IP Library Granted Patent US 12,351,177
Granted Patent B2
US 12,351,177 · App. 17/731,969 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Systems and methods for determining vehicle control based on estimated realization delay

Inventors: Sarah Koehler (San Jose, CA); Matthew Brown (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignees: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
B60W30/18109B60W50/14B62D15/021B60W2050/146B60W2510/18B60W2510/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,351,177
App. No.
17/731,969
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to determining a type and an issue time of a vehicle control command based on an estimated realization delay. In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a first realization delay associated with a first control command and identifying a second realization delay associated with a second control command. The second control command is issued after the first control command is issued. The method includes issuing the first control command at an issue time that is based on the first realization delay and the second realization delay, and realizing the first control command on a vehicle.

Claims (39)

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine a first realization delay associated with a first control command based on the first control command, a current vehicle condition, a future vehicle condition, a current environment condition, and a future environment condition;

determine a second realization delay associated with a second control command based on the second control command, the current vehicle condition, the future vehicle condition, the current environment condition, and the future environment condition, the second control command being received by the processor after the first control command is received by the processor, the first control command being at least one of a steering command, a braking command, or a throttle command and the second control command being at least one of the steering command, the braking command, or the throttle command; and

transmit the first control command to a vehicle system associated with the first control command at an issue time that is based on the first realization delay and the second realization delay.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first realization delay is indicative of a first time difference estimate between when the first control command is received by the processor and when the first control command is performed by the vehicle system associated with the first control command; and

wherein the second realization delay is indicative of a second time difference estimate between when the second control command is received by the processor and when the second control command is performed by a vehicle system associated with the second control command.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first control command is performed by at least one of a steering system, a braking system, or a throttle system and the second control command is performed by at least one of the steering system, the braking system, or the throttle system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first control command includes a type of command and at least one parameter, and wherein the machine-readable instructions further include machine-readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine at least one of the type of command or the at least one parameter based on the first realization delay.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first control command includes a type of command and at least one parameter, and wherein the machine-readable instructions further include machine-readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine at least one of the type of command or the at least one parameter based on at least one of the first realization delay, the second realization delay, or the second control command.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating the first realization delay and the second realization delay using an online dynamic model and based on one or more previous realization delays in the vehicle.

7. A method comprising:

determining a first realization delay associated with a first control command based on the first control command, a current vehicle condition, a future vehicle condition, a current environment condition, and a future environment condition;

determining a second realization delay associated with a second control command based on the second control command, the current vehicle condition, the future vehicle condition, the current environment condition, and the future environment condition, the second control command being received by a processor after the first control command is received by the processor, the first control command being at least one of a steering command, a braking command, or a throttle command and the second control command being at least one of the steering command, the braking command, or the throttle command; and

transmitting the first control command to a vehicle system associated with the first control command at an issue time that is based on the first realization delay and the second realization delay.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first realization delay is indicative of a first time difference estimate between when the first control command is received by the processor and when the first control command is performed by the vehicle system associated with the first control command; and

wherein the second realization delay is indicative of a second time difference estimate between when the second control command is received by the processor and when the second control command is performed by a vehicle system associated with the second control command.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first control command is performed by at least one of a steering system, a braking system, or a throttle system and the second control command is performed by at least one of the steering system, the braking system, or the throttle system.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first control command includes a type of command and at least one parameter, further comprising:

determining at least one of the type of command or the at least one parameter based on the first realization delay.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first control command includes a type of command and at least one parameter, further comprising:

determining at least one of the type of command or the at least one parameter based on at least one of the first realization delay, the second realization delay, or the second control command.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

generating the first realization delay and the second realization delay using an online dynamic model and based on one or more previous realization delays in the vehicle.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

determine a first realization delay associated with a first control command based on the first control command, a current vehicle condition, a future vehicle condition, a current environment condition, and a future environment condition;

determine a second realization delay associated with a second control command based on the second control command, the current vehicle condition, the future vehicle condition, the current environment condition, and the future environment condition, the second control command being received by the processor after the first control command is received by the processor, the first control command is at least one of a steering command, a braking command, or a throttle command and the second control command is at least one of the steering command, the braking command, or the throttle command; and

transmit the first control command to a vehicle system associated with the first control command at an issue time that is based on the first realization delay and the second realization delay.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first realization delay is indicative of a first time difference estimate between when the first control command is received by the processor and when the first control command is performed by the vehicle system associated with the first control command; and

wherein the second realization delay is indicative of a second time difference estimate between when the second control command is received by the processor and when the second control command is performed by a vehicle system associated with the first control command.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first control command is performed by at least one of a steering system, a braking system, or a throttle system and the second control command is performed by at least one of the steering system, the braking system, or the throttle system.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first control command includes a type of command and at least one parameter, and wherein the instructions further include instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine at least one of the type of command or the at least one parameter based on the first realization delay.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first control command includes a type of command and at least one parameter, and wherein the instructions further include instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine at least one of the type of command or the at least one parameter based on at least one of the first realization delay, the second realization delay, or the second control command.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2025
From: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 071800/0943 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2022
From: KOEHLER, SARAH; BROWN, MATTHEW
To: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.; TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 059796/0544 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230347894A1 · Nov 2, 2023
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