IP Library › Granted Patent US 12703398
Granted Patent B2
US 12703398 · App. 18/359,766 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Multi-vehicle remote assistance

Inventor: Jeffrey William Straela, Jr. (Winter Park, FL)
Assignee: GM CRUISE HOLDINGS LLC
B60W60/005B60W50/14B60W2050/146B60W2420/403B60W2556/50B60W2756/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12703398
App. No.
18/359,766
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to providing remote assistance to multiple autonomous vehicles and, more specifically, providing multiple requests for remote assistance to a remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance. A method includes receiving, from a first autonomous vehicle, a first request for remote assistance; receiving, from a second autonomous vehicle, a second request for remote assistance; identifying a first location of the first autonomous vehicle and a second location of the second autonomous vehicle on a map; determining, based on the map, whether there is a trigger associated with the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle; and communicating both the first request for remote assistance and the second request for remote assistance to a remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

Claims (39)

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a first autonomous vehicle, a first request for remote assistance due to a first stuck condition; receiving, from a second autonomous vehicle, a second request for remote assistance due to a second stuck condition;

identifying a first context of the first autonomous vehicle and a second context of the second autonomous vehicle;

determining a grouping factor based on the first context and the second context, to group the first request for remote assistance associated with the first autonomous vehicle and the second request for remote assistance associated with the second autonomous vehicle, the grouping factor based on a similarity between the first stuck condition and the second stuck condition, and based on a similarity between a first action determined to address the first stuck condition and a second action determined to address the second stuck condition, wherein the first context comprises a first path and the second context comprises a second path;

determining, based on the grouping factor, whether a single remote operator is capable of providing remote assistance to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle based on a determination that the first path intersects the second path; and

based on determining that the single remote operator is capable of providing remote assistance, enabling a remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance to the first autonomous vehicle associated with the first request for remote assistance and the second autonomous vehicle associated with the second request for remote assistance, wherein the enabling includes providing an interface configured to display to the single remote operator a remote assistance map of an area including the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle and a projected path of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first context comprises a first location and the second context comprises a second location, and wherein determining that the single remote operator is capable of providing remote assistance is based on a determination that a distance between the first location and the second location is less than a threshold distance.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the interface is configured to display a first camera feed from the first autonomous vehicle and a second camera feed from the second autonomous vehicle.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein enabling the remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle comprises providing, to a device associated with the remote assistance operator, a user interface that allows the remote assistance operator to select or activate an interface element representing at least one of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle on an interface to exert control of the at least one of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein enabling the remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle comprises providing, to a device associated with the remote assistance operator, a user interface comprising one or more input options configured to allow the remote assistance operator to at least one of provide instructions to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle and control the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the user interface includes one or more indications that the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle requested remote assistance.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, to a device associated with the remote assistance operator, a user interface comprising one or more input options configured to allow the remote assistance operator to assert control over a third autonomous vehicle by activating an interface element associated with the third autonomous vehicle.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying at least one camera feed from at least one of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.

8 . A system comprising:

at least one memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, the at least one processor configured to:

receive, from a first autonomous vehicle, a first request for remote assistance due to a first stuck condition;

receive, from a second autonomous vehicle, a second request for remote assistance due to a second stuck condition;

identify a first context of the first autonomous vehicle and a second context of the second autonomous vehicle;

determine a grouping factor based on the first context and the second context, to group the first request for remote assistance associated with the first autonomous vehicle and the second request for remote assistance associated with the second autonomous vehicle, the grouping factor based on a similarity between the first stuck condition and the second stuck condition, and based on a similarity between a first action determined to address the first stuck condition and a second action determined to address the second stuck condition, wherein the first context comprises a first path and the second context comprises a second path;

determine, based on the grouping factor, whether a single remote operator is capable of providing remote assistance to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle based on a determination that the first path intersects the second path; and

based on determining that the single remote operator is capable of providing the remote assistance, assign a remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance to the first autonomous vehicle associated with the first request for remote assistance and the second autonomous vehicle associated with the second request for remote assistance, and provide an interface configured to display to the single remote operator a remote assistance map of an area including the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle and a projected path of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first context comprises a first location and the second context comprises a second location, and wherein determining that the single remote operator is capable of providing remote assistance is based on a determination that a distance between the first location and the second location is less than a threshold distance.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the interface is configured to display a first camera feed from the first autonomous vehicle and a second camera feed from the second autonomous vehicle.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein enabling the remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle comprises providing, to a device associated with the remote assistance operator, a user interface that allows the remote assistance operator to select or activate an interface element representing at least one of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle on an interface to exert control of the at least one of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein enabling the remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle comprises providing, to a device associated with the remote assistance operator, a user interface comprising one or more input options configured to allow the remote assistance operator to at least one of provide instructions to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle and control the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the user interface includes one or more indications that the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle requested remote assistance.

13 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising providing, to a device associated with the remote assistance operator, a user interface comprising one or more input options configured to allow the remote assistance operator to assert control over a third autonomous vehicle by activating an interface element associated with the third autonomous vehicle.

14 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising displaying at least one camera feed from at least one of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.

15 . Non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising at least one instruction for causing a computer or processor to:

receive, from a first autonomous vehicle, a first request for remote assistance due to a first stuck condition;

receive, from a second autonomous vehicle, a second request for remote assistance due to a second stuck condition;

identify a first context of the first autonomous vehicle and a second context of the second autonomous vehicle;

determine a grouping factor based on the first context and the second context, to group the first request for remote assistance associated with the first autonomous vehicle and the second request for remote assistance associated with the second autonomous vehicle, the grouping factor based on a similarity between the first stuck condition and the second stuck condition, and based on a similarity between a first action determined to address the first stuck condition and a second action determined to address the second stuck condition, wherein the first context comprises a first path and the second context comprises a second path;

determine, based on the grouping factor, whether a single remote operator is capable of providing remote assistance to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle based on a determination that the first path intersects the second path; and

based on determining that the single remote operator is capable of providing the remote assistance, enable a remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance to the first autonomous vehicle associated with the first request for remote assistance and the second autonomous vehicle associated with the second request for remote assistance, and provide an interface configured to display to the single remote operator a remote assistance map of an area including the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle and a projected path of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first context comprises a first location and the second context comprises a second location, and wherein determining that the single remote operator is capable of providing remote assistance is based on a determination that a distance between the first location and the second location is less than a threshold distance.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the interface is configured to display a first camera feed from the first autonomous vehicle and a second camera feed from the second autonomous vehicle.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein enabling the remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle comprises providing, to a device associated with the remote assistance operator, a user interface that allows the remote assistance operator to select or activate an interface element representing at least one of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle on an interface to exert control of the at least one of the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein enabling the remote assistance operator to provide sequential assistance to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle comprises providing, to a device associated with the remote assistance operator, a user interface comprising one or more input options configured to allow the remote assistance operator to at least one of provide instructions to the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle and control the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the user interface includes one or more indications that the first autonomous vehicle and the second autonomous vehicle requested remote assistance.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising providing, to a device associated with the remote assistance operator, a user interface comprising one or more input options configured to allow the remote assistance operator to assert control over a third autonomous vehicle by activating an interface element associated with the third autonomous vehicle.