A coordinated passenger and goods delivery system

Abstract

The transportation system controls a fleet of autonomous vehicles to perform transportation of passengers and coordinate delivery of luggage or other associated items using separate vehicles. The transportation system receives passenger data and associated item data via a user interface and determines the number and type of autonomous vehicles to transport passengers and items from a selected pick-up location to a destination. In various implementations, the transportation system may support various pick-up locations, pick-up times, and / or delivery times for passengers and associated items. The transportation system may also determine delayed delivery options for items for various delivery times and transportation modes. Based on the passenger data and item data, along with inputs received via a user interface, the transportation system determines vehicles and delivery routes to deploy and sends instructions to the autonomous vehicles to provide passenger transportation and perform item delivery.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coordinated passenger and goods delivery system. [Background technology]

[0002] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority to US Patent Application No. 17 / 358,351, filed June 25, 2021, and entitled “PASSENGER AND ITEM COORDINATED DELIVERY SYSTEM,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0003] [background] Vehicle sharing and autonomous driving technologies allow users to address their transportation needs in a convenient and flexible manner while also providing benefits such as reduced traffic congestion, reduced parking requirements, reduced pollution, and reduced road wear. In order to meet transportation demands and transport a large number of users to various destinations in a timely manner, vehicle-based transportation services may maintain a fleet of vehicles managed in a centralized manner to plan and reserve rides, determine routes, and monitor and maintain the fleet. However, vehicle sharing is not well equipped to address certain situations, such as when passengers have large amounts of luggage or other equipment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0004] The detailed description will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the leftmost digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which that reference number first appears. Use of the same reference number in different figures indicates similar or identical components or features. [Figure 1] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a process for performing coordinated passenger movement and package delivery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing environment for implementing various techniques described herein. [Diagram 3] 1A-1C are diagrams illustrating example user interface screens displayed on user equipment illustrating a request for passenger transportation including associated baggage delivery, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1A-1C are diagrams illustrating example user interface screens displayed on user equipment illustrating a request for package delivery associated with a passenger trip, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process for performing coordinated passenger movement and package delivery in separate vehicles according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 illustrates an example user interface screen depicting a road map and illustrating a coordinated itinerary between passenger movements and associated items using separate vehicles and different delivery routes, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 11A-11C show example user interface screens illustrating coordinated itineraries between passenger travel and delivery of related items using separate vehicles and different delivery routes, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example architecture for implementing various techniques described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0005] [Detailed Description] The technology discussed herein relates to providing and coordinating transportation for users and their luggage or other associated items in separate autonomous vehicles. In some examples, a transportation system that coordinates and controls a fleet of autonomous vehicles may receive transportation requests from users via user devices. The transportation system may provide a user interface to receive passenger data and associated item data from users via the user interface. The passenger data and item data may include, for example, the number of passengers and / or luggage items, the size, type, weight of the items, and / or other characteristics associated with the passengers or the delivery items. Based on the passenger data and associated item data received from the user devices, the transportation system may determine the number of autonomous vehicles and select the type of vehicle to transport the passengers and their luggage (or other associated items) in the coordinated delivery. The transportation system may use various vehicle types, including autonomous passenger vehicles for transporting passengers and autonomous cargo vehicles for delivering luggage, and may select various vehicle models, sizes, and / or characteristics based on the specific passenger and item data (e.g., oversized items, etc.).

[0006] The transportation system may select one or more separate vehicles and determine a route for delivering the luggage items associated with the passenger movement, whereby the passengers and luggage may be transported in separate vehicles and may have separate itineraries including car, truck, rail, ship, and aircraft movements. The luggage itinerary may be generated and coordinated by the transportation system to provide the luggage items associated with a particular destination at a particular time based on the details of the passenger movement. The transportation system may also determine various delivery options having different transportation costs, possibly supporting early pickup of the luggage items and / or delayed delivery of the luggage items. For example, the transportation system may determine and present, via a user interface, a number of different delivery options including various pickup times, delivery times, locations, and / or transportation modes along with a cost corresponding to each item delivery option. After selecting the passenger and luggage vehicles and determining the delivery route, the transportation system may transmit instructions to the vehicles to execute the determined passenger transportation and item delivery. The transportation system may also track and monitor passenger and baggage vehicles along the route to coordinate deliveries, provide user notifications, and alter delivery itineraries in response to delays or changes in plans.

[0007] As illustrated by the description and various examples discussed herein, these techniques provide improvements and technical advantages for providing passenger transportation with coordinated delivery of luggage or other related items in separate vehicles. In various examples, the techniques described herein may be utilized when an autonomous vehicle or another shared vehicle transporting a user may not be capable of carrying the user's luggage, recreational equipment (e.g., golf clubs, skis, surfboards, etc.), or other related items that the user desires to be delivered to the same location. For example, a particular item may be too large to be transported in the same vehicle as the user, or the user may have too many passengers and / or too much luggage to fit in one vehicle. Problems such as these may be further magnified when autonomous vehicles are used for personal transportation (which may not be equipped to carry large items / luggage). Other types of items cannot be transported in a passenger vehicle with the user or transported on a commercial aircraft with the user for various additional reasons based on the size, weight, material, transportation costs, and / or safety considerations of the items. Additionally, a customer's luggage or other related items may have a different pickup location than the customer or may be available for pickup at a different time, requiring multiple stops or multiple trips to transport the customer and the customer's luggage.

[0008] The technology described herein addresses these challenges by providing a single client application and / or a single unified user interface for users to request and plan user transport and related cargo deliveries. This improvement reduces the required number of applications and simplifies the user interface to run on user equipment, while removing the burden from users of calculating vehicle numbers, planning vehicle times and routes, and coordinating separate trips / deliveries using various applications or technology platforms.

[0009] The techniques described herein may also provide additional item delivery options and costs to a user based on the analysis and adjustments to the user's travel plan. For example, if a user in a conventional system travels with a large amount of luggage or needs to transport other items in connection with the travel, the user may utilize a delivery service (e.g., the postal service, or various commercial package delivery services, etc.) to ship the related items from a collection location to the user's destination. However, delivery services can be expensive and difficult to coordinate the user's package delivery with the user's own travel itinerary. Furthermore, any delays or changes to the user's travel plan may cause a deviation between the user's itinerary and its luggage, making it difficult or impossible for the delivery service to reschedule the delivery to coordinate with the user's updated plan. In contrast, the techniques described herein may reduce shipping costs in scenarios where the user's luggage or other related items may travel in different vehicles and / or separate non-commercial flights operated by the delivery service.

[0010] The technology described herein may also include support for pickup and delivery of packages at various times and / or locations based on the user's travel plan and / or delivery requirements provided via a user interface. In some examples, the transportation system may coordinate package delivery so that the user does not have to personally load, carry, and unload their package at each leg of their travel itinerary, and pickup and delivery of items may be performed at separate locations without the user being present (e.g., a luggage stand at a hotel, a baggage door at an airport, etc.). Additionally, the technology described herein may include automated tracking and monitoring of delivery vehicles with coordinated responses to delays or plan changes associated with passenger travel or delivery of related items. If a delay or plan change is detected for one vehicle's itinerary, the transportation system may modify the vehicle's itinerary associated with maintaining coordination so that the passenger and their package are delivered to the same location at the same time. As an example, if a user reroutes a passenger trip, the transportation system may automatically modify baggage vehicles, delivery times, destinations, and routes to reduce transportation costs and / or maintain time and location synchronization between passengers and baggage items. The transportation system may also automatically adjust the baggage delivery plan in response to driving or flight delays that affect the user, so that baggage is not delivered and left unattended by the user. Similarly, if a delay in baggage delivery is detected, the transportation system may automatically notify the user and allow the user to modify their itinerary (e.g., destination or arrival time) to align with the updated baggage delivery plan.

[0011] 1 illustrates an example process 100 for determining and executing coordinated passenger movements with associated baggage deliveries using separate autonomous vehicles and / or separate driving paths. In various examples, some or all of the operations of the example process 100 may be performed by a computing device configured to implement a transportation system. The transportation system, described in more detail below, may receive transportation requests from user devices, select an autonomous vehicle, determine delivery details, and then send instructions to the selected autonomous vehicle to execute the passenger movements and associated baggage deliveries in a synchronized and coordinated manner.

