Method of handling occlusions at intersections in operation of autonomous vehicle

US11332132B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Argo AI, LLC · US

Inventors

• Thomas Petroff · Gibsonia, US
• Neal Seegmiller · Pittsburgh, US
• Albert Costa · Pittsburgh, US
• Christopher Cunningham · Highlands Ranch, US
• G. Peter K. Carr · Allison Park, US
• Sameer Bardapurkar · Pune, IN

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 30, 2019
• Grant date: May 17, 2022
• Expiry date: Apr 14, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60W2720/10
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle navigates an intersection in which occlusions block the vehicle's ability to detect moving objects. The vehicle handles this by generating a phantom obstacle behind the occlusion. The vehicle will predict the speed of the phantom obstacle and use the predicted speed to assess whether the phantom obstacle may collide with the vehicle. If a collision is a risk, the vehicle will slow or stop until it confirms that either (a) the phantom obstacle is not a real obstacle or (b) the vehicle can proceed at a speed that avoids the collision. To determine which occlusions shield real objects, the system may use a rasterized visibility grid of the area to identify occlusions that may accommodate the object.