US 12,013,696 B2
Reactive suspension and emergency signaling in autonomous trucking systems
Andre Strobel, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/537,304.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/199,005, filed on Dec. 1, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0169260 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2006.01); B60G 17/016 (2006.01); B60Q 1/04 (2006.01); B60Q 1/30 (2006.01); B60Q 1/34 (2006.01); B60W 10/20 (2006.01); B60W 30/14 (2006.01); B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60W 40/06 (2012.01); B60W 40/072 (2012.01); B60W 40/12 (2012.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01); B62D 35/00 (2006.01); G01S 13/931 (2020.01); G01S 15/931 (2020.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G09F 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0088 (2013.01) [B60G 17/016 (2013.01); B60Q 1/04 (2013.01); B60Q 1/30 (2013.01); B60Q 1/34 (2013.01); B60W 10/20 (2013.01); B60W 30/143 (2013.01); B60W 30/18163 (2013.01); B60W 40/06 (2013.01); B60W 40/072 (2013.01); B60W 40/12 (2013.01); B60W 60/001 (2020.02); B60W 60/00182 (2020.02); B62D 35/00 (2013.01); G01S 13/931 (2013.01); G01S 15/931 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G09F 7/00 (2013.01); B60W 2300/12 (2013.01); B60W 2420/403 (2013.01); B60W 2420/408 (2024.01); B60W 2420/54 (2013.01); B60W 2510/222 (2013.01); B60W 2555/20 (2020.02); G01S 2013/9315 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method to operate an autonomously driven truck (ADT), the method comprising:
obtaining a first set of road data characterizing a quality of a first portion of a road traveled by the ADT, a suspension of the ADT having an initial height;
identifying, using a data processing system of the ADT and based on the first set of road data, one or more road imperfections;
determining one or more first parameters characterizing the one or more road imperfections; and
responsive to identifying the one or more road imperfections, determining, by the data processing system of the ADT and using the one or more first parameters, first settings of a suspension of the ADT, wherein the first settings comprise:
a first height of the suspension of the ADT, wherein the first height is higher than the initial height,
and a first stiffness of the suspension of the ADT; and
causing an autonomous control system of the ADT to configure the suspension of the ADT based on the first settings.