Patent ID: 9720412
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: B60W,G05D

Claim:
1. A method comprising: determining, using a computer system, one or more characteristics of an environment of a vehicle, wherein the one or more characteristics include a type of road on which the vehicle is traveling, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in an autonomous mode and comprises a sensor configured to obtain sensor data of a sensed portion of the environment, wherein the sensed portion is defined by at least one sensor parameter; based at least on whether the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling is a surface road or a freeway, adjusting at least one parameter value for the at least one sensor parameter such that the sensed portion of the environment corresponds to a region of interest, wherein the at least one sensor parameter comprises a direction parameter that defines a range of directions from the vehicle in which the sensor obtains sensor data, wherein adjusting the at least one parameter value for the at least one sensor parameter comprises reducing an angular range for the direction parameter to a value less than 360 degrees; operating the sensor, using the adjusted at least one parameter value for the at least one sensor parameter, to obtain sensor data of the region of interest; and controlling the vehicle in the autonomous mode based on the sensor data of the region of interest.