Self-driving vehicle systems and methods

• US 10,794,714 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2019
• Issued: 10/06/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drivent LLC
• Original Assignee: Drivent LLC
• Inventors: Schwie, Wesley Edward, Wengreen, Eric John
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne Marie
• Application Number:
  US16/427,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20200103239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• 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: 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 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

Self-driving vehicles have unlimited potential to learn and predict human behavior and perform actions accordingly. Several embodiments described herein include a method of using a vehicle management system to identify a high traffic area and move a self-driving vehicle to meet a rider. Methods also include receiving, by the vehicle management system, a primary pick-up location to meet the rider and detecting, by an antenna of the self-driving vehicle, a number of remote computing devices adjacent the primary pick-up location. Additionally, methods may include determining, by at least one of the vehicle management system and a remote computing device associated with the rider, that the number of remote computing devices exceeds a predetermined remote computing device threshold.

Claims

1. A method of using a vehicle management system to identify a high traffic area and move a self-driving vehicle to meet a rider, wherein the vehicle management system is configured to be communicatively coupled with a remote computing device associated with the rider, the method comprising:

receiving, by the vehicle management system, a primary pick-up location to meet the rider;

detecting, by an antenna of the self-driving vehicle, a number of remote computing devices adjacent the primary pick-up location;

determining, by at least one of the vehicle management system and the remote computing device, that the number of remote computing devices exceeds a predetermined remote computing device threshold;

sending, by the vehicle management system, a wireless communication to the remote computing device, wherein the wireless communication is configured to prompt the rider to select a secondary pick-up location;

determining, by the vehicle management system, that a secondary response wireless communication has not been received from the remote computing device within a predetermined amount of time; and

in response to determining that the secondary response wireless communication has not been received within the predetermined amount of time, instructing, by at least one of the vehicle management system and the remote computing device, the self-driving vehicle to pick up the rider at the primary pick-up location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to determining that the number of remote computing devices adjacent the primary pick-up location exceeds the predetermined remote computing device threshold, identifying, by the vehicle management system, the secondary pick-up location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the vehicle management system, the secondary response wireless communication from the remote computing device, wherein the secondary response wireless communication comprises instructions to meet at a tertiary pick-up location.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising in response to receiving the secondary response wireless communication, instructing, by at least one of the vehicle management system and the remote computing device, the self-driving vehicle to pick up the rider at the tertiary pick-up location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the vehicle management system, a predetermined pick-up location to meet the rider, wherein the predetermined pick-up location is selected by the rider as a back-up pick-up location relative to the primary pick-up location.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising in response to determining that the number of remote computing devices adjacent the primary pick-up location exceeds the predetermined remote computing device threshold, sending, by the vehicle management system, a secondary wireless communication to the remote computing device, wherein the secondary wireless communication comprises a request to meet at the predetermined pick-up location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the vehicle management system, a tertiary response wireless communication from the remote computing device, wherein the tertiary response wireless communication comprises a confirmation to meet at the predetermined pick-up location; and

in response to receiving the tertiary response wireless communication, instructing, by at least one of the vehicle management system and the remote computing device, the self-driving vehicle to pick up the rider at the predetermined pick-up location.

8. The method of claim 1, in response to determining that the number of remote computing devices adjacent the primary pick-up location exceeds the predetermined remote computing device threshold, instructing, by at least one of the vehicle management system and the remote computing device, the self-driving vehicle to move away from the primary pick-up location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein instructing the self-driving vehicle to move away from the primary pick-up location further comprises instructing, by at least one of the vehicle management system and the remote computing device, the self-driving vehicle to move towards a parking location.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the vehicle management system, a response wireless communication from the remote computing device, wherein the response wireless communication comprises a rejection to meet at the secondary pick-up location.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, by the antenna of the self-driving vehicle, a number of remote computing devices adjacent the secondary pick-up location.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining, by at least one of the vehicle management system and the remote computing device, that the number of remote computing devices adjacent the secondary pick-up location is less than the predetermined remote computing device threshold.

13. A method of using a vehicle management system to identify a high traffic area and move a self-driving vehicle to meet a rider, wherein the vehicle management system is configured to be communicatively coupled with a remote computing device associated with the rider, the method comprising:

receiving, by the vehicle management system, a primary pick-up location and a predetermined pick-up location to meet the rider, wherein the predetermined pick-up location is selected by the rider as a back-up pick-up location relative to the primary pick-up location;

detecting, by an antenna of the self-driving vehicle, a number of remote computing devices adjacent the primary pick-up location;

determining, by at least one of the vehicle management system and the remote computing device, that the number of remote computing devices exceeds a predetermined remote computing device threshold;

sending, by the vehicle management system, a wireless communication to the remote computing device, wherein the wireless communication is configured to prompt the rider to select a secondary pick-up location;

determining, by the vehicle management system, that a secondary response wireless communication has not been received from the remote computing device within a predetermined amount of time; and

in response to determining that the secondary response wireless communication has not been received within the predetermined amount of time, instructing, by at least one of the vehicle management system and the remote computing device, the self-driving vehicle to pick up the rider at the predetermined pick-up location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving, by the vehicle management system, a response wireless communication from the remote computing device, wherein the response wireless communication comprises a rejection to meet at the secondary pick-up location.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising in response to receiving the response wireless communication from the remote computing device, sending, by the vehicle management system, a secondary wireless communication to the remote computing device, wherein the secondary wireless communication comprises a request to meet at the predetermined pick-up location.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting, by the antenna of the self-driving vehicle, a number of remote computing devices adjacent the predetermined pick-up location.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining, by at least one of the vehicle management system and the remote computing device, that the number of remote computing devices adjacent the predetermined pick-up location is less than the predetermined remote computing device threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein instructing the self-driving vehicle to pick up the rider at the predetermined pick-up location further occurs in response to determining that the number of remote computing devices adjacent the predetermined pick-up location is less than the predetermined remote computing device threshold.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein sending the wireless communication to the remote computing device occurs in response to determining that the number of remote computing devices adjacent the primary pick-up location exceeds the predetermined remote computing device threshold.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving, by the vehicle management system, a tertiary response wireless communication from the remote computing device, wherein the tertiary response wireless communication comprises a confirmation to meet at the predetermined pick-up location.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein instructing the self-driving vehicle to pick up the rider at the predetermined pick-up location further occurs in response to receiving the tertiary response wireless communication.