[0012] In operation 102, the transportation system may receive a passenger transportation request from a user device. In some examples, the transportation system may be associated with a client application (e.g., a mobile application, etc.) deployed on the user device and configured to provide ride-hailing and / or delivery services using a fleet of autonomous vehicles. A registered user of the ride-hailing / delivery service may initiate a request to the transportation system via the mobile application or a browser-based user interface to quickly request a ride at the user's current location or to plan a ride for a future time. Box 104 illustrates a simplified user interface screen of a ride-hailing (and / or carpooling) application. As shown in this example, the user interface at box 104 prompts the user to provide basic ride details for the user's ride request, including the destination, number of passengers, and desired pickup time. Additionally, box 104 includes a checkbox that allows the user to indicate whether the passenger has luggage to be transported in association with the ride request.

[0013] In operation 106, the transportation system may determine a time (e.g., pick-up time and arrival time, etc.) and route for passenger travel based on the ride request received in operation 102. For an immediate ride request, the transportation system may select a nearby vehicle capable of transporting the number of passengers indicated in the ride request. For example, a ride for one or two passengers may be provided by any number of vehicles in the fleet, while an additional ride requested for more passengers (e.g., 5, 6, 7, 8, etc.) may require a larger vehicle or additional vehicles in the fleet with additional seats. The transportation system may also calculate a pick-up time based on the current location of the vehicle relative to the user, and current transportation and road conditions. If the ride request is not an immediate request, the transportation system may select and reserve a vehicle for a future time slot corresponding to the request. The transportation system may determine a travel route and / or arrival time based on the pick-up time, along with various map data, transportation data, weather and road condition data, user or vehicle driving preferences, and / or other factors. Examples of techniques for coordinating dispatch and routing of a fleet of autonomous vehicles can be found in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 756,996, filed November 4, 2015 (now U.S. Patent No. 9,958,864), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Box 108 depicts a map that may be output via a user interface to display the user's current location and passenger trip details (e.g., pickup location and time, travel route, destination, estimated time of arrival, etc.).

[0014] At operation 110, the transportation system receives luggage data and / or delivery requirements associated with the passenger trip. In some cases, if the user indicates that luggage delivery is required in connection with the ride request, the transportation system may provide an additional user interface, such as the example user interface screen shown in box 112. The additional luggage data received at operation 110 may include details regarding the delivered luggage items (e.g., number of items, size, weight, type of items, etc.), as well as delivery details (e.g., pick-up time, delivery time, pick-up location, transportation requirements, etc.). The luggage data and delivery requirements received at operation 110 may include data received directly from the user via the user interface and / or data obtained by the transportation system indicating the user's or service account user's preferences, luggage delivery data from previous trips, etc. As shown in this example, the user interface may enable the user to identify certain luggage items, such as skis, golf clubs, snowboards, surfboards, strollers, boxes, crates, chests, furniture items, etc., as oversized or special size bags. Additionally or alternatively, the user interface may allow the user to designate particular shipment items that have various special shipping requirements (eg, fragile, hazardous, perishable, etc.).

[0015] In some examples, the transportation system may determine that a delay in package delivery may be permitted for this trip in operation 110. For example, the user may indicate via the user interface in box 112 that the associated package item need not be delivered at the same time the passenger arrives at the destination, but may be delivered at a later time or day. If a delay in package delivery is permitted, the transportation system may determine a number of different package delivery options (e.g., pick-up and delivery times, vehicle type, transportation mode, etc.) and present the delivery options to the user via the user interface in box 112. In some examples, each package delivery option presented to the user may have an associated delivery cost, thereby allowing the user to select the package delivery option that provides a desired combination of cost efficiency and timely delivery.

[0016] In operation 114, the transportation system may determine a delivery time and delivery route for the luggage items associated with the passenger ride. First, the transportation system may determine whether the luggage items associated with the trip can be carried in the same vehicle as the passengers. For example, based on passenger data (e.g., number of passengers, etc.) and luggage data (e.g., number and size of items, etc.), the transportation system may determine that the vehicle selected to transport the passengers can also carry luggage. However, if the passenger vehicle cannot transport the luggage items or if it is not cost-effective to transport the luggage items with the passengers, the transportation system may select one or more vehicles in the fleet other than the passenger vehicles to deliver the luggage items. The selection of the luggage delivery vehicle may be based on luggage data received in operation 110, including the number, size, weight, and type of luggage items, the presence of oversized or custom-shaped items, etc.

[0017] In some examples, the luggage delivery vehicle selected by the transportation system may include a specialized item delivery vehicle that includes an access locker instead of or in addition to a passenger compartment. For example, the transportation system may select an autonomous cargo delivery vehicle equipped with an access locker configuration capable of storing luggage items identified by the user in operation 110. Various examples of item delivery vehicles and locker configurations that may be used as luggage delivery vehicles may be found in U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 131,268, filed December 22, 2020, entitled "Modular Delivery Vehicle With Access Lockers," the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Depending on the quantity and size of the luggage items, as well as additional luggage data and / or delivery requirements, the transportation system may select one luggage delivery vehicle, or multiple luggage delivery vehicles, or a portion of luggage delivery vehicles designated to transport luggage items associated with other passenger trips.

[0018] After selecting one or more parcel delivery vehicles from the fleet (which may include typical vehicle types or models in the fleet or specific vehicles), the transportation system may determine route and delivery details for each parcel delivery vehicle. In some examples, the parcel delivery vehicles may have different pickup times, different pickup locations, and / or different delivery times than the associated passenger vehicles and / or other parcel delivery vehicles. As described above, the user may select an earlier parcel pickup time and / or a delayed parcel delivery time via the user interface based on a reduced, lower cost delivery option. Additionally, the parcel items need not be picked up from the same location as the passengers in the associated trip, but may be picked up from one or more different locations. Box 116 illustrates a map that may be output via the user interface to display delivery routes for multiple different parcel delivery vehicles associated with the passenger trip along with additional parcel delivery trip details (e.g., pickup locations and times, driving route, destination, estimated time of arrival, etc.).

[0019] In operation 118, the transportation system may send instructions to the passenger vehicles and baggage delivery vehicles to control the vehicles to travel the determined routes at the specified times to perform the passenger transportation and baggage delivery tasks determined in operations 106 and 114, respectively. The instructions sent from the transportation system to the passenger vehicles and baggage delivery vehicles may include data such as a desired pick-up location and pick-up time, a desired destination location and arrival time, a passenger identifier, a travel identifier, and / or a baggage item identifier, etc. Box 120 shows the transportation system computer server sending travel / delivery instructions over a wireless network to a first autonomous vehicle configured as a passenger vehicle and a second autonomous vehicle configured as a cargo vehicle with an access locker.

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a computing environment 200 including an arrangement of components configured to implement various techniques discussed herein. For example, the computing environment 200 may be used to illustrate a system and method for requesting, planning, executing, and coordinating passenger transportation and associated baggage delivery using separate autonomous vehicles. As shown in this example, passenger travel may be initiated and requested by a user (also referred to as a passenger) operating a user device 202. The user device 202 may include a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, a laptop or tablet computer, a smart watch, a wearable computing device, and / or any other personal computing device. The user device 202 may communicate with a transportation system 206 via a first network 204. The transportation system 206 may include one or more components that implement specialized functions, such as a vehicle selection component 208 configured to determine the number, type, and characteristics of vehicles in a fleet of autonomous vehicles to perform coordinated transportation of passengers and goods, and a route coordination component 210 configured to determine routes and coordinate passenger transportation and associated baggage delivery in separate vehicles. The route coordination component 210 may also be configured to send transportation and delivery instructions to passenger vehicles 214 and delivery vehicles 216 via wireless communications network 212 to coordinate deliveries, provide notifications to users, and modify delivery itineraries in response to delays or changes in plans.

[0021] The passenger vehicles 214 and the package delivery vehicles 216 may correspond to any of the vehicles described herein and therefore may include any feature or combination of vehicle features described below in connection with FIG. 8. The passenger vehicles 214 and the package delivery vehicles 216 may be implemented as fully or partially autonomous vehicles, although in various examples, some or all of the techniques described herein may use non-autonomous vehicles for passenger transportation and package delivery as well. The transportation system 206 may be implemented using one or more computing devices or systems operating separately and independently, or may be fully or partially integrated within the user equipment 202 and / or with the passenger vehicles 214 and the package delivery vehicles 216.

