Demand base control scheme for autonomous vehicle system

Abstract

To provide a method of allocating vehicles configured to autonomously operate along a road to trip requests in a transport system including a plurality of such vehicles.SOLUTION: A method can include receiving a trip request at a dispatch server system of a transport system. The trip request can include a start position, a destination position, and a time of arrival of a requested vehicle. The method can further include identifying a subset of vehicles from a plurality of vehicles. Each of the vehicles in the identified subset of the vehicles has energy sufficient for moving from the start position to the destination position, and has its estimated time of arrival at the start position. The estimated time of arrival corresponds to a time at which the start position is predicted to have available getting on / off capacity. The method can further include choosing a selected vehicle having the earliest estimated time of arrival at the start position from the subset of vehicles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 064,317, filed August 11, 2020, entitled "Demand-Based Control Schemes for Autonomous Vehicle Systems," the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.

[0002] The described embodiments relate generally to vehicles, and more particularly, to schemes for controlling the operation of autonomous vehicle systems. [Background technology]

[0003] Vehicles such as cars, trucks, vans, buses, and streetcars are ubiquitous in modern society. Cars, trucks, and vans are often used for personal transportation, carrying relatively few passengers, while buses, streetcars, and other larger vehicles are often used for public transportation. Vehicles may also be used to transport goods or for other purposes. Such vehicles may be operated on roads, which may include surface roads, bridges, highways, overpasses, or other types of vehicular rights-of-way. Driverless or autonomous vehicles may alleviate the need for individuals to manually operate vehicles for their transportation needs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A method of assigning vehicles to a trip request in a transportation system including a plurality of vehicles configured to autonomously navigate along a roadway may include receiving a trip request at a dispatch server system of the transportation system. The trip request may include an origin location, a destination location, and a requested vehicle arrival time. The method may further include identifying a subset of vehicles from the plurality of vehicles, each vehicle in the identified subset of vehicles having sufficient energy to travel from the origin location to the destination location and having a respective estimated arrival time at the origin location, the estimated arrival time corresponding to a time when the origin location is predicted to have available loading / unloading capacity. The method may further include choosing a selected vehicle from the subset of vehicles having an earliest estimated time of arrival at the origin location, assigning the selected vehicle to the trip request, and transmitting information about the trip request to the selected vehicle. Each vehicle in the identified subset of vehicles may travel toward the origin location at the time the subset is identified. The estimated arrival time of each of the vehicles in the identified subset of vehicles may be within a threshold time after the requested vehicle arrival time. Each vehicle in the identified subset of vehicles may have sufficient energy to travel from the destination to the charging station after completing the trip associated with the trip request.

[0005] The origin location can correspond to a first boarding zone having a first fixed location within the transportation system, and the destination location can correspond to a second boarding zone having a second fixed location within the transportation system. The trip request can be received from a mobile phone. The method can further include transmitting an identifier of the selected vehicle to the mobile phone.

[0006] A method of allocating vehicles to a trip request in a transportation system including a plurality of vehicles configured to autonomously navigate along roadways can include receiving, at a dispatch server system of the transportation system, a trip request that can include an origin location, a destination location, and a requested vehicle arrival time. The method can further include identifying a first subset of candidate vehicles from the plurality of vehicles, each vehicle traveling to the origin location and having an estimated time to arrive at the origin location within a threshold time after the requested vehicle arrival time, identifying a second subset of candidate vehicles from the first subset of candidate vehicles that have sufficient energy to reach the destination location from the origin location, choosing a selected vehicle from the second subset of candidate vehicles that has the earliest estimated time to arrive at the origin location, allocating the selected vehicle to the trip request, and transmitting information regarding the trip request to the selected vehicle. The dispatch server system can maintain a list of pending trip requests that do not have a vehicle assigned, and the trip request can be the oldest trip request in the list of pending trip requests that do not have a vehicle assigned. The threshold time can be less than or equal to 10 minutes after the requested vehicle arrival time. Each vehicle in the second subset of vehicles may have sufficient energy to travel from the destination to the charging station after completion of a trip associated with the trip request.

[0007] The method may further include, after assigning the selected vehicle to the trip request and before the selected vehicle arrives at the origin location, identifying an additional vehicle having an earlier estimated arrival time at the origin location than the selected vehicle, canceling the assignment of the selected vehicle to the trip request, and assigning the additional vehicle to the trip request.

[0008] A method for allocating vehicles to a target location in a transportation system including a plurality of vehicles configured to autonomously navigate along a roadway includes identifying a vehicle to be assigned a target location at a dispatch server system of the transportation system, and identifying a subset of a plurality of loading and unloading zones in the transportation system, each loading and unloading zone in the identified subset of loading and unloading zones having available vehicle capacity at an estimated time of arrival of the vehicle at the respective loading and unloading zone, reachable by the vehicle based on the vehicle's current location and current energy state, and associated with a respective estimated vehicle demand. The method may further include choosing a selected loading and unloading zone from the subset of loading and unloading zones having the highest estimated vehicle demand, allocating the selected loading and unloading zone as a target location for the vehicle, and transmitting information about the target location to the vehicle, thereby causing the vehicle to start moving to the selected loading and unloading zone. The method may further include reducing an estimated vehicle demand of the selected loading and unloading zone by one vehicle after allocating the selected loading and unloading zone as a target location for the vehicle. Once identified, the vehicle may be parked at a charging station.

[0009] The method may further include determining, for each of the subset of loading and unloading zones, a respective estimated vehicle demand at an estimated arrival time of the vehicle at each of the loading and unloading zones. The estimated vehicle demand for each of the loading and unloading zones may be based at least in part on a historical number of trips originating from each of the loading and unloading zones, a number of vehicles estimated to travel to each of the loading and unloading zones within a particular time frame, and a number of trips scheduled to originate from each of the loading and unloading zones for which no vehicle is assigned. The estimated vehicle demand for each of the loading and unloading zones may further be based at least in part on a weather forecast at each of the loading and unloading zones. The estimated vehicle demand for each of the loading and unloading zones may further be based at least in part on an end time of an event in close proximity to each of the loading and unloading zones. The particular time frame may be a time prior to the estimated arrival time of the vehicle.

[0010] The present disclosure will be readily understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like structural elements, and in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the transport system.

[0012] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary map of a transportation system.

[0013] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a table illustrating an example of a trip request listing.

[0014] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a table illustrating an example data set for allocating vehicles to trip requests.

[0015] [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a table representing an example of a data set for allocating vehicles to loading and unloading zones in a transportation system.

[0016] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a table representing an example of a data set for allocating parked vehicles to loading / unloading zones in a transportation system.

[0017] [Figure 7] 7A-7B show an exemplary vehicle.

[0018] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 (FIGS. 8A-8B) shows the vehicle of FIGS. 7A-7B of FIG. 7 with the doors open.

[0019] [Figure 9]FIG. 9 illustrates a partial exploded view of an exemplary vehicle.

[0020] [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows an electrical block diagram of an electronic device capable of carrying out the processes described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Below, a detailed description of exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings will be given. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments, as defined by the appended claims.

[0022] Embodiments herein are generally directed to transportation systems in which a number of vehicles may be operated autonomously to transport passengers and / or cargo along roads. For example, a transportation system or service may provide a fleet of vehicles that operate along roads to pick up and drop off passengers at either pre-defined locations or stops, or at locations that are dynamically selected (e.g., selected by a person via a smartphone). As used herein, the term "road" may refer to a structure that supports moving vehicles.

[0023] However, operating a transportation system is a complex undertaking because the specific times and locations at which vehicles are required by users can be difficult to predict. This can make it difficult to plan where to present or accommodate vehicles in the transportation system so that trip requests can be fulfilled quickly without excessive wait times. For example, if one were to stabilize all of the vehicles in a transportation system in a central parking lot while actively carrying passengers, the time it takes for a vehicle to move to a distant loading / unloading zone to fulfill a trip request may be unreasonably long to satisfy customer preferences. Furthermore, even if vehicle accommodation facilities are distributed throughout the transportation system, under some operating conditions it may not be cost-effective or space-efficient to simply fill each accommodation facility with the maximum number of vehicles necessary to meet the maximum possible demand in that area of ​​the transportation system.

