DIRECTING MOVEMENT OF SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES IN A DELINEATED VEHICULAR AREA

• US 20170344003A1
• Filed: 05/24/2016
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DoorDash, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: BOSTICK, JAMES E., GANCI, JR., JOHN M., KEEN, MARTIN G., RAKSHIT, SARBAJIT K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,037,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• 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 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space

Abstract

A method, system, and/or computer program product controls movement of one or more self-driving vehicles within a delineated vehicular area. One or more processor(s) receive an image of a vehicular area in which self-driving vehicles are authorized to travel, which is displayed on a display. Processor(s) receive an input defining a delineated area of the vehicular area on the display, and retrieve a ruleset related to movement of self-driving vehicles within the delineated area. Processor(s) then transmit movement instructions to one or more self-driving vehicles within the delineated area in accordance with the ruleset.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, an image of a vehicular area in which self-driving vehicles are able to travel;

displaying, by one or more processors, the image on a display;

receiving, by one or more processors, an input defining a delineated area of the vehicular area on the display;

retrieving, by one or more processors, a ruleset related to movement of self-driving vehicles within the delineated area; and

transmitting, by one or more processors, movement instructions to one or more self-driving vehicles within the delineated area in accordance with the ruleset.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, the ruleset from an input on the display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the vehicular area is a photographic image of the vehicular area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the vehicular area is a map of the vehicular area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicular area is a parking lot, wherein the delineated area is one or more parking spaces in the parking lot, and wherein the ruleset defines which specific self-driving vehicles are permitted to park in the one or more parking spaces at a predefined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by one or more processors, movement instructions to the one or more self-driving vehicles within the delineated area of the vehicular area to vacate the delineated area of the vehicular area in accordance with the ruleset.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by one or more processors, movement instructions to the one or more self-driving vehicles to occupy the delineated area of the vehicular area at a predefined time period in accordance with the ruleset.

8. A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage mediums, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to receive an image of a vehicular area in which self-driving vehicles are able to travel;

program instructions to display the image on a display;

program instructions to receive an input defining a delineated area of the vehicular area on the display;

program instructions to retrieve a ruleset related to movement of self-driving vehicles within the delineated area; and

program instructions to transmit movement instructions to one or more self-driving vehicles within the delineated area in accordance with the ruleset.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions to receive the ruleset from an input on the display.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the image of the vehicular area is a photographic image of the vehicular area.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the image of the vehicular area is a map of the vehicular area.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the vehicular area is a parking lot, wherein the delineated area is one or more parking spaces in the parking lot, and wherein the ruleset defines which specific self-driving vehicles are permitted to park in the one or more parking spaces at a predefined period of time.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions to transmit movement instructions to the one or more self-driving vehicles within the delineated area of the vehicular area to vacate the delineated area of the vehicular area in accordance with the ruleset.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions to transmit movement instructions to the one or more self-driving vehicles to occupy the delineated area of the vehicular area at a predefined time period in accordance with the ruleset.

15. A computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer readable memories, and one or more computer readable storage mediums, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to receive an image of a vehicular area in which self-driving vehicles are able to travel;

program instructions to display the image on a display;

program instructions to receive an input defining a delineated area of the vehicular area on the display;

program instructions to retrieve a ruleset related to movement of self-driving vehicles within the delineated area; and

program instructions to transmit movement instructions to one or more self-driving vehicles within the delineated area in accordance with the ruleset.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions to receive the ruleset from an input on the display.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the image of the vehicular area is a photographic image of the vehicular area.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the vehicular area is a parking lot, wherein the delineated area is one or more parking spaces in the parking lot, and wherein the ruleset defines which specific self-driving vehicles are permitted to park in the one or more parking spaces at a predefined period of time.

19. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions to transmit movement instructions to the one or more self-driving vehicles within the delineated area of the vehicular area to vacate the delineated area of the vehicular area in accordance with the ruleset.

20. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions to transmit movement instructions to the one or more self-driving vehicles to occupy the delineated area of the vehicular area at a predefined time period in accordance with the ruleset.