# US 2014/0156182 A1 · Determining and displaying auto drive lanes in an autonomous vehicle

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- Number: US 2014/0156182 A1
- Document ID: US20140156182A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/792,304
- Filed: 2013-03-11
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: Google Inc.
- Inventors: Philip Nemec; Brian Cullinane; Manuel Christian Clement; Robertus Christianus Elisabeth Mariet
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156182A1

## CPC

- G01C 21/3673: {Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names}
- B60T 7/12: for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger {(limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00)}
- B60T 7/22: initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle {, or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle}
- B60T 17/221: {Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems (hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M)}
- B60W 30/12: Lane keeping
- B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
- B62D 1/28: non-mechanical {, e.g. following a line or other known markers}
- B62D 15/025: {Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence)}
- B62D 15/0295: {by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image}
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G08G 1/0969: having a display in the form of a map
- G08G 1/16: Anti-collision systems (road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08)
- G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection}
- B60T 2201/022: Collision avoidance systems
- B60T 2201/08: Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
- B60W 2050/146: {Display means}
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
- 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
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- 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 present disclosure relate generally to identifying and displaying traffic lanes that are available for autonomous driving. This information may be displayed to a driver of a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode, in order to inform the driver of where he or she can use the autonomous driving mode. In one example, the display may visually distinguishing between lanes that are available for auto-drive from those that are not. The display may also include an indicator of the position of a lane (autodrive or not) currently occupied by the vehicle. In addition, if that lane is an autodrive lane the display may include information indicating how much further the vehicle may continue in the autonomous driving mode in that particular lane. The display may also display information indicating the remaining autodrive distance in other lanes as well as the lane with the greatest remaining autodrive distance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving data from a geographic position component;
determining a current location of a vehicle from the received data;
using the current location to access detailed map information identifying the locations of autodrive lanes, wherein each autodrive lane is a lane of a roadway pre-approved for an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, the autonomous driving mode allowing a driver to relinquish control of the vehicle to a computer;
identifying one or more of the autodrive lanes currently available for autonomous driving;
using, by a processor, the identified one or more autodrive lanes to generate autodrive information;
determining a distance available for autonomous driving for at least one of the identified one or more autodrive lanes based on the detailed map information;
generating, by the processor, display information based on the autodrive information, the display information including lanes and identifying which of the lanes are of the one or more autodrive lanes; and
displaying, on a display of the vehicle, the display information and the determined distance.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining which lane the vehicle is currently located, and
wherein the display information includes an indicator indicating the lane in which the vehicle is currently located.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining whether the vehicle is currently in a particular one of the one or more of the autodrive lanes;
when the vehicle is currently in the particular autodrive lane, determining a remaining distance in the particular autodrive lane available for the autonomous driving mode based on the detailed map information; and
wherein the display information includes distance data indicating the remaining distance.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
generating a route for navigating the vehicle; and
wherein determining the remaining distance is further based on the route.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising identifying an icon for the remaining distance based on the route, and wherein the display information includes the icon for the remaining distance.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein determining the remaining distance is further based on traffic information, and the method further comprises:
identifying an icon for the remaining distance based on the traffic information, and
wherein the display information includes the icon for the remaining distance.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining, for each of the one or more of the autodrive lanes, a remaining distance available for the autonomous driving mode; and
identifying, based on the determined remaining distances, a longest lane available for the autonomous driving mode,
wherein the display information includes an indicator identifying the longest lane available for the autonomous driving mode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the lanes of the display information include at least one lane that is not available for autonomous driving, and wherein the lanes of the one or more autodrive lanes are depicted in a color different from a color of the at least one lane that is not available for autonomous driving.

### Claim 9

A system comprising:
a display for displaying information to a driver;
a processor configured to:
receive data from a geographic position component;
determine a current location of a vehicle from the received data;
use the current location to access detailed map information identifying the locations of autodrive lanes, wherein each autodrive lane is a lane of a roadway pre-approved for an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, the autonomous driving mode allowing a driver to relinquish control of the vehicle to a computer;
identify one or more of the autodrive lanes currently available for autonomous driving;
use the identified one or more autodrive lanes to generate autodrive information;
determine a distance available for autonomous driving for at least one of the identified one or more autodrive lanes based on the detailed map information;
generate display information based on the autodrive information, the display information including lanes and identifying which of the lanes are of the one or more autodrive lanes; and
displaying, on the display, the display information and the determined distance.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine in which lane the vehicle is currently located, and
wherein the display information includes an indicator indicating the lane in which the vehicle is currently located.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine whether the vehicle is currently in a particular one of the autodrive lanes;
when the vehicle is currently in the particular autodrive lane, determine a remaining distance in the particular autodrive lane available for the autonomous driving mode based on the detailed map information; and
wherein the display information includes distance data indicating the remaining distance.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:
generate a route for navigating the vehicle; and
wherein determining the remaining distance is further based on the route.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to identify an icon for the remaining distance based on the route, and the display information includes the icon for the remaining distance.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein determining the remaining distance is further based on traffic information, and the processor is further configured to:
identify an icon for the remaining distance based on the traffic information, and
wherein the display information includes the icon for the remaining distance.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine, for each of the one or more autodrive lanes, a remaining distance available for the autonomous driving mode; and
identify, based on the determinated remaining distances, a longest lane available for the autonomous driving mode,
wherein the display information includes an indicator identifying the longest lane available for the autonomous driving mode.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the lanes of the display information include at least one lane that is not available for autonomous driving, and the lanes of the one or more autodrive lanes are depicted in a color different from a color of the at least one lane that is not available for autonomous driving.

### Claim 17

A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving data from a geographic position component;
determining a current location of a vehicle from the received data;
using the current location to access detailed map information identifying the locations of autodrive lanes, wherein each autodrive lane is a lane of a roadway pre-approved for an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, the autonomous driving mode allowing a driver to relinquish control of the vehicle to a computer;
identifying one or more of the autodrive lanes currently available for autonomous driving;
using the identified one or more autodrive lanes to generate autodrive information;
determining a distance available for autonomous driving for at least one of the identified one or more autodrive lanes based on the detailed map information;
generating display information based on the autodrive information, the display information including lanes and identifying which of the lanes are of the one or more autodrive lanes; and
displaying, on a display of the vehicle, the display information and the determined distance.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:
determining which lane the vehicle is currently located, and
wherein the display information includes an indicator indicating the lane in which the vehicle is currently located.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:
determining whether the vehicle is currently in a particular one of the one or more autodrive lanes;
when the vehicle is currently in the particular autodrive lane, determining a remaining distance in the particular autodrive lane available for the autonomous driving mode based on the detailed map information; and
wherein the display information includes distance data indicating the remaining distance.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:
generating a route for navigating the vehicle; and
wherein determining the remaining distance is further based on the route.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprising identifying an icon for the remaining distance based on the route, and wherein the display information includes the icon for the remaining distance.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The medium of claim 21, wherein determining the remaining distance is further based on traffic information, and the method further comprises:
identifying an icon for the remaining distance based on the traffic information, and
wherein the display information includes the icon for the remaining distance.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:
determining, for each of the one or more autodrive lanes, a remaining distance available for the autonomous driving mode; and
identifying, based on the determined remaining distances, a longest lane available for the autonomous driving mode,
wherein the display information includes an indicator identifying the longest lane available for the autonomous driving mode.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the lanes of the display information include at least one lane that is not available for autonomous driving, and wherein the lanes of the one or more autodrive lanes are depicted in a color different from a color of the at least one lane that is not available for autonomous driving.