[0024] Thus, as described herein, a centralized dispatch server system can identify and / or predict vehicle demand at various locations (e.g., loading and unloading zones) within a transportation system and intelligently route vehicles to those locations based on the predicted demand. A centralized dispatch server system that is part of or works in conjunction with an overall transportation system controller is particularly well suited to identify and / or predict vehicle demand because it can use known system-wide data and parameters, including vehicle locations, traffic conditions, road conditions, parameters of the entire trip request (e.g., origin, destination, time), and the like. The centralized dispatch server system can leverage its visibility into the entire system to intelligently dispatch vehicles when and where they are likely to be needed. The centralized dispatch server system may be referred to herein simply as a centralized dispatch system.

[0025] In addition to predicting vehicle demand and rationally allocating vehicles to specific loading and unloading zones based on the predicted demand, the centralized dispatch system may use its access to real-time operating parameters of the transportation system to intelligently allocate specific vehicles to trip requests. In particular, while providing the fastest response time to users may be a goal of the system, the fastest response time may not necessarily provide the best overall service to users or provide efficiency to the system. For example, when a trip request is received, sending the closest vehicle to the requested loading and unloading zone may result in the fastest response time. However, allocating the closest vehicle may be inappropriate if that vehicle does not have enough energy to reach the loading and unloading zone at the trip request's destination and / or does not have enough energy to reach a charging station after reaching the destination loading and unloading zone. Furthermore, allocating that vehicle may not provide a satisfactory user experience if it ends up delivering the passenger to the destination at a time when the destination loading and unloading zone is full and the user must wait for a boarding position to become available in the vehicle.

[0026] The centralized dispatch system described herein leverages its extensive data on the past, present, and future state of the system to efficiently assign vehicles to trip requests in a manner that balances service speed and overall system efficiency. For example, when assigning vehicles to trip requests, the centralized dispatch system can use its knowledge of each vehicle's state of charge or fuel status to choose vehicles with the appropriate energy (e.g., battery charge, fuel amount, etc.) to complete the requested trip and also complete subsequent trips (e.g., returning to a charging station). The centralized dispatch system can also estimate whether candidate vehicles will arrive at a destination loading / unloading zone at a time when the loading / unloading zone has capacity, and reject candidate vehicles that do not. Such estimations can be made based on past data and / or knowledge of future events, thereby providing greater flexibility and accuracy in assigning vehicles and providing a seamless experience to users. These and other functions of the transportation system are described herein.

[0027] The transportation systems described herein may include or operate with a dedicated type of vehicle (or several dedicated types of vehicles), which may be configured to operate independently and at least semi-autonomously according to a particular vehicle control scheme established for a particular roadway segment and / or other transportation system infrastructure. Certain aspects of vehicle operation may be fully controlled by the vehicle itself, while other aspects may be controlled and / or determined by a transportation system controller. For example, the vehicles may be configured to autonomously and independently manage vehicle control functions such as acceleration, braking, and steering, as well as higher level operations such as merging into or leaving traffic, entering and exiting loading and unloading zones, dynamically forming packs, etc. Meanwhile, the transportation system controller, and more specifically the centralized dispatch system of the transportation system controller, may assign vehicles to specific destinations, allocate vehicles across the system to fulfill trip requests, etc.

[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates an example transportation system 100 that may use the techniques described herein. The transportation system 100 includes a transportation system controller 102 that communicates with, receives information from, and / or controls the operation of various components of the transportation system 100. For example, the transportation system controller 102 receives a trip request (and optionally other information) from a user 104 of the system. The trip request may include information such as the requester's identity, an origin location (e.g., a loading zone or other location where the user is to be picked up), a destination location (e.g., a loading zone or other location where the user is to be dropped off), and optionally a requested vehicle arrival time (e.g., the time the vehicle should arrive at the origin location). The requested vehicle arrival time may be specified by the user and may correspond to a request for immediate or as soon as possible pickup, or to a specified future time. In some cases, the requested vehicle arrival time may be calculated or estimated based on a user-specified destination arrival time. For example, the user may specify to arrive at an airport loading zone at a specified time. The user's device and / or transportation system controller 102 can calculate the vehicle arrival time to the origin location based on factors including, but not limited to, the specified destination arrival time, the length of the trip, predicted or actual traffic conditions, weather conditions, etc. The trip request may be sent to the transportation system controller 102 via a smart phone, a computer, a traditional phone, a wearable device, or any other suitable device and / or communication technology. The transportation system controller 102 may include one or more electronic devices, such as a computer system, such as electronic device 1000 described with respect to FIG.

[0029] The transportation system controller 102 may include a system state monitor 103 and a centralized dispatch server system 105 (referred to herein simply as the centralized dispatch system 105), among other possible modules, programs, or other systems that facilitate operation of various aspects of the transportation system. The system state monitor 103 and the centralized dispatch system 105 may be implemented by any suitable combination of computer hardware (e.g., processors, memory, non-transitory computer-readable storage media), computer software (e.g., computer programs, applications, firmware, etc.), sensors, communication systems, etc. that facilitate operations performed by the system state monitor 103 and / or the centralized dispatch system 105. For example, the system state monitor 103 and the centralized dispatch system 105 may be implementations of the electronic device 1000 or may be instantiated as one or more resources of the electronic device 1000. It will be understood that the schematic diagram between the transportation system controller 102, the system status monitor 103, and the centralized dispatch system 105 is merely to aid in describing their functionality and does not necessarily correspond to any hardware, software, program, or other distinctions. For example, in some cases, the transportation system controller 102 may be implemented by a single computer system (e.g., a server) executing a single program, which performs the system status monitoring function, the centralized dispatch function, and any other transportation system functions. In other cases, the transportation system controller 102 may be implemented by a variety of computer systems (e.g., multiple servers), where different computer systems perform different tasks, operations, or functions (e.g., transportation system status monitoring function, dispatch function, etc.).

[0030] The transportation system controller 102 can receive information from, send information and / or commands to, control the operation of, and / or otherwise communicate with the vehicles 108 of the transportation system 100, as well as the transportation system infrastructure 106. The vehicles 108 may be a fleet of dedicated types of vehicles configured to operate independently and at least semi-autonomously according to a particular vehicle control scheme. An example of the vehicles 108 is described herein with respect to FIGS. 7A-9. In some examples, the vehicles 108 are electric vehicles and are configured for bidirectional movement. The vehicles 108 can send information to and receive information and commands from the transportation system controller 102. For example, the vehicles 108 may transmit information to the transportation system controller 102 such as their state of charge, their current location, their passenger / payload status, their current target location, their future target location, vehicle status information (e.g., current speed, acceleration, turning direction, braking status, vehicle heading), vehicle maintenance information (e.g., time of last charge, battery health, battery life, flow level, tire pressure level), etc. The transportation system controller 102 may transmit information to the vehicles 108 such as information about trip requests assigned to the vehicles (e.g., origin location, destination location, requested vehicle arrival time, etc.), vehicle control commands (e.g., to change vehicle control parameters such as maximum speed, minimum speed, vehicle following distance, etc.), destination and / or service commands (e.g., travel to a charging station to charge, travel to a particular parking lot or loading / unloading zone to emerge, etc.). Other types of information may be transmitted and / or received between the transportation system controller 102 and the vehicles 108.

[0031] The transportation system controller 102 can also receive information from, send information and / or commands to, control the operation of, and / or otherwise communicate with the transportation system infrastructure 106. The transportation system infrastructure 106 can include roads 110, parking lots (parking garages) 112, and loading and unloading zones 114. The roads 110 can include roads, bridges, overpasses, elevated road sections, and other surfaces on which vehicles travel. The parking lots 112 can include parking facilities, charging and / or refueling stations, and maintenance bays. Vehicles can be parked in parking lots when they are not being used by the system for another purpose (e.g., processing trip requests, staging at loading and unloading zones for imminent use, etc.). The loading and unloading zones 114 can be fixed locations and / or facilities within the transportation system 100 that are designed for passengers to board and disembark from vehicles. Thus, the loading / unloading zone 114 may include pedestrian access infrastructure (e.g., sidewalks, stairs, etc.) as well as parking spots where vehicles can be parked while passengers are boarding and disembarking. The loading / unloading zone 114 may also include parking spots for vehicles that are in standby mode or staging mode (e.g., vehicles that are not boarding or disembarking passengers but are instead waiting for trip assignments). As described herein, the loading / unloading zone 114 may be designed to be used by vehicles capable of bidirectional movement. Thus, the loading / unloading zone 114 may be smaller and / or more compact than is possible with traditional unidirectional vehicles without sacrificing speed or efficiency in the boarding process.

[0032] Roads 110 may define an overall map of transportation system 100, and loading / unloading zones 114 and parking lots 112 may be distributed at various locations along roads 110. In some cases, loading / unloading zones 114 are located in locations that are easily accessible to users of transportation system 100 (e.g., buildings or locations where people want to travel to or from), while parking lots 112 may be located in more remote or less populated locations within transportation system 100. In some cases, a single facility or location may include loading / unloading zones and parking lots.

