Granted Patent B2

US 12,638,847 · App. 18/520,509 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventor: Vijaysai Patnaik (San Francisco, CA)

Assignee: Waymo LLC

G05D1/0214B60W60/001G05D1/0276B60W2520/04B60W2555/60B60W2710/186

Abstract

Claims (75)

1 . A method comprising:

detecting, using a sensing system of an autonomous vehicle (AV) executing a trip from a first location to a second location, a signal to stop the AV;

in response to the signal, determining, by at least one processing device of the AV, that the AV is to be stopped for a roadside inspection of the AV by an authorized inspection entity;

causing, by the at least one processing device of the AV, a vehicle control system of the AV to stop the AV at a third location determined to be suitable to perform the roadside inspection; and

causing, by the at least one processing device of the AV, the vehicle control system of the AV to perform an operation that initiates a communication session between one or more communications systems of the AV and a device of the authorized inspection entity conducting the roadside inspection, and to provide, via the communication session, information required for the roadside inspection from the one or more communications systems of the AV to the device of the authorized inspection entity conducting the roadside inspection.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal is from a source external to the AV.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal comprises a road signage indicating that the AV is to be stopped.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the vehicle control system to stop the AV at the third location determined to be suitable to perform the roadside inspection comprises:

responsive to determining that the AV is to be stopped, determining, by the at least one processing device of the AV, that a characteristic of the AV satisfies a condition to stop the AV at the third location; and

causing the vehicle control system of the AV to stop the AV at the third location.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the vehicle control system to stop the AV comprises:

responsive to determining that the AV is to be stopped, identifying, by the at least one processing device of the AV, the third location to stop the AV based on the signal; and

causing the vehicle control system of the AV to stop the AV at the third location.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the vehicle control system to stop the AV comprises:

determining, by the at least one processing device of the AV, that one or more parking brakes are to be engaged to allow the roadside inspection to be performed; and

causing, by the at least one processing device of the AV, the vehicle control system to automatically engage the one or more parking brakes.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining whether the trip is to be terminated;

responsive to determining that the trip is not to be terminated, determining, by the at least one processing device of the AV, that the one or more parking brakes are to be disengaged; and

causing the vehicle control system to:

automatically disengage the one or more parking brakes; and

continue executing the trip to the second location.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining, by the at least one processing device of the AV, whether the trip is to be terminated;

responsive to determining that the trip is to be terminated, determining whether the trip is to be terminated at the third location;

responsive to determining that the trip is not to be terminated at the third location, identifying, by the at least one processing device of the AV, a fourth location for terminating the trip;

determining, by the at least one processing device of the AV, that the one or more parking brakes are to be disengaged; and

causing the vehicle control system to:

automatically disengage the one or more parking brakes;

move the AV to the fourth location; and

terminate the trip at the fourth location.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the at least one processing device of the AV, whether the trip is to be terminated;

responsive to determining that the trip is to be terminated, determining whether the trip is to be terminated at the third location; and

responsive to determining that the trip is to be terminated at the third location, causing the vehicle control system to terminate the trip at the third location.

10 . A system for an autonomous vehicle (AV), comprising:

a memory device; and

at least one processing device of the AV, coupled to the memory device, to perform operations comprising:

detecting, using a sensing system of the AV executing a trip from a first location to a second location, a signal to stop the AV;

determining, in response to the signal, that the AV is to be stopped for a roadside inspection of the AV by an authorized inspection entity;

causing a vehicle control system of the AV to stop the AV at a third location determined to be suitable to perform the roadside inspection; and

causing the vehicle control system of the AV to perform an operation that initiates a communication session between one or more communications systems of the AV and a device of the authorized inspection entity conducting the roadside inspection, and to provide, via the communication session, information required for the roadside inspection from the one or more communications systems of the AV to the device of the authorized inspection entity conducting the roadside inspection.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the signal is from a source external to the AV.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the signal comprises a road signage indicating that the AV is to be stopped.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein causing the vehicle control system to stop the AV at the third location determined to be suitable to perform the roadside inspection comprises:

responsive to determining that the AV is to be stopped, determining that a characteristic of the AV satisfies a condition to stop the AV at the third location; and

causing the vehicle control system of the AV to stop the AV at the third location.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein causing the vehicle control system to stop the AV comprises:

determining that one or more parking brakes are to be engaged to allow the roadside inspection to be performed; and

causing the vehicle control system to automatically engage the one or more parking brakes.

15 . The system of claim 14 , the operations further comprising:

determining whether the trip is to be terminated;

responsive to determining that the trip is not to be terminated, determining that the one or more parking brakes are to be disengaged; and

causing the vehicle control system to:

automatically disengage the one or more parking brakes; and

continue executing the trip to the second location.

16 . The system of claim 14 , the operations further comprising:

determining whether the trip is to be terminated;

responsive to determining that the trip is to be terminated, determining whether the trip is to be terminated at the third location;

responsive to determining that the trip is not to be terminated at the third location, identifying a fourth location for terminating the trip;

determining that the one or more parking brakes are to be disengaged; and

causing the vehicle control system to:

automatically disengage the one or more parking brakes;

move the AV to the fourth location; and

terminate the trip at the fourth location.

17 . A non-transitory device-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processing device of an autonomous vehicle (AV), cause the at least one processing device of the AV to perform operations comprising:

detecting, using a sensing system of the AV executing a trip from a first location to a second location, a signal to stop the AV;

determining, in response to the signal, that the AV is to be stopped for a roadside inspection of the AV by an authorized inspection entity;

causing a vehicle control system of the AV to stop the AV at a third location determined to be suitable to perform the roadside inspection; and

causing the vehicle control system of the AV to perform an operation that initiates a communication session between one or more communications systems of the AV and a device of the authorized inspection entity conducting the roadside inspection, and to provide, via the communication session, information required for the roadside inspection from the one or more communications systems of the AV to the device of the authorized inspection entity conducting the roadside inspection.

18 . The non-transitory device-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the signal is from a source external to the AV.

19 . The non-transitory device-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the signal comprises a road signage indicating that the AV is to be stopped.

20 . The non-transitory device-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein causing the vehicle control system to stop the AV determined to be suitable to perform the roadside inspection comprises:

determining that one or more parking brakes are to be engaged to allow the roadside inspection to be performed; and

causing the vehicle control system to automatically engage the one or more parking brakes.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (24)