A dynamic velocity planning method for an autonomous vehicle is performed to plan a best velocity curve of the autonomous vehicle. An information storing step is performed to store an obstacle information, a road information and a vehicle information. An acceleration limit calculating step is performed to calculate the vehicle information according to a calculating procedure to generate an acceleration limit value range. An acceleration combination generating step is performed to generate a plurality of acceleration combinations according to the obstacle information, the road information, and the acceleration limit value range. An acceleration filtering step is performed to filter the acceleration combinations according to a jerk threshold and a jerk switching frequency threshold to obtain a selected acceleration combination. An acceleration smoothing step is performed to execute a driving behavior procedure to adjust the selected acceleration combination to generate the best velocity curve.

A device for determining the length of a vehicle combination comprises an input interface for receiving current driving dynamics data, in particular information regarding the current travel path of the towing vehicle, and a comparison unit for comparing the received current driving dynamics data with stored patterns of driving dynamics data that are typical for driving with a trailer of known dimensions, and an evaluation unit, which derives the length of the vehicle combination from the differences between the current driving dynamics data and the stored typical patterns of driving dynamics data. The device can use the sensors in the towing vehicle for obtaining the current driving dynamics data. Without additional hardware, a length of the vehicle combination, e.g. the length of a trailer connected to a towing vehicle, can be determined in this manner.

Terrain characteristics of an off-road area are determined based on a map. The terrain characteristics include a terrain type, a terrain grade, and a presence or an absence of an obstacle. Vehicle characteristics are determined including a ground clearance and a breakover angle. Based on a user level, vehicle parameters for the off-road area are determined based on the terrain characteristics, the vehicle characteristics, and the user input. The vehicle parameters include a speed and a transmission gear. The vehicle parameters for the off-road area are output.

A method for the geometric representation of a vehicle area (1) of a vehicle for the purpose of collision detection, wherein the vehicle area (1) has a boundary (2), comprising the method steps of performing a medial axis transformation of the vehicle area (1) to generate a vehicle area skeleton (4) and performing a point classification of points of the vehicle area skeleton (4) to determine front corner region points (5, 6) and rear corner region points (7, 8), and a front wheelbase point (9) and a rear wheelbase point (10), and also performing a circle decomposition of the vehicle area (1), wherein each circle of the circle decomposition has a maximum area exceedance value (17).

The method provides for one or more processors to receive traffic information and passing vehicle information associated with a portion of a roadway in which a passing vehicle approaches and travels through the portion of the roadway. The one or more processors predict travel positions of passing vehicles, based on the traffic information and passing vehicle information. The one or more processors determine an impassible space within an existing lane of the roadway and create virtual lane definitions based on the predicting and the traffic information, in which the lane definitions include an optimum number of lanes, a width of respective lanes, and a lane type, and the one or more processors transmit the lane definitions to the passing vehicles based on a correspondence between a type and width of a respective vehicle and the type and width of respective lane definitions.

This document describes methods by which a system determines a pickup/drop-off zone (PDZ) to which a vehicle will navigate to perform a ride service request. The system will define a PDZ that is a geometric interval that is within a lane of a road at the requested destination of the ride service request by: (i) accessing map data that includes the geometric interval; (ii) using the vehicle's length and the road's speed limit at the destination to calculate a minimum allowable length for the PDZ; (iii) setting, start point and end point boundaries for the PDZ having an intervening distance that is equal to or greater than the minimum allowable length; and (iv) positioning the PDZ in the lane at or within a threshold distance from the requested destination. The system will then generate a path to guide the vehicle to the PDZ.

A computer-implemented method is provided that involves determining, based on map data, an approaching merge region comprising an on-ramp merging with a road comprising one or more lanes, wherein a truck is traveling on an initial lane of the road according to a navigation plan. The method involves an indication of movement of a vehicle on the on-ramp, wherein the indication of movement is based on data collected by one or more sensors configured to capture sensor data from an environment surrounding the truck. The method involves determining, for the on-ramp and the one or more lanes, respective avoidance scores indicative of a likelihood of an interaction between the truck and the vehicle based on the approaching merge region. The method involves updating the navigation plan based on the respective avoidance scores. The method also involves controlling the truck to execute a driving strategy based on the updated navigation plan.

A method of defining an autonomous vehicle path according to a disclosed exemplary embodiment includes, among other possible things, defining a boundary that utilizes sensor data indicative of features constraining a possible vehicle path, generating a reference path with a vehicle autonomous control system based on the defined boundary, defining a clearance distance for the vehicle relative to the reference path, detecting a conflict at a point along the reference path that is responsive to a distance between the reference path and the defined boundary being less than the defined clearance, and communicating the potential conflict to the vehicle autonomous control system.

A method of autonomously defining a vehicle path according to a disclosed exemplary embodiment includes, among other possible things, detecting an object that is disposed within a predetermined path with a sensor system within a vehicle, defining an avoidance clearance around the detected object with a vehicle control system within the vehicle, defining a look-ahead clearance centered on a portion of the vehicle with the vehicle control system, detecting intersections between the avoidance clearance and the look-ahead clearance with the vehicle control system, and changing the vehicle path based on the intersections between the avoidance clearance and the look-ahead clearance.

Aspects relate to methods and systems for parking a vehicle. An exemplary system includes a first plurality of sensors located on the vehicle and configured to detect first sensor data as a function of objects over a first height range, a second plurality of sensors located on the vehicle and configured to detect second sensor data as a function of objects over a second height range at least partially greater than the first height range, and a computing device configured to receive the first sensor data from the first plurality of sensors and the second sensor data from the second plurality of sensors, and determine the space proximal the vehicle is suitable for parking the vehicle as a function of the first sensor data, the second sensor data, and a height of the vehicle.