[0033] Each element of the transportation system infrastructure 106 may include sensors, computers, communication systems, human operators, and / or other hardware and software components that facilitate monitoring and operation of the transportation system infrastructure. For example, roads 110 may include vehicle presence sensors, vehicle speed sensors, traffic sensors, cameras, traffic control output systems (e.g., lights, signs, wireless communication systems), scales, etc. Parking lots 112 may include vehicle presence sensors, inventory data (e.g., a list of all vehicles currently housed in the garage, as well as vehicle status and vehicle information), availability of charging, fueling, or other maintenance services, etc. Pick-up and drop-off zones 114 may include vehicle presence sensors, traffic sensors, sensors that detect user presence and / or location, inventory data (e.g., a list of all vehicles currently appearing in pick-up and drop-off zones 114), etc. These components of roadways 110, parking lots 112, and loading / unloading zones 114 may communicate with transportation system controller 102 to send and / or receive status information, data, signals, commands, and / or other information. Such communications may include wireless and / or wired communication technologies.

[0034] Using information received from vehicles 108, roads 110, parking lots 112, and loading / unloading zones 114 (and optionally other components of the transportation system), system status monitor 103 can monitor and evaluate the overall system status from time to time and can record or store data regarding the system status in a historical record. Transportation system controller 102 can use the historical record of transportation system status to make predictions regarding various aspects of the transportation system. For example, transportation system controller 102 can use past trip data to predict future vehicle demand at a particular loading / unloading zone. Transportation system controller 102 can also use past loading / unloading zone throughput data to predict future throughput at that loading / unloading zone. Transportation system controller 102 can also use past traffic data to help plan vehicle routes, avoid traffic congestion, and maintain free-flowing traffic on roads 110.

[0035] The centralized dispatch system 105 can receive trip requests from users 104 and assign vehicles 108 to the trip requests. For example, the centralized dispatch system 105 can receive trip requests including an origin location, a destination location, and a requested vehicle arrival time (which may be specified by the user or calculated or estimated by the system). The centralized dispatch system 105 can communicate with and / or use information from the system status monitor 103 to identify candidate vehicles for each trip request, and ultimately assign a selected vehicle to each trip request. A vehicle may be selected based on a variety of factors, such as its current location, its current energy level (e.g., battery charge level), projected ride capacity of the origin and / or destination locations, etc. These factors can be available and / or determined from current and / or historical data in the system status monitor 103.

[0036] 2-6 illustrate how transportation system controller 102 intelligently assigns vehicles to trip requests and stages throughout transportation system 100. FIG. 2 is an example map 200 of transportation system 100 (or a portion thereof). Map 200 shows the locations of example vehicles (e.g., vehicles 1-4), example loading and unloading zones (e.g., zones A-F), and example parking lots (e.g., parking lots X and Y) along a road network 202. Of course, map 200 is for illustrative purposes only, and the actual number and locations of vehicles, loading and unloading zones, and parking lots will differ in different implementations of the transportation system.

[0037] As described above, the transportation system controller 102 may receive trip requests from users 104 of the system. Trip requests that may be received at the transportation system controller 102 from a cell phone or other device associated with a user may include a list of pending unpaired trip requests (e.g., trip requests that have not been assigned to a vehicle), as shown in table 300 in FIG. 3. Table 300 includes three trip requests and, for each trip request, the time that the request was received (t n ), an origin location (e.g., an origin pick-up / drop-off zone), a destination location (e.g., a destination pick-up / drop-off zone), and a requested vehicle arrival time. As described above, the requested vehicle arrival time may be specified by the user or may be calculated based on other trip parameters. If the user does not specify a time or requests that the trip begin as soon as possible, table 300 may assign an "as soon as possible" flag to the trip request and attempt to provide a vehicle as soon as possible.

[0038] To assign a vehicle to a trip request, the centralized dispatch system 105 may select the oldest unpaired trip request in the list of unpaired trip requests (e.g., request 1 in FIG. 3) and select a selected vehicle to assign to the trip request. Once a vehicle has been selected and assigned to the trip request, the centralized dispatch system 105 may move on to the next oldest unpaired trip request and select a selected vehicle to assign to the trip request. The centralized dispatch system 105 may cycle through the unpaired trip request list periodically (e.g., every 5 seconds, 10 seconds), or any other suitable cycle or time frame.

[0039] To assign vehicles to a trip request, the centralized dispatch system 105 may evaluate the status of many different vehicles to identify vehicles that are suitable for assignment to the trip. For example, the centralized dispatch system 105 may form a list of candidate vehicles by identifying a subset of vehicles in the transportation system, such that each vehicle in the identified subset of vehicles has sufficient energy to travel from an origin location to a destination location (and, optionally, has sufficient energy to travel from the destination location to a charging station after the trip associated with the trip request is completed) and has a respective estimated arrival time at the destination location that corresponds to a time window during which the origin location is predicted to have available pickup and drop-off capacity. In this way, the centralized dispatch system 105 can ensure that vehicles assigned to a trip request are able to complete the trip and do not drop off users at a destination pickup and drop-off zone at a time when the pickup and drop-off zone is too congested to allow passengers to disembark.

[0040] The centralized dispatch system 105 may also use other criteria to identify a subset of vehicles that may be used as candidates to fulfill a trip request. For example, the identified subset may be limited to vehicles that are traveling toward or at the origin location (e.g., parked and awaiting trip assignment) at the time the subset is identified. This may improve overall system efficiency because the assigned vehicles are selected from among vehicles already routed to or at the origin location, rather than routing or rerouting other vehicles to the origin location, which may increase traffic volume and congestion, wait times, loading and unloading zone delays, etc. As another example, the identified subset may be limited to vehicles that have an estimated time to arrive at the origin location within a threshold time after the requested vehicle arrival time. Thus, the centralized dispatch system 105 will remove from the list vehicles that are scheduled to arrive at the origin location later than vehicles that are acceptable to the user. In some cases, the threshold time may be about 20 minutes or less, about 15 minutes or less, about 10 minutes or less, or about 5 minutes or less (or any other suitable threshold time) after the requested vehicle arrival time. In some cases, if any of the criteria for identifying the subset of vehicles results in a list that does not include viable candidate vehicles, that criterion may be eliminated or relaxed. For example, if there are no vehicles currently at the origin location or no vehicles scheduled to arrive within a time threshold of 5 minutes of the requested arrival time, the centralized dispatch system 105 may increase the time threshold to 10 minutes.

[0041] Once the centralized dispatch system 105 identifies the subset of vehicles (wherein the centralized dispatch system 105 filters out vehicles that have insufficient energy or that are scheduled to arrive at the destination when the destination is overly congested), the centralized dispatch system 105 may select a vehicle from the subset of vehicles that has the earliest estimated time to arrive at the origin location. The centralized dispatch system 105 may then transmit information about the vehicle to the user in association with the trip request. Such information may include, for example, an identifier of the selected vehicle, a time that the selected vehicle will arrive at the origin loading / unloading zone, a current location of the selected vehicle, etc.

[0042] In some cases, after a vehicle is assigned to a particular trip, the trip may be removed from the list of unpaired trip requests (e.g., table 300, FIG. 3) and, optionally, included in the list of paired trip requests. The list of paired trip requests may be monitored and / or evaluated to determine whether a trip currently paired with a particular vehicle could be better served by a different vehicle (e.g., a vehicle having an earlier estimated arrival time to the origin location than the currently assigned vehicle). If, after a vehicle is assigned to a trip, an earlier arriving vehicle is identified for the trip, and the currently assigned vehicle has not yet arrived at the origin location, the current vehicle assignment may be canceled and the earlier arriving vehicle may be assigned to the trip request instead. In such a case, the transportation system controller 102 may send a message to the user (e.g., to the user's cell phone) to allow the user to accept or reject the reassignment.

[0043] Figure 4 shows how the vehicle allocation process outlined above proceeds for trip request 1 of Figure 3. For example, table 400 shows various parameters for vehicles 1-4 in the transportation system shown in map 200 of Figure 2. As shown, the parameters include each vehicle's estimated time of arrival at the origin location, each vehicle's energy state, and the number of other vehicles that will arrive at the destination location at the time that each vehicle would arrive at its location with passengers (this can be calculated based on the estimated time of arrival at the origin, the distance between the origin and destination locations, speed limits, weather conditions, actual or predicted traffic conditions, etc.).

