Communications for autonomous vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12384292-B2
Application number	US-202418753002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2024
Priority date	Mar 12, 2019
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure provide a method of facilitating communications from an autonomous vehicle to a user. For instance, a method may include, while attempting to pick up the user and prior to the user entering an vehicle, inputting a current location of the vehicle and map information into a model in order to identify a type of communication action for communicating a location of the vehicle to the user; enabling a first communication based on the type of the communication action; determining whether the user has responded to the first communication from received sensor data; and enabling a second communication based on the determination of whether the user has responded to the communication.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors of a computing device from a client computing device associated with a user, a request to assist the user in reaching an autonomous vehicle;
selecting, by the one or more processors based on information associated with the user, at least one of honking a horn of the autonomous vehicle, flashing headlights of the autonomous vehicle, or providing instructions through the client computing device to assist the user in reaching the autonomous vehicle; and
initiating, by the one or more processors, the selected at least one of the honking of the horn, the flashing of the headlights, or the providing of the instructions through the client computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the user indicates whether the user is visually impaired or hearing impaired.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising
determining, by the one or more processors, conditions in an environment of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the selecting is based on the determined conditions.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the determined conditions include ambient lighting conditions.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the ambient lighting conditions indicate whether the environment is dark enough to use.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the ambient lighting conditions are determined based on feedback from light sensors of the autonomous vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the ambient lighting conditions are determined based on at least one of a state of the headlights of the autonomous vehicle or internal electronic displays in the autonomous vehicle.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the ambient lighting conditions are determined based on data generated by a perception system of the autonomous vehicle.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting is further based on time of day.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling, by the one or more processors, surfacing of one or more options on the client computing device of the user to enable the user to cause the autonomous vehicle to honk the horn and flash the headlights.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
presenting, by one or more processors of a client computing device associated with a user on a display of the client computing device, a plurality of options to assist the user in reaching an autonomous vehicle;
receiving, by the one or more processors, user input selecting one option of the plurality of options; and
sending, by the one or more processors, a request to cause the autonomous vehicle to generate a particular type of communication associated with the selected one option to assist the user in reaching the autonomous vehicle, the particular type of communication corresponding to the selected one option.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the request is sent to the autonomous vehicle via a network.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the request is sent to the autonomous vehicle via a wireless connection.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of options include at least generating an audible communication and a visual communication.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the audible communication includes honking a horn.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the audible communication includes playing horn audio through one or more speakers.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the visual communication includes flashing headlights of the autonomous vehicle.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the visual communication includes displaying information on a display of the autonomous vehicle.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the particular type of communication includes displaying information on an electronic display of the autonomous vehicle.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising recording, by the one or more processors, data associated with the selected one option.

21. A system for assisting a user in reaching an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising a computing device including one or more processors configured to:
receive, from a client computing device associated with the user, a request to assist the user in reaching the autonomous vehicle;
select, based on information associated with the user, at least one of honking a horn of the autonomous vehicle, flashing headlights of the autonomous vehicle, or providing instructions through the client computing device to assist the user in reaching the autonomous vehicle; and
initiate the selected at least one of the honking of the horn, the flashing of the headlights, or the providing of the instructions through the client computing device.

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Pandit Salil
• Mercay Julien
• Wright Clement

Classifications

• G06N3/09

  Supervised learning · CPC title

• G08G1/205

  Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental · CPC title

• G06N3/08

  Learning methods · CPC title

• G01C21/3438

  Rendezvous; Ride sharing · CPC title

• B60Q1/482 Primary

  for locating vehicle in parking lot · CPC title