Fallback requests for autonomous vehicles

A fleet management system comprising a server configured to:

• receive data related to operation of a plurality of vehicles capable of autonomously driving;
• determine one or more fallback locations for a given vehicle of the plurality of vehicles to drive to when executing at least one fallback task based on data received from the given vehicle and a type of service offered at a given location;
• and
• send a dispatch command to the given vehicle, the dispatch command including the at least one fallback task, the one or more fallback locations, and at least one trigger corresponding to each fallback task, each trigger being a set of conditions that, when satisfied, indicate that a corresponding fallback task is to be executed and indicate how quickly the corresponding fallback task is to be executed,
• wherein the dispatch command causes the given vehicle to execute the at least one fallback task by automatically determining a fallback location of the one or more fallback locations based on one or more characteristics of the fallback location and driving to the fallback location at a current or later time based on the at least one trigger corresponding to each fallback task,
• wherein the dispatch command further includes a level of urgency for each trigger, the level of urgency is related to how quickly the fallback task associated with the trigger is executed after the set of conditions of the trigger is satisfied and
• wherein the dispatch command controls the given vehicle according to the fallback task before a current task is completed when the level of urgency for the trigger is a certain level.

A method comprising:

• storing in a memory, by one or more processors, one or more fallback tasks including instructions to drive to one or more fallback locations for a type of service for a vehicle and a corresponding trigger for each of the one or more fallback task, each corresponding trigger being a set of conditions that, when satisfied, indicate that the type of service is required for the vehicle;
• receiving, by the one or more processors, status updates from one or more self-driving systems that control a vehicle;
• determining, by the one or more processors, that a given set of conditions is satisfied based at least in part on the status updates, wherein the given set of conditions includes whether a connection exists between the one or more processors and a remote server;
• determining, by the one or more processors, the type of service for the vehicle is required based on a given corresponding trigger that includes the given set of conditions;
• automatically determining, by the one or more processors, a fallback location of the one or more fallback locations according to the type of service required for the vehicle and one or more characteristics of the fallback location;
• in response to determining that the given set of conditions is satisfied, causing, by the one or more processors, a given self-driving system of the one or more self-driving systems to control the vehicle to drive to the fallback location;
• automatically determining, by the one or more processors, a level of urgency of the given corresponding trigger, the level of urgency being related to how quickly the given corresponding fallback task associated with the given corresponding trigger is executed after the set of conditions of the given corresponding trigger is satisfied;
• and
• causing the given self-driving system to control the vehicle according to the given corresponding fallback task before a current task is completed when the level of urgency of the given corresponding trigger is a certain level.