Turn Based Autonomous Vehicle Guidance

1 . A computer-implemented method of operating an autonomous vehicle, the computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, a velocity, a trajectory, and a path for an autonomous vehicle, the path based in part on path data comprising a sequence of one or more locations for the autonomous vehicle to traverse, wherein the sequence of one or more locations comprises a current location of the autonomous vehicle and one or more destination locations subsequent to the current location in the sequence;

receiving, by the computing system, one or more navigational inputs from a user inside the autonomous vehicle to suggest a modification of the path of the autonomous vehicle via a steering component that is in communication with one or more vehicle systems associated with at least the velocity, the trajectory, or the path of the autonomous vehicle; and

responsive to the one or more navigational inputs satisfying one or more path modification criteria, activating, by the computing system, the one or more vehicle systems to modify the path of the autonomous vehicle, the one or more path modification criteria based in part on the velocity, the trajectory, or the path of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the modifying the path of the autonomous vehicle comprises modifying the one or more destination locations.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing system, one or more intersection locations for one or more intersections of a road corresponding to the path of the autonomous vehicle; and

determining, by the computing system, at least one of a plurality of turn types associated with a change in the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle within a predetermined distance of a next one of the one or more intersections, wherein the one or more navigational inputs are associated with at least one of the plurality of turn types.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of turn types comprises a left turn type associated with the one or more navigational inputs for the autonomous vehicle to turn left at the next one of the intersections, a right turn type associated with the one or more navigational inputs for the autonomous vehicle to turn right at the next one of the intersections, or a U-turn type associated with the one or more navigational inputs for the autonomous vehicle to perform a U-turn after a predetermined period of time elapses.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more navigational inputs associated with the plurality of turn types are based in part on one or more movements associated with one or more control components of the steering component, the left turn type based in part on a leftward movement of the one or more control components that exceeds a predetermined left turn threshold amount, the right turn type based in part on a rightward movement of the one or more control components that exceeds a predetermined right turn threshold amount, and the U-turn type based in part on a leftward movement or a rightward movement of the one or more control components that exceeds a predetermined U-turn threshold amount.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing system, an intersection distance from the autonomous vehicle to the next one of the one or more intersections; and

determining, by the computing system, based in part on the velocity of the autonomous vehicle and the intersection distance when one or more intersection criteria are satisfied, wherein the satisfying the one or more path modification criteria is based in part on the intersection distance satisfying the one or more intersection criteria.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing system, a turn angle based in part on the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle relative to the next one of the one or more intersections; and

determining, by the computing system, when the turn angle and the velocity of the autonomous vehicle satisfy one or more turn angle criteria, wherein the satisfying the one or more path modification criteria is based in part on the turn angle and the velocity satisfying the one or more turn angle criteria.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing system, based in part on the velocity of the vehicle and the distance to the next one of the one or more intersections, a magnitude of deceleration of the autonomous vehicle that is required for the autonomous vehicle to complete a turn at the next one of the one or more intersections, wherein the satisfying the one or more path modification criteria is based in part on the magnitude of the deceleration of the autonomous vehicle being less than a maximum deceleration threshold.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing system, one or more locations of one or more objects within a predetermined distance of the autonomous vehicle; and

determining, by the computing system, one or more paths for the autonomous vehicle that traverse the one or more locations of the one or more objects, wherein the satisfying the one or more path modification criteria is based in part on the autonomous vehicle being able to traverse at least one of the one or more paths without intersecting the one or more locations of the one or more objects.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing system, based in part on traffic regulation data associated with one or more traffic regulations associated with an area within a predetermined distance of the autonomous vehicle, when the modifying the path of the autonomous vehicle can occur without violating the one or more traffic regulations, wherein the satisfying the one or more path modification criteria is based in part on the path of the autonomous vehicle not violating the one or more traffic regulations.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, by the computing system, context data based in part on a time of day, a geographic location, or a passenger identity that is associated with a source of the one or more navigational inputs to the steering component; and

determining, by the computing system, based in part on the context data, when the one or more navigational inputs satisfy one or more navigational criteria, wherein the satisfying the one or more path modification criteria is based in part on the context data satisfying the one or more navigational criteria.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the steering component comprises a steering wheel, a tiller, a control stick, a tactile control component, an optical control component, a radar control component, a gyroscopic control component, or an auditory control component.

