# US 12,111,165 B2 · Autonomous vehicle retrieval

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- Number: US 12,111,165 B2
- Document ID: US12111165B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/966,876
- Filed: 2022-10-16
- Published: 2023-02-09
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-22
- Assignees: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
- Applicants: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
- Inventors: Blake S. Konrardy; Gregory L. Hayward; Scott Farris; Scott T. Christensen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111165B2

## CPC

- G01C 21/3461: {Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types or segments such as motorways, toll roads or ferries}
- B60L 53/36: by positioning the vehicle
- B60R 16/0234: {related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles}
- B60R 21/0136: responsive to actual contact with an obstacle {, e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle (monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558)}
- B60R 25/04: operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
- B60R 25/102: a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
- B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units
- B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems
- B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems
- B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters}
- B60W 30/16: Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
- B60W 40/04: Traffic conditions
- B60W 60/0023: {in response to energy consumption}
- B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant}
- B60W 60/0059: {Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity}
- G01B 21/00: Measuring arrangements or details thereof, where the measuring technique is not covered by the other groups of this subclass, unspecified or not relevant
- G01C 21/34: Route searching; Route guidance
- G01C 21/3415: {Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents}
- G01C 21/343: {Calculating itineraries (travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047)}
- G01C 21/3438: {Rendezvous; Ride sharing}
- G01C 21/3453: {Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments}
- G01C 21/3469: {Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects}
- G01C 21/3617: {using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement}
- G01C 21/362: {received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application}
- G01C 21/3697: {Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level (G01C21/3679 takes precedence)}
- G01S 19/13: Receivers
- G05B 15/02: electric
- G05B 23/0245: {based on a qualitative model, e.g. rule based; if-then decisions}
- 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 1/0011: {associated with a remote control arrangement}
- G05D 1/0055: {with safety arrangements}
- G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)}
- G05D 1/0231: {using optical position detecting means (position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16)}
- G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means}
- G05D 1/0255: {using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals (sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93)}
- G05D 1/0285: {using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network}
- G05D 1/0287: {involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16)}
- G05D 1/0289: {with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93)}
- G05D 1/0293: {Convoy travelling}
- G05D 1/0295: {by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet}
- G05D 1/223: Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens
- G05D 1/227: Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements
- G05D 1/228: Command input arrangements located on-board unmanned vehicles
- G05D 1/247: using signals provided by artificial sources external to the vehicle, e.g. navigation beacons
- G05D 1/249: from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle, e.g. from cameras
- G05D 1/617: Safety or protection, e.g. defining protection zones around obstacles or avoiding hazards (arrangements for controlling the position or course of two or more vehicles for avoiding collisions therebetween G05D1/693; arrangements for reacting to or preventing system or operator failure G05D1/80)
- G05D 1/646: Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path
- G05D 1/69: Coordinated control of the position or course of two or more vehicles
- G05D 1/692: involving a plurality of disparate vehicles
- G05D 1/693: for avoiding collisions between vehicles
- G05D 1/695: for maintaining a fixed relative position of the vehicles, e.g. for convoy travelling or formation flight
- G05D 1/697: for rendezvous of two or more vehicles, e.g. for in-flight refuelling (docking at a base station G05D1/661)
- G06F 11/3688: {for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites}
- G06F 11/3692: {for test results analysis}
- G06F 16/2455: Query execution
- G06F 16/90335: {Query processing}
- G06F 17/00: Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions (information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00)
- G06F 21/32: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
- G06F 21/55: Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
- G06F 30/15: Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
- G06F 30/20: Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30)
- G06Q 10/1093: Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
- G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance
- G06Q 30/0284: {Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters}
- G06Q 30/0645: Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
- G06Q 40/08: Insurance
- G06Q 50/163: Real estate management
- G06Q 50/265: {Personal security, identity or safety}
- G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083)
- G07C 5/006: {Indicating maintenance}
- G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)}
- G07C 5/0808: {Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005)}
- G07C 5/0816: {Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction}
- G07C 5/0841: {Registering performance data (recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B)}
- G07C 9/00563: {using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns}
- G08B 21/00: Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
- G08B 21/02: Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
- G08B 21/18: Status alarms (G08B21/02 takes precedence)
- G08B 25/00: Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems
- G08B 25/014: {Alarm signalling to a central station with two-way communication, e.g. with signalling back}
- G08G 1/017: identifying vehicles (G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence)
- G08G 1/0965: responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
- G08G 1/096725: {where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control}
- G08G 1/096783: {where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element}
- G08G 1/143: {inside the vehicles}
- G08G 1/146: {where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space}
- G08G 1/148: {Management of a network of parking areas}
- G08G 1/161: {Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication}
- G08G 1/165: {for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees}
- G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes}
- G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection}
- G08G 1/20: {Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles}
- G08G 1/205: {Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental}
- G16Y 10/80: Homes; Buildings
- G16Y 30/00: IoT infrastructure
- H04L 12/2803: {Home automation networks}
- H04L 12/2816: {Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00)}
- H04L 12/2825: {Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002)}
- H04L 67/306: User profiles
- H04N 7/183: {for receiving images from a single remote source}
- B60R 2021/0027: {Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services}
- B60R 2021/01013: {Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over}
- B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
- B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
- B60W 2530/209: Fuel quantity remaining in tank
- B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
- B60W 2552/05: Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
- B60W 2552/35: Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
- B60W 2554/4026: Cycles
- B60W 2554/4029: Pedestrians
- B60W 2554/4041: Position
- B60W 2554/406: Traffic density
- B60W 2556/10: Historical data
- G01S 19/42: Determining position
- Y02A 10/40: Controlling or monitoring, e.g. of flood or hurricane; Forecasting, e.g. risk assessment or mapping
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- 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)
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, 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
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})
- G16Y: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE INTERNET OF THINGS [IoT]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Methods and systems autonomously parking and retrieving vehicles are disclosed. Available parking spaces or parking facilities may be identified, and the vehicle may be navigated to an available space from a drop-off location without passengers. Special-purpose sensors, GPS data, or wireless signal triangulation may be used to identify vehicles and available parking spots. Upon a user request or a prediction of upcoming user demand, the vehicle may be retrieved autonomously from a parking space. Other vehicles may be autonomously moved to facilitate parking or retrieval.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for automatically retrieving a vehicle capable of autonomous operation from a parking space at a parking facility, comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, a target location at which to provide access to the vehicle to a user;
determining, by the one or more processors, a holding location separate from the parking facility, the holding location being different from the target location;
determining, by the one or more processors, a movement plan for the vehicle, the movement plan including an autonomous route from the parking space to the target location, the autonomous route including a first portion from the parking space to the holding location and a second portion from the holding location to the target location; and
causing, by the one or more processors, a vehicle control system of the vehicle to operate the vehicle to the holding location according to the movement plan prior to receiving a request to provide access to the vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
generating, by the one or more processors, a determination to prepare to retrieve the vehicle to the user based upon a predicted demand by the user for the vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the predicted demand is determined based upon a current location of the user being within a request threshold distance from a part of the parking facility.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, at the one or more processors via a communication network, the request to provide access to the vehicle to the user;
causing, by the one or more processors, the vehicle control system of the vehicle to operate the vehicle to the target location according to the movement plan.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:
the request includes an indication of a pick-up location and an indication of a pick-up time;
the target location is determined based upon the pick-up location; and
the vehicle control system is caused to operate the vehicle to reach the target location by the pick-up time.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the target location is a pick-up location determined based upon an indication of the user's current location received from a location sensor of a mobile device associated with the user.