[0022] In this example, computing environment 200 illustrates a simplified scenario for requesting transportation of a passenger with associated baggage items and providing passenger transportation and baggage delivery by deploying and coordinating separate vehicles. In response to a request from a user device 202, the transportation system 206 may use a vehicle selection component 208 to analyze passenger data and baggage data and select one or more passenger vehicles 214 and baggage delivery vehicles 216 to perform the passenger transportation and baggage delivery. As described above, the vehicle selection component 208 may select one or more baggage delivery vehicles 216 based on the number of baggage items, item size, weight, type, and other characteristics of the items, the pick-up location, and / or the pick-up time.

[0023] The route coordination component 210 may be configured to determine routes for both passenger vehicles 214 and package delivery vehicles 216 based on their respective pickup locations, destination locations, pickup times, and / or target arrival times. The route coordination component 210 may generate package delivery options to be provided to the user equipment 202, including various options for pickup times, delivery times, and / or transportation vehicles / modes, along with corresponding package delivery costs for each option. After the transportation system 206 transmits passenger transportation and package delivery instructions to the vehicles 214 and 216, the route coordination component 210 may track and monitor the vehicles 214 and 216 to maintain coordination among the passengers and associated package items. For example, the route coordination component 210 may receive status data, vehicle locations, arrival notifications, and / or item delivery notifications, determine update instructions, and transmit them to the passenger vehicles 214 and / or package delivery vehicles 214 to maintain synchronization in delivery times and delivery locations between the vehicles 214 and 216.

[0024] In various examples, passenger vehicles 214 and / or package delivery vehicles may transmit status data, updated arrival estimates, delivery notifications, and the like to the transportation system 206, directly to the user equipment 202, and / or to other vehicles 214 and 216 associated with the same passenger trip. Transmissions between the vehicles 214 and 216 may be transmitted over one or more wireless communication networks 212, such as a cellular network or WLAN network for long-range communications, and / or Bluetooth, WiFi, or NFC for short-range communications. Although FIG. 2 is depicted with one-way arrows to illustrate the simple passenger and package transportation requests and execution processes outlined above, it should be understood that each device and system in this example may perform two-way communications with any or all of the other devices and systems. Additional process functions and device interactions not depicted in this example may be performed in other examples, such as monitoring, modifying, and / or canceling passenger trips or package deliveries, tracking items on route, tracking passenger and delivery vehicles, tracking user location, package delivery or package pickup notifications, and the like. Additionally, while transportation system 206 may be implemented as a centralized computing system configured to communicate with and control a fleet of passenger and delivery vehicles as shown in this example, in other examples, any or all of the features and functionality of transportation system 206 may be integrated into vehicles 214 and 216, which may utilize inter-vehicle communications via wireless communications network 212 to plan and coordinate passenger transportation and package delivery in separate vehicles.

[0025] 3 depicts an example of a user interface 300 that may be generated and rendered on a user device 202 in communication with a transportation system 206. User interface 300 may represent a user interface generated by a ride-hailing or carpooling application executing on user device 202 and configured to allow a user to request a ride from the transportation system 206. In some examples, user interface 300 may correspond to the user interface screen depicted in box 104 described above.

[0026] In this example, the user interface 300 includes a set of input components 302 to allow a user to provide basic details for a ride request, a passenger data entry box 304, a baggage data entry box, a map 308 identifying the current location of the user device 202, and a button 310 for submitting a ride request for a passenger vehicle. The set of input components 302 includes user interface controls to allow a user to enter a trip destination, a pickup location, and a pickup time. The passenger data entry box 304 includes user interface controls to allow a user to enter a number of adults and a number of children who will be passengers in the requested trip. Although the passenger data entry box 304 may be optional, examples including the passenger data entry box 304, or other components for receiving passenger numbers and / or passenger details (e.g., adults and children, etc.), may provide an advantage to the transportation system 206 in selecting passenger vehicles 214 and baggage delivery vehicles 216. For example, the vehicle selection component 208 may use the passenger number to determine the number of baggage items that can be delivered in the passenger vehicle 214. In some cases, based on the number of passengers and the amount of luggage, the vehicle selection component 208 may select a hybrid passenger / luggage vehicle that includes a first portion of the vehicle body configured as a passenger compartment and a second portion configured to store luggage items. Additionally, if the number of passengers input by the user exceeds the number that can be transported by a single passenger vehicle 214, the vehicle selection component 208 may select a different type of passenger vehicle 214 (e.g., a van, a minibus, etc.) or may select multiple different passenger vehicles 214 to transport the passengers.

[0027] In this example, the package data entry box 306 includes user interface controls to allow the user to enter the number of package items and package details (e.g., weight, size, etc.) associated with the package items associated with the passenger's ride request. Additionally, the package data entry box 306 includes controls (e.g., check boxes, etc.) to allow the user to indicate whether the package items are at the same pick-up location as the passenger and whether the package items should be delivered at the same time as the passenger. As described below, user input received at these controls may determine subsequent user interface screens and controls rendered on the user device 202 and may be used by the vehicle selection component 208 and / or the route coordination component 210 to select and deploy a package delivery vehicle 216. For example, if the user indicates that the package items are not at the same pick-up location as the passenger, the user interface 300 (or a subsequent user interface) may prompt the user to provide a package pickup location and time, and the route coordination component 210 may utilize this data to determine a different route for the package delivery vehicle 216. Additionally, if the user indicates that the baggage item does not need to be delivered at the same arrival time as the passenger, the route coordination component 210 may determine one or more different delayed delivery options having different transportation modes and / or reduced delivery costs.

[0028] 4 depicts another example of a user interface 400 that may be generated and rendered on a user device 202 in communication with a transportation system 206. In some examples, the user interface 400 may represent a subsequent user interface generated by a ride-hailing or carpooling application to obtain additional baggage data after a user has commanded that one or more baggage items be delivered in connection with a passenger's ride. In some examples, the user interface 400 may correspond to the user interface screen depicted in box 112 described above.

[0029] In this example, user interface 400 includes a box 402 that displays passenger ride details. The passenger ride details in box 402 may correspond to ride request details provided by the user in user interface 300 and / or ride request details arranged for the user by transportation system 206 based on the ride request. User interface 400 also includes a number of input controls to allow the user to input package data and package delivery request details. For example, in area 404, user interface 400 includes an input control that allows the user to specify a package pickup location and an input control that allows the user to select a package delivery time. In some examples, these input controls may be rendered in user interface 400 based on the user indicating in a previous user interface (e.g., user interface 300) that the package item does not have the same pickup location as the passenger and that the package item does not need to be delivered at the same arrival time as the passenger. As shown in this example, area 404 includes a drop-down menu with various options for on-time package delivery or delayed package delivery and costs corresponding to each package delivery option.

[0030] Area 406 in user interface 400 includes additional input controls that allow a user to provide additional package data. Vehicle selection component 208 may use the additional package data to determine the selection of vehicles for delivering package items, such as the number of package delivery vehicles needed, the size and storage configuration of the vehicles, and other delivery vehicle features or capabilities. In this example, area 406 allows the user to input, for each package item, the item size, the item type / description (for special-size or oversized items), and any safety considerations or special instructions regarding the transportation and delivery of the item. Additionally, area 406 includes a button control that activates the camera function of user device 202 to allow the user to take a picture of the item. In some examples, vehicle selection component 208 may use image data of the package items to determine the size, shape, material, and other characteristics of the package items, and then use the characteristics of the package items to select a package delivery vehicle 216. After entering package delivery details and package description in areas 404 and 406, respectively, the user may select button 408 to transmit package data associated with the passenger trip to transportation system 206.

[0031] Further, as described above, the transportation system may, in some cases, support different pickup times, different pickup locations, and / or delayed delivery of the baggage items. In such cases, the transportation system may determine different transportation and delivery options for the items associated with the passenger and may present the different options, including associated transportation / delivery costs, via the user interface. For example, delivery options for a set of baggage items may include different transportation options for the baggage, such as if the baggage is mailed / shipped or if the passenger travels with the baggage. These different options may be presented in area 404 of the user interface. The transportation system may also aggregate costs for different legs of a plurality of legs (e.g., a first driving leg, a second flying leg, a third driving leg, etc.). Area 404 of user interface 400 may present both individual leg costs and aggregated travel costs for both the passenger and the associated baggage items. Based on the cost of the individual legs and the aggregated travel cost, the user interface 400 may provide the user with the ability to modify the passenger or luggage travel itinerary and / or the individual legs (e.g., to a different time or mode of transportation, etc.), after which the cost of the individual legs and the aggregated travel cost may be updated on the user interface.

