Granted Patent B2

US 12,493,288 · App. 18/364,835 · Granted Dec 9, 2025

Inventors: Andreas Wendel (Mountain View, CA); Felix Duvallet (Sunnyvale, CA)

Assignee: Kodiak Robotics, Inc.

G05D1/0016B60W60/001B60W2420/403B60W2420/408B60W2710/1005B60W2710/18B60W2710/20B60W2720/106

Abstract

Claims (149)

1 . A system for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle;

one or more sensors, coupled to the vehicle, configured to generate one or more data points pertaining to one or more of:

an environment of the vehicle; and

one or more system component measurements of the vehicle;

one or more actuation controls configured to enable the vehicle to perform one or more driving actions;

a controller, comprising a processor, configured to:

receive one or more trajectory commands, wherein:

each of the one or more trajectory commands comprises trajectory instructions which comprise one or more trajectory plot points,

each trajectory plot point, of the one or more trajectory plot points, comprises position coordinates for the vehicle to be at a designated time, and

the one or more trajectory commands comprise:

a manual trajectory command;

a remote trajectory command; and

an automatic trajectory command;

automatically generate the automatic trajectory command based on the one or more data points generated from the one or more sensors; and

generate, based on the one or more trajectory plot points of the automatic trajectory command, one or more driving actions,

wherein the one or more driving actions correlate to one or more actuator commands configured to cause the vehicle to be positioned in accordance with the one or more trajectory plot points of the automatic trajectory command; and

a remote station system comprising one or more remote actuation controls configured generate the one or more driving actions of the remote trajectory command, wherein the remote station system is configured to:

receive the one or more data points generated by the one or more sensors;

generate the remote trajectory command when adjustment of the one or more remote actuation controls is manually applied; and

generate, based on the one or more trajectory plot points of the remote trajectory command, one or more driving actions,

wherein the one or more driving actions correlate to one or more actuator commands configured to cause the vehicle to be positioned in accordance with the one or more trajectory plot points of the remote trajectory command; and

transmit the remote trajectory command to the vehicle; and

wherein:

the one or more actuation controls are further configured to:

generate the manual trajectory command when adjustment of the one or more actuation controls is manually applied; and

generate, based on the one or more trajectory plot points of the manual trajectory command, one or more driving actions,

wherein the one or more driving actions correlate to one or more actuator commands configured to cause the vehicle to be positioned in accordance with the one or more trajectory plot points of the manual trajectory command, and

the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the manual trajectory command is present; and

when the manual trajectory command is present, cause the vehicle, via the one or more actuation controls, to perform the one or more driving actions in accordance with the manual trajectory command.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a switch configured to:

when the manual trajectory command is not present, switch command of the vehicle between automatic trajectory control and remote station system control,

wherein:

when command of the vehicle is switched to automatic trajectory control, the controller is configured to cause the vehicle, via the one or more actuation controls, to perform the one or more driving actions in accordance with the automatic trajectory command, and

when command of the vehicle is switched to remote trajectory control, the controller is configured to cause the vehicle, via the one or more actuation controls, to perform the one or more driving actions in accordance with the remote trajectory command.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising a processor configured to cause the switch to switch control of the vehicle between the automatic trajectory control and the remote station system control.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more trajectory plot points comprise trajectory plot points generated in 0.1 second intervals.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the trajectory instructions comprise trajectory plot points generated over a 15 second period of time.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise:

a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor; and

a camera, and

the one or more data points comprise:

a LiDAR point cloud generated by the LiDAR sensor; and

an image captured by the camera.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more actuation controls comprise one or more of:

a brake pedal;

an acceleration pedal;

a gear shift control; and

a steering wheel.

8 . A system for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle;

one or more sensors, coupled to the vehicle, configured to generate one or more data points pertaining to one or more of:

an environment of the vehicle; and

one or more system component measurements of the vehicle;

one or more actuation controls configured to enable the vehicle to perform one or more driving actions;

a computing device, comprising a processor and a memory, coupled to the vehicle, configured to store programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the processor to:

receive one or more trajectory commands, wherein:

each of the one or more trajectory commands comprises trajectory instructions which comprise one or more trajectory plot points,

each trajectory plot point, of the one or more trajectory plot points, comprises position coordinates for the vehicle to be at a designated time, and

the one or more trajectory commands comprise:

a manual trajectory command;

a remote trajectory command; and

an automatic trajectory command;

automatically generate the automatic trajectory command based on the one or more data points generated from the one or more sensors; and

generate, based on the one or more trajectory plot points of the automatic trajectory command, one or more driving actions,

wherein the one or more driving actions correlate to one or more actuator commands configured to cause the vehicle to be positioned in accordance with the one or more trajectory plot points of the automatic trajectory command; and

a remote station system comprising one or more remote actuation controls configured generate the one or more driving actions of the remote trajectory command, wherein the remote station system is configured to:

receive the one or more data points generated by the one or more sensors;

generate the remote trajectory command when adjustment of the one or more remote actuation controls is manually applied;

