Attempting to pull over for autonomous vehicles

• US 10,261,512 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cullinane, Brian Douglas, Lu, David Tse-Zhou, Aula, Anne Kristiina, Arden, Jennifer, Fairfield, Nathaniel, Herbach, Joshua Seth, Johnson, Calvin Karl, Hubert, Renaud-Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahne, Kevin P
• Application Number:
  US15/278,419
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/40 Dynamic objects, e.g. animals, windblown objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/24 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0025 specially adapted for specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00253 Taxi operations
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/76 responsive to devices carried by persons or objects, e.g. magnets or reflectors E05F15/77 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/426 against unauthorised use, e.g. keys
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 : Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 : Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• 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 1/0212 : with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 : using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 : Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/586 : of parking space
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 : indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle having one or more computing devices that may receive instructions to pick up a passenger at a pickup location and determine when the vehicle is within a first distance of the pickup location. When the vehicle is within the first distance, the computing devices may make a first attempt to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger. When the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle on the first attempt, the computing devices may maneuvering the vehicle in order to make a second attempt to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger. When the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle on the second attempt, the computing devices may stop the vehicle in a current lane to wait for the passenger.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices, instructions to pick up a passenger at a pickup location for a trip;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, when a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode is within a first distance of the pickup location;

when the vehicle is determined to be within the first distance, attempting, by the one or more computing devices, to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger within the first distance of the pickup location;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle within the first distance of the pickup location;

based on the determination that the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle within the first distance of the pickup location, maneuvering, by the one or more computing devices, the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode back towards the pickup location; and

after maneuvering the vehicle, when the vehicle has reached the pickup location, stopping, by the one or more computing devices, the vehicle at the pickup location to wait for the passenger for a predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined period is 3 seconds or less.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting includes analyzing sensor data from a sensor of the vehicle corresponding to an area around the pickup location as well as map information corresponding to the area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the attempting includes attempting to identifying areas to stop the vehicle including areas not designated as parking spots in the map information.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the attempting includes identifying a parking spot defined in the map information as occupied by an object based on the sensor data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the object is a non-vehicle object.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the object is identified as a vehicle.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the attempting includes identifying a parking spot defined in the map information as occupied by a hazard based on the sensor data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting includes attempting to find a parking spot outside of any traffic lane.

10. A system comprising one or more computing devices configured to:

receive instructions to pick up a passenger at a pickup location for a trip;

determine when a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode is within a first distance of the pickup location;

when the vehicle is determined to be within the first distance, attempting to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger within the first distance of the pickup location;

determining that the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle within the first distance of the pickup location;

based on the determination that the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle within the first distance of the pickup location, maneuver the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode back towards the pickup location; and

after maneuvering the vehicle, when the vehicle has reached the pickup location, stop the vehicle at the pickup location to wait for the passenger for a predetermined period of time.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined period is 3 seconds or less.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the attempting includes analyzing sensor data from a sensor of the vehicle corresponding to an area around the pickup location as well as map information corresponding to the area.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the attempting includes attempting to identifying areas to stop the vehicle including areas not designated as parking spots in the map information.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the attempting includes identifying a parking spot defined in the map information as occupied by an object based on the sensor data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the object is a non-vehicle object.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the object is identified as a vehicle.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the attempting includes identifying a parking spot defined in the map information as occupied by a hazard based on the sensor data.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the attempting includes attempting to find a parking spot outside of any traffic lane.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which instructions are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving instructions to pick up a passenger at a pickup location for a trip;

determining when a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode is within a first distance of the pickup location;

when the vehicle is determined to be within the first distance of the pickup location, making a first attempt to find a spot to park the vehicle and wait for the passenger within the first distance of the pickup location;

determining that the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle within the first distance of the pickup location;

based on the determination that the vehicle is unable to find a spot to park the vehicle within the first distance of the pickup location, maneuvering the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode back towards the pickup location; and

after maneuvering the vehicle, when the vehicle has reached the pickup location, stopping the vehicle at the pickup location to wait for the passenger for a predetermined period of time.