[0044] The centralized dispatch system 105 may reject (e.g., purge from the list) those vehicles for which certain criteria are not met. For example, if vehicle 4 only has 12% charge, the centralized dispatch system 105 may determine that 12% charge is insufficient and allow the vehicle to complete the trip associated with trip request 1 and to return to the charging or refueling station after the trip. This determination may be based on the current location of vehicle 4, the length of the trip for trip request 1, and the distance from the destination station to the charging or refueling station (as well as other factors, such as elevation changes along the trip path, traffic conditions, etc.). Thus, vehicle 4 may be purged from, or otherwise not included in, the subset of candidate vehicles from which the vehicle is assigned to trip request 1.

[0045] The centralized dispatch system 105 may also reject vehicles that would otherwise arrive at a destination point when the destination point does not have sufficient capacity to allow passengers to be dropped off in a timely manner. For example, the centralized dispatch system 105 may determine that loading / unloading zone D (the destination of trip request 1) has a loading / unloading capacity of 15 vehicles. Thus, vehicle 1, which would arrive at loading / unloading zone D within a time window in which 28 other vehicles are arriving, may be purged from or otherwise not included in the subset of candidate vehicles. The time window for determining the number of other vehicles arriving at the destination zone may be about + / - 1 minute, about + / - 2 minutes, about + / - 3 minutes, or any other suitable time window from the estimated time of arrival at the destination location.

[0046] The boarding and alighting capacity of a boarding zone may vary from one boarding zone to another and may represent an estimate of how many boarding opportunities are available at the boarding zone during the time window. More specifically, the boarding and alighting capacity of a boarding zone may take into account the fact that each parking spot in the boarding and alighting zone may accommodate multiple vehicles over the time window. Thus, the boarding and alighting capacity may be based, at least in part, on the rate at which each parking spot in the boarding and alighting zone can handle vehicles (e.g., drop-off / pick-up cycles) and the number of parking spots in the boarding and alighting zone. By evaluating the number of vehicles arriving at the destination in the time window and determining the boarding and alighting capacity based on the rate at which the vehicles can be handled, a more useful and accurate estimate of the congestion of the boarding and alighting zone may be achieved compared to selecting a single instantaneous time. For example, if the estimated arrival time of vehicle 1 at the destination loading / unloading zone is exactly 8:00, evaluating the congestion of the loading / unloading zone at exactly 8:00 may result in an unsatisfactory outcome, because there may be a large number of vehicles arriving at the destination loading / unloading zone at 7:59, which would affect the user experience, but which would not be predicted if the system only considered arrivals at 8:00.

[0047] The above description relates to rejecting or purging a vehicle if the estimated time of arrival at the destination corresponds to a time when the destination is overly congested and does not allow for convenient drop-off. In some cases, a similar evaluation may be performed based on the congestion of the origin location of the trip. For example, if the estimated time of arrival of a vehicle at the origin location corresponds to a time when the origin location does not currently have sufficient capacity (e.g., available capacity) to accommodate users for pick-up and drop-off, the vehicle may be purged or otherwise removed from the subset of candidate vehicles.

[0048] Once the subset of candidate vehicles has been created by purging or excluding vehicles that do not meet certain criteria, such as vehicles with insufficient energy levels (e.g., vehicle 4) or vehicles that will arrive at the destination loading / unloading zone at an excess capacity time (e.g., vehicle 1), the centralized dispatch system 105 may select from the remaining vehicles a vehicle that has an estimated time of arrival at the origin location that is closest to (but not earlier than) the requested vehicle arrival time for the trip request. Returning to FIG. 4, vehicle 1 and vehicle 4 are not in the subset of candidate vehicles (indicated by the X mark), and therefore the list of candidate vehicles includes only vehicle 2 and vehicle 3. Since vehicle 2 has an estimated time of arrival at the origin location that is earlier than vehicle 3, the centralized dispatch system 105 selects vehicle 2 (as indicated by the check mark in FIG. 4) and assigns vehicle 2 to trip request 1. Once a vehicle has been assigned to a trip request, the centralized dispatch system 105 may move on to the next oldest trip in the system that does not have a vehicle assigned to it and perform a similar analysis to identify and assign a vehicle to that trip request.

[0049] In addition to allocating vehicles to trip requests, the centralized dispatch system 105 may perform vehicle allocation balancing processes, whereby vehicles are proactively routed to or parked at the loading and unloading zones to be served, to help meet vehicle demands quickly. As described herein, the centralized dispatch system 105 may predict future needs for loading and unloading zones and send vehicles to the loading and unloading zones based on the predicted needs. Furthermore, the centralized dispatch system 105 may continuously or periodically monitor the state of the system, including forecasting vehicle demands at different loading and unloading zones and updating which vehicles are located at which loading and unloading zones, and may re-allocate vehicles according to the updated system state. In this way, the centralized dispatch system 105 can rapidly respond to the ever-changing vehicle demands in the transportation system and improve efficiency and user experience by ensuring that vehicles are served near high demand locations, which may be wherever they are.

[0050] To intelligently route vehicles to different loading and unloading zones in the system, the centralized dispatch system 105 may identify vehicles in the system that have completed an assigned trip and have not yet been assigned to another trip (e.g., the process described with respect to FIG. 4 did not result in those vehicles being assigned to a trip request). Such vehicles may be evaluated for vehicle placement balancing purposes and routed to a loading and unloading zone that needs the vehicle, or to a parking lot if no suitable loading and unloading zone needs the vehicle.

[0051] For each vehicle identified as needing to be assigned a target location, the centralized dispatch system 105 (and / or the system status monitor 103) can determine which, if any, loading / unloading zones in the system would be most benefited by accepting the vehicle. The determination of the loading / unloading zone to assign the vehicle to may include several considerations. For example, the centralized dispatch system 105 may first identify a subset of loading / unloading zones (e.g., candidate loading / unloading zones) in the transportation system that are suitable options. This may include identifying, for the subset, loading / unloading zones that have available vehicle capacity (e.g., empty parking spots) at the estimated time of the vehicle's arrival at the respective loading / unloading zone. In this way, the centralized dispatch system 105 does not send empty vehicles to a loading / unloading zone at times when there is no place to park or accommodate the vehicle in the loading / unloading zone. Vehicle capacity may be determined in the same or similar manner as loading / unloading capacity, as described above. For example, vehicle capacity may be based, at least in part, on the rate at which each parking spot in a loading / unloading zone can handle vehicles (e.g., passenger drop-off / pick-up cycles) and the number of parking spots in the loading / unloading zone. Other techniques for determining vehicle capacity are possible.

[0052] The centralized dispatch system 105 may also identify loading and unloading zones to be included in the subset of loading and unloading zones that are reachable by the vehicle based on the current location and current energy state of the vehicle. Thus, loading and unloading zones that are too far away for the vehicle to reach based on the current location and its current energy state may be excluded from the subset of candidate loading and unloading zones.

[0053] The centralized dispatch system 105 (and / or system status monitor 103) can also determine an estimated vehicle demand at each of the candidate loading / unloading zones at an estimated time of the vehicle's arrival at that loading / unloading zone. Thus, each estimated vehicle demand is specific to a particular loading / unloading zone and is based on when the vehicle in question (e.g., the vehicle for which the loading / unloading zone assignment is being determined) is expected to arrive at that particular loading / unloading zone. In this manner, the transportation system controller 102 can assign vehicles to loading / unloading zones based on the predicted vehicle demand when the vehicle will arrive at the loading / unloading zone, which is not simply the vehicle demand at the time the vehicle is assigned to the loading / unloading zone (which may be out of date depending on when the vehicle actually arrives there).

[0054] The estimated vehicle demand at the loading / unloading zone may be based on factors that help predict future vehicle demand. As an initial measure of vehicle demand, the centralized dispatch system 105 may determine the number of trips that were scheduled to depart from the loading / unloading zone over a recent time frame (e.g., the last 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.). This may provide an average departure rate from the loading / unloading zone and may represent the current state of demand at the loading / unloading zone in real time. This value may be used as a general forecast of vehicle demand at the loading / unloading zone when the vehicle in question actually arrives. However, this value alone does not take into account other factors that may affect vehicle demand at the time the vehicle in question actually arrives, although the centralized dispatch system 105 may apply other factors to better estimate vehicle demand. For example, the estimated vehicle demand may include the number of trip requests that were scheduled to depart from the loading / unloading zone around the time the vehicle in question is estimated to arrive there, but for which a vehicle has not yet been assigned.

