Patent Document ID: 9493157
Application ID: 14609286
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of operating an autonomous vehicle in occupant view and vehicle sensor obstructed environments, comprising: identifying an information critical area in an external environment relative to a future planned driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle; sensing at least a portion of the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to detect the presence of an obstructing object located therein; responsive to determining that at least a portion of the information critical area is located outside of a determined occupant viewable area and a determined sensor detection area due to the presence of the detected obstructing object, determining whether the detected obstructing object is moving favorably relative to a future planned driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle; and responsive to determining that the detected obstructing object is moving favorably relative to the future planned driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the future planned driving maneuver while moving relative to the detected obstructing object so that the detected obstructing object is located between the autonomous vehicle and any potential objects located in the at least a portion of the information critical area that is located outside of the determined occupant viewable area and the determined sensor detection area due to the detected obstructing object.