Software version and mode switching for autonomous vehicles

• US 10,501,091 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kislovskiy, Dima, Bradley, David McAllister
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/602,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20180339712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0072 Controller asks driver to take over
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0215 Sensor drifts or sensor failures
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/022 Actuator failures
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

An on-trip monitoring system for an on-demand transportation service can receive log data from autonomous vehicles operating throughout a given region. Based on a set of triggering conditions, the on-trip monitoring system can transmit switching commands to cause the AVs to switch between software versions and/or operative modes.

Claims

1. An on-trip monitoring system for autonomous vehicles (AVs) comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the on-trip monitoring system to;

monitor AVs operating throughout a given region by receiving AV data from each of the AVs;

based on a triggering condition of an AV operating within the given region, transmit a software switching command to the AV, the software switching command instructing the AV to terminate execution of a current software version and begin executing a new software version for autonomous operation.

2. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions further cause the on-trip monitoring system to:

monitor current environmental conditions for the AV;

wherein the executed instructions cause the on-trip monitoring system to further transmit the software switching command based on a change in the current environmental conditions.

3. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the change in the current environmental conditions comprises at least one of a change in lighting conditions, weather conditions, or road conditions.

4. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions further cause the on-trip monitoring system to:

monitor current traffic conditions for the AV;

wherein the executed instructions cause the on-trip monitoring system to further transmit the software switching command based on a change in the current traffic conditions.

5. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the triggering condition is indicated in the AV data of the AV.

6. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the AV data includes at least one of AV telemetry data and AV diagnostics data.

7. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the executed instructions cause the on-trip monitoring system to transmit the software switching command based on the at least one of the AV telemetry data and the AV diagnostics data indicating a degraded state for the AV.

8. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the degraded state corresponds to at least one of a degraded quality of sensor data for the AV, a sensor fault or failure, or a mechanical fault or failure.

10. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the triggering condition corresponds to at least one of the AV picking up a passenger, the AV dropping off a passenger, a location of the AV relative to a boundary of an autonomy grid on which the AV operates, the AV encountering a road closure, the AV failing to complete a given path segment as planned, or one or more efficiency parameters.

11. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions further cause the on-trip monitoring system to:

dynamically determine an aggregate risk quantity for a remainder of a current trip for the AV;

wherein the triggering condition corresponds to the aggregate risk quantity exceeding a predetermined risk threshold.

12. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the executed instructions further cause the on-trip monitoring system to:

transmit an operation mode switching command to the AV when the aggregate risk quantity exceeds a second risk threshold, the operation mode switching command causing the AV to hand over manual control of the AV to a human driver.

13. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the AV stores at least one verified software version for fully autonomous operation and at least one unverified software version requiring safety driver supervision during execution.

14. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the AV data comprises data indicating the AV'"'"'s interactions with other entities.

15. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the triggering condition corresponds to a dose call with another entity as indicated in the AV data.

16. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the executed instructions further cause the on-trip monitoring system to:

transmit the AV data from the AV to other AVs within a given proximity of the AV.

17. The on-trip monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the executed instructions cause the on-trip monitoring system to transmit the AV data to other AVs within a given proximity of the AV in response to detecting at least one of a change in environmental conditions, a change in traffic conditions, or a change in road conditions in the AV data.

9. The on-trip monitoring system 5, wherein the AV data includes AV location data from a location-based resource on-board the AV, and wherein the executed instructions cause the on-trip monitoring system to transmit the software switching command based on a location and direction of the AV as indicated in the AV location data.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

monitor AVs operating throughout a given region by receiving AV data from each of the AVs;

based on a triggering condition of an AV operating within the given region, transmit a software switching command to the AV, the software switching command instructing the AV to terminate execution of a current software version and begin executing a new software version for autonomous operation.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the executed instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

monitor current environmental conditions for the AV;

wherein the executed instructions cause the one or more processors to further transmit the software switching command based on a change in the current environmental conditions.

20. A computer-implemented method of facilitating on-demand transport by autonomous vehicles, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:

monitoring AVs operating throughout a given region by receiving AV data from each of the AVs;

based on a triggering condition of an AV operating within the given region, transmitting a software switching command to the AV, the software switching command instructing the AV to terminate execution of a current software version and begin executing a new software version for autonomous operation.