[0055] These values, taken together, may provide a more accurate estimate of vehicle demand, but they do not necessarily account for the existing or predicted supply of vehicles at the loading / unloading zone. Thus, to finally determine the estimated vehicle demand at the loading / unloading zone, the centralized dispatch system 105 may subtract the number of vehicles currently heading to the loading / unloading zone that will have the capacity to carry passengers upon arrival at the loading / unloading zone (e.g., vehicles that are not currently assigned or will be able to satisfy one of the trip requests from the loading / unloading zone that are predicted to occur). By adding the predicted demand (e.g., the recent historical average number of trips) to the actual oncoming demand (e.g., actual unpaired trip requests) and subtracting the number of vehicles already moving toward the loading / unloading zone, thus reducing the actual demand, the centralized dispatch system 105 creates a picture of the overall net vehicle demand for the loading / unloading zone.

[0056] Additional factors may also be used to determine the estimated vehicle demand. For example, the centralized dispatch system 105 may use weather forecasts at the loading / unloading zone (at the time the vehicle in question will arrive at the loading / unloading zone) to increase or decrease the estimated vehicle demand. In one specific example, if rain is forecast at the loading / unloading zone when the vehicle in question will arrive, the estimated vehicle demand for that loading / unloading zone may be increased. As another example, the centralized dispatch system 105 may use a schedule of events in an area proximate to the loading / unloading zone and base the estimated vehicle demand, at least in part, on the end time of the event. In one specific example, if the loading / unloading zone is near a sports stadium and a game is scheduled to end at a particular time, the centralized dispatch system 105 may increase the estimated vehicle demand at or around the end time of the game to account for the increased predicted vehicle demand.

[0057] FIG. 5 illustrates how the vehicle placement balancing process outlined above proceeds for two different vehicles. For example, table 500 illustrates how the loading and unloading zones are evaluated to determine the assignment of loading and unloading zones for vehicle 1 (FIG. 2), and table 502 illustrates how the loading and unloading zones are evaluated to determine the assignment of loading and unloading zones for vehicle 2 (FIG. 2). As shown, the parameters evaluated include the estimated vehicle demand at the vehicle's estimated arrival time at that loading and unloading zone, whether the loading and unloading zone has sufficient vehicle capacity at the vehicle's estimated arrival time, and whether the vehicle's energy is sufficient to reach that loading and unloading zone. As discussed above, these and other possible factors are considered in a transportation system when choosing which loading and unloading zone to send a vehicle to.

[0058] With reference to table 500, the centralized dispatch system 105 may identify a subset of candidate loading and unloading zones by rejecting, purging, or otherwise not including those loading and unloading zones for which certain criteria are not met. For example, based on the location of vehicle 1 when the evaluation process is occurring, vehicle 1 may not have enough energy to reach loading and unloading zone D (e.g., based on distance, traffic conditions, vehicle energy level, etc.). Thus, loading and unloading zone D will be excluded (indicated by X) from the subset of candidate loading and unloading zones. Similarly, loading and unloading zone B may be excluded based on a determination by the centralized dispatch system 105 that it does not have sufficient vehicle capacity when vehicle 1 will arrive there. Additionally, an estimated vehicle demand at the estimated arrival time of vehicle 1 is determined for each loading and unloading zone.

[0059] Referring to table 502, the centralized dispatch system 105 may apply a similar process to the same loading and unloading zones as shown in table 500, but with data specific to vehicle 2. For example, an estimated vehicle demand at the estimated arrival time of vehicle 2 and a vehicle capacity at the estimated arrival time of vehicle 2 may be determined for each loading and unloading zone. Additionally, it is determined whether vehicle 2 has sufficient energy capacity to reach each loading and unloading zone (e.g., based on distance, traffic conditions, vehicle energy level, etc.). Note that since vehicle 1 and vehicle 2 are different distances away from each loading and unloading zone and have different estimated arrival times to each loading and unloading zone, the values ​​of the factors will be different for each vehicle. Thus, for example, loading and unloading zones E and F may be too far away for vehicle 2 based on its particular location and energy level, and therefore may be excluded from the subset of candidate loading and unloading zones for vehicle 2. Similarly, loading and unloading zone C may not have sufficient vehicle capacity at the estimated arrival time of vehicle 2, and therefore may be excluded from the list of candidate loading and unloading zones.

[0060] Once a list of candidate loading / unloading zones has been established (e.g., by eliminating loading / unloading zones that are unreachable or that will be overly congested when the vehicle arrives), the centralized dispatch system may choose for each vehicle the candidate loading / unloading zone that has the highest vehicle demand. For vehicle 1, this corresponds to loading / unloading zone C, and for vehicle 2, this corresponds to loading / unloading zone D (indicated by a check mark). Note that even if these assignments are made substantially simultaneously, assigning loading / unloading zones based on vehicle-specific factors (e.g., location, distance from loading / unloading zone, energy level, etc.) may result in the vehicles being assigned to different loading / unloading zones.

[0061] Although the above description of the vehicle placement balancing process has been described as applying to vehicles currently traveling on the roads in the system (e.g., vehicles traveling to a location to drop off a passenger and not yet assigned to another trip), a similar process may be used by the centralized dispatch system 105 to send vehicles from parking lots to loading and unloading zones to help balance the placement of vehicles throughout the system. However, unlike vehicles traveling in the system that are used for vehicle placement balancing when they are completing or have finished a trip and are not assigned to another trip (e.g., when there are no scheduled loading and unloading zone targets), vehicles in parking lots do not, by themselves, generate an independent triggering event or condition that would cause the centralized dispatch system 105 to use them for vehicle placement ranking. Thus, the centralized dispatch system 105 may periodically assign vehicles from parking lots. For example, the centralized dispatch system 105 may dispatch vehicles periodically, such as one vehicle every 10 seconds, one vehicle every minute, one vehicle every five minutes, etc., so long as there is a predicted demand for additional vehicles to be sent to the loading and unloading zones for the system.

[0062] FIG. 6 illustrates how the vehicle placement balancing process proceeds for a parking lot, such as Parking Lot X of FIG. 2. In particular, table 600 illustrates how the loading and unloading zones are evaluated to determine the assignment of a loading and unloading zone to the next vehicle in the parking lot. In particular, since the vehicles in the parking lot all have the same location (and may all have a full charge or full fuel tank), the vehicle placement process does not need to consider the vehicles individually. However, in some cases, vehicle-specific aspects (e.g., vehicle range, battery health / battery life, battery capacity, fuel tank capacity, vehicle life or mileage, etc.) may be considered when assigning vehicles to loading and unloading zones.

[0063] As shown in table 600, parameters evaluated when determining where to send a vehicle from parking lot X include the estimated vehicle demand at the estimated arrival time of the vehicle at that loading / unloading zone (e.g., based on the distance between parking lot X and the respective loading / unloading zone, traffic conditions, etc.), the capacity of the respective loading / unloading zone at the estimated arrival time of the vehicle, and the net vehicle balancing demand at the respective loading / unloading zone. The net vehicle balancing demand for each loading / unloading zone may correspond to the greater of: (1) the estimated vehicle demand of the loading / unloading zone at the estimated arrival time of the vehicle, or (2) the capacity of the loading / unloading zone at the estimated arrival time of the vehicle. More specifically, a loading / unloading zone may have a high demand for vehicles, but if the loading / unloading zone does not have sufficient parking or storage facilitate for those vehicles, it may not be effective to send vehicles to that loading / unloading zone.

[0064] Once the centralized dispatch system 105 determines the net vehicle balancing demand, it can assign the vehicle to the loading / unloading zone with the highest net vehicle balancing demand. If there are multiple loading / unloading zones with the same highest net vehicle balancing demand, the centralized dispatch system 105 may select one of those zones randomly or based on other factors (e.g., the closest loading / unloading zone, the historically busiest loading / unloading zone, etc.). Returning to table 600, the centralized dispatch system 105 may assign the vehicle to loading / unloading zone C because it has the highest net vehicle balancing demand.

[0065] Once a vehicle has been assigned to the loading / unloading zone with the highest vehicle balancing net demand, the estimated vehicle demand value for that loading / unloading zone may be decremented by 1 to reflect the fact that the vehicle being sent to the loading / unloading zone reduces the loading / unloading zone's need by 1. The reduction in estimated vehicle demand may be taken into account by simply recalculating or otherwise updating the estimated vehicle demand calculation, since that calculation already takes into account the number of vehicles traveling to the loading / unloading zone.

