Patent Document ID: 9682704
Application ID: 14864346
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: (i) receiving, by a computing system, information from one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle, wherein one or more control processes for the autonomous vehicle are based upon the information; (ii) determining, by the computing system, an information-improvement expectation that corresponds to an active-sensing action, wherein the active-sensing action comprises an action that is performable by the autonomous vehicle to potentially improve the information upon which at least one of the control processes for the autonomous vehicle is based; (iii) determining, by the computing system, a risk cost that corresponds to the active-sensing action; (iv) determining, by the computing system, whether or not the risk cost is less than a threshold risk cost, wherein the threshold risk cost corresponds to the information-improvement expectation; (v) if the risk cost is less than the threshold risk cost, then initiating the active-sensing action; and (vi) otherwise, if the risk cost is greater than or equal to the threshold risk cost, then making an adjustment to the active-sensing action.