Function allocation and integration for autonomous vehicles
This invention presents a function allocation system for an autonomous vehicle (AV). During the operations of the AV, some or all of its automated driving capabilities or functions could be downgraded due to long-tail events or malfunctioning. The roadside intelligent infrastructure, or the cloud platform, could supplement some or all of AV's automated driving functions, including sensing, prediction and decision-making, and/or control functions. The function allocation system dynamically allocates these functions between AV and intelligent infrastructure, achieving a higher system intelligence level S than the downgraded vehicle intelligence level V. In addition, a function allocation system could dynamically allocate sensing, prediction and decision-making, and/or control functions between AV and a cloud platform. This invention also presents a function integration system or a fusion system for an AV. The fusion system integrates data across these functions to optimize automated driving performance and collaboration between AV and intelligent infrastructure.
1 . A function allocation system for an automated driving system (ADS), said function allocation system comprising one or more of a sensing allocation system; a prediction and decision-making allocation system; and/or a control allocation system,
wherein said ADS system operates at a system intelligence level S=1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 during vehicle operation by identifying a vehicle intelligence level V of said vehicle during vehicle operation and identifying an infrastructure intelligence level I of said infrastructure during vehicle operation; and
wherein said function allocation system is configured to allocate one or more of sensing, prediction and decision-making, and/or control functions to the vehicle based on the vehicle intelligence level V and to the infrastructure based on the infrastructure intelligence level I to support said ADS system with system intelligence S that is greater than the vehicle intelligence level V and/or that is greater than the infrastructure intelligence level I so that the ADS system manages the vehicle and the infrastructure to facilitate vehicle operations and controls during vehicle operation.
2 . The function allocation system of claim 1 further comprising a cloud-based service platform comprising a system cloud component, a vehicle cloud component, and/or an intelligent infrastructure cloud component to support communication, information exchange, operations, and control.
3 . The function allocation system of claim 1 , wherein said function allocation system is configured to allocate sensing, prediction and decision-making, and/or control functions to connected and automated vehicles (CAV) and a cloud platform.
4 . The function allocation system of claim 1 , wherein said function allocation system is configured to allocate sensing, prediction and decision-making, and/or control functions to connected and automated vehicles (CAV) and roadside intelligent units (RIU).
5 . The function allocation system of claim 1 , wherein the function allocation system is configured to integrate information from CAVs and roadside intelligent infrastructure to provide said specified intelligence and/or automated driving level S.
6 . The function allocation system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle is a CAV configured to collaborate with the intelligent infrastructure according to integrated optimization performed by the system.
7 . The function allocation system of claim 1 , wherein said sensing allocation system allocates sensing functions at a microscopic level and/or a mesoscopic level to a CAV and allocates sensing functions at a microscopic level, mesoscopic level, and/or a macroscopic level to intelligent infrastructure.
8 . The function allocation system of claim 1 , wherein said prediction and decision-making allocation system allocates prediction and decision-making functions at a microscopic level to a CAV and allocates prediction and decision making functions at a mesoscopic level and/or a macroscopic level to intelligent infrastructure.
9 . The function allocation system of claim 1 , wherein said control allocation system allocates control functions at a microscopic level to a CAV and allocates control functions at a mesoscopic level and/or a macroscopic level to intelligent infrastructure.
10 . The function allocation system of claim 1 , further comprising a fusion system configured to provide sensing data fusion, prediction and decision-making data fusion, and/or control data fusion to support sensing functions, predicting and decision-making functions, and/or control functions of said ADS.
11 . A function allocation system for an automated driving system (ADS), said function allocation system comprising a prediction and decision-making allocation system configured to allocate prediction and decision making functions,
wherein said ADS system operates at a system intelligence level S=1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 during vehicle operation by identifying a vehicle intelligence level V of said vehicle during vehicle operation and identifying an infrastructure intelligence level I of said infrastructure during vehicle operation; and
wherein said function allocation system is configured to allocate prediction and decision-making functions to the vehicle based on the vehicle intelligence level V and to the infrastructure based on the infrastructure intelligence level I to support said ADS system with system intelligence S that is greater than the vehicle intelligence level V and/or that is greater than the infrastructure intelligence level I so that the ADS system manages the vehicle and the infrastructure to facilitate vehicle operations and controls during vehicle operation.
12 . The function allocation system of claim 11 , wherein said vehicle performs sensing and control functions; and said roadside intelligent infrastructure is configured to provide computation resources and/or planning and decision-making functions.
13 . The function allocation system of claim 11 , wherein said function allocation system is configured to allocate prediction and decision making functions to a connected and automated vehicle (CAV) and a cloud platform.
14 . The function allocation system of claim 11 , wherein said prediction and decision making allocation system allocates prediction and decision-making functions at a microscopic level, a mesoscopic level, and/or a macroscopic level, wherein:
said prediction and decision making functions at a microscopic level comprise predicting vehicle trajectory, planning vehicle origin and/or destination, and/or performing emergency adjustments;
said prediction and decision making functions at a mesoscopic level comprise predicting events, traffic incidents, work zones, traffic control operations, vehicle platooning, and/or predicting traffic for specific road segments comprising bridges, tunnels, ramps, service areas, intersections, tolls, and/or dedicated lanes; and
said prediction and decision-making functions at a macroscopic level comprise predicting traffic flow and/or weather; and managing traffic according to a user optimal and/or system optimal traffic strategy.
15 . The function allocation system of claim 11 , wherein said prediction and decision-making allocation system allocates prediction and decision-making functions at a microscopic level to a CAV and allocates prediction and decision-making functions at a mesoscopic level and/or a macroscopic level to the intelligent infrastructure.
16 . The function allocation system of claim 11 , further comprising a fusion system configured to provide prediction and decision-making data fusion to support predicting and decision making functions of said ADS.
17 . The function allocation system of claim 16 , wherein said fusion system comprises a vehicle-centric fusion system, a roadside-centric fusion system, and/or a system-level fusion system, and said fusion system is configured to allocate prediction and decision-making functions among said vehicle-centric fusion system, said roadside-centric fusion system, and/or said system-level fusion system.
18 . The function allocation system allocation system of claim 17 , wherein said vehicle-centric fusion system is configured to perform real-time vehicle data processing comprising integrating real-time vehicle data provided by a vehicle and environmental data provided by an RIU.
19 . The function allocation system of claim 17 , wherein said system-level fusion system is configured to perform prediction and decision-making data fusion comprising:
requesting and/or receiving data from a vehicle, a road segment, and/or a traffic information center; and/or
integrating environment situation prediction data, traffic flow prediction data, road segment trajectory prediction data, and/or emergency adjustment data.
20 . The function allocation system of claim 11 , wherein said function allocation system is configured to be used by the automated driving system (ADS) for controlling said vehicle.