Honda’s new autonomous driving patent helps passengers see more.

A patent from my time at Honda was just approved! It’s called ‘Method and system for controlling autonomous vehicles to affect occupant view’.

It details how software and hardware systems in and out of a self-driving vehicle could work together to make sure the occupant of that vehicle can see something specific out the window.

For example, if it’s important that an occupant see an emergency sign on the side of a highway, this patent details how the occupant’s vehicle, nearby autonomous vehicles, and highway traffic control systems could work together to safely make sure the occupant has a clear view of the sign.

Snippet of front page of patent ‘Method and system for controlling autonomous vehicles to affect occupant view’.

Here’s the abstract:

A system and method for controlling an autonomous vehicle to affect a view seen by an occupant of the autonomous vehicle is described. In one embodiment, a method for controlling an autonomous vehicle to affect a view seen by an occupant of the autonomous vehicle includes determining a navigation route, determining content associated with the navigation route, monitoring current conditions of the autonomous vehicle and the occupant, determining, based on the current conditions, whether to change a position of the vehicle to affect the view seen by the occupant, and when the current conditions permit, moving the autonomous vehicle to affect the view seen by the occupant.

Fig. 1 details “a system for controlling an autonomous vehicle. As shown, system may include an autonomous vehicle service provider and an autonomous vehicle”. From patent ‘Method and system for controlling autonomous vehicles to affect occupant view’.

Here’s a snippet of the background:

Autonomous vehicles offer many advantages including safer travel, reduced traffic congestion, increased lane capacity, lower fuel costs, and minimized travel times. Additionally, occupants of autonomous vehicles, liberated from the demands of driving, may enjoy more free time while traveling in the vehicles. This freedom provides new opportunities to attract the attention of occupants.

Fig. 3 from patent ‘Method and system for controlling autonomous vehicles to affect occupant view’.

Here’s a snippet of the summary:

In one aspect, a method for controlling an autonomous vehicle to affect a view seen by an occupant of the autonomous vehicle, may include determining a navigation route, determining content associated with the navigation route, monitoring current conditions of the autonomous vehicle and the occupant, determining, based on the current conditions, whether to change a position of the vehicle to affect the view seen by the occupant, and when the current conditions permit, moving the autonomous vehicle to affect the view seen by the occupant.

Another aspect provides a method for controlling multiple autonomous vehicles to affect a view seen by an occupant of a first autonomous vehicle. The method may include determining a navigation route of the first autonomous vehicle, determining content associated with the navigation route, and monitoring current conditions of the first autonomous vehicle. The current conditions may include information about a second autonomous vehicle impacting the view seen by the occupant of the first autonomous vehicle. The method may further include determining, based on the current conditions, whether to change a position of at least one of the first autonomous vehicle or the second autonomous vehicle to affect the view seen by the occupant of the first autonomous vehicle, and when the current conditions permit, moving at least one of the first autonomous vehicle or the second autonomous vehicle to affect the view seen by the occupant by the first autonomous vehicle.

Another aspect provides a system for autonomous vehicle control to affect occupant view. The system may include an autonomous vehicle, which may include an electronic control unit, a wireless communication device in communication with an autonomous vehicle service provider through a wireless network, and a vehicle sensor. The electronic control unit may control travel of the autonomous vehicle along a navigation route. The electronic control unit may receive from the autonomous vehicle service provider information associating content with the navigation route. The electronic control unit may also receive from the vehicle sensor information concerning the current conditions of the autonomous vehicle as the autonomous vehicle travels on the navigation route. Based on the current conditions, the electronic control unit may determine whether to change a position of the autonomous vehicle to affect a view seen by an occupant of the autonomous vehicle. When the current conditions permit, the electronic control unit may move the autonomous vehicle to affect the view seen by the occupant.