Arranging passenger pickups for autonomous vehicles

• US 10,591,916 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2017
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fairfield, Nathaniel, Herbach, Joshua Seth, Ludwick, Christopher Kennedy, McNaughton, Matthew Paul, Hubert, Renaud-Roland, Arden, Jennifer, Chan, Min Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber, Tamara L
• Application Number:
  US15/728,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20180107222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• 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: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to arranging a pickup between a driverless vehicle and a passenger. For instance, dispatch instructions dispatching the vehicle to a predetermined pickup area in order to pick up the passenger are received by the vehicle which begins maneuvering to the predetermined pickup area. While doing so, the vehicle receives from the passenger'"'"'s client computing device the device'"'"'s location. An indication that the passenger is interested in a fly-by pickup is identified. The fly-by pickup allows the passenger to safely enter the vehicle at a location outside of the predetermined pickup area and prior to the one or more processors have maneuvered the vehicle to the predetermined pickup area. The vehicle determines that the fly-by pickup is appropriate based on at least the location of the client computing device and the indication, and based on the determination, maneuvers itself in order to attempt the fly-by pickup.

Claims

1. A method for arranging a pickup between a driverless vehicle and a passenger, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, dispatch instructions dispatching the vehicle to a predetermined pickup area in order to pick up the passenger;

maneuvering, by the one or more processors, the vehicle towards the predetermined pickup area to pick up the passenger;

while maneuvering the vehicle towards the predetermined pickup area to pick up the passenger, determining that the passenger has taken a particular action

while maneuvering the vehicle towards the predetermined pickup area to pick up the passenger, receiving, via a network, location information from a passenger'"'"'s client computing device identifying the location of the client computing device determined at the client computing device;

using the determination that the passenger has taken the particular action and the location information to determine that the passenger is interested in identifying a new pickup area which allows the passenger to safely enter the vehicle at a location outside of the predetermined pickup area and prior to the one or more processors having maneuvered the vehicle to the predetermined pickup area; and

maneuvering the vehicle, by the one or more processors, in response to the determination that the passenger has taken the particular action, to the new pickup area in order to attempt to pick up the passenger.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising while maneuvering the vehicle towards the predetermined pickup area and prior to determining that the passenger has taken the particular action, sending a notification to a client computing device indicating that the vehicle is able to pick up the passenger at a pickup area different from the predetermined pickup area, and wherein the particular action corresponds to the passenger confirming via the client computing device that the passenger is interested in the pickup up area different from the predetermined pickup area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the notification is sent to the client computing device more than one time and up to a predetermined number of times.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the notification provides information about why the vehicle is able to pick up the passenger at the pickup area different from the predetermined pickup area.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to determining that the passenger has taken the particular action, sending a second notification to the client computing device indicating that the vehicle will attempt to pick up the passenger at the location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving sensor data from a perception system of the vehicle, the sensor data identifying objects in an external environment of the vehicle determining that the passenger has taken the particular action is based on the sensor data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the particular action corresponds to a physical action of the passenger stepping into a street.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the particular action corresponds to a gesture made by the passenger.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the particular action corresponds to the passenger holding a client computing device in a particular way.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor data identifies a characteristic of the client computing device which is used to determine that the passenger is interested in identifying the new pickup area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the characteristic is a change in a display image of a display of the client computing device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the characteristic is a sound generated by the client computing device.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the particular action corresponds to the passenger walking towards the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the particular action corresponds to the passenger providing verbal cues to facilitate the vehicle picking up the passenger.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular action corresponds to a passenger capturing an image of the passenger.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular action corresponds to a passenger capturing an image of an environment of the passenger.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information from a client computing device associated with the passenger, and wherein determining that the passenger has taken the particular action is based on the received information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the received information indicates that a user input requesting that the vehicle pick up the passenger at a pickup area different from the predetermined pickup area was received at the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information includes location service information.

20. A method for arranging a pickup between a driverless vehicle and a passenger, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, dispatch instructions dispatching the vehicle to a predetermined pickup area in order to pick up the passenger;

maneuvering, by the one or more processors, the vehicle towards the predetermined pickup area to pick up the passenger;

while maneuvering the vehicle towards the predetermined pickup area to pick up the passenger, receiving, via a network, location information from a passenger'"'"'s client computing device identifying the location of the client computing device determined at the client computing device;

using the location information to identify a new pickup area, outside of the predetermined pickup area, at which the vehicle will save time picking up the passenger; and

maneuvering the vehicle, by the one or more processors, in response to the determination that the passenger has taken the particular action, to the new pickup area in order to attempt to pick up the passenger at the new pickup area.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising, prior to maneuvering the vehicle in order to pick up the passenger at the new pickup area:

sending a notification to the client computing device indicating that the vehicle is able to pick up the passenger at a pickup area different from the predetermined pickup area; and

receiving, from the client computing device, confirmation for the new pickup area, and wherein maneuvering the vehicle to the new pickup area is in response to the confirmation.