Optimizing timing for configuring an autonomous vehicle

• US 10,012,990 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Rander, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith-Stewart, Demetra R
• Application Number:
  US15/089,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20170285642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00357 Air-conditioning arrangements specially adapted for particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle (AV) can receive a pick-up location from a backend transport facilitation system to service a pick-up request from a requesting user. The AV can further process sensor data from a sensor array of the AV to dynamically identify potential hazards while autonomously operating the AV along a current route to the pick-up location. The AV can receiving, from the backend transport facilitation system, a set of configuration instructions to configure adjustable components of an interior of the AV based on comfort preferences of the requesting user, and determine an optimal timing schedule to implement each of the set of configuration instructions. Thus, the AV can execute the set of configuration instructions based on the optimal timing schedule to configure the adjustable components of the configurable interior system prior to arriving at the pick-up location.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle (AV) comprising:

a communications array to transmit and receive communications from a backend transport facilitation system;

a configurable interior system;

a sensor array to generate sensor data corresponding to a situational environment of the AV;

an acceleration, steering, and braking system; and

a control system executing instructions that cause the control system to;

receive a pick-up location from the backend transport facilitation system to service a pick-up request from a requesting user;

process the sensor data to dynamically identify potential hazards along a current route to the pick-up location;

utilize the processed sensor data to autonomously control the acceleration, steering, and braking system along the current route;

receive, from the backend transport facilitation system, a set of configuration instructions to configure one or more adjustable components of the configurable interior system based on comfort preferences of the requesting user;

determine an optimal timing schedule to implement each of the set of configuration instructions; and

execute the set of configuration instructions based on the optimal timing schedule to configure the one or more adjustable components of the configurable interior system prior to arriving at the pick-up location.

2. The AV of claim 1, wherein the one or more adjustable components comprise at least one of adjustable seats, adjustable windows, a climate control system, one or more displays, interior lights, and an audio system of the AV.

3. The AV of claim 2, wherein the executed instructions further cause the control system to:

classify each of the one or more adjustable components for (i) immediate execution, or (ii) optimally timed execution.

4. The AV of claim 3, wherein one of the one or more adjustable components classified for optimally timed execution comprises the climate control system.

5. The AV of claim 4, wherein the set of configuration instructions include a preferred climate setting for the AV, and wherein the executed instructions cause the control system to determine the optimal timing schedule for the preferred climate setting by (i) determining a travel time to the pick-up location, (ii) determining a time frame to adjust an interior temperature of the AV based on the preferred climate setting, and (iii) setting an execution time for the climate control system of the configurable interior system based on the travel time and the time frame.

6. The AV of claim 3, wherein one of the one or more adjustable components classified for immediate execution comprises an adjustable seat component.

7. The AV of claim 2, wherein the executed instructions further cause the control system to:

after picking up the requesting user at the pick-up location, monitor a location of the requesting user within an interior of the AV.

8. The AV of claim 7, wherein the executed instructions further cause the control system to:

based on the location of the requesting user, dynamically adjust a climate control focal point of the climate control system.

9. The AV of claim 7, wherein the executed instructions further cause the control system to:

based on the location of the requesting user, dynamically adjust an audio focal point of the audio system.

10. The AV of claim 9, wherein the executed instructions cause the control system to dynamically adjust the audio focal point by adjusting at least one of a balance or a fade of the audio system based on the location of the requesting user.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a control system of an autonomous vehicle (AV), cause the control system to:

receive a pick-up location from a backend transport facilitation system to service a pick-up request from a requesting user;

process sensor data from a sensor array of the AV to dynamically identify potential hazards along a current route to the pick-up location;

utilize the processed sensor data to autonomously control an acceleration, steering, and braking system of the AV along the current route;

receive, from the backend transport facilitation system, a set of configuration instructions to configure one or more adjustable components of a configurable interior system of the AV based on comfort preferences of the requesting user;

determine an optimal timing schedule to implement each of the set of configuration instructions; and

execute the set of configuration instructions based on the optimal timing schedule to configure the one or more adjustable components of the configurable interior system prior to arriving at the pick-up location.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more adjustable components comprise at least one of adjustable seats, adjustable windows, a climate control system, one or more displays, interior lights, and an audio system of the AV.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the executed instructions further cause the control system to:

classify each of the one or more adjustable components for (i) immediate execution, or (ii) optimally timed execution.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein one of the one or more adjustable components classified for optimally timed execution comprises the climate control system.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the set of configuration instructions include a preferred climate setting for the AV, and wherein the executed instructions cause the control system to determine the optimal timing schedule for the preferred climate setting by (i) determining a travel time to the pick-up location, (ii) determining a time frame to adjust an interior temperature of the AV based on the preferring climate setting, and (iii) setting an execution time for the climate control system of the configurable interior system based on the travel time and the time frame.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the executed instructions further cause the control system to:

after picking up the requesting user at the pick-up location, monitor a location of the requesting user within an interior of the AV.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executed instructions further cause the control system to:

based on the location of the requesting user, dynamically adjust a climate control focal point of the climate control system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executed instructions further cause the control system to:

based on the location of the requesting user, dynamically adjust an audio focal point of the audio system.

19. A computer-implemented method of configuring an interior system of an autonomous vehicle (AV), the method being performed by a control system of the AV and comprising:

receiving a pick-up location from a backend transport facilitation system to service a pick-up request from a requesting user;

processing sensor data from a sensor array of the AV to dynamically identify potential hazards along a current route to the pick-up location;

utilizing the processed sensor data to autonomously control an acceleration, steering, and braking system of the AV along the current route;

receiving, from the backend transport facilitation system, a set of configuration instructions to configure one or more adjustable components of a configurable interior system of the AV based on comfort preferences of the requesting user;

determining an optimal timing schedule to implement each of the set of configuration instructions; and

executing the set of configuration instructions based on the optimal timing schedule to configure the one or more adjustable components of the configurable interior system prior to arriving at the pick-up location.