Patent Issued for Autonomous vehicle maneuver system for emergency vehicles and non-standard traffic flow (USPTO 11710402): State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

2023 AUG 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States) has been issued patent number 11710402, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx editors.

The patent’s inventors are Floyd, Matthew L. (Alpharetta, GA, US).

This patent was filed on October 15, 2020 and was published online on July 25, 2023.

From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: “An autonomous vehicle (e.g., a self-driving car, bus, truck, etc.) may comprise hardware and/or software modules configured to navigate the autonomous vehicle to a destination, generally according to a preconfigured navigation schema. Such a navigation schema may comprise rules defining the autonomous vehicle’s speed, acceleration, hazard detection, navigation of common roads, highways, turns, etc. Thus, autonomous vehicle navigation in standard traffic environments may require little to no intervention on the part of human passengers within the vehicle. However, the presence of emergency vehicles and other non-standard traffic flows may introduce particular complexities above and beyond “standard” vehicle navigation.

“A police vehicle, for example, may require a vehicle to quickly but safely pull over to the side of a road in a traffic stop. As another example, an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance require another vehicle (or often, many other vehicles) on the road to yield to the emergency vehicle by moving to the side of the road in a coordinated manner to open a clear lane of passage for the emergency vehicle. Other non-standard traffic flows, such as road construction sites, automobile accident sites, and special case state highway signs, may similarly require non-standard and/or coordinated navigation maneuvers on the part of one or more vehicles. In many jurisdictions, non-emergency vehicles may be required to stop, yield, and/or otherwise respond to such non-standard traffic flows. However, a preconfigured navigation schema of an autonomous vehicle may not reliably anticipate or react to these cases. Further, even if one individual autonomous vehicle may react appropriately to a non-standard traffic flow, a lack of unified coordination between multiple autonomous vehicles on a road may prevent traffic as a whole from properly responding with a non-standard traffic flow.”

Supplementing the background information on this patent, NewsRx reporters also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “Generally, the present disclosure describes systems and methods for controlling navigation of one or more autonomous vehicles in the presence of police vehicles, other emergency vehicles, road construction sites, automobile accident sites, and other non-standard traffic flows, thereby improving the safety of persons associated with the non-standard traffic flows (e.g., police, paramedics, road construction workers, etc.), as well as passengers of the autonomous vehicles themselves.

“In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method may be provided for automatically navigating an autonomous vehicle based upon one or more control signals. The method may comprise (1) receiving or otherwise detecting, at a computing device of a first autonomous vehicle via one or more processors or sensors, one or more control signals transmitted via a second vehicle, (2) identifying, at the computing device of the first autonomous vehicle based upon the one or more control signals, a command to stop the first autonomous vehicle, and/or (3) in response to identifying the command to stop the first autonomous vehicle, automatically controlling, via the one or more processors, an autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle in accordance with the one or more control signals to cause the first autonomous vehicle to stop at a particular geographic location. The method may comprise additional, alternate, or fewer elements, including those described herein.

“In another embodiment, a computer system may be provided, the computer system configured to automatically navigate an autonomous vehicle based upon one or more control signals. The computer system may comprise (1) one or more processors, and (2) one or more computer memories storing a set of computer-executable instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the computer system to: (i) receive or otherwise detect, via the one or more processors or via one or more sensors, one or more control signals transmitted via a second vehicle; (ii) identify, via the one or more processors, based upon the one or more control signals, a command to stop the first autonomous vehicle; and/or (iii) in response to identifying the command to stop the first autonomous vehicle, automatically control, via the one or more processors, an autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle in accordance with the one or more control signals to cause the first autonomous vehicle to stop at a particular geographic location. The computer system may include additional, fewer, or alternate components or functions thereof, including those described herein.

“In yet another embodiment, one or more non-transitory computer-readable media may be provided. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media may store non-transitory computer executable instructions that, when executed via one or more processors of a computing device, cause the one or more processors to automatically navigate an autonomous vehicle based upon a control signal. The non-transitory computer-executable instructions may comprise instructions to (1) receive or otherwise detect, via the one or more processors or via one or more sensors, one or more control signals transmitted via a second vehicle, (2) identify, via the one or more processors, based upon the one or more control signals, a command to stop the first autonomous vehicle, and/or (3) in response to identifying the command to stop the first autonomous vehicle, automatically control, via the one or more processors, an autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle in accordance with the one or more control signals to cause the first autonomous vehicle to stop at a particular geographic location. The non-transitory computer executable instructions may include additional, fewer, or alternate instructions, including those described herein.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computer-implemented method for automatically navigating an autonomous vehicle based upon one or more control signals, the method comprising: receiving or otherwise detecting, at a computing device of a first autonomous vehicle via one or more processors or sensors, one or more control signals transmitted via a second vehicle, the one or more control signals indicating a command to stop the first autonomous vehicle and a particular geographic point at which the first autonomous vehicle is to stop; identifying, at the computing device of the first autonomous vehicle based upon the one or more control signals, the command to stop the first autonomous vehicle and the particular geographic point; and in response to identifying the command to stop the first autonomous vehicle and the particular geographic point, automatically controlling, via the one or more processors, an autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle in accordance with the one or more control signals to cause the first autonomous vehicle to stop at the particular geographic point.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the particular geographic point is based on a required lighting condition for stopping the first autonomous vehicle, and wherein the control of the autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle causes the first autonomous vehicle to stop at the particular geographic point satisfying the required lighting condition.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more control signals are received while the first autonomous vehicle is traveling on a first road, and wherein the one or more control signals include a command for the autonomous vehicle to navigate to a second road before stopping the first autonomous vehicle, and wherein the control of the autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle causes the autonomous vehicle to stop at the particular geographic point on or along the second road.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: via the one or more processors, continuing to automatically control the autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle to cause the first autonomous vehicle to remain stopped, while the first autonomous vehicle continues to receive or otherwise detect the one or more control signals; determining, via the one or more processors, that the first autonomous vehicle has met or exceeded a predetermined distance from the second vehicle, the determination being based at least in part upon an observed frequency of the one or more control signals meeting or passing a predetermined frequency threshold; and in response to the determination that the first autonomous vehicle has met or exceeded the predetermined distance from the second vehicle, ceasing the automatic control of the autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle according to the one or more control signals.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more control signals include one or more flashing lights detectable via one or more photosensors.

