US 12,409,861 B2
Visibility condition determinations for autonomous driving operations
John E. Panttila, Tucson, AZ (US); Zhujia Shi, San Diego, CA (US); Riad I. Hammoud, San Diego, CA (US); and Arda Kurt, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to TUSIMPLE, INC., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by TuSimple, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/968,729.
Application 17/968,729 is a continuation of application No. 16/938,251, filed on Jul. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,505,213.
Prior Publication US 2023/0049018 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60W 60/00 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 60/00182 (2020.02) [B60W 60/0016 (2020.02); B60W 2420/408 (2024.01); B60W 2552/53 (2020.02); B60W 2555/20 (2020.02)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a vehicle, comprising:
receiving, by a computer located in the vehicle, an image provided by a camera located on or in the vehicle operating on a road;
performing a first determination, from the image, that a number of lane markers located on the road within a distance from a location of the vehicle is less than a threshold value;
adjusting, in response to the first determination, a first set of one or more values of one or more variables associated with a driving related operation of the vehicle, wherein the first set of one or more values are adjusted to be same as a second set of one or more values associated with a bad visibility condition; and
causing the driving related operation of one or more devices located in the vehicle based on at least the first set of one or more values, wherein the causing the driving related operation causes the vehicle to be driven to a destination;
wherein the second set of one or more values associated with the bad visibility condition indicates that the vehicle is to avoid driving on a route without traffic lights on a local road.