Uber Technologies, Inc.

Konrad Julian Niemiec

Shenglong Gao

Jay A Chen

Brent Justin Goldman

Mark Yen

Michael Voznesensky

Brent Goldman

Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices to facilitate routing of an autonomous vehicle (AV) based on pick-up or drop-off zones (PDZs) that are usable by the AV at destination location. A request for one or more PDZs that are usable by a vehicle to perform a pick-up or drop-off operation at a specified location is received from a vehicular autonomy system of the vehicle. A set of PDZs that are usable by the vehicle at the specified location is identified based on an association between information associated with vehicle and one or more PDZ objects in a data store. Each PDZ object comprising data describing a PDZ. A response is generated based on the set of PDZs and transmitted to the vehicular autonomy system. The response includes at least one PDZ identifier to the set of PDZs.

Pick-up/drop-off zone tracking system

Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices to facilitate pick-up/drop-off zone (PDZ) handoffs between autonomous vehicles. Consistent with some embodiments, a pick-up/drop-off zone (PDZ) is located based on detecting a first autonomous vehicle stopped at a stopping location. A system determines, based on one or more criteria, whether to request the first autonomous vehicle to remain stopped at the stopping location to create an opportunity for a second autonomous vehicle to claim the PDZ. An amount of time for the first autonomous vehicle to remain stopped at the stopping location is determined based on the one or more criteria. A request to remain stopped at the stopping location is transmitted to a vehicle autonomy system of the first autonomous vehicle based on satisfaction of the one or more criteria. The request specifies the amount of time for the first autonomous vehicle to remain at the stopping location.

Pick-up/drop-off zone handoff between autonomous vehicles

Systems and methods for determining appropriate energy replenishment and controlling autonomous vehicles are provided. An example computer-implemented method can include obtaining one or more energy parameters associated with an autonomous vehicle. The method can include determining a refueling task for the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the energy parameters associated with the autonomous vehicle. The refueling task comprises a first refueling task that is interruptible by a vehicle service assignment or a second refueling task that is not interruptible by the vehicle service assignment. The method can include communicating data indicative of the refueling task to the autonomous vehicle or to a second computing system that manages the autonomous vehicle. The method can include determining whether the refueling task for the autonomous vehicle has been accepted or rejected.

Systems and methods for energy based autonomous vehicle control

Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices to auction-based on-demand transport selection. A transport request is received from a requesting user of a transport service region. A subset of transport providers to service the transport request are determined from transport providers that service the transport service region. A transport provider is selected to service the transport request based in part on a combination of a proposed cost to service the transport request and a proposed price to be paid in exchange for utilizing one or more pick-up/drop-off zones (PDZs) in servicing the request. The proposed cost to complete the transport request and the proposed price to be paid for utilizing one or more PDZs are specified by the transport provider. A transport assignment is transmitted to the selected transport provider to cause the selected transport provider to service the transport request.

On-demand transport selection process based on pick-up/drop-off zone utilization

Systems and methods are provided for finding an available pickup/drop-off zone (PDZ) for an autonomous vehicle (AV) to use to pick up a passenger. A PDZ is selected that is likely to be available and that is within a reasonable walking distance of a passenger. The AV and the passenger are guided to the available PDZ. In selecting the available PDZ, the system balances the human and vehicle routing by taking into account the distance possible PDZs are from the passenger, the likelihood the respective PDZs will be available, the passenger's desire/ability to walk to the respective PDZs (e.g., due to physical limitations, weather, etc.), the driving time of the AV to the respective PDZs, the walking time of the passenger to the respective PDZs, and the like.

Passenger walking points in pick-up/drop-off zones

Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices to provide estimations of vehicular pick-up/drop-off zone (PDZ) availability. A request for vehicular PDZ availability at a location is received from a vehicular autonomy system of a vehicle. The request specifies an estimated time of arrival at the location. The PDZ availability at the location at the estimated time of arrival is estimated using a probabilistic model. A response to the request is generated based on the estimated PDZ availability. The response indicates the estimated PDZ availability. The response is transmitted to the vehicular autonomy system responsive to the request.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Konrad Julian Niemiec