Methods to operate autonomous vehicles to pilot vehicles in groups or convoys
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- accessing, by a central computing device, sensor data from one or more autonomous escort vehicles in a convoy moving along a route;
detecting, by the central computing device, based on the sensor data, an environmental vehicle along or in proximity to the route of the convoy;
determining, by the central computing device, based on the sensor data movement of the convoy along the route, that the environmental vehicle should be prevented from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route;
identifying, by the central computing device, a particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles that is available to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route;
generating, by the central computing device, instructions for the particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route; and
causing, by the central computing device, the instructions to be communicated to and executed by the particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method comprising accessing sensor data from one or more autonomous escort vehicles in a convoy moving along a route, detecting based on the sensor data, an environmental vehicle along or in proximity to the route of the convoy, determining based on the sensor data and movement of the convoy, that the environmental vehicle should be prevented from interfering with the movement of the convoy, identifying a particular autonomous escort vehicle that is available to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy, generating instructions for the autonomous escort vehicle to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route, and causing the instructions to be communicated to and executed by the autonomous escort vehicle to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy.
13 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
accessing, by a central computing device, sensor data from one or more autonomous escort vehicles in a convoy moving along a route; detecting, by the central computing device, based on the sensor data, an environmental vehicle along or in proximity to the route of the convoy; determining, by the central computing device, based on the sensor data movement of the convoy along the route, that the environmental vehicle should be prevented from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route; identifying, by the central computing device, a particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles that is available to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route; generating, by the central computing device, instructions for the particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route; and causing, by the central computing device, the instructions to be communicated to and executed by the particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A system compromising:
- one or more processors and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors, the one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to perform operations comprising;
accessing, by a central computing device, sensor data from one or more autonomous escort vehicles in a convoy moving along a route; detecting, by the central computing device, based on the sensor data, an environmental vehicle along or in proximity to the route of the convoy; determining, by the central computing device, based on the sensor data and movement of the convoy along the route, that the environmental vehicle should be prevented from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route; identifying, by the central computing device, a particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles that is available to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route; generating, by the central computing device, instructions for the particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route; and causing, by the central computing device, the instructions to be communicated to and executed by the particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- one or more processors and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors, the one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to perform operations comprising;
-
15. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
-
accessing, by a central computing device, sensor data from one or more autonomous escort vehicles in a convoy moving along a route; detecting, by a central computing device, based on the sensor data, an environmental vehicle along or in proximity to the route of the convoy; determining, by the central computing device, based on the sensor data and movement of the convoy along the route, that the environmental vehicle should be prevented from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route; identifying, by the central computing device, a particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles that is available to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route; generating, by the central computing device, instructions for the particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route; and causing, by the central device, the instructions to be communicated to and executed by the particular one of the autonomous escort vehicles to modify its position to prevent the environmental vehicle from interfering with the movement of the convoy along the route. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification