Self-maintaining autonomous vehicle procedure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10916072-B2
Application number	US-201916410911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2019
Priority date	May 13, 2019
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for enabling an autonomous vehicle to automatically and dynamically monitor and maintain itself. The autonomous vehicle can analyze diagnostic data captured by one or more of its sensors. Based on the analysis of the diagnostic data, the autonomous vehicle can determine that it needs maintenance and, based on that determination, send the analysis of the diagnostic data to a routing service. The autonomous vehicle can receive instruction from the routing service to dynamically route the autonomous vehicle in accordance with a maintenance action.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of self-maintaining an autonomous vehicle comprising:
receiving a model of autonomous vehicle operations from a remote analysis service, wherein the model of autonomous vehicle operations defines an acceptable value range, the acceptable value range continuously updated by a fleet of autonomous vehicles as the fleet of autonomous vehicles navigates;
analyzing diagnostic data captured by a sensor of the autonomous vehicle;
based on the analysis of the diagnostic data exceeding the acceptable value range, determining that the autonomous vehicle needs maintenance;
based on the determination, sending the analysis of the diagnostic data to a routing service and receiving an instruction from the routing service to automatically navigate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with a maintenance action;
classifying an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle at a first criticality level;
based on the operational issue being within the first criticality level, receiving an instruction from the routing service to bring the autonomous vehicle to a stop;
determining, by the sensor, that a passenger is within the autonomous vehicle; and
based on the determination, sending a request for a backup service and inform the passenger that the backup service is to provide alternative transportation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the autonomous vehicle needs maintenance is based on the analysis of the diagnostic data detecting an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle, wherein the analysis is in accordance with a model of autonomous vehicle operations generated by the fleet of autonomous vehicles.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a criticality level of an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle is determined based on the model, and wherein the model is continuously updated based on diagnostic data collected from the fleet over time.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
classifying an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle at a second criticality level; and
based on the operational issue being within the second criticality level, receiving an instruction from the routing service to navigate the autonomous vehicle to a maintenance facility that can service the operation issue after determining a passenger within the autonomous vehicle has been dropped off by the autonomous vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
classifying an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle at a third criticality level;
based on the operational issue being within the third criticality level, receiving confirmation from the routing service that a work order has been placed at a scheduled time with a maintenance facility including specific technician types that can service the operation issue; and
receiving an instruction from the routing service to navigate the autonomous vehicle to the maintenance facility that can service the operation issue at the scheduled time.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending one or more portions of the diagnostic data determined to be under a particular criticality level to the remote analysis service in order to update the acceptable value range defined by the model of autonomous vehicle operations for the fleet of autonomous vehicles.

7. A system comprising:
one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle; and
a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor executes:
receiving a model of autonomous vehicle operations from a remote analysis service, wherein the model of autonomous vehicle operations defines an acceptable value range, the acceptable value range continuously updated by a fleet of autonomous vehicles as the fleet of autonomous vehicles navigates;
analyzing diagnostic data captured by the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle;
based on the analysis of the diagnostic data exceeding the acceptable value range, determining that the autonomous vehicle needs maintenance;
based on the determination, sending the analysis of the diagnostic data to a routing service and receiving an instruction from the routing service to automatically navigate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with a maintenance action;

classifying an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle at a first criticality level;
based on the operational issue being within the first criticality level, receiving an instruction from the routing service to bring the autonomous vehicle to a stop;
determining, by the one or more sensors, that a passenger is within the autonomous vehicle; and
based on the determination, sending a request for a backup service and informing the passenger that the backup service is to provide alternative transportation.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the determination that the autonomous vehicle needs maintenance is based on the analysis of the diagnostic data detecting an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle, wherein the analysis is in accordance with a model of autonomous vehicle operations generated by the fleet of autonomous vehicles.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein a criticality level of an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle is determined based on the model, and wherein the model is continuously updated based on diagnostic data collected from the fleet over time.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor further executes:
classifying an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle at a second criticality level; and
based on the operational issue being within the second criticality level, receiving an instruction from the routing service to navigate the autonomous vehicle to a maintenance facility that can service the operation issue after determining a passenger within the autonomous vehicle has been dropped off by the autonomous vehicle.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor further executes:
classifying an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle at a third criticality level;
based on the operational issue being within the third criticality level, receiving confirmation from the routing service that a work order has been placed at a scheduled time with a maintenance facility including specific technician types that can service the operation issue; and
receiving an instruction from the routing service to navigate the autonomous vehicle to the maintenance facility that can service the operation issue at the scheduled time.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, the instructions, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to:
receive a model of autonomous vehicle operations from a remote analysis service, wherein the model of autonomous vehicle operations defines an acceptable value range, the acceptable value range continuously trained by a fleet of autonomous vehicles as the fleet of autonomous vehicles navigates;
analyze diagnostic data captured by a sensor of an autonomous vehicle, wherein the analysis is in accordance with the model of autonomous vehicle operations;
based on the analysis of the diagnostic data, determine that the autonomous vehicle needs maintenance; and
based on the determination, send the analysis of the diagnostic data to a routing service and receive instruction from the routing service to automatically navigate the autonomous vehicle in accordance with a maintenance action;

classify an operational issue with the autonomous vehicle at a first criticality level;
based on the operational issue being within the first criticality level, receive instruction fr

Assignees

• Gm Cruise Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Bachant Thomas
• Ullman Nadav
• Thibeault Joseph
• Mccloskey Jake
• Garcia Paul
• Covarrubias Jose Arturo
• Magnoli Michael

Classifications

• G07C5/02

  Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only (apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00) · CPC title

• G07C5/006 Primary

  Indicating maintenance · CPC title

• G07C5/08

  Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time · CPC title

• G06F16/285

  Clustering or classification · CPC title

• G06Q10/20 Primary

  Administration of product repair or maintenance · CPC title