Waymo patents method for self-driving cars to predict when they can see hidden hazards
This patent describes a system that helps autonomous vehicles predict when they will have a clear view of their surroundings. It calculates future points along the car's path where it can see potential hazards that are currently hidden by other objects or structures.
In the filing’s own words
A system includes a memory storing instructions and a processing device operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations including obtaining a set of input data representing a set of objects within a driving environment being navigated by an autonomous vehicle (AV), generating, based on the set of input data, future visibility information for a set of future locations along a trajectory of the AV within the driving environment, determining, based on the future visibility information, whether a point of sufficient visibility (PSV) exists among the set of future locations, wherein the PSV is a point determined to be clear of occlusions with respect to a speculative object, and controlling operation of the AV based on the PSV determined to exist among the set of future locations.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A system comprising: a memory storing instructions; and a hardware processor operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform operations comprising: obtaining a set of input data representing a set of objects within a driving environment being navigated by an autonomous vehicle (AV), the set of input data being associated with a first time; generating, based on the set of input data associated with the first time, future visibility information for a plurality of future locations along a trajectory of the AV within the driving environment, wherein the future visibility information for each future location of the plurality of future locations corresponds to a second time during which visibility of the driving environment is likely to change, and wherein the second time for each future location is a respective amount of time later than the first time; determining, based on the future visibility information, whether a point of sufficient visibility (PSV) exists among the plurality of future locations, wherein the PSV is identified, from among the plurality of future locations, as a first future location along the trajectory of the AV that is determined to be clear of occlusions with respect to a speculative object; and controlling operation of the AV based on the PSV determined to exist among the plurality of future locations.
Facts
- Company
- Google (Waymo LLC)
- Official title
- Inferring future visibility to improve autonomous vehicle driving behavior and safety
- Patent number
- US12728894B1
- Application number
- 18503671
- Filed
- Nov 7, 2023
- Granted
- Sep 8, 2026
- Inventors
- 6
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
B60W 60/0015 Operations & transportB60W 30/0956 Operations & transportB60W 50/0097 Operations & transportG06V 20/58 Physics & computingB60W 2050/0083 Operations & transportB60W 2420/403 Operations & transportMore from Google in Cars & transport
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.