Application US20180137756

DETECTING AND RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY VEHICLES IN A ROADWAY
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US20180137756

1. At a vehicle, a method for yielding to an emergency vehicle comprising: (4) (4)

accessing sensor data from a plurality of sensors at the vehicle;

detect that the emergency vehicle is approaching the vehicle on a roadway based on the accessed sensor data;

determining a yield strategy for the vehicle to yield to the emergency vehicle based on additional sensor data; and

automatically controlling vehicle components to cause the vehicle to implement the yield strategy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: (1) (2)

4. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing sensor data from a plurality of sensors at the vehicle comprises accessing sensor data representing the sound of a siren detected by a microphone; and (0) (1)

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a yield strategy comprises determining that the vehicle is to perform one or more of: changing lanes, slowing down, or stopping. (0)

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically controlling vehicle components to cause the vehicle to implement the yield strategy comprises automatically controlling vehicle components to cause the vehicle to perform one or more of: changing lanes, slowing down, or stopping. (0)

7. A vehicle comprising: (3) (4)

one or more processors;

system memory coupled to one or more processors, the system memory storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processors;

a plurality of sensors for sensing an external environment in the vicinity of the vehicle;

the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to yield to an emergency vehicle, including the following: access sensor data from one or more of the plurality of sensors;

determine that the emergency vehicle is approaching the vehicle on a roadway based on the accessed sensor data;

access additional sensor data from another one or more of the plurality of sensors;

determine a yield strategy for the vehicle to yield to the emergency vehicle based on the additional sensor data; and

receive adjustments to vehicle component configurations to cause the vehicle to implement the yield strategy.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises one or more sensors selected from among: microphones, cameras, LIDAR sensors, and ultrasonic sensors. (0)

9. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to receive vehicle to vehicle communication from the emergency vehicle, the vehicle to vehicle communication notifying the vehicle of an intended path of the emergency vehicle. (1) (0)

11. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to access sensor data from one or more of the plurality of sensors comprises the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to access sensor data from a microphone, the accessed sensor data representing the sound of a siren detected by the microphone. (4) (0)

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to detect that the emergency vehicle is approaching the vehicle on a roadway comprises the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to detect that the emergency vehicle is approaching the vehicle based on the accessed sensor data representing the sound of the siren. (0)

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to determine a yield strategy comprises the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to determine that the vehicle is to perform one or more of: changing lanes, slowing down, or stopping. (0)

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to receive adjustments to vehicle component configurations to cause the vehicle to implement the yield strategy comprises the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the system memory to receive adjustments to vehicle component configurations to cause the vehicle to perform one or more of: changing lanes, slowing down, or stopping. (0)

15. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle; and (0) (1)

16. A computer program product for use at an autonomous vehicle, the computer program product for implementing a method for yielding to an emergency vehicle, the computer program product comprising one or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the vehicle to perform the method including the following: (4) (5)

access sensor data from one or more of a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors for sensing the external environment in the vicinity of the autonomous vehicle;

determine that the emergency vehicle is approaching the vehicle on a roadway based on the accessed sensor data;

access additional sensor data from an additional one or more of the plurality of sensors;

determine a yield strategy for the vehicle to yield to the emergency vehicle based on the additional sensor data; and

automatically adjust vehicle component configurations to cause the vehicle to implement the yield strategy.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the vehicle to access sensor data from one or more of: a microphone, a camera, a LIDAR sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor. (0)

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the vehicle to access sensor data from one or more of the plurality of sensors comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the vehicle to access sensor data from a microphone, the accessed sensor data representing the sound of a siren detected by the microphone; and (0) (1)

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the vehicle to determine a yield strategy comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the vehicle to determine that the vehicle is to perform one or more of: changing lanes, slowing down, or stopping; and (0) (1)

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the vehicle to automatically adjust vehicle component configurations comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the vehicle to automatically adjust vehicle component configurations of one or more of: a steering component for the autonomous vehicle, a throttle component for the autonomous vehicle, or a braking component for the autonomous vehicle. (0)

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Application US20180137756

DETECTING AND RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY VEHICLES IN A ROADWAY

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