movements of the agent. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the agent is a vehicle traveling on the roadway. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the agent is one of an autonomous vehicle or a semi-autonomous vehicle, and determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is making the lateral movement from the first corridor of the roadway into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor of the roadway comprises: determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is going to move from the reserved corridor for autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles towards a general-purpose lane. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the agent is a vehicle operated by a human driver, and determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is making the lateral movement of the agent from the first corridor of the roadway into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor of the roadway comprises: determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is going to move from a general-purpose lane towards the reserved corridor for autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sending the signal comprises: sending the signal of the lateral movement to cause the controlling the movement of the agent to prevent the agent from moving to the second corridor of the roadway. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sending the signal comprises: sending the signal to a display device installed on the roadway; and displaying the signal to the agent to prevent the agent from moving to the second corridor of the roadway. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sending the signal comprises: sending the signal of the lateral movement to a control system of the roadway. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sending the signal comprises: sending the signal of the lateral movement to another agent traveling on the roadway. ### Claim 11 A system comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations for managing movement of vehicles along roadways having virtual barriers, the operations comprising: sending data indicating a plurality of virtual barriers to an agent traveling on a roadway, wherein the plurality of virtual barriers separate the roadway into a first corridor of the roadway, a second corridor of the roadway, and a buffer zone between the first corridor and the second corridor, the first corridor running parallel to the second corridor on opposite sides of the plurality of virtual barriers, wherein the second corridor is a reserved corridor dedicated for agents of a target vehicle type, the target vehicle type comprising one of autonomous, semi-autonomous, or human operated; obtaining sensor data captured by one or more sensors installed on the roadway, wherein the sensor data characterizes a state of the agent traveling on the roadway in a direction within the first corridor; determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is making a lateral movement from the first corridor of the roadway into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor of the roadway to travel in the direction within the second corridor; determining a type of the agent, the type comprising one of autonomous, semi-autonomous, or human operated; determining that the type of the agent is different from the target vehicle type; and in response to (i) determining that the agent is making the lateral movement from the first corridor into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor, and (ii) determining that the type of the agent is different from the target vehicle type, before the agent enters the second corridor, sending a signal to one or more devices to cause controlling movement of the agent to move away from the second corridor of the roadway or to return back to the first corridor of the roadway, wherein the signal encoding response data that is processable by the one or more devices, the response data being dependent on the type of the agent. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the first corridor and the second corridor are separated by the plurality of virtual barriers that do not physically exist, wherein vehicles on the roadway are not allowed to move between the first corridor and the second corridor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the lateral movement of the agent comprises at least one of merging, weaving, or cutting-in movements of the agent. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the agent is one of an autonomous vehicle or a semi-autonomous vehicle, and determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is making the lateral movement from the first corridor of the roadway into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor of the roadway comprises: determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is going to move from the reserved corridor for autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles towards a general-purpose lane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the agent is a vehicle operated by a human driver, and determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is making the lateral movement of the agent from the first corridor of the roadway into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor of the roadway comprises: determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is going to move from a general-purpose lane towards the reserved corridor for autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations for managing movement of vehicles along roadways having virtual barriers, the operations comprising: sending data indicating a plurality of virtual barriers to an agent traveling on a roadway, wherein the plurality of virtual barriers separate the roadway into a first corridor of the roadway, a second corridor of the roadway, and a buffer zone between the first corridor and the second corridor, the first corridor running parallel to the second corridor on opposite sides of the plurality of virtual barriers, wherein the second corridor is a reserved corridor dedicated for agents of a target vehicle type, the target vehicle type comprising one of autonomous, semi-autonomous, or human operated; obtaining sensor data captured by one or more sensors installed on the roadway, wherein the sensor data characterizes a state of the agent traveling on the roadway in a direction within the first corridor; determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is making a lateral movement from the first corridor of the roadway into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor of the roadway to travel in the direction within the second corridor; determining a type of the agent, the type comprising one of autonomous, semi-autonomous, or human operated; determining that the type of the agent is different from the target vehicle type; and in response to (i) determining that the agent is making the lateral movement from the first corridor into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor, and (ii) determining that the type of the agent is different from the target vehicle type, before the agent enters the second corridor, sending a signal to one or more devices to cause controlling movement of the agent to move away from the second corridor of the roadway or to return back to the first corridor of the roadway, wherein the signal encoding response data that is processable by the one or more devices, the response data being dependent on the type of the agent. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first corridor and the second corridor are separated by the plurality of virtual barriers that do not physically exist, wherein vehicles on the roadway are not allowed to move between the first corridor and the second corridor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the agent is one of an autonomous vehicle or a semi-autonomous vehicle, and determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is making the lateral movement from the first corridor of the roadway into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor of the roadway comprises: determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is going to move from the reserved corridor for autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles towards a general-purpose lane. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the agent is a vehicle operated by a human driver, and determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is making the lateral movement of the agent from the first corridor of the roadway into the buffer zone and towards the second corridor of the roadway comprises: determining, from the sensor data, that the agent is going to move from a general-purpose lane towards the reserved corridor for autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the lateral movement of the agent comprises at least one of merging, weaving, or cutting-in movements of the agent.