Autonomous vehicle local rules and constraints
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsEric Zavesky, Ginger Chien, Zhi Cui, Emily Dodwell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A processing system including at least one processor of an autonomous vehicle may detect that the autonomous vehicle is or will be in an unoccupied state after conveying at least one user to a location, obtain a set of local rules associated with the location, and obtain at least a first constraint associated with at least one third-party service provider associated with the location. The processing system may then execute at least one navigation action of the autonomous vehicle that is in compliance with the set of the local rules, the at least the first constraint, and at least a second constraint of the at least one user.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- detecting, by a processing system including at least one processor of an autonomous vehicle, that the autonomous vehicle is or will be in an unoccupied state after conveying at least one user to a location;
- obtaining, by the processing system, a set of local rules for the location from a computing system associated with a governmental entity having jurisdiction over the location, wherein the set of local rules comprises at least one of:
- a rule for vehicular movement that is specific to a roadway at the location or a rule for vehicular parking that is specific to the roadway at the location;
- obtaining, by the processing system, at least a first constraint associated with at least one third-party service provider associated with the location, wherein the at least one third-party service provider comprises an entity that is different from the autonomous vehicle and from the governmental entity, wherein the at least the first constraint is obtained upon an occurrence of at least one trigger event, wherein the at least one trigger event comprises a traffic event or a gathering event, and wherein the at least the first constraint comprises a time of need for a usage of a roadway at the location by the at least one third-party service provider;
- and
- executing, by the processing system, at least one navigation action of the autonomous vehicle that is in compliance with the set of the local rules, the at least the first constraint, and at least a second constraint of the at least one user, wherein the at least the second constraint comprises at least one of:
- a time of pickup, a duration of an event, or a cost preference, and wherein the at least one navigation action comprises navigating the autonomous vehicle to an alternate location.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system including at least one processor of an autonomous vehicle, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- detecting that the autonomous vehicle is or will be in an unoccupied state after conveying at least one user to a location;
- obtaining a set of local rules for the location from a computing system associated with a governmental entity having jurisdiction over the location, wherein the set of local rules comprises at least one of:
- a rule for vehicular movement that is specific to a roadway at the location or a rule for vehicular parking that is specific to the roadway at the location;
- obtaining at least a first constraint associated with at least one third-party service provider associated with the location, wherein the at least one third-party service provider comprises an entity that is different from the autonomous vehicle and from the governmental entity, wherein the at least the first constraint is obtained upon an occurrence of at least one trigger event, wherein the at least one trigger event comprises a traffic event or a gathering event, and wherein the at least the first constraint comprises a time of need for a usage of a roadway at the location by the at least one third-party service provider;
- and
- executing at least one navigation action of the autonomous vehicle that is in compliance with the set of the local rules, the at least the first constraint, and at least a second constraint of the at least one user, wherein the at least the second constraint comprises at least one of:
- a time of pickup, a duration of an event, or a cost preference, and wherein the at least one navigation action comprises navigating the autonomous vehicle to an alternate location.
An apparatus comprising:
- a processing system including at least one processor;
- and
- a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processing system when deployed in an autonomous vehicle, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
- detecting that the autonomous vehicle is or will be in an unoccupied state after conveying at least one user to a location;
- obtaining a set of local rules for the location from a computing system associated with a governmental entity having jurisdiction over the location, wherein the set of local rules comprises at least one of:
- a rule for vehicular movement that is specific to a roadway at the location or a rule for vehicular parking that is specific to the roadway at the location;
- obtaining at least a first constraint associated with at least one third-party service provider associated with the location, wherein the at least one third-party service provider comprises an entity that is different from the autonomous vehicle and from the governmental entity, wherein the at least the first constraint is obtained upon an occurrence of at least one trigger event, wherein the at least one trigger event comprises a traffic event or a gathering event, and wherein the at least the first constraint comprises a time of need for a usage of a roadway at the location by the at least one third-party service provider;
- and
- executing at least one navigation action of the autonomous vehicle that is in compliance with the set of the local rules, the at least the first constraint, and at least a second constraint of the at least one user, wherein the at least the second constraint comprises at least one of:
- a time of pickup, a duration of an event, or a cost preference, and wherein the at least one navigation action comprises navigating the autonomous vehicle to an alternate location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.