Real time estimation of critical vehicle parameters in autonomous systems

Abstract

Methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable media are configured to perform operations comprising: determining whether a first type of condition associated with an input is satisfied; based at least in part on satisfaction of the first type of condition, generating an estimated value of a parameter associated with operation of a vehicle; and controlling the vehicle based at least in part on the estimated value of the parameter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 determining, by a computing system, whether an estimation condition for a parameter associated with vehicle operation is satisfied;   based at least in part on satisfaction of the estimation condition, generating, by the computing system, an estimated value of the parameter; and   reporting, by the computing system, i) the estimated value of the parameter to an autonomous system of a vehicle when a convergence condition is satisfied or ii) a nominal value of the parameter to the autonomous system when the convergence condition is not satisfied.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein satisfaction of the estimation condition is associated with reliability of an input supportive of generation of the estimated value of the parameter. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, by the computing system, whether the estimated value of the parameter falls within a boundary of values associated with the parameter; and   discarding, by the computing system, the estimated value of the parameter when the estimated value of the parameter does not fall within the boundary of values.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated value of the parameter is generated during a first trip of the vehicle and utilized as a nominal value of the parameter during a second trip of the vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the convergence condition is associated with convergence of estimated values of the parameter during a selected duration of time. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein prior estimated values of the parameter are discarded and generation of a new estimated value of the parameter is attempted when the prior estimated values of the parameter do not converge within the selected duration of time. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein a fusion of the nominal value of the parameter and the estimated value of the parameter is reported instead of the nominal value of the parameter and the estimated value of the parameter. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the nominal value is more heavily weighted than the estimated value at an initial time and the estimated value is more heavily weighted than the nominal value at a later time. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the nominal value of the parameter is at least one of a constant value determined through testing, a factory setting, an ideal condition, and a previously estimated value of the parameter. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the parameter describes a feature associated with at least one of a powertrain system of the vehicle, a brake system of the vehicle, and an environment in which the vehicle is travelling on which vehicle navigation is based. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:   determining whether an estimation condition for a parameter associated with vehicle operation is satisfied;   based at least in part on satisfaction of the estimation condition, generating an estimated value of the parameter; and   reporting i) the estimated value of the parameter to an autonomous system of a vehicle when a convergence condition is satisfied or ii) a nominal value of the parameter to the autonomous system when the convergence condition is not satisfied.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein satisfaction of the estimation condition is associated with reliability of an input supportive of generation of the estimated value of the parameter. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining whether the estimated value of the parameter falls within a boundary of values associated with the parameter; and   discarding the estimated value of the parameter when the estimated value of the parameter does not fall within the boundary of values.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the estimated value of the parameter is generated during a first trip of the vehicle and utilized as a nominal value of the parameter during a second trip of the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the convergence condition is associated with convergence of estimated values of the parameter during a selected duration of time. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
 determining whether an estimation condition for a parameter associated with vehicle operation is satisfied;   based at least in part on satisfaction of the estimation condition, generating an estimated value of the parameter; and   reporting i) the estimated value of the parameter to an autonomous system of a vehicle when a convergence condition is satisfied or ii) a nominal value of the parameter to the autonomous system when the convergence condition is not satisfied.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein satisfaction of the estimation condition is associated with reliability of an input supportive of generation of the estimated value of the parameter. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining whether the estimated value of the parameter falls within a boundary of values associated with the parameter; and   discarding the estimated value of the parameter when the estimated value of the parameter does not fall within the boundary of values.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the estimated value of the parameter is generated during a first trip of the vehicle and utilized as a nominal value of the parameter during a second trip of the vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the convergence condition is associated with convergence of estimated values of the parameter during a selected duration of time.