[0032] 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a process 500 for coordinating passenger movement and baggage delivery in separate vehicles. As described below, at least some operations of process 500 may be performed by components of transportation system 206, including vehicle selection component 208 and route coordination component 210. Using the functionality described in connection with these components, transportation system 206 may receive transportation requests from user equipment, select vehicles, and arrange passenger transportation and associated baggage delivery in a coordinated manner using separate dedicated passenger vehicles 214 and baggage delivery vehicles 216.

[0033] In operation 502, the transportation system may receive a request having passenger data and baggage data. The request may correspond to a request for a passenger ride from a ride-hailing or carpooling service provided by the transportation system 206. The request may be received from user equipment 202 via one or more user interfaces (e.g., user interfaces 300 and 400, etc.). The passenger data received in operation 502 may include the number of passengers being transported and the type / characteristics of the passengers (e.g., size, weight, adult or child, etc.). The baggage data may include details about each baggage item (or the aggregate baggage loads as a whole), such as the number of baggage items, and / or the size, weight, type of baggage item (e.g., a particular oversized or unusual size baggage, etc.), and / or other characteristics of the baggage items being delivered in association with the passenger ride.

[0034] In operation 504, the transportation system may determine whether the passengers and baggage items can be transported in the same passenger vehicle. For example, based on the number of passengers, the baggage data (e.g., the number and size of the baggage items, etc.), and the capacity of the available passenger vehicles 214, the transportation system 206 may determine that the passenger vehicle 214 selected to transport the passenger is also capable of delivering the associated baggage items (step 504: yes). In such a case, the transportation system 206 selects a passenger vehicle 214 in operation 506 and determines a delivery route, and transmits instructions to the selected passenger vehicle 214 in operation 508. The route for the passenger trip determined in operation 506 may include a single boarding stop, or multiple stops for boarding the passengers and baggage items at separate boarding locations.

[0035] In other examples, if transport system 206 determines, based on the passenger data and baggage data, that a single passenger vehicle cannot transport the baggage items or that transporting passengers and baggage items in the same vehicle may be inefficient or costly (step 504: no), then transport system 206 determines whether delayed delivery of the baggage items is permitted for the passenger trip, in operation 510. In some examples, the user may indicate via the user interface whether the baggage items associated with the trip should be delivered at the same arrival time as the passengers or whether the baggage items may be delivered at a later time.

[0036] If the user indicates (e.g., via a user interface or previously saved user preferences) that delayed delivery of the luggage is permitted for this passenger trip (step 510: yes), then in operation 512, the transport system 206 determines a number of different luggage delivery options. In some examples, each delivery option may include a pickup time, a delivery time, a transportation mode or characteristic, and a corresponding luggage delivery cost. As discussed above, luggage delivery costs may be reduced if the luggage can be picked up earlier and / or delivered later than the associated passenger. The additional transportation time may enable the route adjustment component 210 to determine one or more delivery routes that include a slower but less expensive transportation mode, such as a shared luggage delivery vehicle, a separate non-commercial (e.g., cargo) flight operated by a delivery service, or a ground delivery option rather than flying. In operation 512, the transport system 206 may present the luggage delivery options determined by the route adjustment component 210 to the user via a user interface. In operation 514, the transport system 206 receives a selection of delivery options (eg, pickup time, estimated delivery time, transport mode, etc.) for the package from the user via a user interface.

[0037] In other examples, if the user indicates that delayed delivery of luggage is not permitted for this passenger trip (step 510: NO), then in operation 516, the transport system 206 may determine the luggage delivery details based on the details of the corresponding passenger trip. In some cases, the luggage pickup and / or delivery times may be based on the corresponding passenger boarding time and estimated arrival time, but the luggage items may have a pickup location that is different from the passenger boarding location. Further, in some examples, the transport system 206 may select and deploy multiple luggage delivery vehicles 216 to transport different sets of luggage items associated with the same passenger trip, but each set of luggage items may have different pickup locations and / or different requirements for earlier pickup times and delayed delivery times.

[0038] In operation 518, after determining the number of passenger vehicles and baggage delivery vehicles to be used and the transportation / delivery details for each vehicle (e.g., pick-up and drop-off times and locations, etc.), the transportation system 206 may select passenger vehicles 214 and baggage delivery vehicles 216 based on the passenger and baggage data and may determine a driving route for each associated vehicle. Vehicles may be selected by vehicle selection component 208 based on the number and characteristics of passengers and / or baggage items to be transported and the availability and capacity of different vehicles in the fleet at the time corresponding to the requested trip. Driving routes may be determined by route adjustment component 210 for each passenger vehicle 214 and each baggage delivery vehicle 216 based on pick-up times and locations, required arrival times, and destination locations, along with various map data, traffic data, weather and road condition data, user or vehicle driving preferences, and / or other factors.

[0039] In operation 520, the transportation system 206 may transmit instructions to each of the selected passenger vehicles 214 and package delivery vehicles 216 to control the vehicles to travel the determined route at the designated time and perform the passenger transportation and package delivery operations determined for the vehicles. The instructions transmitted from the transportation system 206 to the passenger vehicles 214 and package delivery vehicles 216 may include, but are not limited to, a pickup request location and time, a destination request location and a delivery / return request time, a passenger identifier, a trip identifier, and / or a package item identifier, etc. In some examples, the transportation system 206 may also transmit a vehicle identifier (e.g., a vehicle description, license plate registration number, etc.) to the user device 202 to enable the user to recognize and access the passenger vehicles 214 and package delivery vehicles 216 upon arrival at the pickup location.

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a map user interface 600 showing a coordinated passenger trip itinerary and two associated package deliveries performed by separate vehicles. As described above, the transportation system 206 may provide tracking, monitoring, and rerouting functionality to maintain synchronization in delivery times and / or delivery locations between the passenger vehicles 214 and the package delivery vehicles 216. In some examples, the transportation system 206 may provide a map user interface 600 to enable a user to visually track the associated passenger vehicles and package delivery vehicles during the time frame of the passenger trip and associated package delivery. In this example, the map user interface 600 identifies the passenger pick-up location with a passenger icon 602 along with the associated passenger vehicle 604 and driving path 606. The passenger trip in this example includes two associated package delivery vehicles 216, each with a different pick-up location and driving path. A first package icon 608 indicating a package pickup location is also identified on the map user interface 600 along with the associated package delivery vehicle 610 and driving path 612. A second package icon 614 indicates a second package pickup location identified on the map user interface 600 along with a second package delivery vehicle 616 and driving route 618. In this example, the two package delivery vehicles 610 and 616 have picked up their respective items and are traveling a route to a passenger transportation destination indicated by icon 620. The passenger vehicle 604 is on its way to pick up a passenger and will then proceed to the same destination indicated by icon 620. The transportation system 206 in this example may coordinate the passenger transportation vehicles and the separate package delivery vehicles to arrive at the same destination at the same time (or at separate delivery times requested by the user).

[0041] FIG. 7 shows another example of a user interface 700 illustrating a coordinated itinerary between a passenger trip and an associated baggage delivery using separate vehicles and different delivery routes. In this example, the user interface 700 provides a single view of a client application to enable a user to plan, track, and perform coordination updates for a passenger trip with an associated baggage delivery using separate vehicles. As shown in this example, the route of the passenger and baggage delivery determined by the route coordination component 210 may include a transportation route having multiple legs (e.g., a multi-journey and / or multi-modal transportation route, etc.) including a combination of driving legs, flight legs, and / or legs of other transportation modes. As shown in this example, both the passenger and the baggage associated with the passenger trip may have a travel route that includes a first driving leg to an airport, a flight to a destination city, and then a second driving leg to a hotel in the destination city. However, the route coordination component 210 in this example has selected entirely different itineraries for the passenger and baggage items. For example, based on user input received via the user interfaces 300 and 400, the transportation system 206 may: It selects earlier pick-up times, delivery delay times, and cheaper flights for package items that can accommodate package pick-up and delivery times.

[0042] User interface 700 may also be configured to receive data updates from transportation system 206 (and / or directly from vehicles 214 and 216) and provide notifications via user equipment 202. Such notifications may include, but are not limited to, data, vehicle tracking data, vehicle status and location updates, package delivery notifications, delays or changes in plans, rerouting by users, etc. In response to delays or changes in plans to passenger travel itineraries and / or associated package delivery itineraries, user interface 700 may automatically update to alert users and provide an updated user interface to users to enable them to update times and / or delivery routes for other associated vehicles.

