TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
A system includes at least partially autonomous vehicles, at least partially separated interconnected roadways, and a management system. Each of the vehicles is configured to cooperate with another vehicle or an area controller. The management system is configured to receive requests to transport, which may have respective start points and respective destinations. Additionally, the management system is configured, responsive to receiving the request, to assign a vehicle to fulfill the request. The assigned vehicle is configured to transport a person from the respective start point, at least in part via the interconnected roadways, to the respective destination.
1 . (canceled)
2 . A transportation system for autonomous vehicles, comprising:
a closed roadway system comprising:
a roadway segment; and
a boarding zone connected to the roadway segment and comprising:
a plurality of boarding locations; and
a buffer zone connected to the roadway segment and to the plurality of boarding locations; and
a control system configured to:
cause a vehicle to autonomously travel towards the boarding zone;
cause the vehicle to pause in the buffer zone upon arrival at the boarding zone; and
in accordance with a determination that a boarding location of the plurality of boarding locations is available, cause the vehicle to exit the buffer zone and autonomously travel to the boarding location.
3 . The transportation system of claim 2 , wherein:
the vehicle is a first vehicle;
the boarding location is a first boarding location; and
the control system is further configured to:
cause a second vehicle to autonomously travel towards the boarding zone;
cause the second vehicle to pause in the buffer zone with the first vehicle; and
in accordance with a determination that the first boarding location is available and a second boarding location is available, cause the first vehicle and the second vehicle to exit the buffer zone and autonomously travel to the first boarding location and the second boarding location, respectively.
4 . The transportation system of claim 2 , wherein:
the vehicle is a first vehicle;
the boarding location is a first boarding location; and
the control system is further configured to:
in accordance with a determination that a second vehicle in the first boarding location and a third vehicle in a second boarding location are ready to depart, cause the second vehicle and the third vehicle to exit the first boarding location and the second boarding location, respectively.
5 . The transportation system of claim 4 , wherein the second vehicle exits the first boarding location and the third vehicle exits the second boarding location substantially simultaneously.
6 . The transportation system of claim 5 , wherein the first boarding location is not adjacent the second boarding location.
7 . The transportation system of claim 2 , wherein the control system is further configured to, in accordance with a determination that, while the vehicle is autonomously travelling towards the boarding zone, no boarding location is available at the boarding zone, adjust a travel time of the vehicle such that the vehicle arrives at the boarding zone when at least one boarding location is available.
8 . The transportation system of claim 2 , wherein the control system is further configured to determine a travel start time for the vehicle such that the vehicle arrives at the boarding zone when the boarding location is available.
9 . A method comprising:
at a closed roadway system comprising:
a roadway segment; and
a boarding zone connected to the roadway segment and comprising:
a plurality of boarding locations; and
a buffer zone connected to the roadway segment and to the plurality of boarding locations:
causing a vehicle to autonomously travel towards the boarding zone;
causing the vehicle to pause in the buffer zone upon arrival at the boarding zone; and
in accordance with a determination that a boarding location of the plurality of boarding locations is available, causing the vehicle to exit the buffer zone and autonomously travel to the boarding location.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
causing a second vehicle to autonomously travel towards the boarding zone;
causing the second vehicle to pause in the buffer zone with the first vehicle; and
in accordance with a determination that the first boarding location is available and a second boarding location is available, causing the first vehicle and the second vehicle to exit the buffer zone and autonomously travel to the first boarding location and the second boarding location, respectively.
11 . A transportation system for autonomous vehicles, comprising:
a closed roadway system comprising:
a roadway segment; and
a boarding zone connected to the roadway segment and comprising a plurality of boarding locations; and
a control system configured to:
cause a vehicle to autonomously travel along the roadway segment towards the boarding zone; and
in accordance with a determination that a boarding location of the plurality of boarding locations is available, cause the vehicle to autonomously travel to the boarding location.
12 . The transportation system of claim 11 , wherein the control system is further configured to, in accordance with a determination that, while the vehicle is autonomously travelling towards the boarding zone, no boarding location is available at the boarding zone, adjust a travel time of the vehicle such that the vehicle arrives at the boarding zone when at least one boarding location is available.
13 . The transportation system of claim 11 , wherein the control system is further configured to determine a travel start time for the vehicle based on a time when the boarding location is predicted to be available at the boarding zone.
