Facilitating Vehicle Driving and Self-Driving

Abstract

Among other things, an operation related to control of a vehicle is facilitated by actions that include the following. A finite set of candidate trajectories of the vehicle is generated that begin at a location of the vehicle as of a given time. The candidate trajectories are based on a state of the vehicle and on possible behaviors of the vehicle and of the environment as of the location of the vehicle and the given time. A putative optimal trajectory is selected from among the candidate trajectories based on costs associated with the candidate trajectories. The costs include costs associated with violations of rules of operation of the vehicle. The selected putative optimal trajectory is used to facilitate the operation related to control of the vehicle.

1 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method comprising
 effecting an operation related to control of a vehicle by actions that include:   generating a finite set of candidate trajectories of the vehicle that begin at a location of the vehicle as of a given time, the candidate trajectories being based on a state of the vehicle and on possible behaviors of the vehicle and of the environment as of the location of the vehicle and the given time,   expressing each of the candidate trajectories of the finite set as a corresponding logical trajectory of the vehicle,   selecting a putative optimal trajectory from among the candidate trajectories based on the logical trajectories, and   using the selected putative optimal trajectory to effect the operation related to control of the vehicle.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  in which expressing each of the candidate trajectories as a logical trajectory comprises attributing logical predicates to states of the candidate trajectories. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  in which expressing each of the candidate trajectories as a logical trajectory comprises attributing labels to transitions of the candidate trajectories. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32  in which the logical trajectory comprises a maximal ordered list of non-repeating entries associated with a sub-sequence of states along the corresponding candidate trajectory. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  in which the maximal ordered list of non-repeating entries describes a physical operation or behavior or both of the vehicle. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31  in which expressing each of the candidate trajectories as a logical trajectory comprises using logical statements of operation or behavior or both of the vehicle. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31  in which expressing each of the candidate trajectories as a logical trajectory comprises selecting expressions from a list of potential labels relevant to transitions or logical predicates relevant to states. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31  in which selecting the putative optimal trajectory from among the candidate trajectories comprises testing the logical trajectories against rules. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  in which the rules are prioritized. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38  in which the rules comprise rules of operation. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 31  in which the effecting of the operation related to control of the vehicle comprises applying a feedback control policy associated with the putative optimal trajectory to control elements of the vehicle. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 31  in which selecting the putative optimal trajectory comprises determining a minimum-cost path through a directed graph of which the candidate trajectories comprise edges. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 31  in which generating a finite set of candidate trajectories of the vehicle comprises applying a model that represents the vehicle's expected response to a given control policy as of the location of the vehicle and the given time. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 31  comprising monitoring an actual trajectory of the vehicle for a given time period. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  comprising comparing, for the given time period, the actual trajectory of the vehicle with the putative optimal trajectory. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 31  in which the effecting of an operation related to control of a vehicle comprises monitoring a driver's performance. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46  comprising evaluating the driver's performance based on one or more performance metrics. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46  comprising displaying information related to the driver's performance on an in-vehicle display. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46  comprising transmitting information related to the driver's performance wirelessly to a receiver remote from the vehicle. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 31  in which the effecting of an operation related to control of a vehicle comprises autonomously driving the vehicle. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 38  in which the rules are associated with costs based on interactions between states of the vehicle and states of the environment. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 31  in which the selected putative optimal trajectory is associated with both speed and direction of the vehicle. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51  in which the state of the environment comprises the states of other vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 41  in which the application of the feedback control policy is based on the states of the vehicle and of the environment. 
     
     
         55 . An apparatus comprising
 an autonomous vehicle comprising
 controllable devices configured to enable the vehicle to traverse at least part of an optimal trajectory, and 
 a computational element configured to effect, through the controllable devices, an operation related to control of the vehicle, by actions that include:
 generating a finite set of candidate trajectories of the vehicle that begin at a location of the vehicle as of a given time, the candidate trajectories being based on a state of the vehicle and on possible behaviors of the vehicle and of the environment as of the location of the vehicle and the given time, 
 expressing each of the candidate trajectories of the finite set as a corresponding logical trajectory of the vehicle, 
 selecting a putative optimal trajectory from among the candidate trajectories based on the logical trajectories, and 
 using the selected putative optimal trajectory to effect the operation related to control of the vehicle. 
 
   
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which expressing each of the candidate trajectories as a logical trajectory comprises attributing logical predicates to states of the candidate trajectories. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which expressing each of the candidate trajectories as a logical trajectory comprises attributing labels to transitions of the candidate trajectories. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus of  claim 56  in which the logical trajectory comprises a maximal ordered list of non-repeating entries associated with a sub-sequence of states along the corresponding candidate trajectory. 
     
     
         59 . The apparatus of  claim 58  in which the maximal ordered list of non-repeating entries describes a physical operation or behavior or both of the vehicle. 
     
     
         60 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which expressing each of the candidate trajectories as a logical trajectory comprises using logical statements of operation or behavior or both of the vehicle. 
     
     
         61 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which expressing each of the candidate trajectories as a logical trajectory comprises selecting expressions from a list of potential labels relevant to transitions or logical predicates relevant to states. 
     
     
         62 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which selecting the putative optimal trajectory from among the candidate trajectories comprises testing the logical trajectories against rules. 
     
     
         63 . The apparatus of  claim 62  in which the rules are prioritized. 
     
     
         64 . The apparatus of  claim 62  in which the rules comprise rules of operation. 
     
     
         65 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which the effecting of the operation related to control of the vehicle comprises applying a feedback control policy associated with the putative optimal trajectory to control elements of the vehicle. 
     
     
         66 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which selecting the putative optimal trajectory comprises determining a minimum-cost path through a directed graph of which the candidate trajectories comprise edges. 
     
     
         67 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which generating a finite set of candidate trajectories of the vehicle comprises applying a model that represents the vehicle's expected response to a given control policy as of the location of the vehicle and the given time. 
     
     
         68 . The apparatus of  claim 55  comprising monitoring an actual trajectory of the vehicle for a given time period. 
     
     
         69 . The apparatus of  claim 44  comprising comparing, for the given time period, the actual trajectory of the vehicle with the putative optimal trajectory. 
     
     
         70 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which the effecting of an operation related to control of a vehicle comprises monitoring a driver's performance. 
     
     
         71 . The apparatus of  claim 68  comprising evaluating the driver's performance based on one or more performance metrics. 
     
     
         72 . The apparatus of  claim 68  comprising displaying information related to the driver's performance on an in-vehicle display. 
     
     
         73 . The apparatus of  claim 68  comprising transmitting information related to the driver's performance wirelessly to a receiver remote from the vehicle. 
     
     
         74 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which the effecting of an operation related to control of a vehicle comprises autonomously driving the vehicle. 
     
     
         75 . The apparatus of  claim 62  in which the rules are associated with costs based on interactions between states of the vehicle and states of the environment. 
     
     
         76 . The apparatus of  claim 55  in which the selected putative optimal trajectory is associated with both speed and direction of the vehicle. 
     
     
         77 . The apparatus of  claim 75  in which the state of the environment comprises the states of other vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles. 
     
     
         78 . The apparatus of  claim 65  in which the application of the feedback control policy is based on the states of the vehicle and of the environment.