Self-driving vehicle systems and methods

• US 10,471,804 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2019
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drivent LLC
• Original Assignee: Drivent LLC
• Inventors: Wengreen, Eric John, Schwie, Wesley Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis R
• Application Number:
  US16/362,509
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/008 the input being air quality
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00828 Ventilators, e.g. speed control B60H1/00864 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A maintenance system can be used with a self-driving vehicle. The maintenance system can include a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the vehicle to a destination chosen by a rider. The maintenance system can include a smoke detection system configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:

a smoke detection system coupled to the vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the vehicle;

a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the vehicle, wherein the vehicle management system comprises a motor configured to open a window of the vehicle and a ventilation system having a fan configured to circulate air in the cabin; and

a computer system comprising at least one processor and a memory having program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to cause the motor to automatically open the window of the vehicle in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle and are configured to increase a rotational speed of the fan in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle.

2. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:

a smoke detection system coupled to the vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the vehicle; and

a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the vehicle, wherein the vehicle management system comprises a motor configured to open a window of the vehicle, and the vehicle management system comprises program instructions configured to cause the motor to automatically open the window of the vehicle in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle.

3. The maintenance system of claim 2, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the motor to automatically open the window of the vehicle in response to the smoke detection system detecting a concentration of the smoke greater than a predetermined threshold.

4. The maintenance system of claim 2, wherein in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle, the program instructions are configured to prevent a first rider from closing the window by at least one of disabling the motor, disabling a switch configured to move the window, disabling a system configured to close the window, and locking the window in an open position.

5. The maintenance system of claim 2, wherein after causing the motor to open the window, the program instructions are configured to cause the motor to automatically close the window in response to at least one of the smoke detection system no longer detecting the smoke inside the vehicle and the smoke detection system detecting a concentration of the smoke less than a predetermined threshold.

6. The maintenance system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle management system comprises a rain sensor configured to detect an indication of rain on the vehicle, and the program instructions of the vehicle management system are configured to cause the motor to automatically open the window in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle and in response to the rain sensor not detecting the indication of the rain.

7. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:

a smoke detection system coupled to the vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the vehicle; and

a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the vehicle,

wherein the vehicle management system comprises a motor configured to open a window of the vehicle,

the smoke detection system is configured to analyze a particle size of the smoke to determine if the particle size is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and

the vehicle management system is configured to cause the motor to automatically open the window in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle and determining that the particle size is less than the predetermined threshold.

8. The maintenance system of claim 7, wherein the smoke detection system comprises at least one optical smoke detector configured to analyze the particle size of the smoke.

9. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:

a smoke detection system coupled to the vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the vehicle; and

a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the vehicle, wherein the vehicle management system comprises a motor configured to close a window of the vehicle, and the vehicle management system comprises program instructions configured to cause the motor to automatically close the window in response to the smoke detection system detecting a first concentration of the smoke greater than a first predetermined threshold to enable the smoke detection system to detect a second concentration of the smoke above a second predetermined threshold with the window closed, wherein the second predetermined threshold is greater than the first predetermined threshold.

10. The maintenance system of claim 9, further comprising a communication system, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the communication system to send a first wireless communication to a remote computing device in response to the smoke detection system detecting the second concentration of the smoke above the second predetermined threshold, wherein the first wireless communication is configured to notify the remote computing device regarding the smoke.

11. The maintenance system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the motor to automatically open the window in response to detecting the second concentration of the smoke above the second predetermined threshold after the program instructions cause the motor to automatically close the window in response to the smoke detection system detecting the first concentration of the smoke above the first predetermined threshold.

12. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:

a smoke detection system coupled to the vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the vehicle; and

a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the vehicle, wherein the vehicle management system comprises a ventilation system having a fan configured to circulate air in the cabin, and the vehicle management system comprises program instructions configured to reduce a rotational speed of the fan in response to the smoke detection system detecting a first concentration of the smoke above a first predetermined threshold to enable the smoke detection system to detect a second concentration of the smoke above a second predetermined threshold after the rotational speed is reduced, wherein the second predetermined threshold is greater than the first predetermined threshold.

