Patent Application Titled “Autonomous Vehicle Path Coordination” Published Online (USPTO 20210294350): State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

2021 OCT 13 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx journalists, a patent application by the inventors Christensen, Scott T. (Salem, OR, US); Farris, Scott (Bloomington, IL, US); Hayward, Gregory (Bloomington, IL, US); Konrardy, Blake (Bloomington, IL, US), filed on November 21, 2018, was made available online on September 23, 2021.

The assignee for this patent application is State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Vehicles are typically operated by a human vehicle operator who controls both steering and motive controls. Operator error, inattention, inexperience, misuse, or distraction leads to many vehicle collisions each year, resulting in injury and damage. Autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles augment vehicle operators’ information or replace vehicle operators’ control commands to operate the vehicle, in whole or part, with computer systems based upon information from sensors within, or attached to, the vehicle. Such vehicles may be operated with or without passengers, thus requiring different means of control than traditional vehicles. Such vehicles also may include a plurality of advanced sensors, capable of providing significantly more data (both in type and quantity) than is available even from GPS navigation assistance systems installed in traditional vehicles.

“Ensuring safe operation of such autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles is of the utmost importance because the automated systems of these vehicles may not function properly in all environments. Although autonomous operation may be safer than manual operation under ordinary driving conditions, unusual or irregular environmental conditions may significantly impair the functioning of the autonomous operation features controlling the autonomous vehicle. Under some conditions, autonomous operation may become impractical or excessively dangerous. As an example, fog or heavy rain may greatly reduce the ability of autonomous operation features to safely control the vehicle. Additionally, damage or other impairment of sensors or other components of autonomous systems may significantly increase the risks associated with autonomous operation. Such conditions may change frequently, thereby changing the safety of autonomous vehicle operation.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent application, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “The present embodiments may be related to autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle operation, including driverless operation of fully autonomous vehicles. The embodiments described herein relate particularly to various aspects of communication between autonomous operation features, components, and software. An autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle may communicate with other vehicles within a predetermined communication range to alert the other vehicles of maneuvers which the autonomous vehicle will make (e.g., turns, lane changes, etc.) or to coordinate actions between several vehicles (e.g., coordinating paths based upon when each vehicle will exit a highway). Additionally, some aspects relate to communications which alert other vehicles of road segment conditions as the other vehicles approach the road segment, such as traffic, accidents, potholes, ice patches, construction, etc. Specific systems and methods are summarized below. The methods and systems summarized below may include additional, less, or alternate actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

“In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for coordinating paths for a plurality of vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features may be provided. The method may include receiving a plurality of communications from a plurality of vehicles each having one or more autonomous operation features, wherein the plurality of vehicles are travelling within a threshold distance of each other, and wherein each communication includes identification information for the respective vehicle, an indication of a location of the respective vehicle, and an indication of a waypoint on a route for the respective vehicle; analyzing the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the one or more maneuvers are determined for each vehicle to navigate to a corresponding waypoint in a least amount of time or distance; and/or causing each of the plurality of vehicles to move in accordance with the one or more maneuvers for the respective vehicle.

“A waypoint may include a destination, a highway exit, and/or a highway entrance. The corresponding waypoint for a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles may be a highway exit and the one or more maneuvers for the vehicle may include a series of lane changes to reach the highway exit in a shortest amount of time without colliding with any other of the plurality of vehicles.

“In some embodiments, analyzing the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles may include for each of the plurality of vehicles: identifying a distance between the vehicle and each of the other vehicles and current speeds of the vehicle and each of the other vehicles; determining a minimum distance to the corresponding waypoint for the vehicle; determining one or more first maneuvers to arrive at the corresponding waypoint for the vehicle over the minimum distance; determining whether the vehicle will collide with any of the other vehicles when travelling to the corresponding waypoint over the minimum distance; and/or when the vehicle will collide with any of the other vehicles, determining for each of the other vehicles which will collide with the vehicle, one or more second maneuvers for the other vehicles to perform to avoid colliding with the vehicle. Additionally, the method may further include assigning a priority level to each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the priority levels are assigned in order of the minimum distances from the vehicles to the corresponding waypoints and/or the one or more first maneuver may be determined for each of the vehicles in order of priority level. In some embodiments, the one or more first maneuvers may also include the one or more second maneuvers to avoid colliding with another vehicle.

“In further embodiments, analyzing the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles may include assigning a lane to each of the plurality of vehicles for maneuvering.