[0066] After allocating vehicles to loading and unloading zones C, the centralized dispatch system 105 may periodically run a vehicle allocation balancing process to allocate vehicles to loading and unloading zones that are most in need of vehicles and have the capacity to park and / or store those vehicles when they arrive. This process may continue until there are no loading and unloading zones within range of the parking lot that have a net demand for vehicle balancing or until the parking lot runs out of vehicles to dispatch.

[0067] Once a vehicle is assigned to a trip request (and / or a trip request is assigned to a vehicle), the vehicle can navigate autonomously or semi-autonomously to the assigned loading / unloading zone, parking lot, or other designated location. In some cases, the transportation system controller 102 can provide a route for the vehicle to follow to proceed to the designated location. In some cases, the vehicle can determine its own route to the designated location, optionally with the system status monitor 103. In some cases, the vehicle and the transportation system controller 102 work together to determine a route to the designated location.

[0068] The trip allocation schemes described herein may be used with or by a transportation system that autonomously drives a number of vehicles to transport passengers and / or cargo along a road. For example, a transportation system or service may provide a fleet of vehicles that operate along a road. Vehicles in such a transportation system may be configured to operate autonomously according to one or more vehicle schemes described herein (e.g., a grouping scheme, a moving position target scheme, etc.). As used herein, the term "autonomous" may refer to a mode or scheme in which a vehicle can operate without continuous manual control by a human operator. For example, a driverless vehicle may navigate along a road using an automatic driving system and a steering system that controls the speed and direction of the vehicle. In some cases, a vehicle may not require steering, speed, or direction control from a passenger and may exclude controls, such as accelerator and brake pedals, steering wheels, and other manual controls that are accessible to the passenger. In some cases, a vehicle may include manual driving controls that may be used for maintenance, emergency overrides, etc. Such controls may be hidden, housed, or otherwise prevented from being directly accessible by a user during normal vehicle operation, e.g., they may be designed to be accessible only by trained operators, maintenance personnel, etc.

[0069] Autonomous operation need not exclude all human or manual operation of the vehicle or the overall transportation system. For example, a human operator may be able to intervene in the operation of the vehicle for safety, convenience, testing, or other purposes. Such intervention may be local to the vehicle, such as when a human driver takes control of the vehicle, or remote, such as when the operator sends commands to the vehicle via a remote control system. Similarly, some aspects of the vehicle may be controlled by the vehicle occupant. For example, the vehicle occupant may be able to select target destinations, routes, speeds, control door and / or window operation, etc. Thus, it will be understood that the terms "autonomous" and "autonomous operation" do not necessarily exclude all human intervention or operation of individual vehicles or the overall transportation system.

[0070] Vehicles in a transportation system may include various sensors, cameras, communication systems, processors, and / or other components or systems that help facilitate autonomous operation. For example, the vehicles may include a sensor array that detects magnets or other markers embedded in the roadway and assists the vehicles in determining their location, position, and / or orientation along the roadway. The vehicles may also include wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems, such as optical communication systems, that allow the vehicles to inform each other of operating parameters, such as their deceleration state, the number of vehicles ahead of them in the convoy, their acceleration state, maneuvers occurring nearby (e.g., right turns, left turns, planned stops), and the number and type of their payloads (e.g., people and cargo). The vehicles may also include wireless communication systems to facilitate communication with a transportation system controller having supervisory command and control authority over the transportation system.

[0071] Vehicles within a transportation system may be designed to enhance the operation and convenience of the transportation system. For example, a primary objective of a transportation system may be to provide comfortable, convenient, fast and efficient personal transportation. To provide personal comfort, vehicles may be designed to allow easy ingress and egress for passengers and may have comfortable seating arrangements with sufficient leg and head room. Vehicles may also have sophisticated suspension systems that provide a comfortable ride and dynamically adjustable parameters to help keep the vehicle level positioned at a convenient height and ensure a comfortable ride throughout a range of variable load weights.

[0072] Conventional personal automobiles are primarily designed for one-way operation. This is due in part to the fact that it is generally not safe or necessary for the driver to face forward and operate in the reverse direction for long distances. However, in autonomous vehicles where a human is not directly controlling the vehicle's operation in real time, it may be advantageous to be able to operate the vehicle bidirectionally. For example, the vehicles in the transportation systems described herein may be substantially symmetrical such that the vehicle lacks a visually or mechanically distinct front or back. Furthermore, the wheels may be controlled independently enough that the vehicle operates substantially identically no matter which end of the vehicle is facing the direction of travel. This symmetrical design offers several advantages. For example, the vehicle may be maneuvered in a smaller space by potentially eliminating the need to perform a U-turn or other maneuver to reorient the vehicle to face "forward" before commencing movement.

[0073] 7A and 7B are perspective views of an exemplary four-wheeled road vehicle 700 (referred to herein simply as a "vehicle") that may be used in the transportation system described herein. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the symmetry and bidirectionality of the vehicle 700. In particular, the vehicle 700 defines a first end 702, shown forward in FIG. 7A, and a second end 704, shown forward in FIG. 7B,. In some examples, and as illustrated, the first end 702 and the second end 704 are substantially identical. The vehicle 700 may also be configured to travel with either end facing in the direction of travel. For example, when the vehicle 700 is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow 714, the first end 702 is the leading portion of the vehicle 700, while when the vehicle 700 is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow 712, the second end 704 is the leading portion of the vehicle 700.

[0074] The ability of a vehicle to operate bidirectionally may allow roadway systems, and in particular loading and unloading zones, to be more compact. For example, when a vehicle configured to travel primarily in only one direction (e.g., where reverse maneuvering is provided for convenience and maneuvering, but not for continuous driving functionality) pulls into a blind parking spot, it must perform a y-turn maneuver to exit the parking spot and begin forward travel. Meanwhile, a vehicle configured to operate equally well in either direction (e.g., a bidirectional vehicle) can simply exit the parking spot in the direction of travel it is already facing. Thus, a vehicle capable of bidirectional operation requires less space to maneuver in the loading and unloading zone, allowing the loading and unloading zone to be more compact and operate more efficiently. For example, a y-turn maneuver may temporarily block more nearby parking spots than a vehicle that can turn directly toward its desired direction of travel, regardless of which direction it is in. Also, while pull-through parking spots may eliminate the need for one-way vehicles to make a y-turn maneuver, a loading / unloading zone with pull-through parking spots requires a larger area than a loading / unloading zone with blind parking spots. Thus, the use of bidirectional vehicles such as vehicle 700 facilitates the use of smaller, more compact loading / unloading zones and allows for more efficient operation of the loading / unloading zones.

[0075] The vehicle 700 may also include wheels 706 (e.g., wheels 706-1 through 706-4). The wheels 706 may be paired according to proximity to an end of the vehicle. Thus, wheels 706-1, 706-3 may be located near a first end 702 of the vehicle and may be referred to as a first pair of wheels 706, and wheels 706-2, 706-4 may be located near a second end 704 of the vehicle and may be referred to as a second pair of wheels 706. Each pair of wheels may be driven by at least one motor (e.g., an electric motor) such that each pair of wheels can steer the vehicle. Because each pair of wheels can turn to steer the vehicle, the vehicle may have similar driving and handling characteristics regardless of the direction of travel. In some cases, the vehicle may be operated in a two-wheel steering mode, where only one pair of wheels steers the vehicle 700 at a given time. In such cases, the particular wheel pair that steers the vehicle 700 may change as the direction of travel changes. In other cases, the vehicle may be operated in a four-wheel steering mode, where the wheels are steered in concert to steer the vehicle. In four-wheel steering mode, pairs of wheels can turn in the same or opposite directions depending on the steering maneuver performed and / or the speed of the vehicle.

[0076] The vehicle 700 may also include doors 708, 710 that open to allow passengers and other payloads (e.g., packages, luggage, cargo) to be placed inside the vehicle 700. The doors 708, 710, described in more detail herein, may extend over the top of the vehicle such that each defines two opposing side segments. For example, each door defines a side segment on a first side of the vehicle and another side segment on a second side of the vehicle. Each door also defines a roof segment that extends between the side segments and defines a portion of the roof (or top side) of the vehicle. In some cases, the doors 708, 710 resemble an upside-down "U" in cross section and may be referred to as canopy doors. The side and top segments of the door may be formed as a rigid structural unit such that all of the door components (e.g., the side and top segments) move in coordination with one another. In some cases, the doors 708, 710 include a one-piece shell or door chassis formed from a monolithic structure, which may be formed from composite sheets or structures including, for example, fiberglass, carbon composites, and / or other lightweight composites.

