Modifying a vehicle state based on the presence of a special-purpose vehicle
A method is provided that includes receiving user input identifying a travel destination for a first vehicle, determining, by a processor, a first route for the first vehicle to follow, and configuring the first vehicle to follow the first route. The method further includes obtaining a model for a second vehicle that shares a road with the first vehicle and comparing model to a pre-determined template for a vehicle that is known to be a special purpose vehicle in order to determine whether the first template and the second template match. The method further includes determining, by the processor, a second route that leads to the travel destination, when a match is found to exist, and switching the first vehicle from following the first route to following the second route.
1 . A method, comprising:
determining, by one or more processors based on sensor data, a presence of a special-purpose vehicle in an environment of a vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode;
determining, by the one or more processors based on the presence of the special-purpose vehicle, an operational state of the special-purpose vehicle by at least determining whether the special-purpose vehicle is making a noise associated with operation of the special-purpose vehicle;
determining, by the one or more processors based on the operational state of the special-purpose vehicle, at least one of an instantaneous operation for the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode or a continued operation for the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode; and
causing a system of the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode to perform a selected action according to the at least one of the instantaneous operation or the continued operation.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational state indicates whether the special-purpose vehicle is operating along a roadway in the environment or is pulled over on a side of the roadway.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the operational state of the special-purpose vehicle includes determining at least one of a relative direction or a distance between the special-purpose vehicle and the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the operational state of the special-purpose vehicle includes determining whether one or more lights of the special-purpose vehicle are flashing.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the operational state of the special-purpose vehicle includes determining whether an audible alarm is being emitted by the special-purpose vehicle.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected action includes communicating information to a rider of the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein communicating the information includes presenting, via a user interface, a user option to approve changing a route of the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein communicating the information includes changing a state of one or more systems of the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein changing the state of the one or more systems includes making a visual or audible adjustment to the one or more systems.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein changing the state of the one or more systems includes causing a driving system of the vehicle to change a driving lane, slow the vehicle down, or pull the vehicle over.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the presence of the special-purpose vehicle includes comparing one or more characteristics associated with the sensor data to a stored template or model.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the stored template or model is used to indicate a color trait or intensity of light to be produced by the special-purpose vehicle.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the stored template or model corresponds to a special-purpose vehicle image, a histogram of the special-purpose vehicle image, a set of values that describe a given property of the special-purpose vehicle image, or a set of vertices that describe at least a part of a shape of the special-purpose vehicle.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the stored template or model corresponds to a sound of a vehicle component associated with to the special-purpose vehicle.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the comparing includes determining whether the one or more characteristics associated with the sensor data correspond to the stored template or model by at least a threshold amount.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instantaneous operation includes one of speeding up, slowing down, pulling over, or changing lanes.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the continued operation comprises switching from driving along a current driving route to following an alternative driving route.
18 . A vehicle, comprising:
one or more sensors configured to obtain sensor data for objects in an environment of the vehicle; and
one or more processors operatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the one or more processors configured to:
determine, based on the sensor data obtained by the one or more sensors, a presence of a special-purpose vehicle in an environment of the vehicle during operation in an autonomous driving mode;
determine, based on the presence of the special-purpose vehicle, an operational state of the special-purpose vehicle, including determination of whether the special-purpose vehicle is making a noise associated with operation of the special-purpose vehicle;
determine, based on the operational state of the special-purpose vehicle, at least one of an instantaneous operation for the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode or a continued operation for the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode; and
cause a system of the vehicle during operation in the autonomous driving mode to perform a selected action according to the at least one of the instantaneous operation or the continued operation.
19 . The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the operational state of the special-purpose vehicle by being further configured to:
determine of at least one of a relative direction or a distance between the special-purpose vehicle and the vehicle operating in the autonomous driving mode;
determine of whether one or more lights of the special-purpose vehicle are flashing; or
determine of whether an audible alarm is being emitted by the special-purpose vehicle.