Autonomous vehicle interaction with external environment

A method of interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

• detecting the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein;
• locating the identified person;
• determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional audial message to the person, the directional audial message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device,
• a plurality of external speakers being mounted on the autonomous vehicle, the plurality of external speakers including at least one external speaker on a front portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one external speaker on a rear portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one external speaker on a first lateral side of the autonomous vehicle, and at least one speaker on a second lateral side of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional audial message to the person includes:
• selecting at least one of the plurality of external speakers that is substantially aligned with the location of the identified person;
• and
• causing the directional audial message to be emitted from the selected at least one of the plurality of external speakers.

A method of interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

• detecting the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein;
• locating the identified person;
• determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional visual message to the person, the directional visual message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device, and wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional visual message to the person includes:
• adjusting a position of an externally facing display mounted on the autonomous vehicle to be substantially aligned with the location of the identified person;
• and
• causing the directional visual message to be presented on the externally facing display.

A method of interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

• detecting the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein;
• locating the identified person;
• determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional visual message to the person, the directional visual message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device,
• the autonomous vehicle including a plurality of externally facing displays mounted on the autonomous vehicle, the plurality of externally facing displays including at least one externally facing display on a front portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one externally facing display on a rear portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one externally facing display on a first lateral side of the autonomous vehicle, and at least one externally facing display on a second lateral side of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional visual message includes:
• selecting at least one of the plurality of externally facing displays that is substantially aligned with the location of the identified person;
• and
• causing the directional visual message to be presented on the selected at least one of the plurality of externally facing displays.

A method of interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

• detecting the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein;
• locating the identified person;
• determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional message to the person, the directional message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device;
• wherein sending the directional message includes activating a humanoid figure to present a non-verbal gesture, and wherein the humanoid figure is a physical object located within or on the autonomous vehicle.

A system for interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

• an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle including:
• a sensor system operable to detect the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein and operable to locate the identified person;
• an external speaker, the external speaker being mounted on the autonomous vehicle, the external speaker having an associated position, the position of the external speaker being adjustable;
• a processor located onboard the autonomous vehicle, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
• determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that the person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional audial message to the person, the directional audial message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device,
• wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional audial message to the person includes:
• adjusting the position of the external speaker to be substantially aligned with the location of the identified person, and
• causing the directional audial message to be emitted from the external speaker.

A system for interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

• an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle including:
• a sensor system operable to detect the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein and operable to locate the identified person;
• a plurality of external speakers mounted on the autonomous vehicle, the plurality of external speakers including at least one external speaker on a front portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one external speaker on a rear portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one external speaker on a first lateral side of the autonomous vehicle, and at least one speaker on a second lateral side of the autonomous vehicle;
• a processor located onboard the autonomous vehicle, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
• determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that the person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional audial message to the person, the directional audial message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device,
• wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional audial message includes:
• selecting at least one of the plurality of external speakers that is substantially aligned with the location of the identified person;
• and
• causing the directional audial message to be emitted from the selected at least one of the plurality of external speakers.

A system for interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

• an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle including:
• a sensor system operable to detect the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein and operable to locate the identified person;
• an externally facing display mounted on the autonomous vehicle, the externally facing display having an associated position, the position of the externally facing display being adjustable;
• a processor located onboard the autonomous vehicle, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
• determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that the person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional visual message to the person, the directional visual message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device,
• wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional visual message to the person includes:
• adjusting the position of the externally facing display to be substantially aligned with the location of the identified person;
• and
• causing the directional visual message to be presented on the externally facing display.

A system for interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

• an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle including:
• a sensor system operable to detect the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein and operable to locate the identified person;
• a plurality of externally facing displays mounted on the autonomous vehicle, the plurality of externally facing displays including at least one externally facing display on a front portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one externally facing display on a rear portion of the autonomous vehicle, at least one externally facing display on a first lateral side of the autonomous vehicle, and at least one externally facing display on a second lateral side of the autonomous vehicle;
• a processor located onboard the autonomous vehicle, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
• determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that the person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional visual message to the person, the directional visual message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device,
• wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional visual message to the person includes:
• selecting at least one of the plurality of externally facing displays that is substantially aligned with the location of the identified person;
• and
• causing the directional visual message to be presented on the selected at least one of the externally facing displays.

A system for interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

• an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle including:
• a sensor system operable to detect the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein and operable to locate the identified person;
• a humanoid figure, the humanoid figure being a physical object located within or on the autonomous vehicle;
• a processor located onboard the autonomous vehicle, the processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
• determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle;
• and
• responsive to determining that the person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional message to the person, the directional message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device,
• wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional message to the person includes:
• activating the humanoid figure to present a non-verbal gesture.

A computer program product for facilitating interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

• detecting the external environment of the autonomous vehicle to identify a person therein;
• locating the identified person;
• determining whether the identified person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle;
• responsive to determining that the person is potentially related to a future driving maneuver of the autonomous vehicle, causing the autonomous vehicle to send a directional message to the person, the directional message being sent directly to the person and being directly perceptible by the person without the person using a portable communication device, the directional message being one of a directional audial message or a directional visual message,
• when the directional message is a directional audial message, causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional message to the person includes:
• adjusting the position of an external speaker mounted on the autonomous vehicle to be substantially aligned with the location of the identified person;
• and
• causing the directional audial message to be emitted from the external speaker, and
• when the directional message is a directional visual message, causing the autonomous vehicle to send the directional message to the person includes:
• adjusting a position of an externally facing display mounted on the autonomous vehicle to be substantially aligned with the location of the identified person;
• and
• causing the directional visual message to be presented on the externally facing display.

A method of interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

• detecting a non-verbal human gesture in the external environment;
• identifying the detected non-verbal human gesture;
• determining, using a processor, a future driving maneuver based at least in part on the identified non-verbal human gesture;
• and
• causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined future driving maneuver.

A system for interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

• an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle including:
• a sensor system operable to detect a non-verbal gesture made by a person in the external environment;
• a processor being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
• identifying a detected non-verbal human gesture;
• determining a future driving maneuver based at least in part on the identified non-verbal human gesture;
• and
• causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined future driving maneuver.

A computer program product for interaction between an autonomous vehicle and an external environment of the autonomous vehicle, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

• detecting a non-verbal human gesture in the external environment;
• identifying the detected non-verbal human gesture;
• determining a future driving maneuver based at least in part on the identified non-verbal human gesture;
• and
• causing the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined future driving maneuver.