[0043] FIG. 8 depicts a block diagram showing an example of a system 800 for implementing the techniques described herein. The vehicle 802 in this example may correspond to any of the vehicles described herein, including any of the various configurations of autonomous vehicles for transporting passengers or related goods. That is, each of the vehicle examples described above with reference to FIGS. 1-7 and / or any other vehicle examples described herein may include any combination of the features of the vehicle 802 and may be incorporated into a similar or identical computing system. As shown in this example, the vehicle 802 may include one or more vehicle computing devices 804, one or more sensor systems 806, one or more emitters 808, one or more communication connections 810, at least one direct connection 812, and one or more drive assemblies 814.

[0044] Vehicle 802 may include various software-based and / or hardware-based components in an autonomous vehicle and may be used to control the autonomous vehicle through a physical environment. For example, vehicle 802 may be a hardware-based and / or software-based controller for an unmanned vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle configured to operate according to a Level 5 classification issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which represents a vehicle capable of performing all safety-critical functions for the entire trip with no driver (or passenger) expected to control the vehicle at any time. In some cases, the vehicle control system may operate within an actual relevant vehicle, such as a fully autonomous or partially autonomous vehicle having any other level or classification. In some cases, the techniques described herein may be used with non-autonomous vehicles as well. Additionally or alternatively, vehicle 802 may operate independently of a physical vehicle, for example, as a hardware and software-based controller for a simulated vehicle running in a computing environment during the development, testing, and validation process for vehicle 802.

[0045] Vehicle 802 may be used in any configuration of passenger vehicle and / or goods mailing vehicle, such as, for example, a van, a sports utility vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a truck, a bus, an agricultural vehicle, and / or a construction vehicle. Vehicle 802 may be powered by one or more internal combustion engines, one or more electric motors, hydrogen power, any combination thereof, and / or any other suitable power source. Vehicle 802 may have four wheels, although the related technology described herein may be incorporated into vehicles having a fewer or greater number of wheels and / or tires. Vehicle 802 may include a system for controlling a vehicle having four-wheel steering and may operate with generally equal or similar performance characteristics in all directions, for example, such that a first end of the vehicle is the front end of the vehicle when traveling in a first direction, and such that the first end is the rear end of the vehicle when traveling in the opposite direction. Similarly, a second end of the vehicle is the front end of the vehicle when traveling in a second direction, is the rear end of the vehicle when traveling in the opposite direction, and is the rear end of the vehicle when traveling in the opposite direction. Example of these characteristics may facilitate better maneuverability in tight spaces or crowded environments, such as, for example, parking lots and / or city streets.

[0046] Vehicle computing device 804 may include one or more processors 816 and memory 818 communicatively coupled to the one or more processors 816. In the illustrated example, vehicle 802 is an autonomous vehicle. However, vehicle 802 may be any other type of vehicle or any other system having one or more sensor systems. In the illustrated example, memory 818 of vehicle computing device 804 stores a localization component 820, a recognition component 822, a planning component 824, one or more system controllers 826, and one or more maps 828. While depicted in FIG. 8 as resident in memory 818 for illustrative purposes, it is contemplated that localization component 820, recognition component 822, planning component 824, one or more system controllers 826, and one or more maps 828 may additionally or alternatively be accessible to vehicle 802 (e.g., stored remotely).

[0047] In at least one example, the localization component 820 can include functionality for receiving data from the sensor system 806 to determine a location of the vehicle 802. For example, the localization component 820 can include and / or request / receive a map of the environment and continually determine a location of the autonomous vehicle within the map. In some cases, the localization component 820 can receive image data, LIDAR data, radar data, IMU data, GPS data, wheel encoder data, and the like, utilizing SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) or CLAMS (Concurrent Calibration, Localization, and Mapping) to precisely determine a location of the autonomous vehicle. In some cases, the localization component 820 can provide data to various components of the vehicle 802 to determine an initial location of the autonomous vehicle for generating candidate trajectories, as described herein.

[0048] In some cases, the recognition component 822 may include functionality to perform object detection, segmentation, and / or classification. In some examples, the recognition component 822 may provide processed sensor data indicative of the presence of an entity proximate to the vehicle 802 and / or the classification of the entity as a type of entity (e.g., automobile, pedestrian, bicyclist, animal, building, tree, road surface, curb, sidewalk, unknown, etc.). In additional and / or alternative examples, the recognition component 822 may provide processed sensor data indicative of one or more characteristics associated with the detected entity and / or the environment in which the entity is located. In some examples, the characteristics associated with the entity may include, but are not limited to, x-position (global location), y-position (global location), z-position (global location), orientation, type of entity (e.g., classification, etc.), velocity of the entity, range (size) of the entity, etc. The characteristics associated with the environment may include, but are not limited to, the presence of another entity in the environment, the state of another entity in the environment, time of day, day of week, season, weather conditions, signs of darkness / light, etc.

[0049] Generally, the planning component 824 may determine a path that the vehicle 802 should follow to traverse the environment. For example, the planning component 824 may determine various routes and trajectories, as well as various levels of detail. For example, the planning component 824 may determine a path to travel from a first location (e.g., a current location, etc.) to a second location (e.g., a target location, etc.). For purposes of this discussion, a path may be a series of points of interest for travel between two locations. As non-limiting examples, the points of interest may include streets, intersections, Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, etc. Additionally, the planning component 824 may generate instructions for guiding the autonomous vehicle along at least a portion of the path from the first location to the second location. In at least one example, the planning component 824 may determine how to guide the autonomous vehicle from a first point of interest in the series of points of interest to a second point of interest in the series of points of interest. In some examples, the instructions may be a trajectory, or a portion of a trajectory. In some examples, multiple orbits can be generated substantially simultaneously (eg, within technological tolerances) according to receding horizon techniques.

[0050] In at least one example, vehicle computing equipment 804 can include one or more system controllers 826, which can be configured to control steering, propulsion, braking, safety, emitter, communication, and other systems of the vehicle 802. These system controllers 826 can communicate with and / or control systems corresponding to the drive assembly 814 and / or other components of the vehicle 802.

[0051] The memory 818 may further include one or more maps 828 that may be used by the vehicle 802 to navigate the environment. For purposes of this description, a map may be any number of data structures modeled in two, three, or N dimensions that may provide information about the environment, such as, but not limited to, topology (such as intersections), streets, mountains, roads, terrain, and the environment in general. In one example, the map may include a three-dimensional mesh generated using the techniques discussed herein. In some cases, the map may be stored in a tiled format, such that individual tiles of the map represent separate portions of the environment, and the map may be loaded into the working memory as needed. In at least one example, the one or more maps 828 may include at least one map (e.g., images and / or meshes, etc.) generated according to the techniques discussed herein. In some examples, the vehicle 802 may be controlled at least in part based on the map 828. That is, the map 828 can be used in conjunction with the localization component 820, the recognition component 822, and / or the planning component 824 to determine the position of the vehicle 802, identify objects in the environment, and / or generate a path and / or trajectory for navigating within the environment.

[0052] In some examples, one or more maps 828 may be stored on a remote computing device (such as computing device 832) accessible over network 830. In some examples, multiple maps 828 may be stored, for example, based on characteristics (e.g., type of entity, time of day, day of the week, season of the year, etc.). Storing multiple maps 828 may have similar memory requirements but may improve the speed at which data in the heatmap may be accessed.

[0053] In some cases, some or all aspects of the components discussed herein may include any model, algorithm, and / or machine learning algorithm. For example, in some cases, the components in memory 818 (and memory 836 described below) may be implemented as a neural network. As described herein, an exemplary neural network is a biologically inspired algorithm that passes input data through a series of connected layers to generate an output. Each layer in a neural network may be composed of another neural network or may be composed of any number of layers (convolutional or not). As may be understood in the context of this disclosure, a neural network may utilize machine learning, which may refer to a broad class of such algorithms in which an output is generated based on learned parameters.

