Self-driving vehicle systems and methods

• US 10,303,181 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drivent LLC
• Original Assignee: Drivent LLC
• Inventors: Wengreen, Eric John, Schwie, Wesley Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US16/205,013
• Time in Patent Office: 180 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• 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 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A vehicle management system can include a self-driving vehicle and a computer system that is communicatively coupled with a remote computing device of a rider. The vehicle management system can include a location tracking system configured to receive a first location data indicative of a drop-off location where the self-driving vehicle dropped off the rider. The location tracking system can receive a second location data indicative of locations of the remote computing device during a period from after the self-driving vehicle fleet drops off the rider to before the self-driving vehicle fleet picks up the rider. The computer system can be configured to prompt the self-driving vehicle to drive to an area within 100 feet of the drop-off location to pick up the rider in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area after being dropped off.

Claims

1. A vehicle management system comprising:

a self-driving vehicle fleet comprising at least one of a first self-driving vehicle and a second self-driving vehicle, wherein the fleet is configured to transport a rider;

a computer system comprising at least one computer and configured to be communicatively coupled with a remote computing device of the rider and at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle; and

a location tracking system communicatively coupled with the computer system and configured to receive a first location data indicative of a drop-off location where the self-driving vehicle fleet dropped off the rider,

wherein the location tracking system is configured to receive a second location data indicative of at least one location of the remote computing device during a period of time from after when the self-driving vehicle fleet drops off the rider to before when the self-driving vehicle fleet picks up the rider, and

wherein the computer system is configured to prompt at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle to drive to an area within a predetermined distance of the drop-off location to pick up the rider in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area after being dropped off.

2. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the first location data comprises a first GPS location calculated by at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle, and the second location data comprises a second GPS location calculated by the remote computing device.

3. The vehicle management system of claim 2, wherein the computer system is configured to prompt at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle to drive to the area in response to determining, based on the second location data, that the rider is not moving away from at least one of the area and the drop-off location.

4. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the first location data comprises a first GPS location based on a first radio signal and a second radio signal received by at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle, and

the second location data comprises a second GPS location based on a third radio signal and a fourth radio signal received by the remote computing device.

5. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the first location data comprises a first GPS location calculated by at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle, and the second location data comprises a first indoor location calculated by the remote computing device based on information received via radio waves from an indoor positioning system.

6. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is configured to prompt at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle to drive to the area in response to determining, based on movement data from the remote computing device, that the rider is not moving away from at least one of the area and the drop-off location,

wherein the remote computing device comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a Wi-Fi tracker, and the movement data is based on information from at least one of the accelerometer, the gyroscope, and the Wi-Fi tracker.

7. The vehicle management system of claim 1, further comprising program instructions configured to be executed by the remote computing device having at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a Wi-Fi tracker, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the remote computing device to send a first communication to the computer system in response to the remote computing device using at least one of the accelerometer, the gyroscope, and the Wi-Fi tracker to determine that the rider is not moving away from at least one of the area and the drop-off location,

wherein the computer system is configured to prompt at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle to drive to the area in response to receiving the first communication.

8. The vehicle management system of claim 1, further comprising program instructions configured to be executed by the remote computing device having at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the remote computing device to send a first communication to the computer system in response to the remote computing device using at least one of the accelerometer and the gyroscope to determine that the rider is not walking,

wherein the computer system is configured to prompt at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle to drive to the area in response to receiving the first communication.

9. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises at least one processor and a memory having program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to automatically prompt at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle to drive to the area within the predetermined distance of the drop-off location to pick up the rider prior to a scheduled pick-up time in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area after being dropped off.

10. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is 250 feet, and the computer system comprises at least one processor and a memory having program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to cause the at least one processor to prompt the first self-driving vehicle to drive to the area within 250 feet of the drop-off location to pick up the rider in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area after being dropped off.

11. The vehicle management system of claim 10, wherein after prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive to the area in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area, the program instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to prompt the first self-driving vehicle to drive away from the area in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device moving away from at least one of the drop-off location and the area.

12. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is 250 feet, and the location tracking system is configured to receive the first location data indicative of the drop-off location where the first self-driving vehicle dropped off the rider,

wherein the computer system is configured to prompt the second self-driving vehicle to drive to the area within 250 feet of the drop-off location to pick up the rider in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area after being dropped off.

13. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is 100 feet, and the computer system is configured to automatically prompt the first self-driving vehicle to drive toward the area within 100 feet of the drop-off location to pick up the rider in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device moving toward the area.

14. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is 250 feet, and the computer system is configured to automatically prompt the first self-driving vehicle to drive toward the area within 250 feet of the drop-off location to pick up the rider in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device moving toward the area for at least a predetermined amount of time.

15. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is 250 feet, and

the computer system comprises at least one processor and a memory having program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to, in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device moving toward the area within 250 feet of the drop-off location, cause the at least one processor to cause the remote computing device to prompt the rider to at least one of request a ride, confirm the rider wants the ride, cancel a pending pick up, enter a pick-up time, and enter a pick-up location.

16. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the area is a first area, and the predetermined distance is a first predetermined distance,

wherein at least one of the computer system and the remote computing device are configured to estimate a first amount of time that the first self-driving vehicle is away from a second area within a second predetermined distance of the drop-off location and estimate a second amount of time that the remote computing device is away from a third area within a third predetermined distance of the drop-off location,

wherein the computer system is configured to automatically prompt the first self-driving vehicle to drive toward a fourth area within a fourth predetermined distance of the drop-off location in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device moving toward the first area and in response to determining that the first amount of time is at least fifty percent of the second amount of time.

17. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises a memory, and

the computer system is configured to automatically prompt the first self-driving vehicle to drive to the area to pick up the rider in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area.

18. The vehicle management system of claim 17, wherein the memory comprises a pick-up time selected by the rider, the computer system is configured to override the pick-up time by prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive to the area to pick up the rider prior to the pick-up time, and the computer system is configured to override the pick-up time in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having arrived at the area prior to the pick-up time.

19. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises at least one processor and a memory having a pick-up time selected by the rider,

wherein the memory comprises program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to, in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area prior to the pick-up time, cause the at least one processor to cause the remote computing device to prompt the rider to at least one of request a ride, confirm the rider wants the ride, and cancel a pending pick up.

29. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises a memory having a third location data indicative of a pick-up location selected by the rider, wherein the pick-up location is not located in the area,

wherein the computer system is configured to override the pick-up location selected by the rider by automatically prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive to the area to pick up the rider in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area.

30. The vehicle management system of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises at least one processor and a memory,

wherein the memory comprises program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to, in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area, cause the at least one processor to cause the remote computing device to prompt the rider to at least one of request a ride, confirm the rider wants the ride, and cancel a pending pick up.

20. A method of using a vehicle management system comprising a self-driving vehicle fleet having at least one of a first self-driving vehicle and a second self-driving vehicle, wherein the fleet is configured to transport a rider, the method comprising:

receiving, by the vehicle management system, a first location data indicative of a drop-off location where the self-driving vehicle fleet dropped off the rider;

receiving, by the vehicle management system, a second location data indicative of at least one location of a remote computing device of the rider during a period of time from after when the self-driving vehicle fleet drops off the rider to before when the self-driving vehicle fleet picks up the rider, and

prompting, by the vehicle management system, the first self-driving vehicle to drive to an area within 250 feet of the drop-off location to pick up the rider in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area after being dropped off.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first location data comprises a first GPS location calculated by at least one of the first self-driving vehicle and the second self-driving vehicle, and the second location data comprises a second GPS location calculated by the remote computing device,

the method further comprising prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive to the area in response to determining, based on the second location data, that the remote computing device is not moving away from at least one of the area and the drop-off location.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the remote computing device comprises at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope, the method further comprising:

using at least one of the accelerometer and the gyroscope to collect movement data, and

prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive to the area in response to determining, based on the movement data, that the rider is not at least one of moving away from the area, moving away from the drop-off location, and moving more than a predetermined threshold.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein after prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive to the area in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area, the method further comprising:

prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive away from the area in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device moving away from at least one of the drop-off location and the area.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive toward the area within 250 feet of the drop-off location to pick up the rider in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device moving toward the area.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising prompting, by the remote computing device, the rider to at least one of request a ride, confirm the rider wants the ride, cancel a pending pick up, enter a pick-up time, and enter a pick-up location,

wherein the prompting is in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device moving toward the area within 250 feet of the drop-off location.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the area is a first area, the method further comprising:

estimating a first amount of time that the first self-driving vehicle is away from a second area within a first predetermined distance of the drop-off location,

estimating a second amount of time that the remote computing device is away from a third area within a second predetermined distance of the drop-off location, and

prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive toward a fourth area within a third predetermined distance of the drop-off location in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device moving toward the first area and in response to determining that the first amount of time is at least fifty percent of the second amount of time.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein a memory of the vehicle management system comprises a pick-up time chosen by the rider, the method further comprising:

prompting, by the remote computing device, the rider to at least one of request a ride, confirm the rider wants the ride, and cancel a pending pick up, wherein the prompting is in response to determining that the second location data is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area prior to the pick-up time.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the first location data comprises a first GPS location, and the second location data comprises a second GPS location and a third GPS location,

after prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive to the area in response to determining that the second GPS location is indicative of the remote computing device having returned to the area and prior to picking up the rider, the method further comprising:

prompting the first self-driving vehicle to drive away from the area in response to determining that the third GPS location is indicative of the remote computing device moving away from at least one of the drop-off location and the area.