IP Library Granted Patent US 12,153,961
Granted Patent B2
US 12,153,961 · App. 17/333,975 · Granted Nov 26, 2024

Autonomous vehicle operated with safety augmentation

Inventors: Justin Ho (San Francisco, CA); Noah Zych (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: AURORA OPERATIONS, INC.
G06F9/5016G06F3/0608G06F3/061G06F3/0647G06F3/067B60W50/00B60W50/02B60W50/029G01C21/26G01C21/34G08G1/202
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,153,961
App. No.
17/333,975
Granted
Nov 26, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An autonomous vehicle is operable to follow a primary trajectory that forms a portion of a route. While controlling the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle calculates a failsafe trajectory to follow as a response to a predetermined type of event.

Claims (28)

1. A transport system comprising:

a network computer system; and

an autonomous vehicle configured to:

while providing a transport service to a rider, (i) implement a failsafe trajectory to safely stop at a roadside as a response to a disabling failure or condition in which the autonomous vehicle is precluded from operating beyond a threshold level of operability; and (ii) transmit one or more communications to the network computer system that include information about the disabling failure or condition;

wherein the network computer system selects a subsequent vehicle to complete the transport service for the rider based at least in part on the information about the disabling failure or condition.

2. The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the network computer system determines a cause of the disabling failure or condition, based at least in part on the information about the disabling failure or condition.

3. The transport system of claim 2 , wherein the network computer system selects the subsequent vehicle to be one of an autonomous or human-driven vehicle, based at least in part on the determined cause of the disabling failure or condition.

4. The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the network computer system selects the subsequent vehicle based at least in part on a proximity of the selected vehicle to a stopping location of the autonomous vehicle.

5. The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the network computer system selects the subsequent vehicle based at least in part on a drop-off location that the rider inputted prior to the disabling failure or condition occurring.

6. The transport system of claim 1 , wherein the network computer system transmits a notification to a device of the rider, wherein the notification provides information about the subsequently selected vehicle.

7. An autonomous vehicle system comprising:

one or more controllers, the one or more controllers including logic to:

while the autonomous vehicle provides a transport service to a rider, respond to a disabling failure or condition in which the autonomous vehicle is precluded from operating beyond a threshold level of operability, by (i) implementing a failsafe trajectory to reach a roadside location to safely stop and (ii) transmitting one or more communications to a network service to cause the network service to select another vehicle to complete the transport service for the rider.

8. The autonomous vehicle system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more communications to the network service includes information about the disabling failure or condition.

9. The autonomous vehicle system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more controllers further includes logic to receive a notification from the network service that provides information about a subsequent vehicle selected by the network service to complete the transport service for the rider.

10. The autonomous vehicle system of claim 9 wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based, at least in part, on the information about the disabling feature or condition.

11. The autonomous vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the notification from the network service includes information describing a determined cause of the disabling failure or condition.

12. The autonomous vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based at least in part on a proximity of the selected vehicle to a stopping location of the autonomous vehicle.

13. The autonomous vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based at least in part on a drop-off location that the rider inputted prior to the disabling failure or condition occurring.

14. A method for responding to a disabling failure or condition, the method comprising:

while an autonomous vehicle provides a transport service to a rider:

responding, by the autonomous vehicle, to a disabling failure or condition in which the autonomous vehicle is precluded from operating beyond a threshold level of operability, by (i) implementing a failsafe trajectory to reach a roadside location to safely stop and (ii) transmitting one or more communications to a network service to cause the network service to select another vehicle to complete the transport service for the rider.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more communications to the network service includes information about the disabling failure or condition.

16. The method of claim 15 , the method further comprising receiving a notification from the network service that provides information about a subsequent vehicle selected by the network service to complete the transport service for the rider.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based, at least in part, on the information about the disabling feature or condition.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the notification from the network service includes information describing a determined cause of the disabling failure or condition.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based at least in part on a proximity of the selected vehicle to a stopping location of the autonomous vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the subsequent vehicle is selected based at least in part on a drop-off location that the rider inputted prior to the disabling failure or condition occurring.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 14, 2024
From: UATC, LLC
To: AURORA OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 067733/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2021
From: HO, JUSTIN; ZYCH, NOAH
To: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 057902/0383 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2021
From: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: UATC, LLC
Reel/Frame 057902/0400 →