[0054] In at least one example, the sensor system 806 can include LIDAR sensors, radar sensors, ultrasonic transducers, sonar sensors, position sensors (e.g., GPS, compass, etc.), inertial sensors (e.g., inertial measurement units (IMUs), accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, etc.), cameras (e.g., RGB, IR, intensity, depth, time of flight, etc.), microphones, wheel encoders, environmental sensors (e.g., temperature sensors, humidity sensors, light sensors, pressure sensors, etc.), and the like. The sensor system 806 can include multiple instances of each of these sensors, or other types of sensors. For example, a LIDAR sensor can include individual LIDAR sensors positioned at corners, front, rear, sides, and / or top of the vehicle 802. As another example, a camera sensor can include multiple cameras positioned at various locations on the exterior and / or interior of the vehicle 802. The sensor system 806 can provide input to the vehicle computing device 804. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor system 806 may transmit the sensor data over one or more networks 830 at a particular frequency to one or more computing devices, such as after a predetermined period of time, in near real-time, or the like.

[0055] The vehicle 802 may also include one or more emitters 808 for emitting light and / or sound, as described above. The emitters 808 in this example include interior audio and visual emitters for communicating with passengers of the vehicle 802. By way of example and not limitation, the interior emitters may include speakers, lights, signs, display screens, touch screens, haptic emitters (e.g., vibration and / or force feedback, etc.), and mechanical actuators (e.g., seat belt tensioners, seat positioners, head rest positioners, etc.). The emitters 808 in this example also include exterior emitters. By way of example and not limitation, the exterior emitters in this example include lights for indicating direction of travel or other indicators of vehicle actions (e.g., indicator lights, signs, light arrays, etc.), and one or more audio emitters (e.g., speakers, speaker arrays, horns, etc.) for audibly communicating with pedestrians or other nearby vehicles, one or more of which include acoustic beam steering technology.

[0056] Vehicle 802 may also include one or more communications connections 810 that enable communication between vehicle 802 and one or more other local or remote computing devices. For example, communications connections 810 may facilitate communication with other local computing devices on vehicle 802 and / or drive assembly 814. Communications connections 810 may also enable the vehicle to communicate with other local computing devices (e.g., other local vehicles, traffic lights, etc.). Communications connections 810 may also enable vehicle 802 to communicate with remote teleoperated computing devices or other remote services.

[0057] The communication connections 810 may include physical and / or logical interfaces for connecting the vehicle computing device 804 to another computing device or to a network, such as the network 830. For example, the communication connections 810 may enable Wi-Fi-based communications, such as frequencies defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard, short-range wireless frequencies such as Bluetooth, cellular communications (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, 4G LET, 5G, etc.), or any suitable wired or wireless communications protocol that enables each computing device to interface with other computing devices.

[0058] In at least one example, the vehicle 802 can include one or more drive assemblies 814. In some examples, the vehicle 802 can have a single drive assembly 814. In at least one example, when the vehicle 802 has multiple drive assemblies 814, the individual drive assemblies 814 can be located at opposite ends of the vehicle 802 (e.g., the front and the rear, etc.). In at least one example, the drive assembly 814 can include one or more sensor systems for detecting conditions surrounding the drive assembly 814 and / or the vehicle 802. By way of example and not limitation, the sensor systems can include one or more wheel encoders (e.g., rotary encoders, etc.) for sensing the rotation of the wheels of the drive assembly, inertial sensors (e.g., inertial measurement units, accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, etc.) for measuring the orientation and acceleration of the drive assembly, cameras or other imaging sensors, ultrasonic sensors for acoustically detecting objects in the vicinity of the drive assembly, LIDAR sensors, radar sensors, etc. Some sensors, such as the wheel encoders, can be intrinsic to the drive assembly 814. In some cases, the sensor systems on the drive assembly 814 may overlap or complement corresponding systems on the vehicle 802 (e.g., sensor system 806, etc.).

[0059] The drive assembly 814 can include a number of vehicle systems, including a high voltage battery, a motor for propelling the vehicle, an inverter for converting direct current from the battery to alternating current used by other vehicle systems, a steering system including a steering motor and a steering rack (which can be electric), a braking system including hydraulic or electric actuators, a suspension system including hydraulic and / or pneumatic components, a stability control system for distributing braking forces to mitigate loss of traction and maintain control, an HVAC system, lighting (e.g., lighting such as headlights / taillights for illuminating the exterior surroundings of the vehicle), and one or more other systems (e.g., cooling systems, safety systems, on-board charging systems, other electrical components such as DC / DC converters, high voltage junctions, high voltage cables, charging systems, charging ports, etc.). Additionally, the drive assembly 814 can include a drive assembly controller that can receive and preprocess data from the sensor systems and control the operation of the various vehicle systems. In some examples, the drive assembly controller can include one or more processors and a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors. The memory may store one or more programs or instructions for executing various functions of the drive assembly 814. Additionally, the drive assembly 814 also includes one or more communication connections that enable each drive assembly to communicate with one or more other local or remote computing devices.

[0060] In at least one example, the localization component 820, the recognition component 822, and / or the planning component 824 can process the sensor data as described above and transmit their respective outputs to one or more computing devices 832 (and / or one or more user devices 838) over one or more networks 830. In at least one example, the localization component 820, the recognition component 822, and / or the planning component 824 can transmit their respective outputs at a particular frequency to one or more computing devices 832 or user devices 838, such as after a predetermined period of time, in near real-time, or the like.

[0061] As described above with reference to FIGS. 1-7 and as discussed throughout this disclosure, the vehicle 802 can transmit sensor data to the computing device 832 and / or the user device 838 via the network 830. The computing device 832 can include one or more processors 834 and a memory 836 communicatively coupled to the one or more processors 834 to execute components disposed therein and perform corresponding functions. In some examples, the vehicle 802 can transmit raw sensor data to the computing device 832. In other examples, the vehicle 802 can transmit processed sensor data and / or a representation of the sensor data to the computing device 832. In some examples, the vehicle 802 can transmit sensor data to the computing device 832, the user device 838 at a particular frequency, in near real-time, after a predetermined period of time, etc. In some cases, the vehicle 802 can transmit the sensor data (raw or processed) to the computing device 832 as one or more log files.

[0062] In some examples, the computing device 832 may implement a transportation system similar or identical to the transportation system 206 described above and configured to implement and coordinate transportation of passengers and item delivery in separate vehicles. In such examples, the computing device 832 may include a vehicle selection component 208 configured to determine the number, type, and characteristics of vehicles in a fleet of autonomous vehicles for performing the coordinated transportation of passengers and items, and / or a route coordination component 210 configured to determine routes, coordinate transportation of passengers and associated items in separate vehicles, transmit transportation and delivery instructions to the vehicles 802, and monitor transportation and delivery by the vehicles 802. The vehicle selection component 208 and the route coordination component 210 may be similar or identical to the corresponding components described above and may be configured to implement any combination of the functions described herein to perform and coordinate transportation of passengers and items.

[0063] In at least one example, the computing device 832 may correspond to the transportation system 206 in Figure 2, and the components depicted in the computing device 832 may be similar or identical to the corresponding components described above in connection with Figure 2. Additionally, the user device 838 may correspond to the user device 202 and may be configured to receive and render a user interface for collecting passenger ride data and coordinated item delivery data from users and providing user input data to the vehicle selection component 208 and the route coordination component 210 in the computing device 832. The same or a different user device 838 may also be configured to receive and output notifications related to status updates, delivery notifications, route changes, and the like from the vehicles 802 and / or the computing device.

[0064] The processor 816 of the vehicle 802 and the processor 834 of the computing device 832 may be any suitable processor capable of processing data and executing instructions to perform the operations described herein. By way of example and not limitation, the processors 816 and 834 may comprise one or more central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), or any other device or portion of a device that processes electronic data and converts the electronic data into other electronic data that may be stored in registers and / or memory. In some examples, integrated circuits (e.g., ASICs, etc.), gate arrays (e.g., FPGAs, etc.), and other hardware devices may also be considered processors so long as they are configured to implement the instructions encoded therein.

[0065] Memory 818 and memory 836 are examples of non-transitory computer-readable media. Memory 818 and memory 836 may store an operating system and one or more software applications, instructions, programs, and / or data to implement the methods and functions attributed to the various systems described herein. In various implementations, memory may be implemented using any suitable memory technology, such as static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), non-volatile / flash type memory, or any other type of memory capable of storing information. The architectures, systems, and individual elements described herein may include many other logical, programmatic, and physical components, and the components shown in the accompanying figures are merely examples that are relevant to the discussion of this specification.

