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GoogleGranted patentRobots & automationInterest 6/10

Google patents robot navigation check to prevent driving into known safe zones

This patent describes a method where a robot uses its past driving paths to test new navigation software. Before trusting the new software, the robot checks if it still recognizes areas it has safely driven in before. If the new software correctly identifies those old paths as safe, the robot uses it to navigate; otherwise, it sticks to the old settings.

Why it mattersThis helps self-driving robots avoid making dangerous mistakes when their software is updated, ensuring they don't suddenly decide a safe path is blocked.

In the filing’s own words

A method includes receiving one or more past trajectories navigated by a robotic device in an environment, wherein the one or more past trajectories are associated with initial environmental sensor data and one or more obstacle detection heuristics. The method also includes determining, based at least on subsequent environmental sensor data, one or more updated obstacle detection heuristics. The method further includes determining, based on the one or more updated obstacle detection heuristics and the initial environmental sensor data, one or more predicted drivable areas in the environment. The method additionally includes, based on the one or more predicted drivable areas including the one or more past trajectories, using the one or more updated obstacle detection heuristics to determine future navigation of the robotic device.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method comprising: receiving initial environmental sensor data associated with a robotic device navigating in an environment; updating an optimization framework associated with control of the robotic device, wherein the optimization framework comprises a machine learning model; applying the updated optimization framework to the initial environmental sensor data to determine one or more predicted drivable areas for the robotic device in the environment; evaluating the updated optimization framework based on a determination of whether the one or more predicted drivable areas include one or more areas of the environment confirmed to be drivable based on the initial environmental sensor data; and based on determining that the one or more predicted drivable areas includes the one or more areas confirmed to be drivable, navigating the robotic device using the updated optimization framework.

Facts

Company
Google (Google LLC)
Official title
Preventing regressions in navigation determinations using logged trajectories
Patent number
US12743080B2
Application number
18812947
Filed
Aug 22, 2024
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Inventors
2
Claims
19

Classified under

G05D 1/0214 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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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.