Autonomous Vehicle Stop Suggestions for Safe Accessible Pickup

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles face challenges in navigating to all locations, as they may not be able to access certain areas due to road conditions, construction, or safety issues, which limits their ability to pick up or drop off passengers effectively.

Innovation Solution

A system that includes detailed map information and server computers configured to receive requests for pickup or drop-off locations, select suggested locations based on accessibility and safety, and dispatch autonomous vehicles to these locations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If autonomous vehicles attempt to navigate to all requested locations, then service coverage is maximized, but safety and reliability deteriorate due to inaccessible areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice coverageVSAvoidsafety

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary component (location suggestion module) between the user's requested location and the autonomous vehicle's navigation system. This intermediary evaluates accessibility and safety of the requested location, then provides alternative suggestions when needed, resolving the conflict between maximizing service coverage and ensuring safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the system provides detailed location suggestions and alternatives, then service quality and safety improve, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice qualityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of location accessibility and safety before dispatching vehicles. By pre-assessing locations and preparing alternative suggestions in advance, the system improves service quality without adding complex real-time decision-making requirements during vehicle operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the system evaluates multiple factors for location suitability, then passenger safety and accessibility improve, but processing time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepassenger safetyVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system evaluates multiple parameters (accessibility, safety, proximity) to determine location suitability. By systematically assessing these parameters and establishing clear evaluation criteria, the system improves passenger safety while maintaining efficient processing through structured parameter analysis rather than ad-hoc decision-making.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250076058A1Determining Pickup and Destination Locations for Autonomous Vehicles

Publication Date: 2025.03.06 WAYMO LLC

AI summary

Aspects of the disclosure provide systems and methods for providing suggested locations for pick up and destination locations. Pick up locations may include locations where an autonomous vehicle can pick up a passenger, while destination locations may include locations where the vehicle can wait for an additional passenger, stop and wait for a passenger to perform some task and return to the vehicle, or for the vehicle to drop off a passenger. As such, a request for a vehicle may be received from a client computing device. The request may identify a first location. A set of one or more suggested locations may be selected by comparing the predetermined locations to the first location. The set may be provided to the client computing device.