# US 12,761,653 B2 · Exception handling for autonomous vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,761,653 B2 - Document ID: US12761653B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 19/257,813 - Filed: 2025-07-02 - Published: 2025-10-30 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-12 - Assignees: Waymo LLC - Applicants: Waymo LLC - Inventors: Dong Li; Matthew McNaughton; Shir Yehoshua; Aida Khosroshahi; Ioan-Alexandru Sucan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12761653B2 ## CPC - 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)} - B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering - B60W 30/0953: {the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters} - B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters} - B60W 50/035: Bringing the control units into a predefined state, e.g. giving priority to particular actuators - B60W 60/001: {Planning or execution of driving tasks} - G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)} - G05D 1/0223: {involving speed control of the vehicle (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00)} - G05D 1/65: Following a desired speed profile - G05D 1/693: for avoiding collisions between vehicles - G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control - G08G 1/163: {involving continuous checking} - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - 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 - 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}) ## Abstract Aspects of the technology relate to exception handling for a vehicle. For instance, a current trajectory for the vehicle and sensor data corresponding to one or more objects may be received. Based on the received sensor data, projected trajectories of the one or more objects may be determined. Potential collisions with the one or more objects may be determined based on the projected trajectories and the current trajectory. One of the potential collisions that is earliest in time may be identified. Based on the one of the potential collisions, a safety-time-horizon (STH) may be identified. When a runtime exception occurs, before performing a precautionary maneuver to avoid a collision, waiting no longer than the STH for the runtime exception to resolve. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, by one or more processors, sensor data corresponding to an object in an environment of a vehicle; determining, by the one or more processors, a point in time for avoiding a potential collision with the object; and when the point in time has passed and a runtime exception is unresolved, controlling, by the one or more processors, the vehicle to perform a precautionary maneuver to avoid the potential collision with the object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the runtime exception relates to a processing delay. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the runtime exception relates to a communication delay. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the runtime exception relates to missing sensor data generated by a perception system of the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the runtime exception relates to a lost connection with a remote computing device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the vehicle is further based on a characteristic of the runtime exception. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the characteristic includes a priority of the runtime exception such that the higher the priority, the greater a rate of deceleration for controlling the vehicle, and the lower the priority, the lower a rate of deceleration for controlling the vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the vehicle includes using a constant deceleration over time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the vehicle includes using one or more changes in deceleration over time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the point in time is determined based on an earliest in time potential collision with the object. ### Claim 11 A system comprising one or more processors configured to: receive sensor data corresponding to an object in an environment of a vehicle; determine a point in time based on a potential collision with the object; and when the point in time has passed and a runtime exception is unresolved, control the vehicle to perform a precautionary maneuver to avoid the potential collision with the object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the runtime exception relates to one of a processing delay or a communication delay. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein runtime exception relates to missing sensor data generated by a perception system of the vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the runtime exception relates to a lost connection with a remote computing device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein controlling the vehicle is further based on a characteristic of the runtime exception, wherein the characteristic includes a priority of the runtime exception such that the higher the priority, the greater a rate of deceleration for controlling the vehicle, and the lower the priority, the lower a rate of deceleration for controlling the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein controlling the vehicle includes using a constant deceleration over time. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein controlling the vehicle includes using one or more changes in deceleration over time. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the point in time is determined based on an earliest in time potential collision with the object. ### Claim 20 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: receiving sensor data corresponding to an object in an environment of a vehicle; determining a point in time based on a potential collision with the object; and when the point in time has passed and a runtime exception is unresolved, controlling the vehicle to perform a precautionary maneuver to avoid the potential collision with the object.