generate, based on the one or more trajectory plot points of the remote trajectory command, one or more driving actions,

wherein the one or more driving actions correlate to one or more actuator commands configured to cause the vehicle to be positioned in accordance with the one or more trajectory plot points; and

transmit the remote trajectory command to the vehicle;

wherein:

the one or more actuation controls are further configured to:

generate the manual trajectory command when adjustment of the one or more actuation controls is manually applied; and

generate, based on the one or more trajectory plot points of the manual trajectory command, one or more driving actions,

wherein the one or more driving actions correlate to one or more actuator commands configured to cause the vehicle to be positioned in accordance with the one or more trajectory plot points of the manual trajectory command, and

the programming instructions, when executed by the processor, are further configured to cause the processor to:

determine whether the manual trajectory command is present; and

when the manual trajectory command is present, cause the vehicle, via the one or more actuation controls, to perform the one or more driving actions in accordance with the manual trajectory command.

9 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a switch configured to:

when the manual trajectory command is not present, switch command of the vehicle between automatic trajectory control and remote station system control,

wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the processor, are further configured to cause the processor to:

when command of the vehicle is switched to automatic trajectory control, cause the vehicle, via the one or more actuation controls, to perform the one or more driving actions in accordance with the automatic trajectory command, and

when command of the vehicle is switched to remote trajectory control, cause the vehicle, via the one or more actuation controls, to perform the one or more driving actions in accordance with the remote trajectory command.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the processor, are further configured to cause the processor to cause the switch to switch control of the vehicle between the automatic trajectory control and the remote station system control.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more trajectory plot points comprise trajectory plot points generated in 0.1 second intervals.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the trajectory instructions comprise trajectory plot points generated over a 15 second period of time.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise:

a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor; and

a camera, and

the one or more data points comprise:

a LiDAR point cloud generated by the LiDAR sensor; and

an image captured by the camera.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more actuation controls comprise one or more of:

a brake pedal;

an acceleration pedal;

a gear shift control; and

a steering wheel.

15 . A method for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

generating one or more data points from one or more sensors coupled to a vehicle, wherein the one or more data points pertain to one or more of:

an environment of the vehicle; and

one or more system component measurements of the vehicle;

via a controller, comprising a processor:

receiving one or more trajectory commands, wherein:

each of the one or more trajectory commands comprises trajectory instructions which comprise one or more trajectory plot points,

each trajectory plot point, of the one or more trajectory plot points, comprises position coordinates for the vehicle to be at a designated time, and

the one or more trajectory commands comprise:

a manual trajectory command;

a remote trajectory command; and

an automatic trajectory command;

automatically generating the automatic trajectory command based on the one or more data points generated from the one or more sensors; and

generating, based on the one or more trajectory plot points of the automatic trajectory command, one or more driving actions,

wherein the one or more driving actions correlate to one or more actuator commands configured to cause the vehicle to be positioned in accordance with the one or more trajectory plot points of the automatic trajectory command;

via a remote station system comprising one or more remote actuation controls configured generate the one or more driving actions of the remote trajectory command:

receiving the one or more data points generated by the one or more sensors;

generating the remote trajectory command when adjustment of the one or more remote actuation controls is manually applied;

generating, based on the one or more trajectory plot points of the remote trajectory command, one or more driving actions,

wherein the one or more driving actions correlate to one or more actuator commands configured to cause the vehicle to be positioned in accordance with the one or more trajectory plot points of the remote trajectory command; and

transmitting the remote trajectory command to the vehicle;

via the one or more actuation controls:

generating the manual trajectory command when adjustment of the one or more actuation controls is manually applied; and

generating, based on the one or more trajectory plot points of the manual trajectory command, one or more driving actions,

wherein the one or more driving actions correlate to one or more actuator commands configured to cause the vehicle to be positioned in accordance with the one or more trajectory plot points of the manual trajectory command, and

via the controller:

determining whether the manual trajectory command is present; and

when the manual trajectory command is present, causing the vehicle, via the one or more actuation controls, to perform the one or more driving actions in accordance with the manual trajectory command.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

via a switch:

when the manual trajectory command is not present, switching command of the vehicle between automatic trajectory control and remote station system control, wherein:

when command of the vehicle is switched to automatic trajectory control, the controller is configured to cause the vehicle, via the one or more actuation controls, to perform the one or more driving actions in accordance with the automatic trajectory command, and

when command of the vehicle is switched to remote trajectory control, the controller is configured to cause the vehicle, via the one or more actuation controls, to perform the one or more driving actions in accordance with the remote trajectory command.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more trajectory plot points comprise trajectory plot points generated in 0.1 second intervals.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the trajectory instructions comprise trajectory plot points generated over a 15 second period of time.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise:

a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor; and

a camera, and

the one or more data points comprise:

a LiDAR point cloud generated by the LiDAR sensor; and

an image captured by the camera.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more actuation controls comprise one or more of:

a brake pedal;

an acceleration pedal;

a gear shift control; and

a steering wheel.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (42)