Method for accessing supplemental sensor data from other vehicles

Abstract

One variation of a method for accessing supplemental data from other vehicles includes, at an autonomous vehicle: recording a scan image of a scene around the autonomous vehicle at a first time; detecting insufficient perception data in a region of the scan image; in response to detecting insufficient perception data in the region, defining a ground area of interest containing the region and wirelessly broadcasting a query for perception data representing objects within the ground area of interest; in response to receiving supplemental perception data—representing objects within the ground area of interest detected by the second vehicle at approximately the first time—from a second vehicle proximal the scene, incorporating the supplemental perception data into the scan image to form a composite scan image; selecting a navigational action based on objects in the scene represented by the composite scan image; and autonomously executing the navigational action.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 obtaining scan data of a scene around an autonomous vehicle at a first time;   identifying a ground area of interest in the scan data, the ground area of interest corresponding to insufficient perception data in the scan data;   sending a query for perception data corresponding to the ground area of interest;   receiving supplemental perception data of the scene captured by a vehicle, the vehicle selected from a set of vehicles to respond to the query based on a sensible area around the vehicle estimated to intersect the ground area of interest, the sensible area estimated based on a geospatial location of the vehicle at approximately the first time;   forming a composite scan image by incorporating the supplemental perception data into the scan data, the supplemental perception data representing objects within the ground area of interest detected by the vehicle at approximately the first time;   determining a navigational action based on the composite scan image; and   autonomously executing the navigational action.