Fleet management for autonomous vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11157018-B2
Application number	US-201916719302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 12, 2017
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to assigning a fleet of driverless vehicles to a plurality of parking locations for parking vehicles of the fleet. For instance, locations of the vehicles of the fleet as well as a number of available spaces at each of the plurality of parking location locations may be tracked. A subset of the fleet not already located at one of the plurality of parking locations is identified. At least one assignment assigning each vehicle of the subset to a respective parking location of the plurality of parking locations is determined according to the numbers of available spaces and the identified locations of the subset. For the at least one assignment, a total cost is determined by determining a cost value for each of a plurality of factors. The given assignment is sent to the fleet based on the total cost and the cost value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of assigning a fleet of driverless vehicles to a plurality of parking locations for parking vehicles, wherein each location of the plurality of parking locations is associated with a set of service capabilities, the method comprising:
identifying, by one or more processors, locations of the vehicles of the fleet;
identifying, by the one or more processors, a number of available spaces at each of the plurality of parking locations;
identifying, by the one or more processors, a subset of the vehicles of the fleet not already located at one of the plurality of parking locations;
identifying, by the one or more processors, a first vehicle of the subset in need of a first service;
assigning the first vehicle to a first location of the plurality of parking locations based on the first service and the set of service capabilities associated with the first location;
after assigning the first vehicle, removing the first vehicle from the subset;
determining, by the one or more processors, at least one assignment assigning each vehicle of the subset to a respective assigned parking location of the plurality of parking locations based on the numbers of available spaces and the identified locations of the subset; and
sending, by the one or more processors, the at least one assignment to the fleet.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, determining a total cost for the at least one assignment by determining a cost value for each of a plurality of factors, and wherein sending the at least one assignment is based on the total cost.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first service includes a maintenance service.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first service includes a cleaning service.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first service includes refueling.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first service includes recharging.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, receiving, from the first vehicle, information identifying a service status of that vehicle, and wherein identifying the first vehicle is further based on the received information.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending an instruction to the fleet, after sending the at least one assignment, thereby causing all vehicles of the subset to travel to a corresponding respective assigned parking location according to the at least one assignment.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, receiving from each vehicle of the fleet, a periodic broadcast identifying a status of the vehicle, wherein identifying the first vehicle is further based on the periodic broadcast received from the first vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, after assigning the first vehicle to the first location, adjusting the number of available parking spaces at the first location.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, sending a set of navigation instruction for each vehicle of the subset to maneuver to a corresponding respective assigned parking location according to the at least one assignment.

12. A system for assigning a fleet of driverless vehicles to a plurality of parking locations for parking vehicles of the fleet, wherein each location of the plurality of parking locations is associated with a set of service capabilities, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:
identify locations of the vehicles of the fleet;
identify a number of available spaces at each of the plurality of parking locations;
identify a subset of the vehicles of the fleet not already located at one of the plurality of parking locations;
identify a first vehicle of the subset in need of a first service;
assigning the first vehicle to a first location of the plurality of parking locations based on the first service and the set of service capabilities associated with the first location;
after assigning the first vehicle, remove the first vehicle from the subset;
determine at least one assignment assigning each vehicle of the subset to a respective assigned parking location of the plurality of parking locations based on the numbers of available spaces and the identified locations of the subset; and
send the at least one assignment to the fleet.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine a total cost for the at least one assignment by determining a cost value for each of a plurality of factors, and to send the at least one assignment further based on the total cost.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first service includes refueling.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first service includes recharging.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive from the first vehicle information identifying a service status of that vehicle, and to identify the first vehicle further based on the received information.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send an instruction to the fleet, after sending the at least one assignment, in order to cause all vehicles of the subset to travel to a corresponding respective assigned parking location according to the at least one assignment.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive from each vehicle of the fleet a periodic broadcast identifying a status of the vehicle, and to identify the first vehicle further based on the periodic broadcast received from the first vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, after assigning the first vehicle to the first location, adjust the number of available parking spaces at the first location.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send a set of navigation instruction for each vehicle of the subset to maneuver to a corresponding respective assigned parking location according to the at least one assignment.

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Colijn Peter
• Feenstra Laurens Andreas
• Herbach Joshua Seth
• Patterson Katharine

Classifications

• G08G1/147

  where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre · CPC title

• G06Q10/06315 Primary

  Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis · CPC title

• G08G1/20

  Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/14

  indicating individual free spaces in parking areas · CPC title

• G08G1/146

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