Systems and methods for changing autonomous vehicle operations based on user profiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10692371-B1
Application number	US-201715646637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2017
Priority date	Jun 20, 2017
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining operation of an autonomous vehicle based on user profiles. In one example, a computer-implemented method of applying user profiles for autonomous vehicle operation is provided. The method includes receiving, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, a trip request from a user; retrieving, by the computing system, a user profile associated with the user; determining, by the computing system, one or more trip attribute settings based at least in part on the user profile; and providing, by the computing system, the determined one or more trip attribute settings to a vehicle computing system for determining autonomous vehicle operation during a trip associated with the trip request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for applying user profiles for autonomous vehicle operation comprising:
receiving, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, a trip request from a user that requests a vehicle service to fulfill a trip;
retrieving, by the computing system, a user profile associated with the user, wherein the user profile comprises data that describes one or more user preferences associated with the user;
determining, by the computing system, one or more current conditions associated with the trip, wherein the one or more current conditions comprise one or more of: a traffic condition, a safety condition, or a remaining trip time;
modifying, by the computing system, one or more of the user preferences based at least in part on the one or more current conditions to obtain one or more modified user preferences;
determining, by the computing system, one or more trip attribute settings, wherein the one or more trip attribute settings are based at least in part on the one or more modified user preferences, wherein the one or more trip attribute settings are used in adjusting factor weights associated with driving operation parameters of an autonomous vehicle, wherein the factor weights associated with the driving operation parameters are used to control a driving style of an autonomous vehicle while providing the vehicle service to the user, wherein the driving operation parameters comprise one or more of travel speeds, braking style, or turn style; and
providing, by the computing system, the determined one or more trip attribute settings to a vehicle computing system associated with the autonomous vehicle for use in adjusting the factor weights to control the driving style of the autonomous vehicle during the trip associated with the trip request.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more trip attribute settings are applied prior to arrival of the autonomous vehicle for the trip associated with the trip request.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more trip attribute settings are applied during the trip associated with the trip request.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more trip attribute settings to be applied are determined based at least in part on one or more of a trip request type, a vehicle type, or a time associated with the trip request.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user profile comprises at least one of:
a prior trip history,
a vehicle type preference,
a route type preference,
a stop preference,
a vehicle environment preference, or
a driving characteristic preference.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving, by the computing system, the user profile associated with the user;
providing, for display to the user, indications of one or more user profile attribute settings;
receiving a request to modify one of the user profile attribute settings; and
updating, by the computing system, the user profile based at least in part on the requested modification.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the computing system, one or more vehicle setting changes applied during the trip; and
updating, by the computing system, the user profile based at least in part on the one or more vehicle setting changes.

8. An autonomous vehicle comprising:
a vehicle computing system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving data indicative of a trip service that requests a vehicle service to fulfill a trip;
receiving a user profile associated with a user, wherein the user profile comprises data that describes one or more user preferences associated with the user;
receiving one or more current conditions associated with the trip, wherein the one or more current conditions comprise one or more of: a traffic condition, a safety condition, or a remaining trip time;
receiving modified user preferences based at least in part on the one or more current conditions;
receiving one or more trip attribute settings determined based at least in part on the modified user preferences, wherein the one or more trip attribute settings are used in adjusting factor weights associated with operation parameters of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the factor weights associated with the operation parameters are used to control a driving style of an autonomous vehicle while providing the vehicle service to the user, wherein the operation parameters comprise one or more of travel speeds, braking style, or turn style; and
applying the determined one or more trip attribute settings in adjusting the factor weights to control the driving style of the autonomous vehicle during the trip associated with the trip service.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the one or more trip attribute settings are applied prior to arrival of the autonomous vehicle for the trip associated with the trip service.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the one or more trip attribute settings are applied during the trip associated with the trip service.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the one or more trip attribute settings to be applied are determined based at least in part on one or more of a trip service type, a vehicle type, or a time associated with the trip service.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the user profile comprises at least one of:
a prior trip history,
a vehicle type preference,
a route type preference,
a stop preference,
a vehicle environment preference, or
a driving characteristic preference.

13. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8 , the operation further comprising:
determining one or more vehicle setting changes applied during the trip; and
updating the user profile based on the based at least in part on the one or more vehicle setting changes.

14. A computing system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a trip request from a user that requests a vehicle service to fulfill a trip;
retrieving a user profile associated with the user, wherein the user profile comprises data that describes one or more user preferences associated with the user;
determining one or more current conditions associated with the trip, wherein the one or more current conditions comprise one or more of: a traffic condition, a safety condition, or a remaining trip time;
modifying one or more of the user preferences based at least in part on the one or more current conditions to obtain one or more modified user preferences;
determining one or more trip attribute settings based at least in part on the one or more modified user preferences, wherein the one or more trip attribute settings are used in adjusting factor weights associated with driving operation parameters of an autonomous vehicle, wherein the factor weights associated with the driving operation parameters are used to control a driving style of an autonomous vehicle while providing the vehicle service to the user, wherein the driving operation parameters comprise one or more of travel speeds, braking style, or turn style; and
providing the determined one or more trip attribute settings to an autonomous vehicle to be applied in adjusting the factor weights to control the driving style of the autonomous vehicle during the trip.

15.

Assignees

• Uatc Llc

Inventors

• Nix Molly Castle
• Chin Sean
• Zhao dennis
• Bartel Emily Cairns Duff

Classifications

• G08G1/096888

  where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases · CPC title

• G01S5/00

  Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations {(using active systems G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00)} · CPC title

• G01S19/48

  by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system · CPC title

• B60W2556/10

  Historical data · CPC title

• B60W2050/0075

  Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means · CPC title