# US 9,434,382 B1 · Vehicle operation in environments with second order objects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,382 B1 - Document ID: US9434382B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/662,927 - Filed: 2015-03-19 - Published: 2016-09-22 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-19 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Inventors: Danil V. Prokhorov; Xue Mei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434382B1 ## CPC - B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering - B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems - B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems - B60W 40/04: Traffic conditions - B60W 60/0027: {using trajectory prediction for other traffic participants} - 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) - G05D 1/0293: {Convoy travelling} - G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - B60W 2554/801: Lateral distance - B60W 2554/802: Longitudinal distance - B60W 2710/18: Braking system - B60W 2710/20: Steering systems - G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means} - 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 - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract Arrangements related to the detection of objects in an external environment of a vehicle are presented. At least a portion of the external environment can be sensed to detect a first order object therein. It can be determined whether the first order object includes a translucent portion. Responsive to determining that the first order object includes a translucent portion, the translucent portion can be analyzed to determine whether a second order object is located within the translucent portion. Responsive to determining that a second order object is located within the translucent portion, the second order object can be analyzed. Information about the second order object can be presented to a vehicle occupant, an alert regarding the second order object can be presented to a vehicle occupant, and/or, when the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, a driving maneuver for the autonomous vehicle can be determined. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of detecting objects in an external environment of a vehicle, the method comprising: sensing, with a sensor system, at least a portion of the external environment to detect a first order object therein; determining, using a processor operatively coupled to the sensor system, whether the first order object includes a translucent portion; responsive to determining that the first order object includes a translucent portion, analyzing, using the processor, the translucent portion to determine whether a second order object is located within the translucent portion, wherein the second order object is not associated with the first order object; and responsive to determining that a second order object is located within the translucent portion, analyzing the second order object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sensing at least a portion of the external environment to detect a first order object therein includes: capturing one or more high resolution images of at least a portion of the first order object, and wherein determining whether the first order object includes a translucent portion includes analyzing the captured one or more high resolution images to determine whether the first order object includes a translucent portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the second order object located within the transparent portion includes detecting changes in the appearance of at least a portion of the second order object over a period of time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein changes in appearance include changes in at least one of changes in size and brightness. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the second order object located within the transparent portion includes tracking the motion of the second order object over a period of time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the translucent portion further includes: determining whether an object located in the translucent portion matches a predefined filtered object profile; and responsive to determining whether the object located in the translucent portion matches a predefined filtered object profile, ignoring the object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including presenting information relating to the second order object to a vehicle occupant. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including: determining whether the second order object is exhibiting a predefined behavior; and responsive to determining that the second order object is exhibiting a predefined behavior, presenting an alert to a vehicle occupant. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, and wherein the method further includes: determining a driving maneuver for the autonomous vehicle at least partially based on information about the second order object. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further including: causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined driving maneuver. ### Claim 11 A system for detecting objects in an external environment of a vehicle, the system comprising: a sensor system operable to sense at least a portion of the external environment to detect a first order object therein; a processor operatively connected to the sensor system, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising: determining whether the first order object includes a translucent portion; responsive to determining that the first order object includes a translucent portion, analyzing the translucent portion to determine whether a second order object is located within the translucent portion, wherein the second order object is not associated with the first order object; and responsive to determining that a second order object is located within the translucent portion, analyzing the second order object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor system includes a high resolution camera, wherein the camera is configured to capture one or more high resolution images of at least a portion of the external environment, the one or more high resolution images including the first order object, and wherein determining whether the first order object includes a translucent portion includes analyzing the captured one or more high resolution images to determine whether the first order object includes a translucent portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein analyzing the second order object located within the transparent portion includes detecting changes in the appearance of at least a portion of the second order object over a period of time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein changes in appearance include changes in at least one of changes in size and brightness. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein analyzing the second order object located within the transparent portion includes tracking the motion of the second order object over a period of time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein analyzing the translucent portion further includes: determining whether an object located in the translucent portion matches a predefined object profile; and responsive to determining whether the object located in the translucent portion matches a predefined object profile, ignoring the object location in the translucent portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the executable operations further include: presenting information about the second order object to a vehicle occupant. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, and wherein the executable operations further include: determining a driving maneuver for the autonomous vehicle at least partially based on information about the second order object. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the executable operations further include: causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the determining driving maneuver. ### Claim 20 A computer program product for detecting objects in an external environment of a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therein, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising: sensing at least a portion of the external environment to detect a first order object therein; determining whether the first order object includes a translucent portion; responsive to determining that the first order object includes a translucent portion, analyzing, using a processor, the translucent portion to determine whether a second order object is located within the translucent portion, wherein the second order object is not associated with the first order object; and responsive to determining that a second order object is located within the translucent portion, analyzing, using the processor, the second order object.