US-12620309-B2 - Systems and methods for crash detection on autonomous vehicles

US12620309B2US 12620309 B2US12620309 B2US 12620309B2US-12620309-B2

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an autonomous vehicle fleet routing system. The system includes a fleet of autonomous vehicles. Each autonomous vehicle includes an autonomy computing system. Additionally, a mission control computing system is provided, which communicates with each autonomous vehicle in the fleet. This mission control computing system includes a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to perform multiple functions including routing each autonomous vehicle to a designated destination. It also receives crash reports from the vehicles, which include location data related to crashes. Based on these reports, the system identifies which vehicles' routes are affected by the crash, calculates the operational losses for these routes, and generates alternative routes to minimize these losses. Commands are then transmitted to the affected vehicles to execute these alternative routes, enhancing fleet efficiency and reducing downtime caused by unforeseen incidents.

Inventors

Andre SCHOLICH
Biswanath Behera
Dimitrios Tzempetzis
Bernd Reinhold

Assignees

TORC ROBOTICS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240621

Claims (20)

1 . A system for routing a plurality of autonomous vehicles in response to a crash, the system comprising: a mission control computing system in communication with a fleet of autonomous vehicles, the mission control computing system comprising a processor and a memory, the processor programmed to: route each autonomous vehicle in the fleet to a destination; receive, from an autonomy computing system on a first autonomous vehicle of the fleet of autonomous vehicles, a crash report comprising location data corresponding to a crash, the location data including a location of the crash; based on the location of the crash, identify which autonomous vehicles in the fleet are likely to be affected by the crash; compute an operational loss on the route for each of the identified autonomous vehicles; generate an alternative route for each of the identified autonomous vehicles to reduce operational losses; and transmit a respective command to each of the identified autonomous vehicles to execute the alternative route.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to receive an indication from a second autonomous vehicle of the fleet of a clearance of the crash.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further programmed to: identify the autonomous vehicles in the fleet affected by the clearance on the alternative route; recompute operational losses of the alternative route in response to the clearance; modify the alternative route to reduce operational losses; and transmit a command to the identified autonomous vehicles to execute the modified alternative route.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to receive an additional crash report from an additional autonomous vehicle.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further programmed to process the additional crash report to compute the operational loss.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to: identify emergency services corresponding to the location data of the crash report; and initiate transmission of an indication of the crash to the identified emergency services.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to monitor the first autonomous vehicle for execution of a remedial action.
8 . An autonomous vehicle fleet routing system comprising: a fleet of autonomous vehicles, each autonomous vehicle comprising an autonomy computing system; and a mission control computing system in communication with each of the autonomous vehicles of the fleet, the mission control computing system including a processor and a memory, the processor programmed to: route each autonomous vehicle in the fleet to a destination; receive, from the autonomy computing system on a first autonomous vehicle of the fleet of autonomous vehicles, a crash report comprising location data corresponding to a crash, the location data including a location of the crash; based on the location of the crash, identify which of the autonomous vehicles are likely to be affected by the crash; compute an operational loss on the route for each of the identified autonomous vehicles; generate an alternative route for each of the identified autonomous vehicles to reduce operational losses; and transmit a respective command to each of the identified autonomous vehicles to execute the alternative route.
9 . The autonomous vehicle fleet routing system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further programmed to receive an indication from the autonomous vehicle of a clearance of the crash.
10 . The autonomous vehicle fleet routing system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further programmed to: identify the autonomous vehicles in the fleet affected by the clearance of the crash on the alternative route; recompute operational losses of the alternative route in response to the clearance of the crash; modify the alternative route to reduce operational losses; and transmit a command to the identified autonomous vehicles to execute the modified alternative route.
11 . The autonomous vehicle fleet routing system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further programmed to receive an additional crash report from an additional autonomous vehicle.
12 . The autonomous vehicle fleet routing system of claim 11 , wherein the mission control computing system is further programmed to process the additional crash report to compute the operational loss.
13 . The autonomous vehicle fleet routing system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further programmed to; identify emergency services corresponding to the location data of the crash report; and transmit an indication of the crash to the emergency services.
14 . The autonomous vehicle fleet routing system of claim 8 , further comprising monitoring the first autonomous vehicle for execution of a remedial action.
