Autonomous vehicle that is configured to identify a travel characteristic based upon a gesture
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsThomas Scott, Peter Ming Gao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An autonomous vehicle is described herein, The autonomous vehicle is configured to determine that a person is proximate the autonomous vehicle at a location that is external to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle is further configured to determine that the person is attempting to hail the autonomous vehicle through use of a gesture. The autonomous vehicle identifies the gesture being performed by the person, and responsive to identifying the gesture, identifies a travel intent that the person is imparting to the autonomous vehicle by way of the gesture. The autonomous vehicle then operates based upon the travel intent.
Claims20
An autonomous vehicle comprising:
- a sensor system that is configured to generate a sensor signal, wherein the sensor signal indicates that a person is at a location that is external to the autonomous vehicle;
- a computing system that is in communication with the sensor system and receives the sensor signal generated by the sensor system, wherein the computing system comprises:
- a processor;
- and
- memory storing instructions that, when executed by processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
- responsive to receiving the sensor signal and based upon the sensor signal, identifying a gesture that is being performed by the person;
- identifying a travel characteristic based upon the gesture,
- wherein the autonomous vehicle is to operate in accordance with the travel characteristic when the autonomous vehicle transports the person along a route that begins at the location;
- and
- responsive to identifying the travel characteristic, controlling operation of the autonomous vehicle based upon the travel characteristic.
A method performed by an autonomous vehicle while the autonomous vehicle is in motion, the method comprising:
- generating, by a sensor system of the autonomous vehicle, a sensor signal that is indicative of surroundings of the autonomous vehicle;
- detecting, by a processor of a computing system of the autonomous vehicle and based upon the sensor signal, that a person is represented in the sensor signal;
- subsequent to detecting that the person is represented in the sensor signal, identifying, by the processor and based upon the sensor signal, a gesture being performed by the person from amongst a plurality of predefined gestures;
- responsive to identifying the gesture, identifying, by the processor, a destination location that is mapped to the gesture in a gesture library;
- and
- responsive to identifying the destination location and based upon the destination location, performing a driving maneuver.
An autonomous vehicle comprising:
- a propulsion system;
- a sensor system;
- and
- a computing system that is in communication with the propulsion system and the sensor system, wherein the computing system is programmed to perform acts comprising:
- based upon a sensor signal received from the sensor system, identifying that a person is gesturing to request a ride from the autonomous vehicle;
- responsive to identifying that the person is gesturing to request the ride, controlling the propulsion system such that velocity of the autonomous vehicle is decreased;
- while the velocity of the autonomous vehicle is decreased and while the autonomous vehicle is still in motion, identifying a gesture being made by the person from amongst a plurality of predefined gestures based upon the sensor signal;
- responsive to identifying the gesture, identifying a destination location that is mapped to the gesture in a computer-readable gesture library;
- computing a route between a current location of the autonomous vehicle and the destination location;
- and
- subsequent the person entering the autonomous vehicle, controlling the propulsion system while the autonomous vehicle navigates the route to the destination location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.