Sharing autonomous vehicles

• US 10,220,705 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2015
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Hyundai Motor Company Korea (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: Madhusoodhan Ramanujam
• Inventors: Ramanujam, Madhusoodhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Melton, Todd M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roberson, Jason R
• Application Number:
  US14/824,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20150338852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/175 Autonomous driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/566 Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

Technology is described for sharing an autonomous vehicle. An autonomous vehicle may receive a request to perform a task. The autonomous vehicle may determine whether the task conflicts with previously scheduled tasks to be performed at the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may add the task to a schedule of tasks to be performed at the autonomous vehicle when the task does not conflict with the previously scheduled tasks. The autonomous vehicle may provide commands to enable the autonomous vehicle to perform the task in accordance with the schedule.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

a memory device including a data store to store a plurality of data and instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive, at the autonomous vehicle from a mobile device, a request to perform a task at the autonomous vehicle, wherein the task includes picking up a user at a selected pickup location and dropping the user off at a selected drop-off location;

determine, at the autonomous vehicle, whether the task conflicts with previously scheduled tasks to be performed at the autonomous vehicle;

add the task to a schedule of tasks to be autonomously performed at the autonomous vehicle when the task does not conflict with the previously scheduled tasks on the schedule;

send a message to a user associated with a previously scheduled task when the task conflicts with the previously scheduled task on the schedule, the message requesting the user to modify a time associated with the previously scheduled task in order to accommodate a performance of the task; and

provide commands to enable the autonomous vehicle to perform the task in accordance with the schedule.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive the request to perform the task from the mobile device associated with a user that is included in a predefined group of users that share usage of the autonomous vehicle.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine that the task conflicts with a previously scheduled task on the schedule; and

recommend an alternative time for performing the task.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

provide commands to drive the autonomous vehicle to a default location between tasks that are to be performed according to the schedule.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

provide commands to drive the autonomous vehicle to a defined location at a selected time to pick up a user in accordance with the task;

or

provide commands to drive the autonomous vehicle to the defined location to drop off the user at the selected time in accordance with the task.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

add the task to the schedule of tasks to be performed at the autonomous vehicle for a user that is authorized to create or modify the schedule of tasks.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the task performed by the autonomous vehicle is a recurring task or a one-time task.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 7, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

provide commands to enable the autonomous vehicle to perform the recurring task at a predefined time and according to a predefined frequency.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

provide a notification to the mobile device when the autonomous vehicle is within a defined distance from a selected location associated with the task.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine that a selected time associated with the task is to be delayed, the selected time including a drop-off time or a pickup time;

calculate an adjusted time based, in part, on traffic information for a route being used by the autonomous vehicle to perform the task; and

notify the mobile device of the adjusted time, the mobile device being associated with a user for which the task is to be performed;

or

provide the adjusted time for display on a display screen inside the autonomous vehicle.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine to prioritize the task over a previously scheduled task that conflicts with the task, wherein the task that is prioritized is added to the schedule and the previously scheduled task is removed from the schedule.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive the request to perform the task from the mobile device, wherein the request includes a current location of the mobile device, and the request defines the task to be performed at a current time;

verify that the task does not conflict with the previously scheduled tasks to be performed at the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the schedule;

send, to the mobile device, a message indicating that the autonomous vehicle is available to perform the task at the current time and an estimated arrival time for the autonomous vehicle to arrive at the current location;

send a notification to the mobile device when the autonomous vehicle is within a defined distance from the current location of the mobile device.

13. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the task includes picking up a user at the current location and dropping the user off at a selected drop-off location.

14. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data and instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

provide commands to park the autonomous vehicle in an available space between tasks on the schedule.

15. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, the instructions when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a process including:

receiving, at an autonomous vehicle from a mobile device, a request to perform a task at the autonomous vehicle, wherein the task includes picking up a user at a selected pickup location and dropping the user off at a selected drop-off location;

determining, at the autonomous vehicle, whether the task conflicts with previously scheduled tasks to be performed at the autonomous vehicle;

adding the task to a schedule of tasks to be autonomously performed at the autonomous vehicle when the task does not conflict with the previously scheduled tasks on the schedule;

sending a message to a user associated with a previously scheduled task when the task conflicts with the previously scheduled task on the schedule, the message requesting the user to modify a time associated with the previously scheduled task in order to accommodate a performance of the task; and

providing commands to enable the autonomous vehicle to perform the task in accordance with the schedule.

16. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15, the process further comprising:

receiving the request to perform the task from the mobile device associated with a user that is included in a predefined group of users that share usage of the autonomous vehicle;

or

providing commands to drive the autonomous vehicle to a default location between tasks that are to be performed according to the schedule;

or

providing commands to park the autonomous vehicle in an available space between tasks on the schedule;

or

providing a notification to the mobile device when the autonomous vehicle is within a defined distance from a selected location associated with the task;

or

recommending an alternative time for performing the task when the task conflicts with the previously scheduled task on the schedule.

17. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15, the process further comprising:

providing commands to drive the autonomous vehicle to a defined location at a selected time to pick up a user in accordance with the task;

or

providing commands to drive the autonomous vehicle to the defined location to drop off the user at the selected time in accordance with the task,

wherein the task includes picking up a user at the current location and dropping the user off at a selected drop-off location,

wherein the task performed by the autonomous vehicle is a recurring task or a one-time task.

18. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15, the process further comprising:

adding the task to the schedule of tasks to be performed at the autonomous vehicle for a user that is authorized to create or modify the schedule of tasks;

or

providing commands to enable the autonomous vehicle to perform the recurring task at a predefined time and according to a predefined frequency;

or

determining to prioritize the task over a previously scheduled task that conflicts with the task, wherein the task that is prioritized is added to the schedule and the previously scheduled task is removed from the schedule.

19. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15, the process further comprising:

determining that a selected time associated with the task is to be delayed, the selected time including a drop-off time or a pickup time;

calculating an adjusted time based, in part, on traffic information for a route being used by the autonomous vehicle to perform the task; and

notifying the mobile device of the adjusted time, the mobile device being associated with a user for which the task is to be performed;

or

providing the adjusted time for display on a display screen inside the autonomous vehicle.

20. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15, the process further comprising:

receiving the request to perform the task from the mobile device, wherein the request includes a current location of the mobile device, and the request defines the task to be performed at a current time;

verifying that the task does not conflict with the previously scheduled tasks to be performed at the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the schedule;

sending, to the mobile device, a message indicating that the autonomous vehicle is available to perform the task at the current time and an estimated arrival time for the autonomous vehicle to arrive at the current location;

sending a notification to the mobile device when the autonomous vehicle is within a defined distance from the current location of the mobile device.