Waymo patents gear shift control using future path data
This filing describes a system for autonomous vehicles that predicts upcoming driving conditions to manage gear changes. It adjusts the car's speed in advance to avoid shifting gears while navigating specific situations.
In the filing’s own words
Example embodiments relate to controlling gear shifts based on future trajectory information. A vehicle computing system may receive sensor data representing an environment of the vehicle during autonomous navigation of a path and determine, based on the sensor data, the vehicle is approaching a predefined situation positioned along the path. The computing system may then estimate a future acceleration or speed associated with navigation of the predefined situation by the vehicle. The computing system may determine, based on the future acceleration or speed and a current acceleration of the vehicle, whether to perform a gear shift prior to navigation of the predefined situation by the vehicle, and control the vehicle based on determining whether to perform the gear shift prior to navigation of the predefined situation.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method comprising: receiving, at a computing system, sensor data representing an environment of a vehicle during navigation of a path, wherein the sensor data is received from at least one sensor coupled to the vehicle; determining, based on the sensor data, the vehicle is approaching a predefined situation along the path; estimating a future acceleration or speed for navigation of the predefined situation; determining, by the computing system and based on the estimated future acceleration or speed, that adjusting a current acceleration or speed of the vehicle in advance of the predefined situation avoids a gear shift during navigation of the predefined situation; adjusting the current acceleration or speed of the vehicle; and controlling the vehicle to navigate the predefined situation based on the adjusted acceleration or speed.
Facts
- Company
- Google (Waymo LLC)
- Official title
- Methods and Systems for Controlling Gear Shifts based on Future Trajectory Information
- Publication number
- US20260274273A1
- Application number
- 19681781
- Filed
- May 19, 2026
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Inventors
- 1
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
B60W 50/0097 Operations & transportB60W 30/143 Operations & transportB60W 30/18163 Operations & transportB60W 60/001 Operations & transportF16H 59/44 Mechanical engineeringF16H 59/46 Mechanical engineeringMore 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.