Methods and systems for transportation to destinations by a self-driving vehicle

• US 9,996,086 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Templeton, Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/493,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 701 25
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/21 Voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/35 Data fusion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 : Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 : using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 : comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous mode is provided. The vehicle is configured to obtain an indication of a final destination, and, if the final destination is not on a pre-approved road for travel by the vehicle, the vehicle is configured to determine a route from the vehicle'"'"'s current location to an intermediary destination. The vehicle is further configured to determine a means for the vehicle user to reach the final destination from the intermediate destination.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, an input indicating a final destination, wherein the computer system is configured to control a vehicle in an autonomous mode;

comparing, by the computer system, the final destination to a driveable graph to make a binary decision whether or not the final destination is located on the drivable graph, wherein the driveable graph represents a map comprising one or more pre-approved roads on which the vehicle is approved to navigate in the autonomous mode, wherein the vehicle is operable in the autonomous mode only when the vehicle is on the one or more pre-approved roads, and wherein the one or more pre-approved roads are a subset of all roads available for use by the vehicle in a manual mode;

determining, by the computer system based on the comparison, that the final destination is not located on the driveable graph;

selecting, by the computer system, a route from a current location of the vehicle to an intermediary destination, wherein the route only comprises one or more pre-approved roads for travel by the vehicle in the autonomous mode;

navigating, by the computer system, the vehicle in the autonomous mode such that the vehicle traverses the one or more pre-approved roads of the route from the current location to the intermediary destination;

parking, by the computing system, the vehicle at the intermediary destination; and

determining, by the computer system, a transport mode to reach the final destination, wherein the transport mode to reach the final destination does not include navigating the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediary destination is closer than the current location to the final destination.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a route from the intermediary destination to the final destination comprises roads that are not provided in a database of the one or more pre-approved roads for travel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport mode to reach the final destination is via a taxi, further comprising contacting a taxi for pickup at the intermediary destination.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport mode to reach the final destination is via a bus and wherein the intermediary destination is a point of pickup for the bus, further comprising providing a schedule for the bus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport mode to reach the final destination is to walk to the final destination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediary destination comprises a facility for a temporary stay, the method further comprising:

after receiving an indication of a completion of the temporary stay, operating the vehicle in a user assist mode, wherein the vehicle operation in the user assist mode is the transport mode to reach the final destination.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input to administer an impairment test; and

administering the impairment test.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

upon receiving a result from the impairment test indicating non-impairment, operating the vehicle in a user assist mode.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising making a determination to operate the vehicle in the autonomous mode in response to receiving an input to operate the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising making a determination to operate the vehicle in the autonomous mode in response to receiving an indication that a user is unable to assist with driving the vehicle.

12. A vehicle, comprising:

one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to acquire sensor data relating to a current location of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in an autonomous mode based on information from the one or more sensors;

a user interface of the vehicle configured to obtain an indication of a final destination; and

a computer system configured to;

compare the final destination to a driveable graph to make a binary decision whether or not the final destination is located on the drivable graph, wherein the driveable graph represents a map comprising one or more pre-approved roads on which the vehicle is approved to navigate in the autonomous mode, wherein the vehicle is operable in the autonomous mode only when the vehicle is on the one or more pre-approved roads, and wherein the one or more pre-approved roads are a subset of all roads available for use by the vehicle in a manual mode;

determine, based on the comparison, that the final destination is not located on the driveable graph;

select a route from a current location of the vehicle to an intermediary destination, wherein the route only comprises one or more pre-approved roads for travel by the vehicle in the autonomous mode;

navigate the vehicle in the autonomous mode such that the vehicle traverses the one or more pre-approved roads of the route from the current location to the intermediary destination;

park the vehicle at the intermediary destination; and

determine a transport mode to reach the final destination, wherein the transport mode to reach the final destination does not include navigating the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the route to the intermediary destination comprises one or more roads in a database of pre-approved roads for travel by the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein a route from the intermediary destination to the final destination comprises one or more roads not in the database of pre-approved roads.

15. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive an input to administer an impairment test and to administer the impairment test.

16. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein upon reception of a result from the impairment test indicating non-impairment, the vehicle is configured to change modes and operate the vehicle in a user assist mode.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to perform functions, the functions comprising:

receiving an input indicating a final destination, wherein the computer system is configured to control a vehicle in an autonomous mode;

comparing the final destination to a driveable graph to make a binary decision whether or not the final destination is located on the drivable graph, wherein the driveable graph represents a map comprising one or more pre-approved roads on which the vehicle is approved to navigate in the autonomous mode, wherein the vehicle is operable in the autonomous mode only when the vehicle is on the one or more pre-approved roads, and wherein the one or more pre-approved roads are a subset of all roads available for use by the vehicle in a manual mode;

determining, based on the comparison, that the final destination is not located on the driveable graph;

selecting a route from a current location of the vehicle to an intermediary destination, wherein the route only comprises one or more pre-approved roads for travel by the vehicle in the autonomous mode;

navigating the vehicle in the autonomous mode such that the vehicle traverses the one or more pre-approved roads of the route from the current location to the intermediary destination;

parking the vehicle at the intermediary destination; and

determining a transport mode to reach the final destination, wherein the transport mode to reach the final destination does not include navigating the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the route to the intermediary destination comprises roads provided in a database of pre-approved roads, and wherein the pre-approved roads are a subset of all roads available for use by vehicles.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving an input to administer an impairment test; and

administering the impairment test.