US 12,459,538 B2
Self-driving vehicle path adaptation system and method
Benjamin George Schmidt, Wexford, PA (US); and Ryan Young, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Assigned to SEEGRID CORPORATION, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed by Seegrid Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed on Mar. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/197,516.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/085,416, filed on Sep. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/987,562, filed on Mar. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0284198 A1, Sep. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. B60W 60/00 (2020.01); B60W 30/09 (2012.01); B60W 30/095 (2012.01); B60W 30/14 (2006.01); G01C 21/34 (2006.01)
CPC B60W 60/0015 (2020.02) [B60W 30/09 (2013.01); B60W 30/0956 (2013.01); B60W 30/143 (2013.01); G01C 21/3407 (2013.01); B60W 2420/40 (2013.01); B60W 2420/408 (2024.01); B60W 2420/54 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A path adaptation method for a self-driving vehicle, comprising:
navigating the vehicle on a planned path through an environment; and
while the vehicle moves along the planned path:
determining a location of the vehicle relative to the planned path;
projecting the vehicle's travel, including:
generating a three-dimensional shape of variable dimension representing the vehicle and projecting the three-dimensional shape from the vehicle location along the planned path to form a plurality of projections; and
combining the plurality of projections into a single, continuous, three-dimensional path projection along the planned path;
acquiring object information representing an object shape from one or more sensors; and
determining if the object shape overlaps the three-dimensional path projection and:
if so, adjusting the vehicle navigation; or
if not, continuing the vehicle navigation along the planned path.