[0066] 8 is illustrated as a distributed system, it should be noted that in alternative examples, components of the vehicle 802 can be associated with the computing device 832 and / or components of the computing device 832 can be associated with the vehicle 802. That is, the vehicle 802 can perform one or more of the functions associated with the computing device 832 and vice versa. Additionally, any or all of the components associated with the transportation system 206, such as the vehicle selection component 208 and the route coordination component 210, can be implemented within a user equipment 838, which can communicate directly with one or more vehicles 802 without the use of an intermediary computing device 832.

[0067] [Example of clauses] A. A system comprising one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: the first vehicle in the fleet to transport the at least one passenger based at least in part on the passenger data; determining a number of vehicles associated with the transportation request based at least in part on the passenger data and the item data, the number of vehicles associated with the transportation request being at least two; determining a first vehicle in the fleet to transport the at least one passenger based at least in part on the passenger data; determining a second vehicle in the fleet to transport the one or more items based at least in part on the item data; causing a first command to be transmitted to the first vehicle to transport the at least one passenger from the first pickup location to the destination location; and causing a second command to be transmitted to the second vehicle to transport the one or more items from the second pickup location to the destination location.

[0068] B. The system described in paragraph A, wherein the passenger data includes a first boarding time, the item data includes a second boarding time different from the first boarding time, the first instructions include a first boarding location, the first boarding time, and a first identifier associated with at least one passenger, and the second instructions include a second boarding location, a second boarding time, and a second identifier associated with one or more items.

[0069] C. The system of paragraphs A or B, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving a passenger pick-up time associated with the transportation request, determining a first item itinerary including a first item pick-up time and a second item itinerary including a second item pick-up time based at least in part on the passenger pick-up time, determining a first cost associated with the first item itinerary, determining a second cost associated with the second item itinerary, transmitting the first item itinerary including the first item pick-up time and the first cost and the second item itinerary including the second item pick-up time and the second cost to a user equipment associated with the transportation request, and receiving a selection of the first item itinerary or the second item itinerary from the user equipment.

[0070] D. A system as described in any one of paragraphs A-C, wherein determining the first vehicle is based at least in part on a determination that the first vehicle includes a passenger compartment compatible with the passenger data, and determining the second vehicle is based at least in part on a determination that the second vehicle includes a storage room compatible with the item data.

[0071] E. The system of any one of paragraphs A-D, wherein the operations further include determining a first route for the first vehicle including a first pick-up location and a destination location, and determining a second route for the second vehicle including a second pick-up location and a destination location, the second route being different from the first route.

[0072] F. A method comprising: receiving, by a transportation system, a transportation request indicating a destination; determining, by the transportation system, passenger data based at least in part on the transportation request, the passenger data indicating a passenger associated with the transportation request; determining, by the transportation system, item data based at least in part on the transportation request, the item data indicating an item associated with the transportation request; causing the transportation system to transmit first instructions to a first vehicle to transport the passenger to a first drop-off location; and causing the transportation system to transmit second instructions to a second vehicle to transport the item to a second drop-off location.

[0073] G. The method of paragraph F, wherein the passenger data includes a first boarding time, the item data includes a second boarding time that is different from the first boarding time, the first instructions include the first boarding time and a first identifier associated with the passenger, and the second instructions include a second boarding time and a second identifier associated with the item.

[0074] H. The method of paragraph F or G, further comprising: receiving a passenger pick-up time associated with the transportation request, determining a first item itinerary including a first item pick-up time and a second item itinerary including a second item pick-up time based at least in part on the passenger pick-up time, determining a first cost associated with the first item itinerary, determining a second cost associated with the second item itinerary, transmitting the first item itinerary including the first item pick-up time and the first cost and the second item itinerary including the second item pick-up time and the second cost to a user equipment associated with the transportation request, and receiving a selection of the first item itinerary or the second item itinerary from the user equipment.

[0075] I. The method of any of paragraphs F-H, further comprising: determining item specification data associated with the item, the item specification data including at least one of an item weight, an item size, an item type, or an item number; determining a number of passengers based at least in part on the passenger data; and determining a number of vehicles associated with the transportation request based at least in part on the item specification data and the number of passengers.

[0076] J. The method of any of paragraphs F through I, further comprising: determining a first vehicle in the fleet of vehicles to transport passengers based at least in part on a determination that the first vehicle includes a passenger compartment compatible with the passenger data, and determining a second vehicle in the fleet of vehicles to transport items in the fleet of vehicles based at least in part on a determination that the second vehicle includes a storage compartment compatible with the item data.

[0077] K. The method of any of paragraphs F-J, further comprising: determining a first route for a first vehicle based at least in part on a destination including a first boarding location and a first drop-off location, and determining a second route for a second vehicle based at least in part on a destination including a second boarding location and a second drop-off location, where the first drop-off location is the same as the second drop-off location and the first route is different from the second route.

[0078] L. The method of paragraph K, wherein the first route includes one or more driving segments and a first flight segment associated with a first flight, and the second route includes one or more driving segments and a second flight segment associated with a second flight different from the first flight.

[0079] M. The method of paragraph K, further comprising: determining a first security classification associated with the passenger, the step of determining a first route being based at least in part on the first security classification; and determining a second security classification associated with the item, the step of determining a second route being based at least in part on the second security classification.

[0080] N. The method of paragraph K, wherein the first boarding location and the second boarding location are the same location.

[0081] O. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions executable by a processor that, when executed, cause a computing device to perform operations including receiving a transportation request indicating a destination, determining passenger data based at least in part on the transportation request, where the passenger data indicates a passenger associated with the transportation request, determining item data based at least in part on the transportation request, where the item data indicates an item associated with the transportation request, causing first instructions to be transmitted to a first vehicle to transport the passenger to a first drop-off location, and causing second instructions to be transmitted to a second vehicle to transport the item to a second drop-off location.

[0082] P. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media of paragraph O, wherein the passenger data includes a first boarding time, the item data includes a second boarding time that is different from the first boarding time, the first instructions include the first boarding time and a first identifier associated with the passenger, and the second instructions include a second boarding time and a second identifier associated with the item.

[0083] Q. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of paragraph O or P, wherein the operations further include receiving a passenger pick-up time associated with the transportation request, determining a first item itinerary including a first item pick-up time and a second item itinerary including a second item pick-up time based at least in part on the passenger pick-up time, determining a first cost associated with the first item itinerary, determining a second cost associated with the second item itinerary, transmitting the first item itinerary including the first item pick-up time and the first cost and the second item itinerary including the second item pick-up time and the second cost to a user equipment associated with the transportation request, and receiving a selection of the first item itinerary or the second item itinerary from the user equipment.

[0084] R. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of any of paragraphs O-Q, wherein the operations further include determining item specification data associated with the item, the item specification data including at least one of an item weight, an item size, an item type, or an item number, determining a number of passengers based at least in part on the passenger data, and determining a number of vehicles associated with the transportation request based at least in part on the item specification data and the number of passengers.

[0085] S. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of any of paragraphs O-R, wherein the operations further include determining a first vehicle in the fleet of vehicles to transport passengers based at least in part on a determination that the first vehicle includes a passenger compartment compatible with the passenger data, and determining a second vehicle in the fleet of vehicles to transport an item based at least in part on a determination that the second vehicle includes a storage compartment compatible with the item data.

[0086] T. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of any of paragraphs O-S, wherein the operations further include determining a first route for the first vehicle based at least in part on a destination including a first boarding location and a first drop-off location, and determining a second route for the second vehicle based at least in part on the destination including a second boarding location and a second drop-off location, wherein the first drop-off location is the same as the second drop-off location and the first route is different from the second route.

[0087] Although the example clauses described above are described with respect to particular implementations, it should be understood in the context of this document that the contents of the example clauses may be implemented via a method, an apparatus, a system, a computer-readable medium, and / or another implementation. Further, any of examples A-T may be implemented alone or in combination with any other one or more of examples A-T.

[0088] [Conclusion] One or more examples of the technology described herein have been described, various modifications, additions, permutations, and equivalents thereof being within the scope of the technology described herein. As can be understood, the components described herein have been described as being separated for purposes of illustration. However, the operations performed by the various components may be combined or performed in other components. It should also be understood that components or procedures described with respect to one example or implementation may be used in combination with components or procedures of other examples.

