Autonomous Vehicle Drop-Off Selection Using Situational Awareness View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in understanding and navigating to desired pick-up or drop-off locations due to the absence of human interaction, leading to potential inconvenience or safety issues, as passengers struggle to communicate specific drop-off instructions like 'Drop me off at the third house on the left' without a human driver.
Innovation Solution
The autonomous vehicle utilizes sensor data and a user interface to identify potential pick-up or drop-off locations, calculates a viability score based on sensor and historical data, and provides a real-time situational-awareness view for passengers to select their desired location, allowing for intuitive interaction and control over the ride.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous vehicles operate without human drivers, then automation level increases, but communication capability between passengers and vehicle deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a user interface system comprising display screens and input devices as intermediaries between passengers and the autonomous vehicle. This interface enables passengers to communicate drop-off location preferences and receive vehicle status information, effectively mediating the communication gap created by the absence of human drivers while preserving high automation levels.
2Productivity
If the vehicle uses automated location selection, then operational efficiency improves, but passenger control and satisfaction deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic location selection system where the vehicle initially identifies multiple potential drop-off locations using sensor data and map information, then allows passengers to select their preferred location through the user interface. This dynamic approach combines automated efficiency in identifying options with passenger control in making the final selection, resolving the contradiction between operational efficiency and passenger control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to passengers by displaying identified drop-off locations, vehicle current location, and route information on the display screen. This feedback loop enables passengers to make informed decisions about their drop-off location while the system responds to their selections, maintaining both efficiency and passenger control.
3Measurement precision
If the vehicle provides detailed location options, then navigation precision improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the overall drop-off location selection process into distinct stages: (1) the vehicle identifies multiple potential drop-off locations using sensor data and processes them separately, (2) the system presents these segmented options to the passenger in an organized manner, and (3) the passenger selects from the segmented choices. This segmentation enables high navigation precision through multiple location options while managing system complexity by organizing the selection process into manageable stages.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method includes sending a set of instructions to present, on a computing device, one or more available locations for a vehicle to pick-up or drop-off a user in an area. The one or more available locations are based on sensor data of the area that is captured by the vehicle. The method includes receiving a user selection to select a location associated with the area for the vehicle to pick-up or drop-off the user. The method includes adjusting a viability value of one or more locations to pick-up or drop-off the user. The viability value is adjusted based at least on the selected location. The method includes, based on the adjusted viability value of the one or more locations, determining a location from the one or more locations. The method includes instructing the vehicle to travel to the determined location.