Hailing a vehicle

• US 10,244,094 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motional AD, LLC (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: nuTonomy, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Iagnemma, Karl, Robbel, Philipp
• Primary Examiner(s): Alunkal, Thomas D
• Application Number:
  US15/240,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20180053412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/175 Autonomous driving
• 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: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/228 Command input arrangements located on-board unmanned vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

In general, an indication is received through a user interface of an intention of a potential rider to use an autonomous vehicle. In response to the receipt of the indication, a hailing request is sent by a signaling mode to at least one autonomous vehicle that can receive the hailing request directly in accordance with the signaling mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at an image capture device of an autonomous vehicle (AV), one or more pulses of light emitted by a display of a device at a geographic location;

decoding, by one or more processors of the AV, the one or more pulses of light;

identifying, by the one or more processors and based on the one or more decoded pulses of light, a request for transportation services at the geographic location;

selecting, by the one or more processors, a stopping place at the geographic location; and

causing, by the one or more processors, the AV to stop at the selected stopping place.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to identifying the request for transportation services, sending, by the AV, a receipt confirmation to a user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pulses of light are in a near infrared spectrum.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for transportation services includes a destination location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for transportation services includes a number of riders.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, at an audio subsystem of an autonomous vehicle (AV), one or more audio signals emitted from a user device at a geographic location;

decoding, by one or more processors of the AV, the one or more audio signals;

identifying, by the one or more processors and based on the one or more decoded audio signals, a request for transportation services at the geographic location;

selecting, by the one or more processors, a stopping place at the geographic location; and

causing, by the one or more processors, the AV to stop at the selected stopping place.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to identifying the request for transportation services, sending, by the AV, a receipt confirmation to the user device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the request for transportation services includes a destination location.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the request for transportation services includes a number of riders.

10. One or more non-transitory computer storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at an image capture device of an autonomous vehicle (AV), one or more pulses of light emitted by a display of a device at a geographic location;

decoding, by one or more processors of the AV, the one or more pulses of light;

identifying, by the one or more processors and based on the one or more decoded pulses of light, a request for transportation services at the geographic location;

selecting, by the one or more processors, a stopping place at the geographic location; and

causing, by the one or more processors, the AV to stop at the selected stopping place.

11. One or more non-transitory computer storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at an audio subsystem of an autonomous vehicle (AV), one or more audio signals emitted from a user device at a geographic location;

decoding, by one or more processors of the AV, the one or more audio signals;

identifying, by the one or more processors and based on the one or more decoded audio signals, a request for transportation services at the geographic location;

selecting, by the one or more processors, a stopping place at the geographic location; and

causing, by the one or more processors, the AV to stop at the selected stopping place.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a display screen;

one or more processors;

memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by the one or more processors, user input requesting transportation services;

modulating light emitted from the display screen, the modulated light encoding the request for transportation services; and

receiving, by the one or more processors, a message from a vehicle acknowledging the request for transportations services.

13. An apparatus comprising:

an audio subsystem including one or more microphones and one or more loudspeakers;

one or more processors;

memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by the one or more microphones, speech input;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the speech input is requesting transportation services;

modulating audio emitted from the loudspeaker, the modulated audio encoding the request for transportation services; and

receiving, by the one or more processors, a message from a vehicle acknowledging the request for transportations services.