13. The maintenance system of claim 12, further comprising a communication system, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the communication system to send a first wireless communication to a remote computing device in response to the smoke detection system detecting the second concentration of the smoke above the second predetermined threshold, wherein the first wireless communication is configured to notify the remote computing device regarding the smoke.

14. The maintenance system of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are configured to increase the rotational speed of the fan in response to detecting the second concentration of the smoke above the second predetermined threshold after the program instructions reduce the rotational speed of the fan in response to the smoke detection system detecting the first concentration of the smoke above the first predetermined threshold.

15. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:

a smoke detection system coupled to the vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the vehicle; and

a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the vehicle, wherein the vehicle management system comprises a ventilation system having a fan configured to circulate air in the cabin, and the vehicle management system comprises program instructions configured to increase a rotational speed of the fan in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle.

16. The maintenance system of claim 15, wherein the program instructions are configured to increase the rotational speed of the fan in response to the smoke detection system detecting a concentration of the smoke greater than a predetermined threshold.

17. The maintenance system of claim 15, wherein after increasing the rotational speed of the fan, the program instructions are configured to decrease the rotational speed of the fan in response to at least one of the smoke detection system no longer detecting the smoke inside the vehicle and the smoke detection system detecting a concentration of the smoke less than a predetermined threshold.

18. The maintenance system of claim 15,

wherein the smoke detection system is configured to analyze a particle size of the smoke to determine if the particle size is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and

the program instructions are configured to increase the rotational speed of the fan in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle and determining that the particle size is less than the predetermined threshold.

19. The maintenance system of claim 18, wherein the smoke detection system comprises at least one optical smoke detector configured to analyze the particle size of the smoke.

20. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:

a smoke detection system coupled to the vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the vehicle; and

a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the vehicle, wherein the vehicle management system comprises a temperature management system having a thermometer and having at least one of an air conditioner, a heater, and a ventilation system having a fan configured to circulate air in the cabin, and the vehicle management system is configured to at least one of increase and decrease an ambient temperature inside the cabin by at least ten degrees Fahrenheit in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle to decrease a comfort level of a first rider.

21. The maintenance system of claim 20, further comprising at least one processor and at least one memory having program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to cause the vehicle management system to at least one of increase and decrease the ambient temperature by at least ten degrees Fahrenheit and by less than thirty degrees Fahrenheit in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle to decrease the comfort level of the first rider.

22. The maintenance system of claim 20, wherein the vehicle management system comprises at least one of a speaker and a display screen, and at least one of the speaker and the display screen is configured to provide at least one of audio instructions and visual instructions to the first rider, wherein at least one of the audio instructions and the visual instructions are configured to instruct the first rider to cease smoking in order to enable changing the ambient temperature to increase the comfort level.

23. The maintenance system of claim 20, wherein the smoke detection system is configured to analyze a particle size of the smoke to determine if the particle size is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and the vehicle management system is configured to at least one of increase and decrease the ambient temperature inside the cabin in response to the maintenance system detecting the smoke inside the vehicle and determining that the particle size is smaller than the predetermined threshold.

24. The maintenance system of claim 20, wherein the vehicle management system is configured to at least partially restore the comfort level in response to at least one of the smoke detection system no longer detecting the smoke inside the vehicle and the smoke detection system detecting a concentration of the smoke less than a predetermined threshold.

25. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:

a smoke detection system coupled to the vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the vehicle;

a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the vehicle;

a motor configured to open a window of the vehicle;

a carbon monoxide detector; and

program instructions configured to cause the motor to automatically open the window of the vehicle in response to the carbon monoxide detector detecting a first concentration of carbon monoxide greater than a first predetermined threshold.

26. The maintenance system of claim 25, further comprising a ventilation system having a fan configured to circulate air in the cabin, wherein the program instructions are configured to increase a rotational speed of the fan in response to the carbon monoxide detector detecting a second concentration of the carbon monoxide greater than a second predetermined threshold.