Generating and transmitting parking instructions for autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles

• US 10,459,442 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayes, Howard, Madigan, Regina, Kumar, Surender, Slusar, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US15/713,471
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• 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: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas

Abstract

Systems and apparatuses for receiving data from a plurality of sensors and using the data, as well as other data, to generate a parking recommendation for an autonomous vehicle and instruct the autonomous vehicle to travel to the recommended parking location are provided. Data may be received from a plurality of sensors within a first autonomous vehicle, as well as from other vehicles and/or structures. Historical parking data associated with the first autonomous vehicle may also be extracted. In some examples, an expected future trip of the first autonomous vehicle may be determined. The system may then evaluate the data to generate a parking recommendation for the first autonomous vehicle. The system may generate and transmit instructions for traveling from a current location to the recommended parking location and may cause the first autonomous vehicle to travel to the recommended parking location.

Claims

1. A parking analysis system, comprising:

a plurality of first sensors associated with one or more vehicles;

a plurality of second sensors associated with one or more structures;

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause a parking analysis computing device to;

receive, from the plurality of first sensors, data associated with at least one location of the one or more vehicles;

receive, from the plurality of second sensors, data associated with one or more potential parking locations;

receive, from a trip assignment server, an expected future trip for a first vehicle of the one or more vehicles; and

generate, based on the data associated with the at least one location of the one or more vehicles, based on the data associated with the one or more potential parking locations, and based on the expected future trip, a recommended first parking location for the first vehicle to park until the expected future trip;

generate, for the first vehicle, instructions to travel from a current location to the recommended first parking location; and

transmit, to the first vehicle, the instructions.

2. The parking analysis system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the parking analysis computing device to cause the first vehicle to travel to the recommended first parking location.

3. The parking analysis system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the parking analysis computing device to:

determine, in real-time and based on sensor data providing current environmental conditions of the current location, an imminent weather event;

generate, based on the current location and the imminent weather event, a recommended second parking location to avoid the imminent weather event;

generate, for the first vehicle, second instructions to travel from the current location to the recommended second parking location;

transmit, to the first vehicle, the second instructions; and

cause the first vehicle to travel to the recommended second parking location.

4. The parking analysis system of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the parking analysis computing device to:

determine, in real-time, that the first vehicle has a maintenance issue;

generate, responsive to determining that the first vehicle has the maintenance issue, a recommended second parking location equipped to address the maintenance issue;

generate, for the first vehicle, second instructions to travel from the current location to the recommended second parking location;

transmit, to the first vehicle, the second instructions; and

cause the first vehicle to travel to the recommended second parking location.

5. The parking analysis system of claim 1, wherein the expected future trip is identified based on at least one of:

an appointment in an electronic calendar of a user associated with the first vehicle and historical trip data for the first vehicle.

6. The parking analysis system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

7. The parking analysis system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the one or more potential parking locations comprises current environmental conditions at the one or more potential parking locations.

8. A parking analysis server, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the parking analysis server to;

receive, from a first plurality of sensors, data associated with locations of one or more vehicles;

receive, from a second plurality of sensors, data associated with one or more potential parking locations;

receive, from a trip assignment server, an expected future trip for a first vehicle of the one or more vehicles; and

generate, based on the data associated with the locations of the one or more vehicles, based on the data associated with the one or more potential parking locations, and based on the expected future trip, a recommended first parking location for the first vehicle to park until the expected future trip;

generate, for the first vehicle, instructions to travel from a current location to the recommended first parking location; and

transmit, to the first vehicle, the instructions to travel from the current location to the recommended first parking location.

9. The parking analysis server of claim 8, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the parking analysis server to cause the first vehicle to travel to the recommended first parking location.

10. The parking analysis server of claim 8, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the parking analysis server to:

determine, in real-time and based on sensor data providing current environmental conditions of the current location, an imminent weather event;

generate, based on the current location and the imminent weather event, a recommended second parking location to avoid the imminent weather event;

generate, for the first vehicle, second instructions to travel from the current location to the recommended second parking location;

transmit, to the first vehicle, the second instructions; and

cause the first vehicle to travel to the recommended second parking location.

11. The parking analysis server of claim 8, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the parking analysis server to:

determine, in real-time, that the first vehicle has a maintenance issue;

generate, responsive to determining that the first vehicle has the maintenance issue, a recommended second parking location equipped to address the maintenance issue;

generate, for the first vehicle, second instructions to travel from the current location to the recommended second parking location;

transmit, to the first vehicle, the second instructions; and

cause the first vehicle to travel to the recommended second parking location.

12. The parking analysis server of claim 8, wherein the expected future trip is identified based on at least one of:

an appointment in an electronic calendar of a user associated with the first vehicle and historical trip data for the first vehicle.

13. The parking analysis server of claim 8, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

14. The parking analysis server of claim 8, wherein the data associated with the one or more potential parking locations comprises current environmental conditions at the one or more potential parking locations.

15. A method of generating a parking location recommendation, comprising:

receiving, by a parking analysis server and from a first plurality of sensors, data associated with locations of one or more vehicles;

receiving, by the parking analysis server and from a second plurality of sensors, data associated with one or more potential parking locations;

receiving, by the parking analysis server and from a trip assignment server, an expected future trip for a first vehicle of the one or more vehicles; and

generating, by the parking analysis server and based on the data associated with the locations of the one or more vehicles, based on the data associated with the one or more potential parking locations, and based on the expected future trip, a recommended first parking location for the first vehicle to park until the expected future trip;

generating, by the parking analysis server and for the first vehicle, instructions to travel from a current location to the recommended first parking location; and

transmitting, by the parking analysis server and to the first vehicle, the instructions.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the method further comprising causing, based on the instructions, the autonomous vehicle to travel to the recommended first parking location.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the method further comprising:

determining, by the parking analysis server in real-time and based on sensor data providing current environmental conditions of the current location, an imminent weather event;

generating, by the parking analysis server and based on the current location and the imminent weather event, a recommended second parking location to avoid the imminent weather event;

generating, by the parking analysis server and for the autonomous vehicle, second instructions to travel from the current location to the recommended second parking location;

transmitting, by the parking analysis server and to the autonomous vehicle, the second instructions; and

causing, by the parking analysis server, the autonomous vehicle to travel to the recommended second parking location.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the method further comprising:

determining, by the parking analysis server and in real-time, that the autonomous vehicle has a maintenance issue;

generating, by the parking analysis server and responsive to determining that the vehicle has the maintenance issue, a recommended second parking location equipped to address the maintenance issue;

generating, by the parking analysis server and for the autonomous vehicle, second instructions to travel from the current location to the recommended second parking location;

transmitting, by the parking analysis server and to the autonomous vehicle, the second instructions; and

causing, by the parking analysis server, the autonomous vehicle to travel to the recommended second parking location.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the expected future trip is identified based on an appointment in an electronic calendar of a user associated with the first vehicle.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the data associated with the one or more potential parking locations comprises current environmental conditions at the one or more potential parking locations.