IP Library Granted Patent US 11,841,927
Granted Patent B2
US 11,841,927 · App. 17/659,670 · Granted Dec 12, 2023

Systems and methods for determining an object type and an attribute for an observation based on fused sensor data

Inventor: Kevin Lee Wyffels (Livonia, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
G06F18/254G05D1/0248G06F18/24155G06V20/58
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,841,927
App. No.
17/659,670
Granted
Dec 12, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

This document discloses system, method, and computer program product embodiments for controlling a vehicle. For example, the method includes: receiving an observation probability distribution function associated with a target object that was detected by sensor(s) of an autonomous vehicle (AV); identifying a target attribute associated with the target object; detecting a target attribute value associated with the target attribute; and issuing vehicle control instruction(s) that cause AV to adjust driving operation(s) using a future behavior of the target object predicted based on an attribute probability distribution function that defines a probability that the target attribute is actually present for the target object based on probability distribution function(s), wherein the attribute probability distribution function comprises: a probability value associated with the target attribute being present for the target object; and a probability value associated with the target attribute not being present for the target object.

Claims (54)

1. A method comprising:

receiving an observation probability distribution function associated with a target object that was detected by one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle;

identifying a target attribute associated with the target object;

detecting a target attribute value associated with the target attribute; and

issuing one or more vehicle control instructions that cause the autonomous vehicle to adjust one or more driving operations using a future behavior of the target object predicted based on an attribute probability distribution function that defines a probability that the target attribute is actually present for the target object based on a plurality of probability distribution functions, wherein the attribute probability distribution function comprises:

a probability value associated with the target attribute being present for the target object; and

a probability value associated with the target attribute not being present for the target object, wherein:

the plurality of probability distribution functions comprises:

a first probability distribution function representing a probability of the autonomous vehicle detecting an object having one or more of object labels based on historical object type detections;

a second probability distribution function defining a probability of the autonomous vehicle detecting the target attribute based on historical attribute detections; and

a third probability distribution function defining a probability of the target attribute actually being present for the target object based on the target attribute value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second probability distribution function comprises a probability distribution function over an event that the target object is detected as having the target attribute, wherein the second probability distribution function is conditioned on all observations made through a current time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third probability distribution function is based on:

a set of combinations of attributes and object types; and

for each combination, an associated likelihood value representing a likelihood of the object type of the combination having the attribute of the combination.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the historical object type detections are organized in a tree structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attribute probability distribution function is based on a sum of a product value across a target object label and the target attribute value, wherein the product value comprises a product of the first probability distribution function, the second probability distribution function, and the third distribution function.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are associated with one or more object type labels, and wherein the observation probability distribution function comprises a detection likelihood value associated with each of the one or more object type labels.

7. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:

receive an observation probability distribution function associated with a target object that was detected by one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle;

identify a target attribute associated with the target object;

detect a target attribute value associated with the target attribute;

execute one or more vehicle control instructions that cause the autonomous vehicle to adjust one or more driving operations using a future behavior of the target object predicted based on an attribute probability distribution function that defines a probability that the target attribute is actually present for the target object based on a plurality of probability distribution functions, wherein the attribute probability distribution function comprises:

a probability value associated with the target attribute being present for the target object, and

a probability value associated with the target attribute not being present for the target object, wherein:

the plurality of probability distribution functions comprises:

a first probability distribution function representing a probability of the autonomous vehicle detecting an object having one or more of object labels based on historical object type detections;

a second probability distribution function defining a probability of the autonomous vehicle detecting the target attribute based on historical attribute detections; and

a third probability distribution function defining a probability of the target attribute actually being present for the target object based on the target attribute value.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second probability distribution function comprises a probability distribution function over an event that the target object is detected as having the target attribute, wherein the second probability distribution function is conditioned on all observations made through a current time.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the third probability distribution function is based on:

a set of combinations of attributes and object types; and

for each combination, an associated likelihood value representing a likelihood of the object type of the combination having the attribute of the combination.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the historical object type detections are organized in a tree structure.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the attribute probability distribution function is based on a sum of a product value across a target object label and the target attribute value, wherein the product value comprises a product of the first probability distribution function, the second probability distribution function, and the third distribution function.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more sensors are associated with one or more object type labels, and wherein the observation probability distribution function comprises a detection likelihood value associated with each of the one or more object type labels.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions that is configured to, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving an observation probability distribution function associated with a target object that was detected by one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle;

identifying a target attribute associated with the target object;

detecting a target attribute value associated with the target attribute; and

issuing one or more vehicle control instructions that cause the autonomous vehicle to adjust one or more driving operations using a future behavior of the target object predicted based on an attribute probability distribution function that defines a probability that the target attribute is actually present for the target object based on a plurality of probability distribution functions, wherein the attribute probability distribution function comprises:

a probability value associated with the target attribute being present for the target object; and

a probability value associated with the target attribute not being present for the target object, wherein:

a first probability distribution function representing a probability of the autonomous vehicle detecting an object having one or more of object labels based on historical object type detections,

a second probability distribution function defining a probability of the autonomous vehicle detecting the target attribute based on historical attribute detections, and

a third probability distribution function defining a probability of the target attribute actually being present for the target object based on the target attribute value.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the second probability distribution function comprises a probability distribution function over an event that the target object is detected as having the target attribute, wherein the second probability distribution function is conditioned on all observations made through a current time.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the third probability distribution function is based on:

a set of combinations of attributes and object types; and

for each combination, an associated likelihood value representing a likelihood of the object type of the combination having the attribute of the combination.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the attribute probability distribution function is based on a sum of a product value across a target object label and the target attribute value, wherein the product value comprises a product of the first probability distribution function, the second probability distribution function, and the third distribution function.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the one or more sensors are associated with one or more object type labels, and wherein the observation probability distribution function comprises a detection likelihood value associated with each of the one or more object type labels.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2023
From: ARGO AI, LLC
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 063025/0346 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2022
From: WYFFELS, KEVIN LEE
To: ARGO AI, LLC
Reel/Frame 059630/0929 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17066193 · Oct 8, 2020
Related Publication 20220237419A1 · Jul 28, 2022