“6. A computer system of an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer memories storing a set of computer-executable instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the computer system to: receive or otherwise detect, via the one or more processors or via one or more sensors, one or more control signals transmitted via a second vehicle, the one or more control signals indicating a command to stop the autonomous vehicle and a particular geographic point at which the autonomous vehicle is to stop; identify, via the one or more processors, based upon the one or more control signals, the command to stop the autonomous vehicle and the particular geographic point; and in response to identifying the command to stop the autonomous vehicle, automatically control, via the one or more processors, an autonomous navigation of the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the one or more control signals to cause the autonomous vehicle to stop at the particular geographic point.

“7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the particular geographic point is based on a required lighting condition for stopping the autonomous vehicle, and wherein the control of the autonomous navigation of the autonomous vehicle causes the autonomous vehicle to stop at the particular geographic point satisfying the required lighting condition.

“8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the one or more control signals are received while the autonomous vehicle is traveling on a first road, and wherein the one or more control signals include a command for the autonomous vehicle to navigate to a second road before stopping the autonomous vehicle, and wherein the control of the autonomous navigation of the autonomous vehicle causes the autonomous vehicle to stop at the particular geographic point on or along the second road.

“9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed via the one or more processors, further cause the computer system to: via the one or more processors, continue to automatically control the autonomous navigation of the autonomous vehicle to cause the autonomous vehicle to remain stopped, while the autonomous vehicle continues to receive or otherwise detect the one or more control signals; determine, via the one or more processors, that the autonomous vehicle has met or exceeded a predetermined distance from the second vehicle, the determination being based at least in part upon an observed frequency of the one or more control signals meeting or passing a predetermined frequency threshold; and in response to the determination that the autonomous vehicle has met or exceeded the predetermined distance from the second vehicle, cease the automatic control of the autonomous navigation of the autonomous vehicle according to the one or more control signals.

“10. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the one or more control signals include one or more flashing lights detectable via one or more photosensors.

“11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing non-transitory computer-executable instructions that, when executed via one or more processors, cause a computer to: receive or otherwise detect, via the one or more processors or via one or more sensors at a first autonomous vehicle, one or more control signals transmitted via a second vehicle, the one or more control signals indicating a command to stop the first autonomous vehicle and a particular geographic point at which the first autonomous vehicle is to stop; identify, via the one or more processors, based upon the one or more control signals, the command to stop the first autonomous vehicle and the particular geographic point; and in response to identifying the command to stop the first autonomous vehicle and the particular geographic point, automatically control, via the one or more processors, an autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle in accordance with the one or more control signals to cause the first autonomous vehicle to stop at the particular geographic point.

“12. The one or more non-transitory, computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the particular geographic point is based on a required lighting condition for stopping the first autonomous vehicle, and wherein the control of the autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle causes the first autonomous vehicle to stop at the particular geographic point satisfying the required lighting condition.

“13. The one or more non-transitory, computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the one or more control signals are received while the first autonomous vehicle is traveling on a first road, and wherein the one or more control signals include a command for the autonomous vehicle to navigate to a second road before stopping the first autonomous vehicle, and wherein the control of the autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle causes the first autonomous vehicle to stop at the particular geographic point on or along the second road.

“14. The one or more non-transitory, computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed via the one or more processors, further cause the computer to: via the one or more processors, continue to automatically control the autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle to cause the first autonomous vehicle to remain stopped, while the first autonomous vehicle continues to receive or otherwise detect the one or more control signals; determine, via the one or more processors, that the first autonomous vehicle has met or exceeded a predetermined distance from the second vehicle, the determination being based at least in part upon an observed frequency of the one or more control signals meeting or passing a predetermined frequency threshold; and in response to the determination that the first autonomous vehicle has met or exceeded the predetermined distance from the second vehicle, cease the automatic control of the autonomous navigation of the first autonomous vehicle according to the one or more control signals.

“15. The one or more non-transitory, computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the one or more control signals include one or more flashing lights detectable via one or more photosensors.”

For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Floyd, Matthew L. Autonomous vehicle maneuver system for emergency vehicles and non-standard traffic flow. U.S. Patent Number 11710402, filed October 15, 2020, and published online on July 25, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11710402)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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