US 11,703,879 B2
All weather autonomously driven vehicles
Charles J. Jacobus, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Douglas Haanpaa, Dexter, MI (US); and Charles J. Cohen, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to Cybernet Systems Corp., Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed by Cybernet Systems Corp., Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/120,673.
Application 17/120,673 is a continuation of application No. 15/971,195, filed on May 4, 2018, granted, now 11,073,835.
Application 15/971,195 is a continuation of application No. 14/196,189, filed on Mar. 4, 2014, granted, now 9,989,967, issued on Jun. 5, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0208587 A1, Jul. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. G05D 1/02 (2020.01); G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 7/48 (2006.01); G01S 7/487 (2006.01); G01S 7/497 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G01S 13/89 (2006.01); G01S 13/931 (2020.01)
CPC G05D 1/024 (2013.01) [G01S 7/487 (2013.01); G01S 7/4808 (2013.01); G01S 7/497 (2013.01); G01S 17/89 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G01S 13/89 (2013.01); G01S 13/931 (2013.01); G05D 1/0246 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An all-weather autonomously driven vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle driving control unit operative to steer and adjust the speed of the vehicle along a route taken by the vehicle;
an optical sensor disposed on the vehicle having a field of view that is only intermittently blocked by rain, snow, dust or other obscurant particles;
a processor receiving signals from the optical sensor, and wherein the processor is operative to perform the following functions:
a) distinguish objects in the field of view on the basis of size, with larger objects being characterized as obstacles, and smaller objects being characterized as obscurant particles,
b) determine the density of the obscurant particles as an indication of visibility, and
c) adjust the speed of the vehicle as a function of visibility.