Autonomous vehicle system employing time domain dynamic buffers when matching passengers and vehicles
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a plurality of at least partially autonomous vehicles;
a plurality of interconnected roadways having a plurality of track segments, wherein the roadways have at least partially separated lanes;
an embarkation area including a plurality of embarkation slots where passengers can board the vehicles, the embarkation area connected to at least one of the plurality of track segments, allowing the vehicles to travel to and from the embarkation area to the at least one of the plurality of track segments; and
a control system configured to coordinate a continuous flow of the plurality of vehicles on the track segments, wherein departing groups of vehicles traveling to different respective destinations depart from different embarkation slots of the embarkation area to the at least one of the plurality of track segments in coordinated groups that travel, at least in part simultaneously, from the embarkation area to the at least one of the plurality of track segments.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system includes a plurality of at least partially autonomous vehicles, a plurality of interconnected roadways having a plurality of track segments, and embarkation area, and a control system. The roadways preferably have at least partially separated lanes and the roadways are optionally grade separated. The embarkation area includes a plurality of embarkation slots where passengers can board the vehicles. The embarkation area is connected to at least one of the plurality of track segments, allowing the vehicles to travel to and from the embarkation area to the at least one of the plurality of track segments. The control system is configured to coordinate a continuous flow of the plurality of vehicles on the track segments. Groups of vehicles depart from the embarkation area to the at least one of the plurality of track segments in coordinated groups.
36 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a plurality of at least partially autonomous vehicles; a plurality of interconnected roadways having a plurality of track segments, wherein the roadways have at least partially separated lanes; an embarkation area including a plurality of embarkation slots where passengers can board the vehicles, the embarkation area connected to at least one of the plurality of track segments, allowing the vehicles to travel to and from the embarkation area to the at least one of the plurality of track segments; and a control system configured to coordinate a continuous flow of the plurality of vehicles on the track segments, wherein departing groups of vehicles traveling to different respective destinations depart from different embarkation slots of the embarkation area to the at least one of the plurality of track segments in coordinated groups that travel, at least in part simultaneously, from the embarkation area to the at least one of the plurality of track segments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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12. A control system comprising:
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a memory; at least one processor in communication with the memory; and at least one controller executing on the at least one processor, wherein the at least one controller is configured to; assign a group of vehicles to a plurality of vehicle slots where passengers can board the vehicles; identify passengers traveling through a passenger boarding zone, the passenger boarding zone adjacent to the plurality of vehicle slots; match the passengers with respective vehicles from the group of vehicles; receive an indication that the passengers have boarded the respective vehicles; responsive to the indication, coordinate departure of at least a subset of the group of vehicles from the vehicle slots back into a continuous flow of vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method comprising:
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assigning a coordinated group of vehicles to a plurality of vehicle slots where passengers can board the vehicles; identifying passengers traveling through a passenger boarding zone, the passenger boarding zone adjacent to the plurality of vehicle slots; matching the passengers with respective vehicles from the coordinated group of vehicles; receiving an indication that the passengers have boarded the respective vehicles; and responsive to receiving the indication, coordinating a departure of at least a subset of the coordinated group of vehicles from the vehicle slots back into a continuous flow of vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (19, 26)
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20. A boarding zone management system comprising:
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at least one vehicle slot configured to allow a vehicle to park in the vehicle slot; a boarding zone vehicle ingress region connected to the at least one vehicle slot, the vehicle ingress region connecting a first track segment of a plurality of track segments of a dedicated roadway to the at least one vehicle slot; a boarding zone vehicle egress region connected to the at least one vehicle slot, the vehicle egress region connecting the at least one vehicle slot to a second track segment of the dedicated roadway; a passenger boarding zone with at least one geographically delineated area including one or more outer geo-zones and a vehicle geo-zone, the passenger boarding zone adjacent to the at least one vehicle slot so that passengers can embark and/or disembark from vehicles parked in the at least one vehicle slot; and a controller configured to orchestrate the assignment of the at least one vehicle slot or vehicles entering the at least one vehicle slot to respective passengers traveling through the passenger boarding zone.
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Specification