### Claim 7

A computer system for automatically retrieving a vehicle capable of autonomous operation from a parking space at a parking facility, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to:
determine a target location at which to provide access to the vehicle to a user;
determine a holding location separate from the parking facility, the holding location being different from the target location;
determine a movement plan for the vehicle, the movement plan including an autonomous route from the parking space to the target location, the autonomous route including a first portion from the parking space to the holding location and a second portion o from the holding location to the target location; and
cause a vehicle control system of the vehicle to operate the vehicle to the holding location according to the movement plan prior to receiving a request to provide access to the vehicle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The computer system of claim 7, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computer system to:
generate a determination to prepare to retrieve the vehicle to the user based upon a predicted demand by the user for the vehicle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The computer system of claim 8, wherein the predicted demand is determined based upon a current location of the user being within a request threshold distance from a part of the parking facility.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The computer system of claim 8, wherein the predicted demand is determined based upon information regarding a usual duration of prior parking associated with the user.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The computer system of claim 7, wherein the target location is a pick-up location determined based upon an indication of the user's current location received from a location sensor of a mobile device associated with the user.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The computer system of claim 7, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computer system to:
receive the request to provide access to the vehicle to the user via the communication network; and
cause the vehicle control system of the vehicle to operate the vehicle to the target location according to the movement plan.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The computer system of claim 7, wherein:
the request includes an indication of a pick-up location and an indication of a pick-up time;
the target location is determined based upon the pick-up location; and
the vehicle control system is caused to operate the vehicle to reach the target location by the pick-up time.

### Claim 14

A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for automatically retrieving a vehicle capable of autonomous operation from a parking space at a parking facility that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:
determine a target location at which to provide access to the vehicle to a user;
determine a holding location separate from the parking facility, the holding location being different from the target location;
determine a movement plan for the vehicle, the movement plan including an autonomous route from the parking space to the target location, the autonomous route including a first portion from the parking space to the holding location and a second portion from the holding location to the target location; and
cause a vehicle control system of the vehicle to operate the vehicle to the holding location according to the movement plan prior to receiving a request to provide access to the vehicle.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the computer system to:
generate a determination to prepare to retrieve the vehicle to the user based upon a predicted demand by the user for the vehicle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the predicted demand is determined based upon a current location of the user being within a request threshold distance from a part of the parking facility.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the computer system to:
receive the request to provide access to the vehicle to the user via a communication network; and
cause the vehicle control system of the vehicle to operate the vehicle to the target location according to the movement plan.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the target location is a pick-up location determined based upon an indication of the user's current location received from a location sensor of a mobile device associated with the user.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein:
the request includes an indication of a pick-up location and an indication of a pick-up time;
the target location is determined based upon the pick-up location; and
the vehicle control system is caused to operate the vehicle to reach the target location by the pick-up time.