14 . The transportation system of claim 11 , wherein:
the boarding zone further comprises a vehicle ingress region connecting the boarding zone to the roadway segment; and
the control system is further configured to cause the vehicle to pause in the vehicle ingress region upon arrival of the vehicle to the vehicle ingress region.
15 . The transportation system of claim 14 , wherein:
the vehicle is a first vehicle;
the boarding location is a first boarding location; and
the control system is further configured to:
cause a second vehicle to autonomously travel towards the boarding zone;
cause the second vehicle to pause in the vehicle ingress region with the first vehicle; and
in accordance with a determination that the first boarding location is available and a second boarding location of the plurality of boarding locations is available, cause the first vehicle and the second vehicle to exit the vehicle ingress region and autonomously travel to the first boarding location and the second boarding location, respectively.
16 . The transportation system of claim 11 , wherein:
the boarding zone includes a boarding zone lane;
the plurality of boarding locations are positioned along a side of the boarding zone lane; and
each boarding location of the plurality of boarding locations is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the boarding zone lane.
17 . The transportation system of claim 16 , wherein each boarding location of the plurality of boarding locations is parallel to an adjacent boarding location of the plurality of boarding locations.
18 . A method comprising:
at a closed roadway system comprising:
a roadway segment; and
a boarding zone connected to the roadway segment and comprising a plurality of boarding locations:
causing a vehicle to autonomously travel along the roadway segment towards the boarding zone; and
in accordance with a determination that a boarding location of the plurality of boarding locations is available, causing the vehicle to autonomously travel to the boarding location.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising, in accordance with a determination that, while the vehicle is autonomously travelling towards the boarding zone, no boarding location is available at the boarding zone, adjusting a travel time of the vehicle such that the vehicle arrives at the boarding zone when at least one boarding location is available.
20 . A transportation system for autonomous vehicles, comprising:
a closed roadway system comprising:
a roadway segment; and
a boarding zone connected to the roadway segment and comprising:
a vehicle ingress region;
one or more boarding locations; and
a vehicle egress region; and
a control system configured to:
cause a first vehicle to autonomously travel towards the boarding zone;
cause the first vehicle to pause in the vehicle ingress region upon arrival at the boarding zone;
cause a second vehicle to autonomously travel towards the boarding zone;
cause the second vehicle to pause in the vehicle ingress region upon arrival at the boarding zone; and
cause the first vehicle and the second vehicle to exit the vehicle ingress region and autonomously travel towards the one or more boarding locations.
21 . The transportation system of claim 20 , wherein the control system is further configured to cause the first vehicle and the second vehicle to exit the vehicle ingress region and autonomously travel towards the one or more boarding locations in response to determining that a first boarding location of the one or more boarding locations is available for the first vehicle and a second boarding location of the one or more boarding locations is available for the second vehicle.
22 . The transportation system of claim 20 , wherein:
the boarding zone further comprises a boarding zone lane between the vehicle ingress region and the vehicle egress region; and
the one or more boarding locations are positioned along a side of the boarding zone lane.
23 . The transportation system of claim 22 , wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle autonomously travel along the boarding zone lane when autonomously travelling towards the one or more boarding locations.
24 . The transportation system of claim 23 , wherein the control system is further configured to, in accordance with a determination that the first vehicle in a first boarding location of the one or more boarding locations and the second vehicle in a second boarding location of the one or more boarding locations are ready to depart, cause the first vehicle and the second vehicle to substantially simultaneously exit the first boarding location and the second boarding location, respectively, and autonomously travel towards the vehicle egress region.
25 . The transportation system of claim 24 , wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle autonomously travel along the boarding zone lane when autonomously travelling towards the vehicle egress region.
26 . A method comprising:
at a closed roadway system comprising:
a roadway segment; and
a boarding zone connected to the roadway segment and comprising:
a vehicle ingress region;
one or more boarding locations; and
a vehicle egress region:
causing a first vehicle to autonomously travel towards the boarding zone;
causing the first vehicle to pause in the vehicle ingress region upon arrival at the boarding zone;
causing a second vehicle to autonomously travel towards the boarding zone;
causing the second vehicle to pause in the vehicle ingress region upon arrival at the boarding zone; and
causing the first vehicle and the second vehicle to exit the vehicle ingress region and autonomously travel towards the one or more boarding locations.
27 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising causing the first vehicle and the second vehicle to exit the vehicle ingress region and autonomously travel towards the one or more boarding locations in response to determining that a first boarding location of the one or more boarding locations is available for the first vehicle and a second boarding location of the one or more boarding locations is available for the second vehicle.