Autonomous Vehicle Operated with Safety Augmentation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025045105-A1
Application number	US-202418921900-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2024
Priority date	Sep 24, 2015
Publication date	Feb 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle is operable to follow a primary trajectory that forms a portion of a route. While controlling the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle calculates a failsafe trajectory to follow as a response to a predetermined type of event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A transport system comprising:
a network computer system; and an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle configured to: while providing a transport service, (i) implement a failsafe trajectory to safely stop at a roadside as a response to a disabling failure or condition in which the autonomous vehicle is precluded from operating beyond a threshold level of operability; and (ii) transmit one or more communications to the network computer system that include information about the disabling failure or condition; the network system configured to: select a subsequent vehicle to complete the transport service based at least in part on the information about the disabling failure or condition.

2 . The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the network computer system is configured to determine a cause of the disabling failure or condition, based at least in part on the information about the disabling failure or condition.

3 . The transport system of claim 2 , wherein the network computer system is configured to select the subsequent vehicle to be one of an autonomous or human-driven vehicle, based at least in part on the determined cause of the disabling failure or condition.

4 . The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the network computer system is configured to select the subsequent vehicle based at least in part on a proximity of the selected vehicle to a stopping location of the autonomous vehicle.

5 . The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the network computer system is configured to select the subsequent vehicle based at least in part on a drop-off location determined prior to the disabling failure or condition occurring.

6 . The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the network computer system is configured to transmit a notification to a user device, wherein the notification provides information about the subsequently selected vehicle.

7 . An autonomous vehicle system comprising:
one or more controllers, the one or more controllers including logic to: while the autonomous vehicle provides a transport service, respond to a disabling failure or condition in which the autonomous vehicle is precluded from operating beyond a threshold level of operability, by (i) implementing a failsafe trajectory to reach a roadside location to safely stop and (ii) transmitting one or more communications to a network service to cause the network service to select another vehicle to complete the transport service.

8 . The autonomous vehicle system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more communications to the network service includes information about the disabling failure or condition.

9 . The autonomous vehicle system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more controllers further includes logic to receive a notification from the network service that provides information about a subsequent vehicle selected by the network service to complete the transport service.

10 . The autonomous vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based, at least in part, on the information about the disabling feature or condition.

11 . The autonomous vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the notification from the network service includes information describing a determined cause of the disabling failure or condition.

12 . The autonomous vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based at least in part on a proximity of the selected vehicle to a stopping location of the autonomous vehicle.

13 . The autonomous vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based at least in part on a drop-off location determined prior to the disabling failure or condition occurring.

14 . A method for responding to a disabling failure or condition, the method comprising:
while an autonomous vehicle provides a transport service: responding, by the autonomous vehicle, to a disabling failure or condition in which the autonomous vehicle is precluded from operating beyond a threshold level of operability, by (i) implementing a failsafe trajectory to reach a roadside location to safely stop and (ii) transmitting one or more communications to a network service to cause the network service to select another vehicle to complete the transport service.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more communications to the network service includes information about the disabling failure or condition.

16 . The method of claim 15 , the method further comprising receiving a notification from the network service that provides information about a subsequent vehicle selected by the network service to complete the transport service.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based, at least in part, on the information about the disabling feature or condition.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the notification from the network service includes information describing a determined cause of the disabling failure or condition.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based at least in part on a proximity of the selected vehicle to a stopping location of the autonomous vehicle.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based at least in part on a drop-off location determined prior to the disabling failure or condition occurring.

Assignees

• Aurora Operations Inc

Inventors

• Ho Justin
• Zych Noah

Classifications

• G01C21/34

  Route searching; Route guidance · CPC title

• B60W50/00

  Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit {, e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces} · CPC title

• G01C21/26

  specially adapted for navigation in a road network · CPC title

• B60W50/029

  Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts · CPC title

• G08G1/202

  Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching · CPC title