Safety and comfort constraints for navigation

1. An apparatus for a host vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a memory device to store an optical image obtained from an image sensor associated with the host vehicle and information from a lidar or radar signal obtained from a lidar or radar system associated with the host vehicle, wherein the image sensor and the lidar or radar system are onboard the host vehicle, and are in different physical locations on the host vehicle; and

at least one processing device programmed to:

receive the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal;

generate an identification of a target object from objects captured in the optical image;

determine whether a characteristic of the target object triggers at least one navigational constraint by:

verifying the identification of the target object and comparing the identification of the target object to the at least one navigational constraint based on information from the optical image; and

if the at least one navigational constraint is not triggered based on the information from the optical image, then verifying the identification of the target object and comparing the identification of the target object to the at least one navigational constraint based on a fusion of the information from the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal; and

in response to determining that the characteristic of the target object triggers the at least one navigational constraint, cause at least one navigational change to the host vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one navigational change includes slowing the host vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one navigational change includes accelerating the host vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one navigational change includes activating a steering mechanism of the host vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein verifying the identification of the target object based on the fusion of the information from the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal comprises determining whether the target object is identified in both the optical image and the lidar or radar signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein verifying the identification of the target object based on the fusion of the information from the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal comprises determining the characteristic of the target object using the lidar or radar signal projected onto the optical image.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the optical image comprises at least one image of an environment of the host vehicle, and the projection comprises detecting one or more road edges in the at least one image using map data.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the optical image comprises at least one image of an environment of the host vehicle, and the projection comprises detecting free space in the at least one image using the information from the lidar or radar signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the target object includes a size of the target object.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the target object includes a distance from the host vehicle to the target object.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the target object includes a location of the target object in an environment of the host vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the target object can be specified by a representation and the representation is a polynomial representation of the target object or a compressed data set of the target object.

13. A computer-implemented method for a host vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving an optical image obtained from an image sensor associated with the host vehicle and information from a lidar or radar signal obtained from a lidar or radar system associated with the host vehicle, wherein the image sensor and the lidar or radar system are onboard the host vehicle, and are in different physical locations on the host vehicle;

generating an identification of a target object from objects captured in the optical image;

determining whether a characteristic of the target object triggers at least one navigational constraint by:

verifying the identification of the target object and comparing the identification of the target object to the at least one navigational constraint based on information from the optical image; and

if the at least one navigational constraint is not triggered based on the information from the optical image, then verifying the identification of the target object and comparing the identification of the target object to the at least one navigational constraint based on fusion of the information from the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal; and

in response to determining that the characteristic of the target object triggers the at least one navigational constraint, cause at least one navigational change to the host vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one navigational change includes at least one of slowing the host vehicle, accelerating the host vehicle, or activating a steering mechanism of the host vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein verifying the identification of the target object based on the fusion of the information from the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal comprises determining whether the target object is identified in both the optical image and the lidar or radar signal.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein verifying the identification of the target object based on the fusion of the information from the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal comprises determining the characteristic of the target object using the lidar or radar signal projected onto the optical image.

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium capable of storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to:

receive an optical image obtained from an image sensor associated with a host vehicle and information from a lidar or radar signal obtained from a lidar or radar system associated with the host vehicle, wherein the image sensor and the lidar or radar system are onboard the host vehicle, and are in different physical locations on the host vehicle;

generate an identification of a target object from objects captured in the optical image;

determine whether a characteristic of the target object triggers at least one navigational constraint by:

verifying the identification of the target object and comparing the identification of the target object to the at least one navigational constraint based on information from the optical image; and

if the at least one navigational constraint is not triggered based on the information from the optical image, then verifying the identification of the target object and comparing the identification of the target object to the at least one navigational constraint based on a fusion of the information from the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal; and

in response to determining that the characteristic of the target object triggers the at least one navigational constraint, cause at least one navigational change to the host vehicle.

18. An apparatus for a host vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a memory means for storing an optical image obtained from an image sensor associated with the host vehicle and information from a lidar or radar signal obtained from a lidar or radar system associated with the host vehicle, wherein the image sensor and the lidar or radar system are onboard the host vehicle, and are in different physical locations on the host vehicle; and

at least one processor means that includes an input means, an identifying means, a determining means, a verifying means, and an output means, the processor means programmed to:

cause the input means to receive the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal;

cause the identifying means to generate an identification of a target object from objects captured in the optical image;

cause the determining means to determine whether a characteristic of the target object triggers at least one navigational constraint by:

causing the verifying means to verify the identification of the target object and causing the determining means to compare the identification of the target object to the at least one navigational constraint based on information from the optical image; and

if the at least one navigational constraint is not triggered based on the information from the optical image, then causing the verifying means to verify the identification of the target object and causing the determining means to compare the identification of the target object to the at least one navigational constraint based on a fusion of the information from the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal; and

in response to determining that the characteristic of the target object triggers the at least one navigational constraint, cause the output means to output a signal that initiates at least one navigational change to the host vehicle.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one navigational change includes slowing the host vehicle.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one navigational change includes accelerating the host vehicle.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one navigational change includes activating a steering mechanism of the host vehicle.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein verifying the identification of the target object based on the fusion of the information from the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal comprises determining whether the target object is identified in both the optical image and the lidar or radar signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein verifying the identification of the target object based on the fusion of the information from the optical image and the information from the lidar or radar signal comprises determining the characteristic of the target object using the lidar or radar signal projected onto the optical image.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the optical image comprises at least one image of an environment of the host vehicle, and the projection comprises detecting one or more road edges in the at least one image using map data.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the optical image comprises at least one image of an environment of the host vehicle, and the projection comprises detecting free space in the at least one image using the information from the lidar or radar signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the characteristic of the target object includes a size of the target object.

27. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the characteristic of the target object includes a distance from the host vehicle to the target object.

28. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the characteristic of the target object includes a location of the target object in an environment of the host vehicle.

29. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the target object can be specified by a representation and the representation is a polynomial representation of the target object or a compressed data set of the target object.