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US 9,475,491 B1Granted
Lane changing for autonomous vehicles
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsNaoki Nagasaka, Danil V. Prokhorov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various manners of changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle are described. A target gap between a pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane that is adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle can be identified. It can be determined whether the size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable. Responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle can be determined. The autonomous vehicle can be caused to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
Claims13
A method of changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
- identifying a first target gap between a first pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- determining whether a size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable;
- responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, determining an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle based at least partially on a distance between the autonomous vehicle and a lane change trigger event;
- and
- causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
2 more elements
A method of changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
- identifying a first target gap between a first pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- determining whether a size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable;
- responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, determining an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle, the alternative lane changing maneuver being a less conservative lane changing maneuver;
- and
- causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
2 more elements
A method of changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
- identifying a first target gap between a first pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- determining whether a size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable;
- responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, determining an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle, the alternative lane changing maneuver including:
- identifying a second target gap between a second pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle, the first pair of neighboring vehicles being different than the second pair of neighboring vehicles, the second target gap being located forward of the first target gap in a travel direction of the travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- identifying a large vehicle in the travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the second target gap is located forward of the large vehicle;
- and
- passing the large vehicle;
- and
- causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
6 more elements
A method of changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
- identifying a first target gap between a first pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- determining whether a size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable;
- responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, determining an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle, the alternative lane changing maneuver including:
- identifying a second target gap between a second pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle, the first pair of neighboring vehicles being different than the second pair of neighboring vehicles, the second target gap being located forward of the first target gap in a travel direction of the travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- identifying a slow vehicle in the travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the second target gap is located forward of the slow vehicle;
- and
- passing the slow vehicle;
- and
- causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
6 more elements
A method of changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
- identifying a first target gap between a first pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle, the first pair of neighboring vehicles including a forward vehicle and a rear vehicle;
- controlling the speed of the autonomous vehicle so that it is substantially the same as the speed of the forward vehicle;
- controlling the location of the autonomous vehicle so that it is near a back end of the forward vehicle;
- determining whether a size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable;
- responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, determining an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle;
- and
- causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
4 more elements
A system for changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:
- a sensor system operable to detect objects in an external environment of the autonomous vehicle;
- a processor operatively connected to the sensor system, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
- identifying a first target gap between a first pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- determining whether a size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable;
- responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, determining an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle based at least partially on a distance between the autonomous vehicle and a lane change trigger event;
- and
- causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
4 more elements
A system for changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:
- a sensor system operable to detect objects in an external environment of the autonomous vehicle;
- a processor operatively connected to the sensor system, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
- identifying a first target gap between a first pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- determining whether a size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable;
- responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, determining an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle, the alternative lane changing maneuver being a less conservative lane changing maneuver;
- and
- causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
4 more elements
A system for changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:
- a sensor system operable to detect objects in an external environment of the autonomous vehicle;
- a processor operatively connected to the sensor system, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
- identifying a first target gap between a first pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- determining whether a size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable;
- responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, determining an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle, the alternative lane changing maneuver including:
- identifying a second target gap between a second pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle, the first pair of neighboring vehicles being different than the second pair of neighboring vehicles, the second target gap being located forward of the first target gap in a travel direction of the travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- identifying a large vehicle in the travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the second target gap is located forward of the large vehicle;
- and
- passing the large vehicle;
- and
- causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
8 more elements
A system for changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:
- a sensor system operable to detect objects in an external environment of the autonomous vehicle;
- a processor operatively connected to the sensor system, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
- identifying a first target gap between a first pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- determining whether a size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable;
- responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, determining an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle, the alternative lane changing maneuver including:
- identifying a second target gap between a second pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle, the first pair of neighboring vehicles being different than the second pair of neighboring vehicles, the second target gap being located forward of the first target gap in a travel direction of the travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- identifying a slow vehicle in travel lane adjacent to the current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the second target gap is located forward of the slow vehicle;
- and
- passing the slow vehicle;
- and
- causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
8 more elements
A computer program product for changing travel lanes for an autonomous vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therein, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:
- identifying a first target gap between a first pair of neighboring vehicles located in a travel lane adjacent to a current travel lane of the autonomous vehicle;
- determining whether a size of the first target gap is acceptable or unacceptable;
- responsive to determining that the size of the first target gap is unacceptable, determining an alternative lane changing maneuver for the autonomous vehicle based at least partially on a distance between the autonomous vehicle and a lane change trigger event;
- and
- causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the alternative lane changing maneuver.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.