US-20260125061-A1 - AUTOMATIC BEHAVIOR DECISION MAKING AT INTERSECTIONS

Abstract

In one aspect, the disclosed method for determining a right-of-way at an intersection includes receiving, from one or more sensors associated with an autonomous vehicle, an indication that the autonomous vehicle is approaching an intersection. The disclosed method may further include transmitting, in response to the indication, a first set of data associated with a position of the autonomous vehicle relative to the intersection and receiving a second set of data from one or more other vehicles. The second set of data may be associated with one or more positions of the one or more other vehicles relative to the intersection. The disclosed method may further include determining an order based on the first set of data and the second set of data. The order may include the autonomous vehicle and the one or more other vehicles, which may be associated with a status.

Inventors

• Margarita Kunjavskaja
• Maximilian Yassine Beyen
• Simon Baeuerle
• Maximilian Koeper
• Marat Kopytjuk

Assignees

• TORC ROBOTICS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20241104

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method for determining a right-of-way at an intersection, comprising: receiving, from one or more sensors associated with an autonomous vehicle, an indication that the autonomous vehicle is approaching an intersection; transmitting, in response to the indication, a first set of data associated with a position of the autonomous vehicle relative to the intersection; receiving a second set of data from one or more other vehicles, wherein the second set of data is associated with one or more positions of the one or more other vehicles relative to the intersection; and determining an order based on the first set of data and the second set of data, wherein the order indicates a sequence for proceeding through the intersection, wherein the order includes the autonomous vehicle and the one or more other vehicles.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting the order to the one or more other vehicles.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle and the one or more other vehicles are associated with a status, and wherein the status indicates a current posture of a vehicle associated with the order.
4. 4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising: monitoring, using the one or more sensors, the status of the one or more other vehicles associated with the order; and updating the status of the one or more other vehicles based on a third set of data received from the one or more sensors.
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising: transmitting instructions that include a command to proceed through the intersection, wherein the instructions are transmitted when the status of the one or more other vehicles in the sequence that precede the autonomous vehicle in the sequence indicate completion of the intersection.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting signal instructions that include a command to present a human-perceptible signal that the autonomous vehicle is preparing to proceed through the intersection.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting signal instructions that include a command to transmit a notification to the one or more other vehicles indicating that the autonomous vehicle is preparing to proceed through the intersection.
8. 8 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising: receiving a notification from a vehicle of the one or more other vehicles indicating that the vehicle is preparing to proceed through the intersection; and updating the status associated with the vehicle based on the notification.
9. 9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising: updating the order based on a change in status of the one or more other vehicles.
10. 10 . A system comprising: one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the system to: receive, from one or more sensors associated with an autonomous vehicle, an indication that the autonomous vehicle is approaching an intersection; transmit, in response to the indication, a first set of data associated with a position of the autonomous vehicle relative to the intersection; receive a second set of data from one or more other vehicles, wherein the second set of data is associated with one or more positions of the one or more other vehicles relative to the intersection; and determine an order based on the first set of data and the second set of data, wherein the order indicates a sequence for proceeding through the intersection, wherein the order includes the autonomous vehicle and the one or more other vehicles.
11. 11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to: transmit the order to the one or more other vehicles.
12. 12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the autonomous vehicle and the one or more other vehicles are associated with a status, and wherein the status indicates a current posture of a vehicle associated with the order.
13. 13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to: monitor, using the one or more sensors, the status of the one or more other vehicles associated with the order; and update the status of the one or more other vehicles based on a third set of data received from the one or more sensors.
14. 14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to: transmit instructions that include a command to proceed through the intersection, wherein the instructions are transmitted when the status of the one or more other vehicles in the sequence that precede the autonomous vehicle in the sequence indicate completion of the intersection.
15. 15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to: transmit signal instructions that include a command to present a human-perceptible signal that the autonomous vehicle is preparing to proceed through the intersection.
16. 16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to: transmit signal instructions that include a command to transmit a notification to the one or more other vehicles indicating that the autonomous vehicle is preparing to proceed through the intersection.
