Autonomous Vehicle Pickup Suggestions Using Map-Based Alternative Stops
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in determining accessible and safe locations for passenger pickup and drop-off due to limitations in their operational capabilities and road conditions such as construction and safety issues, which affect their ability to maneuver effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses detailed map information to identify and suggest alternative locations within a threshold distance from a requested location, considering factors related to both human accessibility and autonomous vehicle operations, to ensure safe and efficient passenger transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the autonomous vehicle operates at fully autonomous mode without human driver intervention, then the convenience and efficiency of passenger transport is improved, but the system faces challenges in determining accessible and safe locations due to limitations in operational capabilities and road conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system comprising server computers that act as a mediator between the autonomous vehicle and the environment. The server receives sensor data from the vehicle, compares it with map information, and determines safe pickup and destination locations. This intermediary processing layer resolves the contradiction by enabling the autonomous vehicle to operate conveniently while ensuring reliability through centralized environmental assessment and location validation.
2Reliability
If the system provides detailed map information and multiple suggested locations to ensure safe operations, then the reliability and safety of autonomous vehicle services is improved, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex functions of environmental analysis, location determination, and safety assessment from the autonomous vehicle itself and places them in external server computers. The vehicle's onboard systems remain relatively simple,主要负责数据采集和传输，而复杂的地图信息处理和多地点建议生成由服务器完成。这种功能提取解决了可靠性与系统复杂度之间的矛盾。
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the computational complexity from the spatial dimension (vehicle onboard systems) to the network dimension (cloud-based server infrastructure). By transitioning from local processing to centralized cloud processing, the system achieves high reliability through comprehensive analysis while keeping individual vehicle units relatively simple.
3Reliability
If the system restricts autonomous vehicles to predetermined locations only, then the safety and reliability of operations is improved, but the versatility and adaptability of the service decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic location determination system that adapts between predetermined locations and custom locations based on environmental conditions. The server evaluates sensor data against map information to assess safety, and only restricts operations to predetermined locations when necessary. This dynamic approach resolves the contradiction by making location constraints flexible rather than fixed, maintaining safety while preserving service versatility.
4Measurement precision
If the system conducts comprehensive scoring of locations based on multiple factors including human accessibility and vehicle operational difficulty, then the quality of location selection is improved, but the computational time and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-processing and storing detailed map information in advance, including accessibility data and operational characteristics of various locations. When the autonomous vehicle needs location determination, the server can quickly query this pre-prepared information rather than analyzing everything from scratch. This preliminary preparation reduces real-time computational time while maintaining comprehensive assessment quality.
Data Source
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.