US 12,243,416 B1
Vehicle location assistance using audible signals
Juliet Rothenberg, San Francisco, CA (US); and Kiran Kaja, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/206,115.
Application 18/206,115 is a continuation of application No. 17/518,683, filed on Nov. 4, 2021, granted, now 11,710,399.
Application 17/518,683 is a continuation of application No. 16/749,094, filed on Jan. 22, 2020, granted, now 11,195,409, issued on Dec. 7, 2021.
Application 16/749,094 is a continuation of application No. 16/138,070, filed on Sep. 21, 2018, granted, now 10,580,291, issued on Mar. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/563,997, filed on Sep. 27, 2017.
Int. Cl. G08G 1/005 (2006.01); B60Q 5/00 (2006.01); G01C 21/34 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC G08G 1/005 (2013.01) [B60Q 5/00 (2013.01); B60Q 5/005 (2013.01); B60Q 5/006 (2013.01); G01C 21/3438 (2013.01); G05D 1/0088 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of providing assistance to a visually impaired user, the user being associated with a client computing device, the method comprising:
maneuvering, by one or more processors of a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode, the vehicle towards a pickup location in the autonomous driving mode to pick up the user;
receiving, by the one or more processors, one or more signals from the client computing device, wherein the one or more signals indicate that the user requests audible cues to assist the user in reaching the vehicle, and the one or more signals further indicate that the user requests additional time to reach and enter the vehicle; and
in response to receiving the one or more signals, providing, by the one or more processors, audible cues to guide the user to the vehicle.