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GooglePatent applicationCars & transportInterest 6/10

Waymo patents system to steer cars onto grippiest road paths in bad weather

This filing describes a method for autonomous vehicles to compare how they actually drive against how they expected to drive, helping identify if the road is slippery. The system then calculates the path with the most grip and steers the car onto it to maintain control. It also allows the vehicle to share these road condition details with other cars and remote operators.

Why it mattersIt shows how self-driving cars might handle icy or wet roads by actively choosing the safest path rather than just slowing down.

In the filing’s own words

The technology relates to determining general weather conditions affecting the roadway around a vehicle, and how such conditions may impact driving and route planning for the vehicle when operating in an autonomous mode. For instance, the on-board sensor system may detect whether the road is generally icy as opposed to a small ice patch on a specific portion of the road surface. The system may also evaluate specific driving actions taken by the vehicle and/or other nearby vehicles. Based on such information, the vehicle's control system is able to use the resultant information to select an appropriate braking level or braking strategy. As a result, the system can detect and respond to different levels of adverse weather conditions. The on-board computer system may share road condition information with nearby vehicles and with remote assistance, so that it may be employed with broader fleet planning operations.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method comprising: evaluating, by one or more processors associated with a vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode, detected information along a portion of a roadway with expected information along the portion of the roadway, the detected information corresponding to a maneuver taken by the vehicle while operating in the autonomous driving mode; determining, by the one or more processors in response to the evaluating, a path of highest friction along the roadway; and in response to the determining, the one or more processors causing the vehicle to take the path of highest friction.

Facts

Company
Google (WAYMO LLC)
Official title
DETECTING GENERAL ROAD WEATHER CONDITIONS
Publication number
US20260288169A1
Application number
19687685
Filed
May 26, 2026
Published
Sep 24, 2026
Inventors
3
Claims
21

Classified under

G05D 1/69 Physics & computingB60W 10/04 Operations & transportB60W 10/18 Operations & transportB60W 10/20 Operations & transportB60W 30/02 Operations & transportG01S 13/95 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.