# US 10,372,132 B2 · Guidance of autonomous vehicles in destination vicinities using intent signals > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,132 B2 - Document ID: US10372132B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/826,486 - Filed: 2017-11-29 - Published: 2018-06-14 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-12 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Scott M. Herz; Sawyer I. Cohen; Samuel B. Gooch; Wolf Kienzle; Karlin Y. Bark; Jack J. Wanderman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372132B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/06: Automatic manoeuvring for parking - B60W 50/10: Interpretation of driver requests or demands - B62D 15/027: {Parking aids, e.g. instruction means} - B62D 15/0285: {Parking performed automatically} - G01C 21/362: {received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application} - G01C 21/3664: {Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures} - G01C 21/3685: {the POI's being parking facilities} - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)} - G05D 1/0276: {using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle (involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058)} - G05D 1/247: using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons - G05D 1/646: Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path - B60W 2050/146: {Display means} - B60W 2540/215: Selection or confirmation of options - B60W 2540/225: Direction of gaze - B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract Signals usable to determine a path of a vehicle towards a particular stopping point in a vicinity of a destination are detected from an individual authorized to provide guidance with respect to movements of the vehicle. Based at least in part on the signals and a data set pertaining to the external environment of the vehicle, one or more vehicular movements to be implemented to proceed along the path are identified. A directive is transmitted to a motion control subsystem of the vehicle to initiate one of the vehicular movements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: performing, at one or more computing devices: obtaining a first indication of a destination of a vehicle, wherein a vicinity of the destination comprises a plurality of vehicle stopping points; detecting, using one or more sensors, one or more signals generated by an individual authorized to provide guidance with respect to movements of the vehicle, wherein the one or more signals are usable to determine a path towards a particular vehicle stopping point of the plurality of vehicle stopping points; identifying, based at least in part on (a) the one or more signals and (b) a data set pertaining to an external environment of the vehicle, one or more vehicular movements to be implemented to proceed along the path; and transmitting a first directive to one or more motion control subsystems of the vehicle to initiate at least a first vehicular movement of the one or more vehicular movements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one signal of the one or more signals is detected using a sensor which is mechanically decoupled from a steering subsystem of the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the vicinity comprises a parking area, wherein individual ones of the plurality of vehicle stopping points comprise respective parking spaces within the parking area, and wherein the particular vehicle stopping point comprises a particular parking space within the parking area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more signals include a particular signal indicating an intended task of the individual. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a particular signal of the one or more signals indicates one or more of: (a) a landmark object, (b) a sign, or (c) a particular feature of a building. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a particular sensor of the one or more sensors comprises one or more of: (a) a component of a portable computing device, (b) a component of a phone, (c) a touch-sensitive interface, (d) a microphone, (e) a camera, (f) a remote control device, or (g) a depth sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said detecting the one or more signals comprises detecting one or more displacements of an icon on a graphical user interface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the graphical user interface defines a grid representing a plurality of discrete path segments which can be traversed within the destination vicinity, wherein the one or more displacements include a first displacement corresponding to a particular discrete path segment of the plurality of path segments. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising performing, by the one or more computing devices: providing, prior to said transmitting the first directive, an indication of the first vehicular movement to the individual; and obtaining, from the individual, an indication that the first vehicular movement is acceptable. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising performing, by the one or more computing devices: populating one or more elements of a multi-option menu with respective options, wherein a particular option of the respective options indicates an intended task, wherein said detecting the one or more signals comprises determining that the particular option has been selected from the multi-option menu. ### Claim 11 A system, comprising: one or more sensor devices; and a navigation manager implemented at least in part at a computing device; wherein the navigation manager is configured to: detect, using the one or more sensor devices, one or more signals generated by an individual permitted to provide guidance with respect to movements of a vehicle, wherein the one or more signals are usable to determine a path towards a particular vehicle stopping point of a plurality of vehicle stopping points in a vicinity of a destination; identify, based at least in part on (a) the one or more signals and (b) a data set pertaining to an external environment of the vehicle, one or more vehicular movements to be implemented to proceed along the path; and transmit a first directive to one or more motion control subsystems of the vehicle to initiate at least a first vehicular movement of the one or more vehicular movements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the navigation manager is configured to: indicate a request for input regarding a selection of a stopping point of the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the navigation manager is configured to indicate the request for input in response to determining that the vicinity of the destination has been reached. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more signals include a particular signal indicating an intended task of the individual. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the navigation manager is configured to: provide, prior to transmitting the first directive, an indication of the first vehicular movement to the individual; and obtain, from the individual, an indication that the first vehicular movement is acceptable. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions that when executed on one or more processors: detect, using one or more sensor devices, one or more signals generated by an individual permitted to provide guidance with respect to movements of a vehicle, wherein the one or more signals are usable to determine a path towards a particular vehicle stopping point of a plurality of vehicle stopping points in a vicinity of a destination; identify, based at least in part on (a) the one or more signals and (b) a data set pertaining to an external environment of the vehicle, one or more vehicular movements to be implemented to proceed along the path; and transmit a first directive to one or more motion control subsystems of the vehicle to initiate at least a first vehicular movement of the one or more vehicular movements. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more signals include a particular signal indicating an intended task of the individual. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions as recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed on the one or more processors: cause, prior to transmitting the first directive, an indication of the first vehicular movement to be provided to the individual; and determine that the first vehicular movement is acceptable to the individual. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions as recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed on the one or more processors: in response to determining that the vicinity of the destination has been reached, cause a request for input regarding a stopping point to be provided to the individual. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions as recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed on the one or more processors: detect one or more signals indicative of a command to adjust a position of the vehicle, wherein the command is issued by the individual while the individual is outside the vehicle; and transmit another directive to the one or more motion control subsystems of the vehicle to initiate a different vehicular movement in response to the command.