Using autonomous vehicles in a taxi service

At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon for operating a fleet of autonomous vehicles, the instructions when executed perform the following:

• receiving, using one or more processors, a request for a taxi service, the request including a pickup location and a selected time for the taxi service;
• estimating an amount of time to perform the taxi service at the selected time based, in part, on the pickup location and a drop-off location indicated in the request;
• selecting, using the one or more processors, an autonomous vehicle from a fleet of autonomous vehicles that is available to perform the taxi service at the selected time, and the autonomous vehicle is selected when the amount of time to perform the taxi service at the selected time does not conflict with a previously scheduled taxi service for the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• adding, using the one or more processors, the taxi service to a schedule associated with the autonomous vehicle, wherein the autonomous vehicle is configured to provide commands to drive the autonomous vehicle to the pickup location at the selected time in accordance with the schedule and perform the taxi service.

An autonomous vehicle, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory device including a data store to store a plurality of data and instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• receive instructions to perform a taxi service in accordance with a request for the taxi service, the request indicating a pickup location;
• add the taxi service to a schedule of taxi services to be automatically performed by the autonomous vehicle;
• select a route for travelling to the pickup location;
• provide commands to drive the autonomous vehicle to the pickup location according to the route in order to perform the taxi service;
• notify a taxi service system after the taxi service has been completed and the autonomous vehicle is available to perform additional taxi services, as indicated in the schedule of taxi services maintained at the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• provide commands to drive the autonomous vehicle to a default parking space after completing the taxi service and wait for instructions from the taxi service system to perform an additional taxi service.