Granted Patent B2

US 12,271,841 · App. 17/538,435 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Inventors: Kunal Mehta (San Francisco, CA); Nikola Noxon (San Francisco, CA); Devina Jain (San Francisco, CA); Curt Patrick Harrington (Philadelphia, PA); Kelan Fitzgerald Stoy (Albany, CA); Edward Henry Forscher (Oakland, CA); Michael John Mehallow (San Francisco, CA)

Assignee: GM Cruise Holdings LLC

G06Q10/06311B60W40/08B60W60/00253G05D1/0291G06Q50/40G08G1/202B60W2540/041B60W2540/221

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. A method comprising:

receiving a rideshare service request from a user;

identifying a location of the user subsequent to receipt of the rideshare service request, wherein the rideshare service request designates a pick-up location different than the identified location of the user;

acquiring sensor data produced by sensors of a plurality of vehicles traversing an area including the identified location of the user, wherein the vehicles traversing the area comprise a subset of a fleet of vehicles for providing rideshare services;

processing the acquired sensor data to determine a category of the user, wherein the category of the user indicates that the user is traveling with at least one of a child and an animal;

selecting a vehicle from the fleet of vehicles based on the category of the user, wherein the selected vehicle is equipped with at least one accommodation corresponding to the category of the user;

alerting the user that the selected vehicle is equipped with the at least one accommodation corresponding to the category of the user;

sending by a controller a control signal to an onboard computer of the selected vehicle; and

maneuvering the selected vehicle, by the onboard computer, to the designated pick-up location based on the control signal, the onboard computer communicating with an interface of a vehicle control system of the selected vehicle and causing movement of the selected vehicle along a route to the designated pick-up location by the vehicle control system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, subsequent to the acquiring, communicating information to the user using a mobile app.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the communicated information includes instructions regarding how to use the at least one accommodation of the selected vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the communicated information advises the user that the selected vehicle includes the at least one accommodation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the category of the user comprises a user with a special need.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the special need comprises accommodations for at least one of a wheelchair, large cargo, a bicycle, a child, an infant, and an animal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the category of the user indicates that the user is a part of a group of individuals associated with a requested rideshare service.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of computer vision (CV) data and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data.

9. A method comprising:

acquiring sensor data produced by sensors of a first plurality of vehicles traversing a rideshare service area, wherein the vehicles traversing the rideshare service area comprise a subset of a fleet of vehicles for providing rideshare services and wherein the acquiring is not in response to a rideshare service request by a user;

processing the acquired sensor data to characterize a potential rideshare service demand associated with the rideshare service area, wherein the potential rideshare service demand associated with the rideshare service area is characterized at least in part by a number of individuals in the rideshare service area traveling with at least one of a child and an animal, a number of groups of individuals in the rideshare area, and demographics of the individuals and the groups in the rideshare area;

selecting a second plurality of vehicles from the fleet of vehicles based on the characterized potential rideshare service demand associated with the rideshare service area, wherein each of the selected second plurality of vehicles is equipped with at least one accommodation corresponding to the characterized potential rideshare service demand associated with the rideshare service area;

sending by a controller, based on the processing, a control signal to a respective onboard computer of each of the second plurality of vehicles;

maneuvering each of the selected plurality of vehicles, by the respective onboard computer in communication with an interface of a respective vehicle control system, to the rideshare service area based on the control signal received from the controller, the respective vehicle control system causing movement of the respective vehicle along a generated route to the rideshare service area; and

alerting at least one of the number of individuals in the identified rideshare service area that the second plurality of vehicles have been dispatched to the identified rideshare service area and that the second plurality of vehicles are equipped with the at least one accommodation corresponding characterized potential rideshare service demand associated with the identified rideshare service area.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one accommodation comprises an accommodation for at least one of a wheelchair, large cargo, a bicycle, a child, an infant, and an animal.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one accommodation comprises a designated number of available seats.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of computer vision (CV) data and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising storing the acquired sensor data for future use.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, subsequent to the acquiring, communicating information to a user in the rideshare service area using a mobile app, wherein the information comprises an alert advising the user of the dispatching of the second plurality of vehicles to the rideshare service area.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the rideshare service area comprises a plurality of rideshare service areas.

16. A method comprising:

acquiring sensor data produced by sensors of a first plurality of vehicles traversing a rideshare service area, wherein the vehicles traversing the rideshare service area comprise a subset of a fleet of vehicles for providing rideshare services and wherein the acquiring is not in response to a rideshare service request by a user;

acquiring from a database historical data characterizing historical demand in the rideshare service area;

processing the acquired sensor data and the historical data to characterize a potential rideshare service demand associated with the rideshare service area, wherein the potential rideshare service demand associated with the rideshare service area is characterized at least in part by a number of individuals in the rideshare service area traveling with at least one of a child and an animal, a number of groups of individuals in the rideshare area, and demographics of the individuals and the groups in the rideshare area;

selecting a second plurality of vehicles from the fleet of vehicles based on the characterized potential rideshare service demand associated with the rideshare service area, wherein each of the selected second plurality of vehicles is equipped with at least one accommodation corresponding to the characterized potential rideshare service demand associated with the rideshare service area;

sending by a controller, based on the processing, a control signal to a respective onboard computer of each of the second plurality of vehicles; and

maneuvering each of the second plurality of vehicles, by the respective onboard computer in communication with an interface of a respective vehicle control system, to the rideshare service area based on the control signal received from the controller, the respective vehicle control system causing movement of the respective vehicle along a generated route to the rideshare service area.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one accommodation comprises an accommodation for at least one of a wheelchair, large cargo, a bicycle, a child, an infant, and an animal and a designated number of available seats.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising storing the acquired sensor data for future use.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, subsequent to the acquiring, communicating information to a user in the rideshare service area using a mobile app, wherein the information comprises an alert advising the user of the dispatching of the second plurality of vehicles to the rideshare service area.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the rideshare service area comprises a plurality of rideshare service areas.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (20)