Systems and methods for controlling autonomous vehicles that provide a vehicle service to users
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of controlling autonomous vehicles, comprising:
- obtaining, by a vehicle computing system that comprises one or more computing devices, data indicative of a location associated with a user to which an autonomous vehicle is to travel, wherein the autonomous vehicle is to travel along a first vehicle route that leads to the location associated with the user;
obtaining, by the computing system via one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, sensor data associated with a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle that is within a vicinity of the location associated with the user;
determining, by the computing system, a level of traffic associated with a geographic area that includes the location associated with the user based at least in part on the sensor data;
determining, by the vehicle computing system, an estimated traffic impact of the autonomous vehicle on the geographic area based at least in part on the level of traffic that is based at least in part on the sensor data, wherein the estimated traffic impact is indicative of an estimated impact of the autonomous vehicle on one or more objects within the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle in the event that the autonomous vehicle were to stop at least partially in a travel way within the vicinity of the location associated with the user;
determining, by the vehicle computing system, one or more vehicle actions based at least in part on the estimated traffic impact; and
causing, by the vehicle computing system, the autonomous vehicle to perform the one or more vehicle actions, wherein the one or more vehicle actions comprise at least one of stopping the autonomous vehicle at least partially in the travel way within the vicinity of the location associated with the user or travelling along a second vehicle route.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for controlling autonomous vehicles are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer implemented method includes obtaining data indicative of a location associated with a user to which an autonomous vehicle is to travel. The autonomous vehicle is to travel along a first vehicle route that leads to the location. The method includes obtaining traffic data associated with a geographic area that includes the location. The method includes determining an estimated traffic impact of the autonomous vehicle on the geographic area based at least in part on the traffic data. The method includes determining vehicle action(s) based at least in part on the estimated traffic impact and causing the autonomous vehicle to perform the vehicle action(s) that include at least one of stopping the autonomous vehicle at least partially in a travel way within a vicinity of the location or travelling along a second vehicle route.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of controlling autonomous vehicles, comprising:
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obtaining, by a vehicle computing system that comprises one or more computing devices, data indicative of a location associated with a user to which an autonomous vehicle is to travel, wherein the autonomous vehicle is to travel along a first vehicle route that leads to the location associated with the user; obtaining, by the computing system via one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, sensor data associated with a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle that is within a vicinity of the location associated with the user; determining, by the computing system, a level of traffic associated with a geographic area that includes the location associated with the user based at least in part on the sensor data; determining, by the vehicle computing system, an estimated traffic impact of the autonomous vehicle on the geographic area based at least in part on the level of traffic that is based at least in part on the sensor data, wherein the estimated traffic impact is indicative of an estimated impact of the autonomous vehicle on one or more objects within the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle in the event that the autonomous vehicle were to stop at least partially in a travel way within the vicinity of the location associated with the user; determining, by the vehicle computing system, one or more vehicle actions based at least in part on the estimated traffic impact; and causing, by the vehicle computing system, the autonomous vehicle to perform the one or more vehicle actions, wherein the one or more vehicle actions comprise at least one of stopping the autonomous vehicle at least partially in the travel way within the vicinity of the location associated with the user or travelling along a second vehicle route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A vehicle computing system onboard an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
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one or more processors; and one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising; obtaining data indicative of a location associated with a user, wherein the user is associated with a request for a vehicle service provided by the autonomous vehicle, and wherein the autonomous vehicle is to travel along a first vehicle route to arrive within a vicinity of the location associated with the user; obtaining, via one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, sensor data associated with a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle that is within the vicinity of the location associated with the user; determining a level of traffic associated with a geographic area that includes the location associated with the user based at least in part on the sensor data; obtaining location data associated with a user device associated with the user; determining an estimated traffic impact of the autonomous vehicle on the geographic area based at least in part on the level of traffic that is based at least in part on the sensor data and an estimated time of user arrival based at least in part on the location data associated with the user device, wherein the estimated traffic impact is indicative of an estimated impact of the autonomous vehicle on one or more objects within the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle in the event that the autonomous vehicle were to stop at least partially in a travel way within the vicinity of the location associated with the user; determining one or more vehicle actions based at least in part on at least one of the estimated traffic impact or the estimated time of user arrival; and causing the autonomous vehicle to perform the one or more vehicle actions, wherein the one or more vehicle actions comprise at least one of stopping the autonomous vehicle at least partially in the travel way within the vicinity of the location associated with the user or travelling along a second vehicle route. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An autonomous vehicle comprising:
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one or more sensors; a communication system; one or more processors; and one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the autonomous vehicle to perform operations, the operations comprising; obtaining data indicative of a location associated with a user, wherein the user is associated with a request for a vehicle service provided by the autonomous vehicle; controlling the autonomous vehicle to travel along a first vehicle route to arrive within a vicinity of the location associated with the user; obtaining, via the one or more sensors, sensor data associated with a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle that is within the vicinity of the location associated with the user; determining a level of traffic associated with a geographic area that includes the location associated with the user based at least in part on the sensor data; obtaining, via the communication system, location data associated with a user device associated with the user, wherein the location data associated with the user device is indicative of one or more locations of the user device associated with the user at one or more times; determining an estimated traffic impact of the autonomous vehicle on the geographic area based at least in part on the traffic data, wherein the estimated traffic impact is indicative of an estimated impact of the autonomous vehicle on one or more objects within the surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle in the event that the autonomous vehicle were to stop at least partially in a travel way within the vicinity of the location associated with the user; determining an estimated time of user arrival based at least in part on the location data associated with the user device; determining one or more vehicle actions based at least in part on at least one of the estimated traffic impact or the estimated time of user arrival; and causing the autonomous vehicle to perform the one or more vehicle actions, wherein the one or more vehicle actions comprise at least one of stopping the autonomous vehicle within the vicinity of the location associated with the user or travelling along a second vehicle route. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification