Autonomous Vehicle Trajectory Biasing for Stalled Path Progress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles often face delays and difficulty in traversing certain segments of their planned trajectories due to obstacles or challenging conditions, leading to reduced progress or stagnation, as they follow predetermined paths without taking assertive maneuvers.
Innovation Solution
The autonomous vehicle system determines the expected time to traverse segments of its current and alternate trajectories, selecting the path with the lowest estimated time and considering historical data and predicted object behaviors to adjust its route and perform assertive maneuvers while ensuring passenger comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If autonomous vehicles follow predetermined trajectories, then safety and comfort are maintained, but progress is reduced and traversal time increases due to delays from obstacles and challenging conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from static predetermined trajectories to dynamic trajectory adjustment. The system continuously monitors traversal progress and automatically selects alternate trajectories when stagnation is detected, enabling the vehicle to adapt its path in real-time to maintain progress and reduce traversal time while preserving safety through controlled maneuvering.
2Ease of operation
If autonomous vehicles follow predetermined trajectories, then passenger comfort is ensured, but the vehicle experiences difficulty traversing segments with obstacles or challenging conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by monitoring traversal progress along the current trajectory and using this information to trigger automatic trajectory adjustments. When the system detects difficulty traversing a segment (such as encountering obstacles or challenging conditions), it receives feedback about the stagnation and automatically selects an alternate trajectory, thereby maintaining both passenger comfort through controlled transitions and traversal capability by avoiding difficult segments.
3Loss of time
If autonomous vehicles make assertive maneuvers to overcome delays, then traversal time is reduced, but passenger comfort may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by implementing moderate trajectory adjustments rather than extreme maneuvers. When selecting alternate trajectories to reduce traversal time, the system chooses paths that achieve the necessary course correction without excessive deviation, thereby reducing traversal time through efficient routing while maintaining passenger comfort through smooth, controlled transitions rather than abrupt or aggressive maneuvers.
Data Source
AI summary
The technology relates to adjusting a trajectory of an autonomous vehicle. In one example, one or more processors are configured to determine a current trajectory and an alternate trajectory of the autonomous vehicle. The one or more processors select a segment of the current trajectory and a segment of the alternate trajectory and determine, for each of the segments, a total expected value of an estimated length of time to traverse the respective segment. The one or more processors may then select one of the segments having the lowest expected value and maneuver the autonomous vehicle along at least a portion of the selected segment.