Waymo patents AI that moves self-driving cars out of traffic jams
This patent describes a system where a self-driving car uses sensors to map its surroundings and asks a generative AI model if it is blocking other drivers. If the AI determines the car is in the way, the vehicle automatically moves to a better spot to keep traffic flowing.
In the filing’s own words
The disclosed systems and techniques are directed to evaluation of suitability of stopping locations of a vehicle using a generative AI model. The disclosed techniques include collecting, using a sensing system, sensing data for a driving environment of the vehicle and generating a prompt for a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model. The prompt includes spatial data characterizing the driving environment, including the sensing data and/or spatial arrangement of object(s) identified based on the sensing data and a request to determine, using the spatial data, whether the vehicle is obstructing traffic. The techniques further include causing the generative AI model to process the prompt and generate a response indicating that the vehicle is obstructing traffic and causing the vehicle to be repositioned to avoid obstructing traffic in the driving environment.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An autonomous vehicle comprising: a sensing system to collect sensing data for a driving environment of the autonomous vehicle; a data processing system to: generate a prompt for a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model, the prompt comprising: spatial data characterizing the driving environment, wherein the spatial data comprises at least one of: (i) the sensing data, or (ii) spatial arrangement of one or more objects in the driving environment identified based on the sensing data, and a request to determine, using the spatial data, whether the autonomous vehicle is obstructing traffic in the driving environment; cause the generative AI model to process the prompt and generate a response indicating that the autonomous vehicle is obstructing traffic in the driving environment; and an autonomous vehicle control system to: reposition, responsive to the generated response, the autonomous vehicle to avoid obstructing traffic in the driving environment.
Facts
- Company
- Google (Waymo LLC)
- Official title
- Prevention of traffic obstructions using artificial intelligence systems in automotive vehicle applications
- Patent number
- US12746944B2
- Application number
- 19082835
- Filed
- Mar 18, 2025
- Granted
- Sep 29, 2026
- Inventors
- 6
- Claims
- 21
Classified under
B60W 60/001 Operations & transportG06F 40/20 Physics & computingG06N 3/0475 Physics & computingB60W 2420/403 Operations & transportB60W 2420/408 Operations & transportB60W 2554/402 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.