“Systems or computer-readable media storing instructions for implementing all or part of the system described above may also be provided in some aspects. Systems for implementing such methods may include one or more of the following: a special-purpose assessment computing device, a mobile computing device, a personal electronic device, an on-board computer, a remote server, one or more sensors, one or more communication modules configured to communicate wirelessly via radio links, radio frequency links, and/or wireless communication channels, and/or one or more program memories coupled to one or more processors of the mobile computing device, personal electronic device, on-board computer, or remote server. Such program memories may store instructions to cause the one or more processors to implement part or all of the method described above. Additional or alternative features described herein below may be included in some aspects.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computer-implemented method for coordinating paths for a plurality of vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features, comprising: receiving, at one or more processors, a plurality of communications from a plurality of vehicles each having one or more autonomous operation features, wherein the plurality of vehicles are travelling within a threshold distance of each other, and wherein each communication includes an indication of a location of the respective vehicle, and an indication of a waypoint on a route for the respective vehicle; analyzing, by the one or more processors, the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the one or more maneuvers are determined for each vehicle to navigate to a corresponding waypoint in a least amount of time or distance; and causing, by the one or more processors, each of the plurality of vehicles to move in accordance with the one or more maneuvers for the respective vehicle.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles includes: for each of the plurality of vehicles: identifying, by the one or more processors, a distance between the vehicle and each of the other vehicles and current speeds of the vehicle and each of the other vehicles; determining, by the one or more processors, a minimum distance to the corresponding waypoint for the vehicle; determining, by the one or more processors, one or more first maneuvers to arrive at the corresponding waypoint for the vehicle over the minimum distance; determining, by the one or more processors, whether the vehicle will collide with any of the other vehicles when travelling to the corresponding waypoint over the minimum distance; and when the vehicle will collide with any of the other vehicles, determining, by the one or more processors for each of the other vehicles which will collide with the vehicle, one or more second maneuvers for the other vehicles to perform to avoid colliding with the vehicle.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising: assigning, by the one or more processors, a priority level to each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the priority levels are assigned in order of the minimum distances from the vehicles to the corresponding waypoints.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the one or more first maneuvers are determined for each of the vehicles in order of priority level.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the one or more first maneuvers include the one or more second maneuvers to avoid colliding with another vehicle.

“6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a waypoint includes a destination, a highway exit, or a highway entrance.

“7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles includes assigning, by the one or more processors, a lane to each of the plurality of vehicles for maneuvering.

“8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding waypoint for a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is a highway exit and the one or more maneuvers for the vehicle includes a series of lane changes to reach the highway exit in a shortest amount of time without colliding with any other of the plurality of vehicles.

“9. A computer system configured to coordinate paths for a plurality of vehicles having one or more autonomous operation features, the computer system comprising one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, and/or sensors configured to: receive a plurality of communications from a plurality of vehicles each having one or more autonomous operation features, wherein the plurality of vehicles are travelling within a threshold distance of each other, and wherein each communication includes an indication of a location of the respective vehicle, and an indication of a waypoint on a route for the respective vehicle; analyze the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the one or more maneuvers are determined for each vehicle to navigate to a corresponding waypoint in a least amount of time or distance; and cause each of the plurality of vehicles to move in accordance with the one or more maneuvers for the respective vehicle.

“10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein to analyze the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles, the one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, and/or sensors are configured to: for each of the plurality of vehicles: identify a distance between the vehicle and each of the other vehicles and current speeds of the vehicle and each of the other vehicles; determine a minimum distance to the corresponding waypoint for the vehicle; determine one or more first maneuvers to arrive at the corresponding waypoint for the vehicle over the minimum distance; determine whether the vehicle will collide with any of the other vehicles when travelling to the corresponding waypoint over the minimum distance; and when the vehicle will collide with any of the other vehicles, determine, for each of the other vehicles which will collide with the vehicle, one or more second maneuvers for the other vehicles to perform to avoid colliding with the vehicle.

“11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, and/or sensors are further configured to: assign a priority level to each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the priority levels are assigned in order of the minimum distances from the vehicles to the corresponding waypoints.

“12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the one or more first maneuvers are determined for each of the vehicles in order of priority level.

“13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the one or more first maneuvers include the one or more second maneuvers to avoid colliding with another vehicle.

“14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein a waypoint includes a destination, a highway exit, or a highway entrance.

“15. The computer system of claim 9, wherein to analyze the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles, the one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, and/or sensors are configured to assign a lane to each of the plurality of vehicles for maneuvering.

“16. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the corresponding waypoint for a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is a highway exit and the one or more maneuvers for the vehicle includes a series of lane changes to reach the highway exit in a shortest amount of time without colliding with any other of the plurality of vehicles.

“17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a set of instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to: receive a plurality of communications from a plurality of vehicles each having one or more autonomous operation features, wherein the plurality of vehicles are travelling within a threshold distance of each other, and wherein each communication includes an indication of a location of the respective vehicle, and an indication of a waypoint on a route for the respective vehicle; analyze the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the one or more maneuvers are determined for each vehicle to navigate to a corresponding waypoint in a least amount of time or distance; and cause each of the plurality of vehicles to move in accordance with the one or more maneuvers for the respective vehicle.

“18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein to analyze the plurality of communications to determine one or more maneuvers for each of the plurality of vehicles, the set of instructions causes the one or more processors to: for each of the plurality of vehicles: identify a distance between the vehicle and each of the other vehicles and current speeds of the vehicle and each of the other vehicles; determine a minimum distance to the corresponding waypoint for the vehicle; determine one or more first maneuvers to arrive at the corresponding waypoint for the vehicle over the minimum distance; determine whether the vehicle will collide with any of the other vehicles when travelling to the corresponding waypoint over the minimum distance; and when the vehicle will collide with any of the other vehicles, determine, for each of the other vehicles which will collide with the vehicle, one or more second maneuvers for the other vehicles to perform to avoid colliding with the vehicle.

“19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the set of instructions further causes the one or more processors to: assign a priority level to each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the priority levels are assigned in order of the minimum distances from the vehicles to the corresponding waypoints.

“20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more first maneuvers are determined for each of the vehicles in order of priority level.”

For more information, see this patent application: Christensen, Scott T.; Farris, Scott; Hayward, Gregory; Konrardy, Blake. Autonomous Vehicle Path Coordination. Filed November 21, 2018 and posted September 23, 2021. Patent URL: https://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220210294350%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20210294350&RS=DN/20210294350

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