IP Library Granted Patent US 10,429,846
Granted Patent B2
US 10,429,846 · App. 15/700,211 · Granted Oct 1, 2019

Systems and methods for communicating intent of an autonomous vehicle

Inventors: Molly Castle Nix (San Francisco, CA); Sean Chin (Pittsburgh, PA)
Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
G05D1/0212B60W50/0097B60W50/08B60W50/14G01C21/3676G05D1/0088B60K2370/16B60K2370/186B60K2370/193B60W2050/146B60W2550/22B60W2550/30G05D2201/0213
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,429,846
App. No.
15/700,211
Granted
Oct 1, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods to communicate intent of an autonomous vehicle. In particular, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can receive, from an autonomy computing system of an autonomous vehicle, data indicating an intent of the autonomous vehicle to perform a driving maneuver. It can be determined that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to a passenger of the autonomous vehicle. Responsive to determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to the passenger of the autonomous vehicle, a graphical interface indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle can be generated and provided for display for viewing by the passenger.

Claims (55)

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that collectively store instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from an autonomy computing system of an autonomous vehicle, data included in a motion plan for the autonomous vehicle determined by the autonomy computing system and indicating an intent of the autonomous vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent, a plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least a first event and a second event;

selecting, from amongst the plurality of intents and based at least in part on a predetermined hierarchy, the intent of the autonomous vehicle, wherein selecting the intent of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining a relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy;

responsive to determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold, determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to a passenger of the autonomous vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to the passenger:

generating a graphical interface indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle; and

providing for display, for viewing by the passenger, the graphical interface.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a frequency in change of the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a degree of confidence of an event associated with the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface comprising:

a map depicting a current location of the autonomous vehicle; and

a graphic overlay on the map indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface comprising one or more elements depicting an event associated with the intent of the autonomous vehicle.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least the first event and the second event based at least in part on a signal determined from one or more of a map or environmental sensor data.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface:

comprising a graphic indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping; and

indicating an event for which the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping based at least in part on the relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy.

8. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from an autonomy computing system of an autonomous vehicle, data included in a motion plan for the autonomous vehicle determined by the autonomy computing system and indicating an intent of the autonomous vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent, a plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least a first event and a second event;

selecting, from amongst the plurality of intents and based at least in part on a predetermined hierarchy, the intent of the autonomous vehicle, wherein selecting the intent of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining a relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy;

responsive to determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold, determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to a passenger of the autonomous vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to the passenger:

generating a graphical interface indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle; and

providing for display, for viewing by the passenger, the graphical interface.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a frequency in change of the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a degree of confidence of an event associated with the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface comprising:

a map depicting a current location of the autonomous vehicle; and

a graphic overlay on the map indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface comprising one or more elements depicting an event associated with the intent of the autonomous vehicle.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining the plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least the first event and the second event based at least in part on a signal determined from one or more of a map or environmental sensor data.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface:

comprising a graphic indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping; and

indicating an event for which the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping based at least in part on the relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices and from an autonomy computing system of an autonomous vehicle, data included in a motion plan for the autonomous vehicle determined by the autonomy computing system and indicating an intent of the autonomous vehicle;

determining, by the computing system and based at least in part on the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent, a plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least a first event and a second event;

selecting, by the computing system, from amongst the plurality of intents, and based at least in part on a predetermined hierarchy, the intent of the autonomous vehicle, wherein selecting the intent of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining a relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy;

responsive to determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold, determining, by the computing system, that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to a passenger of the autonomous vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the intent of the autonomous vehicle should be communicated to the passenger:

generating, by the computing system, a graphical interface indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle; and

providing for display, by the computing system and for viewing by the passenger, the graphical interface.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a frequency in change of the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein determining that the data included in the motion plan and indicating the intent meets a predetermined threshold comprises determining that a degree of confidence of an event associated with the intent meets the predetermined threshold.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface comprising:

a map depicting a current location of the autonomous vehicle; and

a graphic overlay on the map indicating the intent of the autonomous vehicle.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein determining the plurality of intents of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping in response to at least the first event and the second event based at least in part on a signal determined from one or more of a map or environmental sensor data.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein generating the graphical interface comprises generating an interface:

comprising a graphic indicating that the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping; and

indicating an event for which the autonomous vehicle is stopped or stopping based at least in part on the relationship between the first event and the second event in the predetermined hierarchy.

Assignments (5)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNMENT DOCUMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 054919 FRAME: 0026. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Mar 2, 2022
From: UATC, LLC
To: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 059692/0280 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2021
From: UATC, LLC
To: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 054919/0026 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NATURE OF CONVEYANCE FROM CHANGE OF NAME TO ASSIGNMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 050353 FRAME 0884. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CORRECT CONVEYANCE SHOULD BE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 27, 2019
From: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: UATC, LLC
Reel/Frame 051145/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 12, 2019
From: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: UATC, LLC
Reel/Frame 050353/0884 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2017
From: NIX, MOLLY CASTLE; CHIN, SEAN
To: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 043863/0354 →