12 . One or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

determining a velocity, a trajectory, and a path for an autonomous vehicle, wherein the path is based in part on path data comprising a sequence of one or more locations for the autonomous vehicle to traverse, wherein the sequence of one or more locations comprises a current location of the autonomous vehicle and one or more destination locations subsequent to the current location in the sequence;

receiving one or more navigational inputs from a user inside the autonomous vehicle to suggest a modification of the path of the autonomous vehicle via a steering component that is in communication with one or more vehicle systems associated with at least the velocity, the trajectory, or the path of the autonomous vehicle; and

responsive to the one or more navigational inputs satisfying one or more path modification criteria, activating the one or more vehicle systems to modify the path of the autonomous vehicle, the one or more path modification criteria based in part on the velocity, the trajectory, or the path of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the modifying the path of the autonomous vehicle comprises modifying the one or more destination locations.

13 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining one or more intersection locations for one or more intersections of a road corresponding to the path of the autonomous vehicle; and

determining at least one of a plurality of turn types associated with a change in the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle within a predetermined distance of a next one of the one or more intersections, wherein the one or more navigational inputs are associated with at least one of the plurality of turn types.

14 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining, based in part on the velocity of the vehicle and the distance to the next one of the one or more intersections, a magnitude of deceleration of the autonomous vehicle that is required for the autonomous vehicle to complete a turn at the next one of the one or more intersections, wherein the satisfying the one or more path modification criteria is based in part on the magnitude of the deceleration of the autonomous vehicle being less than a maximum deceleration threshold.

15 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining one or more locations of one or more objects within a predetermined distance of the autonomous vehicle; and

determining one or more paths for the autonomous vehicle that traverse the one or more locations of the one or more objects, wherein the satisfying the one or more path modification criteria is based in part on the autonomous vehicle being able to traverse at least one of the one or more paths without intersecting the one or more locations of the one or more objects.

16 . A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory comprising one or more computer-readable media, the memory storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a velocity, a trajectory, and a path for an autonomous vehicle, wherein the path is based in part on path data comprising a sequence of one or more locations for the autonomous vehicle to traverse, wherein the sequence of one or more locations comprises a current location of the autonomous vehicle and one or more destination locations subsequent to the current location in the sequence;

receiving one or more navigational inputs from a user inside the autonomous vehicle to suggest a modification of the path of the autonomous vehicle via a steering component that is in communication with one or more vehicle systems associated with at least the velocity, the trajectory, or the path of the autonomous vehicle; and

responsive to the one or more navigational inputs satisfying one or more path modification criteria, activating the one or more vehicle systems to modify the path of the autonomous vehicle, the one or more path modification criteria based in part on the velocity, the trajectory, or the path of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the modifying the path of the autonomous vehicle comprises modifying the one or more destination locations.

17 . The computing system of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining one or more intersection locations for one or more intersections of a road corresponding to the path of the autonomous vehicle; and

determining at least one of a plurality of turn types associated with a change in the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle within a predetermined distance of a next one of the one or more intersections, wherein the one or more navigational inputs are associated with at least one of the plurality of turn types.

18 . The computing system of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining, based in part on the velocity of the vehicle and the distance to the next one of the one or more intersections, a magnitude of deceleration of the autonomous vehicle that is required for the autonomous vehicle to complete a turn at the next one of the one or more intersections, wherein the satisfying the one or more path modification criteria is based in part on the magnitude of the deceleration of the autonomous vehicle being less than a maximum deceleration threshold.

19 . The computing system of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining one or more locations of one or more objects within a predetermined distance of the autonomous vehicle; and

determining one or more paths for the autonomous vehicle that traverse the one or more locations of the one or more objects, wherein the satisfying the one or more path modification criteria is based in part on the autonomous vehicle being able to traverse at least one of the one or more paths without intersecting the one or more locations of the one or more objects.

20 . The computing system of claim 16 , wherein the steering component comprises a steering wheel, a tiller, a control stick, a tactile control component, an optical control component, a radar control component, a gyroscopic control component, or an auditory control component.