Uatc, LLC

Uber Technologies, Inc.

Aurora Operations, Inc.

Eric James Hanson

Molly Castle Nix

Sean Rhee Chin

Dennis Zhao

Richard Brian Donnelly

Scott C Poeppel

Philipp Haban

David Patrick Rice

Thomas Jeffery Watson, Jr

Sean Hyde

Sean Chin

Alex Castro

Systems and methods are directed to matching an available vehicle to a rider requesting a service. In one example, a computer-implemented method includes obtaining, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, a service request from a rider. The method further includes obtaining, by the computing system, data indicative of a current location of the rider; and determining that the current location of the rider is within proximity of an autonomous vehicle queuing location. The method further includes providing, by the computing system, data to the rider to provide for selection of an available autonomous vehicle at the autonomous vehicle queuing location. The method further includes obtaining, by the computing system, rider authentication data upon a selection of an autonomous vehicle by the rider; and, in response to obtaining rider authentication data, matching an autonomous vehicle selected by the rider to provide for performance of the service request.

Systems and methods for matching an autonomous vehicle to a rider

The present disclosure is directed to state-based autonomous-vehicle operations. In particular, the methods, devices, and systems of the present disclosure can: determine, based at least in part on one or more actions of a passenger associated with a trip of an autonomous vehicle, a current state of the trip from amongst a plurality of different predefined states of the trip; identify, based at least in part on the current state of the trip, one or more computing devices associated with the passenger; generate, based at least in part on the current state of the trip, data describing one or more interfaces for display by the computing device(s) associated with the passenger; and communicate, to the computing device(s) associated with the passenger, the data describing the interface(s) for display.

State-based autonomous-vehicle operations

The present disclosure provides an autonomous vehicle and associated interface system that includes multiple vehicle interface computing devices that provide redundant vehicle commands. As one example, an autonomous vehicle interface system can include a first vehicle interface computing device located within the autonomous vehicle and physically coupled to the autonomous vehicle. The first vehicle interface computing device can provide a first plurality of selectable vehicle commands to a human passenger of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle interface system can further include a second vehicle interface computing device that provides a second plurality of selectable vehicle commands to the human passenger. For example, the second vehicle interface computing device can be the passenger's own device (e.g., smartphone). The second plurality of selectable vehicle commands can include at least some of the same vehicle commands as the first plurality of selectable vehicle commands.

Autonomous vehicle interface system with multiple interface devices featuring redundant vehicle commands

A method for determining and providing alternative routes receives request data associated with a request from a user device. A first canonical route is determined from a plurality of canonical routes based on the request data. Each respective canonical route of the plurality of canonical routes satisfies at least one autonomy criteria associated with whether an autonomous vehicle can travel on the respective canonical route. First route data associated with the first canonical route is provided. Route identification data associated with identifying an alternative canonical route is received after providing the first route data associated with the first canonical route. A second canonical route is determined from the plurality of canonical routes based on the route identification data. Second route data associated with the second canonical route is provided for controlling travel of the autonomous vehicle on the second canonical route.

Determining routes for autonomous vehicles

The present disclosure is directed to communicating autonomous-vehicle status. In particular, the methods, devices, and systems of the present disclosure can: determine one or more maintenance statuses of one or more of multiple different systems of an autonomous vehicle; and depict at least one of the status(es) via a display device affixed to an exterior of the autonomous vehicle and configured to display information associated with the multiple different systems such that the information is visible to an observer located outside the autonomous vehicle.

Methods, devices, and systems for communicating autonomous-vehicle status

Systems and methods for recovering an autonomous vehicle in a fleet of vehicles are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes detecting an existence of an adverse condition associated with an autonomous vehicle in the fleet. The method includes determining in response to detecting the adverse condition, a recovery plan for the first autonomous vehicle based at least in part on one or more attributes associated with the adverse condition, the recovery plan including one or more actions to recover the first autonomous vehicle at a remote location. The method includes initiating the recovery plan to recover the first autonomous vehicle at the remote location.

Systems and methods for on-site recovery of autonomous vehicles

Systems and methods for controlling an autonomous vehicle are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes providing a control of the autonomous vehicle to a user associated with a vehicle service. The method includes identifying one or more release signals indicative of one or more actions of the user. The method includes releasing the control of the autonomous vehicle from the user, based at least in part on the release signals.

Systems and methods for determining when to release control of an autonomous vehicle

An interaction feedback system for passengers of an autonomous vehicle (AV) can detect a remote assist trigger, corresponding to a remote assist event, from a control system of the AV. The feedback system can then initiate a feedback mode using one or more feedback devices to enable interaction between one or more passengers of the AV and a remote operator based on detecting the remote assist trigger from the AV control system.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Eric James Hanson