Drive mode selection

A system for routing a vehicle from an origin location to a destination location, comprising:

• a drive-mode selector configured to:
• receive from a requester the origin location and the destination location;
• receive from a drive mode selector a particular drive mode for a particular route segment located between the origin location and the destination location;
• plan, by a route planning module based on the drive mode selector, a route from the origin location to the destination location, wherein the route comprises one or more route segments and the particular drive mode is assigned to the particular route segment;
• determine transition points between the origin location and the destination location, wherein the transition points partition the route between the origin location and the destination location into the one or more route segments, and
• generate an optimized route with optimization criterion that is based upon a user desire related to conditions and constraints under which a drive mode is applied;
• wherein a first transition point of the transition points between a first route segment of the one or more route segments and a second route segment of the one or more route segments is determined based at least in part on a determination that 1) no high-definition map information is available and satellite image information is available for the first route segment, and 2) whether high-definition map information is available for the second route segment, and
• wherein a second transition point of the transition points between a third route segment of the one or more route segments and a fourth route segment of the one or more route segments is determined based at least in part on at least one constraint for navigating the vehicle;
• and
• determine a first drive mode for the first route segment, a second drive mode for the second route segment, a third drive mode for the third route segment, and a fourth drive mode for the fourth route segment,
• wherein the first drive mode is defined by a tele-operator drive mode where a remote operator remotely operates the vehicle along the first route segment and the second drive mode is defined by an autonomous drive mode where the vehicle is autonomously driven along the second route segment,
• wherein the third drive mode is defined by an autonomous drive mode along a third route segment, and
• wherein the fourth drive mode is defined by a manual drive mode when the at least one constraint comprises obstruction information and the high-definition map information is not available;
• and
• a vehicle-control module configured to:
• control the vehicle according to the first drive mode in the first route segment, the second drive mode in the second route segment, the third drive mode in the third route segment, and the fourth drive mode in the fourth route segment.

An apparatus for routing a vehicle from an origin location to a destination location, comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• receive a request to determine a route from the origin location to the destination location;
• determine the route from the origin location to the destination location;
• partition the route from the origin location to the destination location into route segments based at least in part on:
• whether respective high-definition map data are available for at least some of the route segments,
• whether a stored path is available for a first route segment of the route segments comprising at least the first route segment and a second route segment, and
• a determination that the stored path is available for the first route segment,
• wherein the stored path includes a path previously followed by the vehicle according to instructions of a human operator and the path previously followed by the vehicle is recorded,
• wherein no high-definition map data is available for the first route segment and high-definition map data is available for the second route segment, and
• wherein the first route segment and the second route segment are successive route segments;
• assign a first drive mode to the first route segment, wherein the first drive mode is a non-autonomous drive mode and
• assign a second drive mode to the second route segment, wherein the second drive mode is an autonomous drive mode,
• wherein the first drive mode is defined by a stored-path drive mode,
• wherein the first route segment, the second route segment, the first drive mode, and the second drive mode are selected based on availability of mapping data of the first route segment and the second route segment;
• and
• provide, to the vehicle, the first route segment, the second route segment, the first drive mode, and the second drive mode;
• receive at least one constraint for navigating the vehicle, wherein the at least one constraint is located between a current location of the vehicle and the destination location;
• determine a route from the current location to the destination location;
• partition the route from the current location to the destination location into a third route segment and a fourth route segment based at least in part on a location of the at least one constraint,
• wherein the third route segment and the fourth route segment are successive route segments;
• and
• assign a third drive mode to the third route segment and a fourth drive mode to the fourth route segment,
• wherein the third drive mode is different from the fourth drive mode and the third drive mode is one of an available drive mode that includes a tele-operator assisted drive mode, a stored-path drive mode, and a driver-assistance drive mode, and
• wherein the fourth drive mode is a manual drive mode when the at least one constraint comprises obstruction information between the current location and the destination location;
• and
• generate an optimized route with optimization criterion that is based upon a user desire related to conditions and constraints under which a drive mode is applied.