IP Library Granted Patent US 11,927,957
Granted Patent B2
US 11,927,957 · App. 17/410,142 · Granted Mar 12, 2024

Speed behavior planning for vehicles

Inventors: Dmytro S. Yershov (Cambridge, MA); Jeong hwan Jeon (Somerville, MA); Tichakorn Wongpiromsarn (Singapore, SG); Eric Wolff (Cambridge, MA)
Assignee: Motional AD LLC
G05D1/0088G05D2201/0212G05D2201/0213
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,927,957
App. No.
17/410,142
Granted
Mar 12, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Among other things, a system provides speed behavior planning for vehicles with autonomous driving capabilities.

Claims (35)

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by at least one processor, speed limits along a trajectory;

determining, by the at least one processor, candidate speed behaviors by concatenating the speed limits along the trajectory;

deriving, by the at least one processor, a definitive speed behavior by using the candidate speed behaviors, wherein the deriving includes smoothing at least one speed discontinuity between two concatenated speed limits along the trajectory; and

operating, by the at least one processor, a driving component of a vehicle in accordance with the definitive speed behavior.

2. The method of claim 1 , in which smoothing the at least one speed discontinuity comprises smoothing a step-down speed discontinuity.

3. The method of claim 1 , in which smoothing the at least one speed discontinuity comprises smoothing a step-up speed discontinuity.

4. The method of claim 1 , in which smoothing the at least one speed discontinuity comprises ignoring a step-up speed discontinuity.

5. The method of claim 1 , in which deriving the definitive speed behavior comprises using an optimization algorithm to find the definitive speed behavior.

6. The method of claim 5 , in which deriving the definitive speed behavior comprises treating the candidate speed behaviors as a soft constraint in the optimization algorithm.

7. The method of claim 5 , in which deriving the definitive speed behavior comprises treating the candidate speed behaviors as a hard constraint in the optimization algorithm.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a planning component to:

identify speed limits along a trajectory;

determine candidate speed behaviors by concatenating the speed limits along the trajectory;

derive a definitive speed behavior by using the candidate speed behaviors, wherein the deriving includes smoothing at least one speed discontinuity between two concatenated speed limits along the trajectory; and

operate at least one driving component of the vehicle in accordance with the definitive speed behavior.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , in which smoothing the at least one speed discontinuity comprises smoothing a step-down speed discontinuity.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , in which smoothing the at least one speed discontinuity comprises smoothing a step-up speed discontinuity.

11. The vehicle of claim 8 , in which smoothing the at least one speed discontinuity comprises ignoring a step-up speed discontinuity.

12. The vehicle of claim 8 , in which the planning component derives the definitive speed behavior using an optimization algorithm to find the definitive speed behavior.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , in which the planning component derives the definitive speed behavior by treating the candidate speed behaviors as a soft constraint in the optimization algorithm.

14. The vehicle of claim 12 , in which the planning component derives the definitive speed behavior by treating the candidate speed behaviors as a hard constraint in the optimization algorithm.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a storage for instructions; and

at least one processor that, when provided the instructions, operates in accordance with the instructions to perform operations comprising:

identifying speed limits along a trajectory;

determining candidate speed behaviors associated by concatenating the speed limits along the trajectory;

deriving a definitive speed behavior by using the candidate speed behaviors, wherein the deriving includes smoothing at least one speed discontinuity between two concatenated speed limits along the trajectory; and

operating a driving component of a vehicle in accordance with the definitive speed behavior.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , in which smoothing the at least one speed discontinuity comprises smoothing a step-down speed discontinuity.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , in which smoothing the at least one speed discontinuity comprises smoothing a step-up speed discontinuity.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , in which smoothing the at least one speed discontinuity comprises ignoring a step-up speed discontinuity.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , in which the definitive speed behavior is derived using an optimization algorithm to find the definitive speed behavior.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , in which the the definitive speed behavior is derived by treating the candidate speed behaviors as a partially soft constraint and a partially hard constraint in the optimization algorithm.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: YERSHOV, DMYTRO S.; JEON, JEONG HWAN; WONGPIROMSARN, TICHAKORN; WOLFF, ERIC
To: NUTONOMY INC.
Reel/Frame 057274/0211 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: MOTIONAL AD INC.
To: MOTIONAL AD LLC
Reel/Frame 057274/0430 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: NUTONOMY INC.
To: MOTIONAL AD INC.
Reel/Frame 057291/0794 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15879015 · Jan 24, 2018
Related Publication 20210382483A1 · Dec 9, 2021