System and method for automatically detecting key behaviors by vehicles
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsJiajun Zhu, David I. Ferguson, Dmitri A. Dolgov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to detecting discrete actions by traveling vehicles. The features described improve the safety, use, driver experience, and performance of autonomously controlled vehicles by performing a behavior analysis on mobile objects in the vicinity of an autonomous vehicle. Specifically, an autonomous vehicle is capable of detecting and tracking nearby vehicles and is able to determine when these nearby vehicles have performed actions of interest by comparing their tracked movements with map data.
Claims17
A method for autonomous control of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- controlling an autonomous vehicle in accordance with a control strategy;
- detecting one or more nearby vehicles external to the autonomous vehicle using one or more sensors, wherein the nearby vehicles each have a position, heading, and speed;
- accessing map data having a plurality of road graph elements;
- determining with a processor that a first vehicle from one of the nearby vehicles is traveling on a first road graph element;
- comparing data representing the at least one of the position, heading and speed for the first vehicle with map data for the first road graph element;
- determining with a processor, based on the comparison, that the first vehicle from the one or more nearby vehicles has performed an action of interest by traveling from the first road graph element to a second road graph element;
- and
- altering the control strategy for the autonomous vehicle based on the action of interest having been performed by the first vehicle.
A system for controlling a vehicle having an autonomous operation mode, the system comprising:
- one or more sensors for detecting a one or more nearby vehicles in an autonomous vehicle's surroundings;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- control the autonomous vehicle in accordance with a control strategy;
- determine a position, heading, and speed for each of the nearby vehicles;
- access map data having a plurality of road graph elements on which vehicles are able to travel;
- associate each of the nearby vehicles with a road graph element;
- compare data representing the at least one of the position, heading and speed for each of the nearby vehicles with the road graph element;
- determine, based on the comparison, that a first vehicle from the one or more nearby vehicles has performed an action of interest by traveling from a first road graph element to a second road graph element;
- and
- alter the control strategy for the autonomous vehicle based on the action of interest having been performed by the first vehicle.
A method for determining discrete activities of vehicles, the method comprising:
- detecting a first vehicle using one or more sensors;
- accessing map data having a plurality of road graph elements;
- determining with a processor that the first vehicle is traveling on a first road graph element;
- recording vehicle data representing movement of the first vehicle;
- comparing the vehicle data with the map data;
- determining using a processor, based on the comparison, whether the first vehicle's movement corresponds with an action of interest by traveling from the first road graph element to a second road graph element;
- and
- filtering the vehicle data for only data relating to an action of interest.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.