Automated driving obstacle avoidance along a path

1 . A method of autonomously defining a vehicle path comprising:

detecting an object that is disposed within a predetermined path with a sensor system within a vehicle;

defining an avoidance clearance around the detected object with a vehicle control system within the vehicle, wherein the avoidance clearance around the detected object comprises a circular area centered on the object;

defining a look-ahead clearance centered on a portion of the vehicle with the vehicle control system, wherein the look-ahead clearance comprises a circular area, and the vehicle portion comprises a midpoint of an axle of the vehicle controlling a heading of the vehicle;

detecting two intersections between the avoidance clearance and the look-ahead clearance with the vehicle control system; and

changing the vehicle path based on the two intersections between the avoidance clearance and the look-ahead clearance.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the circular area of the avoidance clearance comprises a radius equal to at least half a width of the vehicle.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the circular area of the look-ahead clearance comprises a radius equal to or greater than at least half a width of the vehicle.

4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein changing the vehicle path further comprises realigning the predetermined path with the two intersections between the avoidance clearance and the look-ahead clearance.

5 . The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising selecting one of the two intersections for realigning the predetermined path.

6 . The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein selecting one of the two intersections comprises comparing a distance between each of the two intersections and a constraint that limits movement of the vehicle and selecting the one of the two intersections that is the greater distance from the constraint.

7 . The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the constraint comprises a predefined boundary that separates different driving surfaces.

8 . The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the constraint comprises a predefined boundary, the predefined boundary comprising an object extending upwardly from a driving surface.

9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further including realigning the vehicle path with the predetermined path responsive to the look-ahead clearance passes a detected intersection.

10 . An autonomous vehicle control system comprising:

a controller mountable within a vehicle that is configured to:

detect an object that is disposed within a predetermined path with a sensor system within a vehicle;

define an avoidance clearance around the detected object with a vehicle control system within the vehicle, wherein the avoidance clearance around the detected object comprises a circular area centered on the object;

define a look-ahead clearance centered on a portion of the vehicle with the vehicle control system, wherein the look-ahead clearance comprises a circular area, and the vehicle portion comprises a midpoint of an axle of the vehicle controlling a heading of the vehicle;

detect two intersections between the avoidance clearance and the look-ahead clearance with the vehicle control system; and

change a vehicle path based on the detected two intersections between the avoidance clearance and the look-ahead clearance.

11 . The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the circular area of the avoidance clearance has a radius equal to at least half a width of the vehicle.

12 . The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to realign the predetermined path based on a location of the two intersections between the avoidance clearance and the look-ahead clearance.

13 . The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to select one of the two intersections for realigning the predetermined path.

14 . The autonomous vehicle control system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to compare a distance between each of the two intersections and a constraint that limits movement of the vehicle and to select the one of the two intersections that is the greater distance from the constraint.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions for operating an autonomous vehicle control system, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium including:

instructions to prompt a controller to detect an object that is disposed within a predetermined path with a sensor system within a vehicle;

instructions to prompt a controller to define an avoidance clearance around the detected object with a vehicle control system within the vehicle, wherein the avoidance clearance around the detected object comprises a circular area centered on the detected object;

instructions to prompt a controller to define a look-ahead clearance centered on a portion of the vehicle with the vehicle control system, wherein the look-ahead clearance comprises a circular area, and the vehicle portion comprises a midpoint of an axle of the vehicle controlling a heading of the vehicle;

instructions to prompt a controller to detect two intersections between the avoidance clearance and the look-ahead clearance with the vehicle control system; and

instructions to prompt a controller to change a vehicle path based on the detected two intersections between the avoidance clearance and the look-ahead clearance.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 15 further comprising instructions for prompting the controller to compare a distance between each of the two intersections and a constraint that limits movement of the vehicle and to select the one of the two intersections with the greater distance from the constraint.