[0077] The vehicle 700 may include a vehicle controller that controls the operation of the vehicle 700 and the vehicle's systems and / or subsystems. For example, the vehicle controller may control the vehicle's drive system, steering system, suspension system, doors, etc. to facilitate vehicle operation, including navigating the vehicle along roads according to one or more vehicle control schemes. The vehicle controller may also be configured to communicate with other vehicles, transportation system controllers, vehicle presence detectors, or other components of the transportation system. For example, the vehicle controller may be configured to receive information from other vehicles regarding their location within a fleet, speed, upcoming changes in speed or direction, etc. The vehicle controller may be configured to receive information from the vehicle presence detector regarding available vehicle locations. The vehicle controller may include a computer, processor, memory, circuitry, or any other suitable hardware components, and may be interconnected with other systems of the vehicle to facilitate the operations described herein, as well as other vehicle operations.

[0078] 8A and 8B are side and perspective views of the vehicle 700 with the doors 708, 710 in an open state. Because the doors 708, 710 define two opposing side segments and a roof segment, respectively, an uninterrupted interior space 802 may be revealed when the doors 708, 710 are open. In the example depicted in FIG. 8A and 8B, when the doors 708, 710 are open, an open section may be defined between the doors 708, 710 that extends from one side of the vehicle 700 to the other. This may allow unobstructed entry and exit of the vehicle 700 by passengers on both sides of the vehicle 700. The lack of overhead structure when the doors 708, 710 are open may allow passengers to walk across the vehicle 700 without limitations on head clearance.

[0079] Vehicle 700 may also include seats 804, which may be located at opposite ends of vehicle 700 and may face each other. As shown, vehicle includes two seats 804, although other numbers of seats and other seating arrangements are possible (e.g., 0 seats, 1 seat, 3 seats, etc.). In some cases, seats 804 may be removable, retractable, or stowable so that wheelchairs, strollers, bicycles, or luggage can be more easily located within vehicle 700.

[0080] Vehicles for use in the transportation systems described herein, such as vehicle 700, may be designed for safe and comfortable operation as well as ease of manufacture and maintenance. To achieve these advantages, the vehicle may be designed with a frame structure that contains many of the structural and operational components of the vehicle (e.g., motor, suspension, battery, etc.) and is low to the ground. The body structure may be attached to the frame structure or fixed. FIG. 9 shows a partial exploded view of a vehicle, which may be an embodiment of vehicle 700, illustrating an example of a frame structure and body structure configuration. As described below, the low position of the frame structure in combination with a relatively lightweight body structure produces a vehicle with a very low center of gravity, which results in improved safety and handling of the vehicle. For example, a low center of gravity reduces the risk of the vehicle rolling over when the vehicle encounters an inclined road surface, wind loads, sharp turns, etc., and also reduces the body roll of the vehicle during turns or other maneuvers. Additionally, manufacturing and repair may be simplified by locating many of the vehicle's operational components, such as the motor, battery, vehicle controls, sensors (e.g., sensors that detect magnets or other markers installed in the road), etc., on a frame structure (e.g., frame structure 904, FIG. 9).

[0081] 9 is a partially exploded view of a vehicle 900, which may be an embodiment of vehicle 700. Details of vehicle 700 are similarly applicable to vehicle 900 and will not be repeated here. Vehicle 900 may include a body structure 902, which may include doors (e.g., doors 708, 710 discussed above) and other body components, and a frame structure 904 to which body structure 902 is attached.

[0082] The frame structure 904 may include drive, suspension, and steering components of the vehicle. For example, the frame structure 904 may include a wheel suspension system (which may define or include wheel mounts, axles, or hubs, represented in FIG. 9 as points 912), a steering system, drive motors, and optionally a motor controller. The wheels may be attached to the wheel suspension system via wheel mounts, axles, hubs, etc. The drive motors may include one or more drive motors that drive the wheels independently or in coordination with each other. The drive motors may receive power from a power source (e.g., a battery) mounted on the frame structure 904. Motor controllers for the drive motors may also be mounted on the frame structure 904.

[0083] The suspension system may be any suitable type of suspension system. In some cases, the suspension system includes an independent suspension system for each wheel. For example, the suspension system may be a double-wishbone torsion-bar suspension system. The suspension system may also be dynamically adjustable to control ride height, suspension preload, damping, or other suspension parameters while the vehicle is stationary or while the vehicle is moving. Other suspension systems, such as swing axle suspension, sliding pillar suspension, MacPherson strut suspension, etc., are also contemplated. Furthermore, the spring and damping functions may be provided by any suitable components or devices, such as coil springs, leaf springs, pneumatic springs, hydropneumatic springs, magneto-rheological shock absorbers, etc. The suspension system may be configured to work in conjunction with the contours of the road surface (eg, of the road as discussed above) to maintain a desired experience for the occupants.

[0084] The frame structure 904 may include a steering system that allows the wheels to turn to steer the vehicle. In some cases, the wheels may be independently steerable, or they may be linked (e.g., via a steering rack) so that they always point in approximately the same direction during normal operation of the vehicle. This may also allow the vehicle to use a four-wheel steering scheme, and to alternate between two-wheel steering and four-wheel steering schemes.

[0085] The frame structure 904 can contain components such as batteries, motors, mechanisms for opening and closing the vehicle doors, a control system (including a computer or other processing unit), and the like.

[0086] FIG. 9 illustrates an example configuration of the vehicle and frame structure. However, other configurations are possible. Additionally, the frame structure and body structure illustrated in FIG. 9 are intended to represent these components diagrammatically, which may include other structures omitted from FIG. 9 for clarity. Additional structural connections and integrations may be formed between the body structure and the frame structure than are explicitly represented in FIG. 9. For example, components of a door mechanism that opens and closes a door on the body structure may be connected to both the door and the frame structure.

[0087] 10 illustrates an example electrical block diagram of an electronic device 1000 capable of performing the operations described herein. The electronic device 1000 may take the form of any of the electronic devices (or systems providing services) described herein, including a transportation system controller 102, a system status monitor 103, a centralized dispatch system 105, or other computing devices or systems described herein. The electronic device 1000 may include one or more of a display 1012, a processing unit 1002, a power source 1014, a memory 1004 or storage device, an input device 1006, and an output device 1010. In some cases, various implementations of the electronic device 1000 may lack some or all of these components and / or include additional or alternative components.

[0088] The processing unit 1002 may control some or all of the operation of the electronic device 1000. The processing unit 1002 may communicate, directly or indirectly, with some or all of the components of the electronic device 1000. For example, a system bus or other communication mechanism 1016 may provide communication between the processing unit 1002, a power supply 1014, a memory 1004, input devices 1006, and output devices 1010.

[0089] The processing unit 1002 may be implemented as any electronic device capable of processing, receiving, or transmitting data or instructions. For example, the processing unit 1002 may be a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a combination of such devices. As used herein, the term "processing unit" is meant to encompass a single processor or processing unit, multiple processors, multiple processing units, or any other suitably configured computing unit or units.

[0090] It should be noted that components of electronic device 1000 may be controlled by multiple processing units. For example, selection components of electronic device 1000 (e.g., input device 1006) may be controlled by a first processing unit, and other components of electronic device 1000 (e.g., display 1012) may be controlled by a second processing unit, and the first and second processing units may or may not be in communication with each other.

[0091] The power source 1014 may be implemented by any device capable of providing energy to the electronic device 1000. For example, the power source 1014 may be one or more batteries or rechargeable batteries. Additionally or alternatively, the power source 1014 may be a power connector or power cord that connects the electronic device 1000 to another power source, such as a wall outlet.

[0092] The memory 1004 may store electronic data usable by the electronic device 1000. For example, the memory 1004 may store electronic data or content, such as, for example, trip requests, user information, past usage data, a map and / or layout of the transportation system, vehicle data (e.g., information about each vehicle in the system, including allocation status, remaining charge, maintenance history, etc.). The memory 1004 may be configured as any type of memory. By way of example only, the memory 1004 may be embodied as random access memory, read-only memory, flash memory, removable memory, other types of storage elements, or combinations of such devices.

[0093] In various embodiments, the display 1012 provides graphical output, for example, associated with an operating system, a user interface, and / or applications of the electronic device 1000. In one embodiment, the display 1012 includes one or more sensors and is configured as a touch-sensitive (e.g., single-touch, multi-touch) and / or force-sensitive display to receive input from a user. For example, the display 1012 may be integrated with touch sensors (e.g., capacitive touch sensors) and / or force sensors to provide a touch-sensitive and / or force-sensitive display. The display 1012 is operatively coupled to the processing unit 1002 of the electronic device 1000.

