IP Library Granted Patent US 11,396,307
Granted Patent B2
US 11,396,307 · App. 17/584,062 · Granted Jul 26, 2022

Method and system for context-aware decision making of an autonomous agent

Inventors: Gautam Narang (Palo Alto, CA); Apeksha Kumavat (Palo Alto, CA); Arjun Narang (Palo Alto, CA); Kinh Tieu (Palo Alto, CA); Michael Smart (Palo Alto, CA); Marko Ilievski (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Gatik AI Inc.
B60W60/001G01C21/3461G01C21/3673G06K9/6259G06N20/00H04W4/021
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,396,307
App. No.
17/584,062
Granted
Jul 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for context-aware decision making of an autonomous agent includes a computing system having a context selector and a map. A method for context-aware decision making of an autonomous agent includes receiving a set of inputs, determining a context associated with an autonomous agent based on the set of inputs, and optionally any or all of: labeling a map; selecting a learning module (context-specific learning module) based on the context; defining an action space based on the learning module; selecting an action from the action space; planning a trajectory based on the action S 260 ; and/or any other suitable processes.

Claims (34)

1. A method comprising:

determining a plurality of contexts for an autonomous agent;

for each context of the plurality, generating a context-specific learning model using a context-specific training dataset associated with the context;

determining a context mapping for a fixed route of an autonomous agent, comprising mapping each region of the fixed route to a respective context of the plurality; and

providing, at a computing system of the autonomous agent, the context mapping and the context-specific learning models, wherein the computing system is configured to selectively operate the autonomous agent in each region of the fixed route based on the context-specific learning model corresponding to the respective context of the region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each context-specific learning model comprises a reward function generated using a learning algorithm for the context-specific training dataset associated with the context.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating each context-specific learning model comprises: training the context-specific learning model to transform an environmental representation input into an output using inverse reinforcement learning based on the context-specific training dataset.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the inverse reinforcement learning is based on human-derived behaviors.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein each context-specific learning model comprises an optimal policy generated based on the human-derived behaviors for the context specific training dataset associated with the context.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each context-specific learning model transforms an environmental representation input into an output action space; wherein the computing system is configured to operate the autonomous agent based on the action space.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the computing system is configured to operate the autonomous agent based on the action space by:

determining an action within the action space;

determining a trajectory based on the action; and

controlling the autonomous agent based on the trajectory.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the output action space consists of a unitary action.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the action space is associated with a set of parameters having context-specific values.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the set of parameters comprises a creep distance.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the environmental representation comprises a set of detected dynamic objects.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising facilitating traversal of the autonomous agent along the fixed route by:

determining a first context for the autonomous agent according to the context mapping; and

based on the first context, operating the autonomous agent based on a first context-specific learning model associated with the first context.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein operating the autonomous agent comprises determining a trajectory for the autonomous agent based on an output of the respective context-specific leaning model associated with the first context.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein facilitating traversal of the autonomous agent along the fixed route further comprises:

determining a second context for the autonomous agent according to the context mapping; and

based on the second context, operating the autonomous agent based on a second context-specific learning model associated with the second context.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: updating the respective context-specific learning models based on operation data collected during operation of the autonomous agent along the fixed route and the context mapping.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein each context-specific learning model comprises a trained convolutional neural network (CNN).

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein each context-specific learning model is provided, at the computing system of the autonomous agent, within a series of connected machine learning models.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein each context-specific learning model is an intermediate element of the series.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the context-specific training datasets used to generate each context-specific learning model comprise environmental representation inputs, wherein the environmental representation inputs are generated as outputs of a first machine learning model.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the computing system is configured to operate the autonomous agent by:

generating an output for a selected context-specific learning model;

based on the output, determining a trajectory of the autonomous agent using a second machine learning model; and

operating the autonomous agent based on the trajectory.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2022
From: NARANG, GAUTAM; KUMAVAT, APEKSHA; NARANG, ARJUN; TIEU, KINH; SMART, MICHAEL; ILIEVSKI, MARKO
To: GATIK AI INC.
Reel/Frame 058764/0124 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17332839 · May 27, 2021
Continuation 17306014 · May 3, 2021
Continuation 17116810 · Dec 9, 2020
Provisional Application 63055756 · Jul 23, 2020
Provisional Application 63035401 · Jun 5, 2020
Related Publication 20220144306A1 · May 12, 2022