Waymo LLC

Mishika Vora

Joshua Seth Herbach

Michael Epstein

Jonathan Lee Pedersen

Guillaume Dupre

Saksiri Tanphaichitr

Kevin Rawlings

Ben Qingzhou Wang

Nirmal Jitendra Patel

Salil Pandit

Clement Wright

Daniella Gutlansky

Yu Zheng

Amir Takhmar

Donghyun Kim

Eric Friedman

Sandra Lennie

Cameron Blume

Gaurav Agarwal

Xu Dong

Matthew Paul Mcnaughton

Tiffany Washburn

Trang Uyen Thien Tran

The technology involves pick-up and drop-off techniques for autonomous vehicles. Pullover selection options are evaluated by considering road user inconvenience and dynamic changes to such inconvenience. In response, a change in vehicle operation is made as needed. This process may consider whether a given situation is 'likely-inconvenient' or “unlikely-inconvenient” based on both statie and dynamic signals from the environment for a likely pick-up or drop-off location. The vehicle may request remote support to determine whether to pull over or to move from a stopped location, for instance based on changes to dynamic signals associated with other road users. In double parking situations, the vehicle may determine whether to remain double parked or move to limit inconvenience to a minimum number of other vehicles, such as by blocking as few other vehicles as possible or by making it as easy as possible for a parked vehicle to pull out.

Pick-up and drop-off signals for managing double parking obstruction

Aspects of the disclosure provide a method of managing maneuvering of an autonomous vehicle in certain situations. For instance, a state of the autonomous vehicle may be identified, for example by one or more processors of a planning system of a vehicle, a state of the autonomous vehicle. Based on the state of the autonomous vehicle, the one or more processors of the forward planning system may determine whether the autonomous vehicle has become stuck. Based on the determination that the autonomous vehicle has become stuck, engaging a maneuver planning system having one or more processors capable of generating trajectories that allow the autonomous vehicle to maneuver in reverse may be engaged. After engaging the maneuver planning system, a new trajectory for the autonomous vehicle to follow may be generated. The autonomous vehicle may be controlled according to the new trajectory.

Managing maneuvers for autonomous vehicles in certain situations

Aspects of the disclosure provide for arranging trips for autonomous vehicles. For instance, a request for a trip may be received by one or more processors of one or more server computing devices. The request may identify an initial location. A weather condition at the initial location may be identified. One or more internal vehicle state conditions and one or more priorities for pulling over may be determined based on the weather condition. A second location may be determined based on the one or more priorities and the initial location. Dispatch instructions may be provided to an autonomous vehicle, the dispatch instructions identifying the second location and the one or more internal vehicle state conditions in order to cause computing devices of the autonomous vehicle to control the autonomous vehicle to the second location and adjust internal vehicle state conditions based on the one or more internal vehicle state conditions.

Arranging trips for autonomous vehicles based on weather conditions

The technology involves to pickups performed by autonomous vehicles. In particular, it includes identifying one or more potential pullover locations adjacent to an area of interest that an autonomous vehicle is approaching. The vehicle detects that a given one of the potential pullover locations is occupied by another vehicle and determines whether the other vehicle will be vacating the given pullover location within a selected amount of time. Upon determining that the other vehicle will be vacating the given potential pullover location within the timeframe, the vehicle determines whether to wait for the other vehicle to vacate the given pullover location. Then a driving system of the vehicle either performs a first action in order to wait for the other vehicle to vacate the given pullover location or performs a second action that is different from the first action when it is determined to not wait.

Predicting a parking or pullover spot vacancy for an autonomous vehicle pickup

Aspects of the disclosure provide for enabling autonomous vehicles to pull over into driveways when picking up or dropping off passengers or goods. For instance, a request for a trip identifying a first location and a second location may be received. The first location may be a location of a client computing device, and the second location may be a starting location or a destination for the trip. A user preference for the trip indicating that a pickup for the trip be in a driveway may be identified. That the first location corresponds with the second location may be identified. Based on the determination that the first location corresponds with the second location, dispatch instructions may be to an autonomous vehicle. The dispatch instructions may identify a polygon for a driveway at the second location in order to cause the autonomous vehicle to pull over into the driveway.

Driveway pullovers for autonomous vehicles

Aspects of the disclosure relate to controlling a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. For instance, a first location corresponding to a location where the vehicle is to pick up or drop off a passenger is received. A first cost for the vehicle to reach the first location is determined. A second location based on the first location is identified, and a second cost is determined based on a cost for the vehicle to reach the second location and a cost for the passenger to reach the second location. The first cost is compared to the second cost, and a notification is sent based on the notification. In response to sending the notification, instructions to proceed to the second location are received, and in response to receiving the instructions, the vehicle is controlled in the autonomous driving mode to the second location to pick up or drop off the passenger.

Suggesting alternative pickup and drop off locations for autonomous vehicles

Aspects of the disclosure relate to evaluating pullovers for autonomous vehicles. In one instance, a set of potential pullover locations within a predetermined distance of a destination may be identified. Whether any of the potential pullover locations of the set include one or more of a plurality of predetermined types of regions of interest where a vehicle should not park for an extended period of time may be determined. A pullover location is identified based on the determination. The identified pullover location may be compared to a pullover location identified by autonomous vehicle control software in order to evaluate the pullover location identified by the autonomous vehicle control software.

Evaluating pullovers for autonomous vehicles

An example method includes setting an initial pickup location. The method includes causing an autonomous vehicle to navigate towards the initial pickup location. The method includes periodically generating a plurality of candidate updated pickup locations. The method includes selecting a suggested pickup location from the plurality of candidate pickup locations that achieves a benchmark for reducing one or more of a time and a distance associated with the initial pickup location for one or more of the autonomous vehicle and the client device. The method includes determining that the suggested pickup location satisfies a set of pre-update checks for limiting a number of pickup location updates. The method includes responsive to (i) selecting the suggested pickup location, and (ii) determining that the suggested pickup location satisfies the set of pre-update checks, causing the autonomous vehicle to navigate to the suggested pickup location.

Systems and methods for updating pickup and dropoff locations for a vehicle

Aspects of the disclosure provide for advanced trip planning for an autonomous vehicle service. For instance, an example method may include determining a potential pickup location for a user, determining a set of potential destination locations for a user, and determining a set of potential trips. For each potential trip a vehicle of a fleet of autonomous vehicles of the service may be assigned and trip information, including an estimated time of arrival for the assigned vehicle of the potential trip to reach the destination location of the potential trip, may be determined. The trip information for each potential trip may be provided for display to the user. Thereafter, confirmation information identifying one of the set of potential trips may be received, and the assigned vehicle for one first of the set of potential trips may be dispatched to pick up the user.

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Hayward, CA, United States of America

Mishika Vora