Subsystem control mode selection method and apparatus technical

Abstract

A control system (51, Fig. 3) for selecting a subsystem control mode (SSM (n), Fig. 5) of a vehicle 5 to facilitate traversal of a section of terrain, comprising one or more processors (35, Fig. 2) co

Claims

1. A control system for selecting a subsystem control mode of a vehicle to facilitate traversal of a section of terrain, wherein the control system comprises one or more processors collectively configured to:receive a plurality of image classification probabilities, each image classification probability indicating a probability that the section of terrain is classified, in dependence on image data captured by one or more imaging sensors, as each of a plurality of terrain classes;determine a first subsystem control mode probability providing an indication of a suitability of the first subsystem control mode for traversal of the section of terrain, wherein determining the first subsystem control mode probability comprises:modifying one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities using first weightings associated with the first subsystem control mode to generate one or more first modified image classification probabilities;deriving, in dependence on the one or more first modified image classification probabilities, the first subsystem control mode probability;determine a second subsystem control mode probability providing an indication of a suitability of the second subsystem control mode for traversal of the section of terrain, wherein determining the second subsystem control mode probability comprises:modifying one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities using second weightings associated with the second subsystem control mode to generate one or more second modified image classification probabilities;deriving, in dependence on the one or more second modified image classification probabilities, the second subsystem control mode probability;selecting one of the first and second subsystem control modes corresponding to the higher of the first and second subsystem control mode probabilities.

2. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors is collectively configured to:receive one or more state indicators representing an operating state of the vehicle;wherein the first weightings are determined in dependence on one or more of the state indicators;wherein the second weightings are determined in dependence on one or more of the state indicators.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein:the first weightings increase or decrease the weighting of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in dependence on a value of one or more of the state indicators;the second weightings increase or decrease the weighting of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in dependence on a value of one or more of the state indicators.

4. The control system according to any of claims 2 or 3, wherein:the first weightings decrease the weighting of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in dependence on a value of the state indicator providing a better indication of terrain class than the image classification probability;the second weightings decrease the weighting of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in dependence on a value of the state indicator providing a better indication of terrain class than the image classification probability.

5. The control system according to any of claims 2-4, wherein:the first weightings modify the weighting of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in a first manner in dependence on one or more of the state indicators being greater than a threshold value;the first weightings modify the weighting of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in a second manner in dependence on one or more of the state indicators being less than a threshold value;the second weightings modify the weighting of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in a third manner in dependence on one or more of the state indicators being greater than a threshold value;the second weightings modify the weighting of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in a fourth manner in dependence on one or more of the state indicators being less than a threshold value.

6. The control system according to any preceding claim, wherein:the first weightings reduce the weighting of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in dependence on the terrain type indicated by the image classification probability comprising limited visual indicators;the second weightings reduce the weighting of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in dependence on the terrain type indicated by the image classification probability comprising limited visual indicators.

7. The control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first subsystem control mode is configured to adjust the operation ofone or more of the vehicle subsystems in a first manner and the second subsystem control mode is configured to adjust the operation of one or more vehicle subsystems in a second manner.

8. The control system according to any preceding claim, wherein:the first weightings associated with the first subsystem control mode increase or decrease a weight of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities in dependence on a suitability of the first subsystem control mode for traversal of the terrain class indicated by the image classification probability; andthe second weightings associated with the second subsystem control mode increase or decrease a weight of one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities, in dependence on a suitability of the second subsystem control mode for traversal of the terrain class indicated by the image classification probability.

9. The control system according to claim 2, the one or more processors is collectively configured to:determine a first state classification probability in dependence on the one or more state indicators, the first state classification probability providing an indication of a suitability of the first subsystem control mode for traversal of the section of terrain;determine a second state classification probability in dependence on the one or more state indicators, the second state classification probability providing an indication of a suitability of the second subsystem control mode for traversal of the section of terrain;wherein the first subsystem control mode probability is determined in dependence on the first state classification probability; and the second subsystem control mode probability is determined in dependence on the second state classification probability.

10. The control system according to claim 9, wherein:the first subsystem control mode probability is determined in dependence on a combination of the first state classification probability and the one or more first modified image classification probabilities,the second subsystem control mode probability is determined in dependence on a combination of the second state classification probability and the one or more second modified image classification probabilities.

11. The control system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first weightings comprise a first factor; the one or more first modified image classification probabilities being generated by applying the first factor to one or more of the image classification probabilities.

12. The control system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second weightings comprise a second factor; the one or more second modified image classification probabilities is generated by applying the second factor to one or more of the image classification probabilities.

13. The control system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more processors is collectively configured to: receive image data captured by one or more imaging sensors, the image data representing an image comprising or consisting of the section of terrain;process the image data to generate the plurality of image classification probabilities indicating the probability that the section of terrain is classified as each of the plurality of terrain classes; andoutputting the plurality of image classification probabilities.

14. A control system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein deriving the first subsystem control mode probability comprises summing each of the one or more first modified image classification probabilities: and deriving the second subsystem control mode probability comprises summing each of the one or more second modified image classification probabilities.

15. The control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more processors is collectively configured to: output a signal indicative of the selected subsystem control mode.

16. A system comprising:one or more imaging sensors configured to capture image data representing an image comprising or consisting of the section of terrain; and the control system claimed directly or indirectly in claim 13.

17. A vehicle comprising the control system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims or the system of claim 16.

18. A method of selecting a subsystem control mode of a vehicle to facilitate traversal of a section of terrain, wherein the method comprises:receiving a plurality of image classification probabilities, each image classification probability indicating a probability that the section of terrain is classified, in dependence on image data captured by one or more imaging sensors, as each of a plurality of terrain classes;determining a first subsystem control mode probability providing an indication of a suitability of the first subsystem control mode for traversal of the section of terrain, wherein determining the first subsystem control mode probability comprises:modifying one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities using first weightings associated with the first subsystem control mode to generate one or more first modified image classification probabilities;deriving, in dependence on the one or more first modified image classification probabilities, the first subsystem control mode probability;determining a second subsystem control mode probability providing an indication of a suitability of the second subsystem control mode for traversal of the section of terrain, wherein determining the second subsystem control mode probability comprises:modifying one or more of the plurality of image classification probabilities using second weightings associated with the second subsystem control mode to generate one or more second modified image classification probabilities;deriving, in dependence on the one or more second modified image classification probabilities, the second subsystem control mode probability;selecting one of the first and second subsystem control modes in dependence on the first and second subsystem control mode probabilities.

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