Patent ID: 11914367
Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. An autonomous vehicle comprising:
a mechanical system;
a sensor system configured to generate a sensor signal indicative of a traffic light;
an electro-mechanical device affixed to the sensor system, the electro-mechanical device configured to move the sensor system with respect to the autonomous vehicle, wherein movement of the sensor system by the electro-mechanical device causes a field of view of the sensor system to be modifiable;
a computing system in communication with the mechanical system and the sensor system, wherein the computing system comprises:
a processor; and
memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
generating an initial route for the autonomous vehicle, wherein the initial route comprises a potential stopping point for each traffic light along the initial route;
for each potential stopping point along the initial route:
identifying a location of the sensor system within an environment of the autonomous vehicle;
identifying a maneuver to control an orientation of the sensor system at the location based on perception degradation to the sensor system; and
determining whether the sun causes a threshold level of perception degradation to the sensor system when the sensor system generates the sensor signal indicative of the traffic light at the location, wherein the determination is based upon a date, a time of day, the location of the sensor system, and the orientation of the sensor system at the location of the sensor system within the environment of the autonomous vehicle;

generating an updated route for the autonomous vehicle and data specifying movements of the sensor system to be effectuated by the electro-mechanical device to modify the field of view of the sensor system along the updated route such that the updated route and the movements of the sensor system to modify the field of view of the sensor system along the updated route causes the sensor system to avoid a particular potential stopping point having perception degradation to the sensor system exceeding the threshold level of perception degradation;
controlling the mechanical system to cause the autonomous vehicle to traverse along the updated route; and
controlling the electro-mechanical device to move the sensor system to modify the field of view based on the data specifying the movements of the sensor system as the autonomous vehicle traverses along the updated route.