[0089] A non-limiting list of agents and other objects in the environment includes, but is not limited to, pedestrians, animals, bicyclists, trucks, motorcycles, or other vehicles. Such objects in the environment have a "geometric pose" (sometimes referred to herein simply as "pose") that includes the position and / or orientation of the entire object relative to a frame of reference. In some examples, the pose may indicate the position of the object (e.g., a pedestrian, etc.), the orientation of the object, or the position of an appendage relative to the object. The geometric pose may be described in two dimensions (e.g., using an xy coordinate system) or three dimensions (e.g., using an xyz or polar coordinate system) and may include the orientation of the object (e.g., roll, pitch, and / or yaw, etc.). Some objects, such as pedestrians and animals, also have what is referred to herein as an "appearance pose." An appearance pose includes the shape and / or position of parts of the body (e.g., appendages, head, torso, eyes, hands, feet, etc.). As used herein, the term "pose" refers both to the "geometric pose" of an object relative to a frame of reference, and in the case of pedestrians, animals, and other objects that are capable of changing the shape and / or position of a body part, i.e., "appearance pose." In some examples, the frame of reference is described with reference to a two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinate system or map that describes the position of the object relative to the vehicle. However, in other examples, other frames of reference may be used.

[0090] In the description of the examples, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, which show, by way of illustration, specific examples of the claimed subject matter. It should be understood that other examples can be used and that changes or modifications, such as structural changes, can be made. Such examples, changes, or modifications do not necessarily depart from the intended scope of the claimed subject matter. Although the procedures herein may be presented in a particular order, in some cases the order may be changed such that certain inputs are provided at different times or in a different order without changing the functionality of the systems and methods described. The procedures disclosed may also be performed in a different order. Furthermore, the various calculations described herein need not be performed in the order disclosed, and other examples using alternative orders of calculations may be easily implemented. In addition to shuffling the order, the calculations may also be decomposed into sub-calculations with the same results.

[0091] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

[0092] The components described herein represent instructions that may be stored on any type of computer-readable medium and may be implemented in software and / or hardware. All of the methods and processes described above may be embodied in and fully automated via software code modules and / or computer-executable instructions executed by one or more computers or processors, hardware, or some combination thereof. Parts or all of the methods may alternatively be embodied in specialized computer hardware.

[0093] In particular, conditional language such as "may," "could," "may," or "might" is understood to indicate that, within the context, a particular example includes a particular feature, element, and / or step, and another example does not include a particular feature, element, and / or step, unless specifically stated otherwise. As such, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that a particular feature, element, and / or step is somehow required for one or more examples, or that one or more examples necessarily include logic for determining, with or without user input or prompting, whether a particular feature, element, and / or step is included in or performed in any particular example.

[0094] Conjunctions such as "at least one of X, Y or Z" are understood to indicate that the item, term, etc. can be either X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof, including multiples of each element, unless specifically stated otherwise. "a" refers to the singular as well as the plural.

[0095] It should be understood that the descriptions, elements, or blocks of the routines in the flow diagrams described herein and / or depicted in the accompanying figures may represent modules, segments, or portions of code that include one or more computer-executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function or element in the routine. Included within the scope of the examples described herein are alternative implementations that remove elements or functions, or perform operations in a different order than that shown or described, including substantially synchronized, reversed, additional operations, or omission of operations, etc., depending on the functionality involved, as will be understood by those of skill in the art.

[0096] Many variations and modifications may be made to the examples described above, and those elements should be understood to be included among other acceptable examples. All such modifications and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

Claims

1. A transportation system, comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable media that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:[ receive, by the transportation system, a transportation request indicating a destination; determine, by the transportation system, passenger data at least partially based on the transportation request, the passenger data indicating a passenger associated with the transportation request; determine, by the transportation system, item data at least partially based on the transportation request, the item data indicating an item associated with the transportation request; send, by the transportation system, a first instruction to a first vehicle to transport the passenger to a first drop-off location; send, by the transportation system, a second instruction to a second vehicle to transport the item to a second drop-off location; and one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that cause the above operations to be performed.[ A transportation system, characterized by comprising the above.[

2. The passenger data includes a first boarding time, the item data includes a second boarding time different from the first boarding time, the first instruction includes the first boarding time and a first identifier associated with the passenger, the second instruction includes the second boarding time and a second identifier associated with the item.[ The transportation system according to claim 1, characterized by the above.[

3. The operations further include:[ receiving, by the transportation system, a passenger boarding time associated with the transportation request; determining, by the transportation system, based at least partially on the passenger boarding time, a first item journey including a first item collection time and a second item journey including a second item collection time; determining a first cost associated with the first item journey; determining a second cost associated with the second item journey; sending, to a user device associated with the transportation request, the first item journey including the first item collection time and the first cost and the second item journey including the second item collection time and the second cost; and receiving, from the user device, a selection of the first item journey or the second item journey.[ The transportation system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by further comprising the above.[

4. The operations further include:[ Determining article specification data associated with the article, the article specification data including at least one of article weight, article size, article type, or article number; Determining the number of passengers based at least in part on the passenger data; Determining the number of vehicles associated with the transportation request based at least in part on the article specification data and the number of passengers; The transportation system according to claim 1, further comprising the above.

5. The operation includes: Determining the first vehicle in the group of vehicles for transporting the passengers based at least in part on a determination that the first vehicle includes a passenger compartment compatible with the passenger data; Determining the second vehicle in the group of vehicles for transporting the article based at least in part on a determination that the second vehicle includes a storage compartment compatible with the article data; The transportation system according to claim 1, further comprising the above.

6. The operation includes: Determining a first route for the first vehicle based at least in part on the destination including a first boarding location and a first alighting location; Determining a second route for the second vehicle based at least in part on the destination including a second boarding location and a second alighting location, wherein the first alighting location is the same as the second alighting location and the first route is different from the second route; The transportation system according to claim 1, further comprising the above.

7. The first route includes one or more driving sections and a first flight section associated with a first flight; The second route includes one or more driving sections and a second flight section associated with a second flight different from the first flight; The transportation system according to claim 6, characterized by the above.

8. A method comprising: Receiving a transportation request indicating a destination; Determining passenger data based at least in part on the transportation request, the passenger data indicating passengers associated with the transportation request; Determining article data based at least in part on the transportation request, the article data indicating articles associated with the transportation request; Causing a first vehicle to receive a first instruction to transport the passenger to a first drop-off location; Causing a second vehicle to receive a second instruction to transport the article to a second drop-off location A method characterized by comprising: **Claim 9** The passenger data includes a first boarding time, and the article data includes a second boarding time different from the first boarding time. The first instruction includes the first boarding time and a first identifier associated with the passenger. The second instruction includes the second boarding time and a second identifier associated with the article The method according to claim 8, characterized in that: **Claim 10** Receiving a passenger boarding time associated with the transportation request; Determining a first article journey including a first article collection time and a second article journey including a second article collection time, at least partially based on the passenger boarding time; Determining a first cost associated with the first article journey; Determining a second cost associated with the second article journey; Transmitting the first article journey including the first article collection time and the first cost and the second article journey including the second article collection time and the second cost to a user device associated with the transportation request; Receiving a selection of the first article journey or the second article journey from the user device The method according to claim 8, further characterized by comprising: **Claim 11** Determining article specification data associated with the article, the article specification data including at least one of article weight, article size, article type, or article number; Determining the number of passengers, at least partially based on the passenger data; Determining the number of vehicles associated with the transportation request, at least partially based on the article specification data and the number of passengers The method according to claim 8, further characterized by comprising: **Claim 12** Determining the first vehicle within a group of vehicles for transporting the passenger, at least partially based on a determination that the first vehicle includes a passenger compartment compatible with the passenger data; Determining the second vehicle within a group of vehicles for transporting the article, at least partially based on a determination that the second vehicle includes a storage compartment compatible with the article data The method according to claim 8, further comprising.

13. Determining a first route for the first vehicle, at least partially based on the destination, including the first boarding location and the first alighting location; Determining a second route for the second vehicle, at least partially based on the destination, including the second boarding location and the second alighting location, wherein the first alighting location is the same as the second alighting location and the first route is different from the second route; The method according to claim 8, further comprising.

14. Determining a first security classification associated with the passenger, wherein the step of determining the first route is at least partially based on the first security classification; Determining a second security classification associated with the item, wherein the step of determining the second route is at least partially based on the second security classification; The method according to claim 13, further comprising.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media, including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute the method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

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