15 . A computer-implemented method for routing a plurality of autonomous vehicles in response to a crash, the method implemented by a mission control computing system including a processor and a memory, the method comprising: routing each autonomous vehicle in a fleet of autonomous vehicles to a destination; receiving, from an autonomy system on a first autonomous vehicle of the fleet of autonomous vehicles, a crash report comprising location data corresponding to a crash event, the location data including a location of the crash; identifying which autonomous vehicles are likely to be affected by the crash based on the location of the crash; computing an operational loss on the route for each of the identified autonomous vehicles; generating an alternative route for each of the identified autonomous vehicles to reduce operational losses; and transmitting a respective command to each of the autonomous vehicles to execute the alternative route.
16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving an indication from a second autonomous vehicle of the fleet of a clearance of the crash.
17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising: identifying the autonomous vehicles in the fleet affected by the clearance of the crash on the alternative route; recomputing operational losses of the alternative route in response to the clearance of the crash; modifying the alternative route to reduce operational losses; and transmitting a command to the identified autonomous vehicles to execute the modified alternative route.
18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving and additional crash report from an additional autonomous vehicle.
19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , further comprising processing the additional crash report to compute the operational loss.
20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising: identifying emergency services corresponding to the location data of the crash report; and transmitting an indication of the crash to the emergency services.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The field of the disclosure relates generally to complex driving scenario responses for autonomous vehicles and, more specifically, detecting and handling crash situation on an autonomous vehicle to minimize the impact of the crash on a fleet of autonomous vehicles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Autonomous vehicles are commonly trained to detect objects and conditions within their operating environment to safely navigate. These vehicles rely on sophisticated systems to detect objects and conditions to enable them to navigate roads with a high degree of autonomy. These vehicles typically identify objects and respond to them based on information associated with the detected conditions. However, the scope of detection and the complexity of responses are limited. As driving scenarios become more complex, object detection becomes increasingly challenging for conventional autonomous vehicles. This limitation underscores the need for advanced system and methods to handle a broader range of more complex scenarios with greater precision and adaptability. This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure described or claimed below. This description is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light and not as admissions of prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the disclosed system for routing a plurality of autonomous vehicles in response to a crash is provided. The system includes a mission control including a computing system in communication with a fleet of autonomous vehicles. The mission control computing system includes a processor and a memory. The processor is programmed to: route each autonomous vehicle in the fleet to a destination, receive a crash report from an autonomy computing system on a first autonomous vehicle of the fleet of autonomous vehicles, identify the autonomous vehicles in the fleet affected by the crash on the route, compute an operational loss on the route for each of autonomous vehicles affected by the crash, generate an alternative route for each of the affected autonomous vehicles to reduce operational losses, and transmit a command to the affected autonomous vehicles to execute the alternative route. The crash report may include location data corresponding to the crash. In another aspect, the disclosed autonomous vehicle fleet routing system is provided. The system includes a fleet of autonomous vehicles, each autonomous vehicle includes an autonomy computing system. The system also includes a mission control computing system in communication with each of the autonomous vehicles of the fleet. The mission control computing system includes a processor and a memory. The processor is programmed to: route each autonomous vehicle in the fleet to a destination, receive a crash report may include location data corresponding to a crash from the autonomy computing system on a first autonomous vehicle of the fleet of autonomous vehicles, identify which of the autonomous vehicles will be affected by the crash on their current route. compute an operational loss on the route for each of the identified autonomous vehicles, generate an alternative route for each of the identified autonomous vehicles to reduce operational losses, and transmit a command to the fleet of autonomous vehicles to execute the alternative route. In yet another aspect, the disclosed method for routing a plurality of autonomous vehicles in response to a crash is provided. The method includes routing each autonomous vehicle in a fleet of autonomous vehicles to a destination; receiving a crash report may include location data corresponding to a crash from an autonomy computing system on a first autonomous vehicle of the fleet of autonomous vehicles, identifying which of the autonomous vehicles will be affected by the crash on their current route, computing an operational loss on the route for each of the identified autonomous vehicles, generating an alternative route for each of the identified autonomous vehicles to reduce operational losses, and transmitting a command to the fleet of autonomous vehicles to execute the alternative route. Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the above-mentioned aspects. Further features may also be incorporated in the above-mentioned aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to any of the illustrated examples may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects, alone or in any combination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The following drawings form part of the present specification and are included to further demonstrate certain aspe