[0094] The display 1012 may be implemented with any suitable technology, including but not limited to liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, light emitting diode (LED) technology, organic light emitting display (OLED) technology, organic electroluminescent (OEL) technology, or another type of display technology. In some cases, the display 1012 is disposed under and viewable through a cover that forms at least a portion of an enclosure for the electronic device 1000.

[0095] In various embodiments, the input devices 1006 may include any suitable components for sensing input. Examples of the input devices 1006 include light sensors, temperature sensors, audio sensors (e.g., microphones), optical or visual sensors (e.g., cameras, visible light sensors, or invisible light sensors), proximity sensors, touch sensors, force sensors, mechanical devices (e.g., crowns, switches, buttons, or keys), vibration sensors, orientation sensors, motion sensors (e.g., accelerometers or speed sensors), position sensors (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS) devices), thermal sensors, communication devices (e.g., wired or wireless communication devices), resistive sensors, magnetic sensors, electroactive polymers (EAPs), strain gauges, electrodes, etc., or some combination thereof. Each input device 1006 may be configured to sense one or more particular types of inputs and provide a signal (e.g., an input signal) corresponding to the sensed input. The signal may be provided to the processing unit 1002, for example.

[0096] The output devices 1010 may include any suitable components for providing output. Examples of the output devices 1010 include lights, audio output devices (e.g., speakers), visual output devices (e.g., lights or displays), tactile output devices (e.g., haptic output devices), communication devices (e.g., wired or wireless communication devices), etc., or some combination thereof. Each output device 1010 may be configured to receive one or more signals (e.g., output signals provided by the processing unit 1002) and provide an output corresponding to the signals.

[0097] In some cases, the input device 1006 and the output device 1010 are implemented together as a single device. For example, the input / output devices or ports can transmit electronic signals over a communications network, such as a wireless and / or wired network connection. Examples of wireless and wired network connections include, but are not limited to, cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR, and Ethernet connections.

[0098] The processing unit 1002 may be operatively coupled to the input device 1006 and the output device 1010. The processing unit 1002 may be configured to exchange signals with the input device 1006 and the output device 1010. For example, the processing unit 1002 may receive an input signal from the input device 1006 corresponding to an input detected by the input device 1006. The processing unit 1002 may interpret the received input signal to determine whether to provide and / or modify one or more outputs in response to the input signal. The processing unit 1002 may then send the output signal to one or more of the output devices 1010 and provide and / or modify the output as appropriate.

[0099] The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific terms to thoroughly understand the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that specific details are not required to practice the described examples. Thus, the foregoing description of the specific implementations described herein has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, while methods or processes disclosed herein have been described and illustrated with reference to specific operations performed in a particular order, these operations can be combined, sub-divided, or reordered to form equivalent methods or processes without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. Furthermore, structures, features, components, materials, steps, processes, etc. described herein with respect to one embodiment can be omitted from that embodiment or incorporated into other embodiments. Additionally, although the term "road" is used herein to refer to a structure that supports moving vehicles, the roads described herein do not necessarily conform to any definition, standard, or requirement that may be associated with the term "road" as may be used in statutes, regulations, transportation codes, and the like. As such, the roads described herein do not necessarily (and do not in fact) provide the same characteristics and / or the same structure as a conventional "road." Of course, the roads described herein may conform to any or all applicable statutes, safety regulations, or other rules for the safety of occupants, bystanders, drivers, construction personnel, maintenance personnel, and the like.

Claims

1. 1. A method for allocating vehicles to trip requests in a transportation system including a plurality of vehicles configured to operate autonomously along roads, the method comprising: A dispatch server system of the transportation system, The starting position, The destination location, The requested vehicle arrival time, and receiving a trip request including: identifying a subset of vehicles from the plurality of vehicles, each vehicle in the identified subset of vehicles comprising: has sufficient energy to travel from the origin location to the destination location; and having respective estimated arrival times at origin locations, the estimated arrival times corresponding to times when the origin locations are predicted to have available capacity; choosing a selected vehicle from the subset of vehicles that has an earliest estimated arrival time to the origin location; assigning the selected vehicle to the trip request; transmitting information regarding the trip request to the selected vehicle. method.

2. 2. The method of claim 1 , each vehicle in the identified subset of vehicles is moving toward the origin location at the time the subset is identified; method.

3. 2. The method of claim 1 , each estimated arrival time of the vehicles in the identified subset of vehicles is within a threshold time after the requested vehicle arrival time; method.

4. Method 1, comprising: the origin location corresponds to a first loading / unloading zone having a first fixed location within the transportation system; and the destination location corresponds to a second loading / unloading zone having a second fixed location within the transportation system. method.

5. 2. The method of claim 1 , the trip request is received from a mobile phone; method.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, transmitting an identifier of the selected vehicle to the mobile phone. method.

7. 2. The method of claim 1 , each vehicle in the identified subset of vehicles has sufficient energy to travel from the destination location to a charging station after completion of a trip associated with the trip request; method.

8. 1. A method for allocating vehicles to trip requests in a transportation system including a plurality of vehicles configured to operate autonomously along roads, the method comprising: A dispatch server system of the transportation system, The starting position, The destination location, The requested vehicle arrival time, and receiving a trip request including: identifying a first subset of candidate vehicles from the plurality of vehicles, each vehicle in the first subset traveling toward the destination location and having an arrival time at the origin location that is within a threshold time after the requested vehicle arrival time; identifying a second subset of the candidate vehicles from the first subset of the candidate vehicles, the second subset having sufficient energy to reach the destination location from the origin location; choosing a selected vehicle from the second subset of candidate vehicles that has an earliest estimated arrival time to the origin location; assigning the selected vehicle to the trip request; transmitting information regarding the trip request to the selected vehicle. method.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, The dispatch server system maintains a list of pending trip requests that do not have vehicles assigned to them; the trip request is the oldest trip request in the list of pending trip requests that does not have a vehicle assigned to it; method.

10. 9. The method of claim 8, the threshold time being within 10 minutes after the requested vehicle arrival time; method.

11. 9. The method of claim 8, after assigning the selected vehicle to the trip request and before the selected vehicle arrives at the origin location; - identifying additional vehicles having an earlier estimated arrival time to the origin location than the selected vehicle; - cancelling the allocation of the selected vehicle to the trip request; - allocating said additional vehicles to said trip request; Further comprising: method.

12. 9. The method of claim 8, each vehicle in the second subset of vehicles has sufficient energy to travel from the destination location to a charging station after completion of a trip associated with the trip request; method.

13. 1. A method for allocating vehicles to target locations in a transportation system including a plurality of vehicles configured to navigate autonomously along a roadway, the method comprising: A dispatch server system of the transportation system, identifying a vehicle to be assigned a target location; identifying a subset of embarkation zones from a plurality of embarkation zones in the transportation system, each embarkation zone within the identified subset of embarkation zones comprising: have available vehicle capacity at the estimated estimated time of arrival of the vehicles at each loading / unloading zone; reachable by the vehicle based on the vehicle's current location and current energy state; associated with each estimated vehicle demand, selecting a selected loading / unloading zone from said subset of loading / unloading zones having a highest estimated vehicle demand; assigning the selected loading and unloading zone as the target location for the vehicle; transmitting information to the vehicle regarding the target location, and thereby moving the vehicle to the selected loading / unloading zone; method.

14. 14. The method of claim 13, determining, for each loading / unloading zone of the subset of loading / unloading zones, a respective estimated vehicle demand at an estimated arrival time of the vehicle at the respective loading / unloading zone. method.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, The estimated vehicle demand for each respective loading and unloading zone is determined, at least in part, by: A history of the number of trips that depart from each of the boarding and alighting zones; A number of vehicles that are estimated to travel to and arrive at each of the loading and unloading zones within a particular time frame; and the number of trips scheduled to depart from each of said loading and unloading zones and for which no vehicles have been assigned; Based on, method.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, the estimated vehicle demand for each of the loading and unloading zones is further based, at least in part, on a weather forecast for each of the loading and unloading zones; method.

17. 16. The method of claim 15, the estimated vehicle demand for each of the loading and unloading zones is further based, at least in part, on an end time of an event proximate to each of the loading and unloading zones; method.

18. 16. The method of claim 15, the particular time window being a time prior to the estimated arrival time of the vehicle; method.

19. 14. The method of claim 13, and after assigning the selected loading / unloading zone as the target location of the vehicle, reducing the estimated vehicle demand of the selected loading / unloading zone by one vehicle. method.

20. 14. The method of claim 13, Once the vehicle is identified, it is parked at the charging station. method.

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