# US 11,111,895 B2 · Safely initiating an autonomous vehicle ride

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- Number: US 11,111,895 B2
- Document ID: US11111895B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/654,492
- Filed: 2019-10-16
- Published: 2021-04-22
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-16
- Assignees: GM Cruise Holdings LLC
- Applicants: GM Cruise Holdings LLC
- Inventors: Jacqueline Shannon; Stephanie Olivia Engle; Albert Boniske
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111895B2

## CPC

- B60K 28/12: responsive to conditions relating to doors or doors locks, e.g. open door
- F02N 11/0822: {related to action of the driver}
- B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
- B60W 60/00: Drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles
- G05D 1/021: {specially adapted to land vehicles}
- B60W 2050/146: {Display means}
- B60W 2540/043: Identity of occupants
- B60W 2540/215: Selection or confirmation of options
- B60W 2556/10: Historical data
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- F02N: STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

An autonomous vehicle having a user interface and a computing system that is in communication with the user interface. The computing system may have at least one processor and at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions may cause the at least one processor to output information through the user interface to inform the passenger of an action that the passenger needs to enact prior to the autonomous vehicle beginning to move and determine, based upon an occurrence of the action that the passenger needs to enact, whether the autonomous vehicle is permitted to begin moving.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An autonomous vehicle comprising:
a user interface;
one or more in-cabin sensors disposed in a cabin of the autonomous vehicle configured to observe the cabin of the autonomous vehicle and store observations as in-cabin data; and
a computing system that is in communication with the user interface and the one or more sensors, wherein the computing system comprises:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
output information through the user interface to inform a passenger of an action that the passenger needs to enact prior to the autonomous vehicle initiating motion;
determine that the passenger has enacted the action based on the in-cabin data received from the one or more in-cabin sensors; and
in response to determining that the passenger has enacted the action, initiate motion of the autonomous vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the in-cabin data is used to determine a position of passenger cargo in the cabin.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
determine that the action that the passenger needs to enact has not occurred; and
output, after the determination that the action that the passenger needs to enact has not occurred, a message to the passenger that the action is a pre-requisite for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
determine a projected amount of time the autonomous vehicle is permitted to remain stationary;
determine, based on a profile of the passenger, that the passenger has agreed to allow the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion as soon as the action has been enacted;
after determining the projected amount of time is a short amount of time and determining that the passenger has enacted the action, initiate motion of the autonomous vehicle; and
output additional information after the autonomous vehicle begins motion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
determine an identity of the passenger;
match an identity of the passenger against an identity of a user who has requested the autonomous vehicle; and
output, responsive to matching the identity of the passenger to the identity of the user, personalized information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
determine that the action that the passenger needs to enact prior to the autonomous vehicle initiating motion has been enacted;
determining that the passenger has not provided an indication the passenger is ready for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion; and
prompting the passenger to provide the indication that the passenger is ready for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
determine a first behavior and a second behavior of the passenger;
determine whether the first behavior or the second behavior is more strongly correlated to the passenger being ready for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion; and
control the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion after detecting the determined one of the first behavior or the second behavior that is more strongly correlated to the passenger being ready for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
display a notification on the user interface to inform the passenger that the autonomous vehicle will pick up a second passenger;
stop the autonomous vehicle to pick up the second passenger;
output, after picking up the second passenger, information to the second passenger to inform the second passenger of a second action that the second passenger needs to enact;
detect an occurrence of the second action performed by the second passenger; and
control the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion after detecting the occurrence of the second action.

### Claim 9

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
output information to inform a passenger of an action that the passenger needs to enact prior to an autonomous vehicle initiating motion;
determine that the passenger has enacted the action based on in-cabin data received from one or more in-cabin sensors disposed in a cabin of the autonomous vehicle and in communication with the at least one processor; and
in response to determining that the passenger has enacted the action, initiate motion of the autonomous vehicle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
detect, prior to the output of the information, the occurrence of the action that the passenger needs to enact, whereby the motion of the autonomous vehicle is immediately initiated without first outputting the information through the user interface to inform the passenger of the action that the passenger needs to enact.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
determine that the action that the passenger needs to enact has not occurred; and
output, after the determination that the action that the passenger needs to enact has not occurred, a message to the passenger that the action that the passenger needs to enact is a pre-requisite for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
determine a projected amount of time the autonomous vehicle is permitted to remain stationary;
determine, based on a profile of the passenger, that the passenger has agreed to allow the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion as soon as the action has been enacted;
after determining the projected amount of time is a short amount of time and determining that the passenger has enacted the action, initiate motion of the autonomous vehicle; and
output additional information after the autonomous vehicle begins motion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
determine, from records of past trips taken by the passenger, a behavior of the passenger that is observed to occur when the passenger is ready for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion; and
control the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion after detecting the behavior.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
determine a first behavior and a second behavior of the passenger;
determine whether the first behavior or the second behavior is more strongly correlated to the passenger being ready for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion; and
control the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion after detecting the determined one of the first behavior or the second behavior that is more strongly correlated to the passenger being ready for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion.

### Claim 15

A method comprising:
outputting information through a user interface to inform a passenger of a plurality of actions that the passenger needs to enact prior to an autonomous vehicle initiating motion;
determining that the passenger has enacted the plurality of actions based on in-cabin data received from one or more in-cabin sensors disposed in a cabin of the autonomous vehicle and in communication with the autonomous vehicle; and
after the determination that the passenger has enacted the plurality of actions, initiate motion of the autonomous vehicle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
detecting, prior to the outputting of the information, the occurrence of the plurality of actions that the passenger needs to enact, whereby the motion of the autonomous vehicle is immediately initiated without first outputting the information through the user interface to inform the passenger of the action that the passenger needs to enact.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
determining that at least one of the plurality of actions that the passenger needs to enact has not occurred; and
outputting, after the determination that the at least one of the plurality of actions that the passenger needs to enact has not occurred, a message to the passenger that the at least one of the plurality of actions is a pre-requisite for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
determining a projected amount of time the autonomous vehicle is permitted to remain stationary;
determining, based on a profile of the passenger, that the passenger has agreed to allow the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion as soon as the plurality of actions has been enacted;
after determining the projected amount of time is a short amount of time and determining that the passenger has enacted the plurality of actions, initiating motion of the autonomous vehicle; and
outputting additional information after the autonomous vehicle begins motion.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
determining that the plurality of actions that the passenger needs to enact prior to an autonomous vehicle initiating motion have all been enacted;
determining that the passenger has not provided an indication the passenger is ready for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion; and
prompting the passenger to provide the indication the passenger is ready for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
determining a first behavior and a second behavior of the passenger;
determining whether the first behavior or the second behavior is more strongly correlated to the passenger being ready for the autonomous to initiate motion; and
controlling the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion after detecting the determined one of the first behavior or the second behavior that is more strongly correlated to the passenger being ready for the autonomous vehicle to initiate motion.