Autonomous vehicle routing and navigation using passenger docking locations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10012995-B2
Application number	US-201615268834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2016
Priority date	Jan 15, 2015
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A method and apparatus for autonomous vehicle routing and navigation using passenger docking locations are disclosed. Autonomous vehicle routing and navigation using passenger docking locations may include an autonomous vehicle identifying map information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including a primary destination and a docking location, wherein identifying the map information includes identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location. The autonomous vehicle may identify the docking location as a target docking location for the primary destination based on the map information, generate, based on the map information, route information representing a route for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from an origin in the vehicle transportation network to the target docking location, and traverse the vehicle transportation network from the origin to the target docking location in accordance with the route information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous vehicle comprising:
a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium to:
identify map information representing a vehicle transportation network, the vehicle transportation network including a primary destination and a docking location, wherein identifying the map information includes identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location;
identify the docking location as a target docking location for the primary destination based on the map information; and
generate, based on the map information, route information representing a route for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from an origin in the vehicle transportation network to the target docking location; and

a trajectory controller configured to operate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the route information such that the autonomous vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the origin to the target docking location.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to, in response to performing a docking operation at the target docking location, execute instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium to:
identify, based on the map information, information representing a secondary destination in the vehicle transportation network, wherein the secondary destination is a parking area associated with the primary destination; and
generate, based on the map information, subsequent route information representing a subsequent route for the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from the target docking location to the secondary destination.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the trajectory controller is configured to:
operate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the subsequent route information such that the autonomous vehicle traverses the vehicle transportation network from the target docking location to the secondary destination; and
operate the autonomous vehicle to park at the secondary destination.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium to identify the map information such that the docking location information is based on operating information for a plurality of vehicles, wherein the operating information includes a plurality of operations, wherein each operation from the plurality of operations is associated with a respective vehicle from the plurality of vehicles.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that a stationary period associated with the operation exceeds a minimum docking duration.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that a maximum docking duration exceeds a stationary period associated with the operation.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the operating information associated with a respective vehicle from the plurality of vehicles includes a plurality of event indicators representing a sequence of events for the vehicle, wherein an operation from the plurality of operations includes a plurality of events from the sequence of events, wherein the plurality of events includes a stop event and a subsequent start event, and wherein a stationary period associated with the operation indicates a temporal difference between the start event and the stop event.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that the operating information includes a vehicle type indicator for the vehicle associated with the operation, wherein the vehicle type indicator indicates that the vehicle is a fleet vehicle.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that the operating information includes a vehicle operating type indicator for the vehicle associated with the operation, wherein the vehicle operating type indicator indicates that the vehicle is operating as a low occupancy carrier vehicle.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that the operating information for the vehicle associated with the operation indicates a change in occupancy of the vehicle during a stationary period associated with the operation.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the change in occupancy is detected based on a signal from a seat occupant sensor of the vehicle.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes identifying an operation from the plurality of operations as a candidate docking operation on a condition that the operating information for the vehicle associated with the operation indicates a passenger door open event during a stationary period associated with the operation.

13. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein identifying the map information such that the map information includes docking location information representing the docking location includes determining the docking location information based on the operating information by filtering the operating information, wherein filtering the operating information includes:
identifying an operation from the plurality of operations;
identifying a location associated with the operation;
identifying map information corresponding

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Kojo Naoki
• Thakur Siddharth Kumar
• Meuleau Nicolas
• Saito Daisuke
• Lele Nikhil

Classifications

• G01C21/3685

  the POI's being parking facilities · CPC title

• G06Q10/047

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• G08G1/146

  where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space · CPC title

• G08G1/14

  indicating individual free spaces in parking areas · CPC title

• B60N2/002 Primary

  Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon (detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266) · CPC title