17. 17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to: receive a notification from a vehicle of the one or more other vehicles indicating that the vehicle is preparing to proceed through the intersection; and update the status associated with the vehicle based on the notification.
18. 18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to: update the order based on a change in status of the one or more other vehicles.
19. 19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive, from one or more sensors associated with an autonomous vehicle, an indication that the autonomous vehicle is approaching an intersection; transmit, in response to the indication, a first set of data associated with a position of the autonomous vehicle relative to the intersection; receive a second set of data from one or more other vehicles, wherein the second set of data is associated with one or more positions of the one or more other vehicles relative to the intersection; and determine an order based on the first set of data and the second set of data, wherein the order indicates a sequence for proceeding through the intersection, wherein the order includes the autonomous vehicle and the one or more other vehicles.
20. 20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the autonomous vehicle and the one or more other vehicles are associated with a status, and wherein the instructions further configure the one or more processors to: monitor, using the one or more sensors, the status of the one or more other vehicles associated with the order; and update the status of the one or more other vehicles based on a third set of data received from the one or more sensors.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The field of the disclosure relates generally to autonomous vehicles and, more specifically, determining a right-of-way at an intersection in an autonomous vehicle. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION At intersections, determining right-of-way is essential to managing traffic flow and preventing accidents. Different countries use various methods to establish which vehicle should proceed first at four-way stop intersections, and autonomous vehicles must be capable of adapting to these varying rules and practices. In the U.S., right-of-way at a four-way stop is typically granted to the first vehicle to arrive. If two vehicles arrive simultaneously, the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way. In some European countries, such as Germany, the general rule is “priority to the right” (right-before-left), where vehicles approaching from the right have the right-of-way unless otherwise indicated by signs. Similarly, in the UK, vehicles at unmarked intersections give priority to the right, but roundabouts, a common type of intersection, grant right-of-way to vehicles already in the roundabout. Autonomous vehicles should employ fundamental technologies such as, perception, localization, behaviors and planning, and control at intersections to determine a right-of-way. As the adoption of autonomous driving technologies expands across borders, addressing these differences in right-of-way determination is crucial to ensure safe and efficient navigation at intersections globally. Perception technologies enable an autonomous vehicle to sense and process its environment. Perception technologies process a sensed environment to identify and classify objects, or groups of objects, in the environment, for example, pedestrians, vehicles, or debris. Localization technologies determine, based on the sensed environment, for example, where in the world, or on a map, the autonomous vehicle is. Localization technologies process features in the sensed environment to correlate, or register, those features to known features on a map. Localization technologies may rely on inertial navigation system (INS) data. Behaviors and planning technologies determine how to move through the sensed environment to reach a planned destination. Behaviors and planning technologies process data representing the sensed environment and localization or mapping data to plan maneuvers and routes to reach the planned destination for execution by a controller or a control module. Controller technologies use control theory to determine how to translate desired behaviors and trajectories into actions undertaken by the vehicle through its dynamic mechanical components. This includes steering, braking and acceleration. 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 method for determining a right-of-way at an intersection includes receiving, from one or more sensors associated with an autonomous vehicle, an indication that the autonomous vehicle is approaching an intersection. The disclosed method may further include transmitting, in response to the indication, a first set of data associated with a position of the autonomous vehicle relative to the intersection and receiving a second set of data from one or more other vehicles. The second set of data may be associated with one or more positions of the one or more other vehicles relative to the intersection. The disclosed method may further include determining an order based on the first set of data and the second set of data. The order may indicate a sequence for proceeding through the intersection and may include the autonomous vehicle and the one or more other vehicles. The autonomous vehicle and the one or more other vehicles may be associated with a status. In another aspect, the disclosed method may also include transmitting the order to the one or more other vehicles. In another aspect, the disclosed method may also include monitoring, using the one or more sensors, the status of the one or other vehicles associated with the order, and updating the status of the one or more other vehicles based on a third set of data received from the one or more sensors. In another aspect, the status may indicate a current posture of a vehicle associated with the order. In another aspect, the disclosed method may also include transmitting instructions that include a command to proceed through the intersection, where the instructions are transmitted when the status of the one or more vehicles in the sequence that precede the autonomous vehicle in