Autonomous vehicles
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.
1. A method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:
displaying a first indicator at a user input button to indicate the availability of a first command state for the user input button, wherein when the user input button is in the first command state, input at the user input button initiates an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle;
receiving first user input at the user input button;
in response to receiving the first user input at the user input button, controlling the vehicle, by one or more processors, in the autonomous driving mode;
in response to the first user input at the user input button, changing the display of the first indicator to a display of a second indicator to indicate the availability of a second command state for the user input button;
when the user input button is in the second command state, receiving second user input at the user input button; and
in response to the second user input, stopping, by the one or more processors, the vehicle.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stopping the vehicle includes pulling the vehicle over to a side of a roadway and stopping movement of the vehicle.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, determining, by the one or more processors, that the vehicle is ready for the autonomous driving mode, and wherein displaying the first indicator occurs after determining that the vehicle is ready for the autonomous driving mode.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, in conjunction with displaying the first indicator, changing the state of the user input button from an inactive state to the first command state.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after receiving the second user input, changing the state of the user input button from the second command state to the first command state.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, after receiving the second user input, changing the display of the second indicator back to the first indicator to indicate the change in the state of the user input button from the second command state to the first command state.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein stopping the vehicle includes bringing the vehicle to a stop within a predetermined period of time associated with the second command state.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, receiving user input at a second user input button configured to communicate a request to stop the vehicle within a second predetermined period of time less than the predetermined period of time.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second command state corresponds to pulling the vehicle over such that the second user input corresponds to a request to pull the vehicle over.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, receiving information identifying a destination from a client computing device associated with a passenger, such that controlling the vehicle includes maneuvering the vehicle to the destination.
11. A method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:
displaying a first indicator at a first user input button to indicate the availability of a first command state for the first user input button, wherein when the first user input button is in the first command state, input at the first user input button initiates an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle;
after displaying the first indicator, receiving first user input at the first user input button;
in response to the first user input at the first user input button, controlling the vehicle, by one or more processors, in the autonomous driving mode;
in response to receiving the first user input at the first user input button, changing the first indicator to indicate a new inactive state for the first user input button and displaying a second indicator at a second user input button to indicate the availability of a second command state;
after displaying the second indicator and receiving the first user input, receiving second user input at the second user input button; and
in response to receiving the second user input, stopping, by the one or more processors, the vehicle.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the stopping the vehicle includes pulling the vehicle over to a side of a roadway and stopping movement of the vehicle.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, that the vehicle is ready for the autonomous driving mode, and wherein displaying the first indicator occurs after determining that the vehicle is ready for the autonomous driving mode.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, in conjunction with changing the first indicator, changing the state of the first user input button to the inactive state.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, in conjunction with displaying the second indicator, changing the state of the second user input button from an inactive state to the second command state.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein stopping the vehicle includes bringing the vehicle to a stop within a predetermined period of time associated with the second command state.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, receiving user input at a third user input button configured to communicate a request to stop the vehicle within a second predetermined period of time less than the predetermined period of time.
18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, after receiving the second user input, changing the first indicator from the new state to indicate the availability of the first command state for the user input button.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second command state corresponds to pulling the vehicle over such that the second user input corresponds to a request to pull the vehicle over.
20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, receiving information identifying a destination from a client computing device associated with a passenger, such that controlling the vehicle includes maneuvering the vehicle to the destination.