US 12,298,766 B2
Systems and methods for providing a vehicle service via a transportation network for autonomous vehicles
Alden James Woodrow, Oakland, CA (US); and Robert Evan Miller, San Mateo, CA (US)
Assigned to AURORA OPERATIONS, INC., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed by Aurora Operations, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed on Sep. 15, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/468,061.
Application 18/468,061 is a continuation of application No. 17/409,105, filed on Aug. 23, 2021, granted, now 11,797,005.
Application 17/409,105 is a continuation of application No. 16/799,040, filed on Feb. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,099,566, issued on Aug. 24, 2021.
Application 16/799,040 is a continuation of application No. 15/850,398, filed on Dec. 21, 2017, granted, now 10,571,917, issued on Feb. 25, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/584,268, filed on Nov. 10, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0077872 A1, Mar. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G01C 21/34 (2006.01); G06Q 10/04 (2023.01); G06Q 10/047 (2023.01); G06Q 10/08 (2024.01); G06Q 50/40 (2024.01)
CPC G05D 1/0088 (2013.01) [G01C 21/3492 (2013.01); G05D 1/0291 (2013.01); G06Q 10/047 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08 (2013.01); G06Q 50/40 (2024.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
(a) receiving a service request to transfer cargo from a first location to a second location;
(b) scheduling receipt of the cargo from a first manually operated vehicle at a first transfer hub proximate to the first location and pickup of the cargo by a second manually operated vehicle at a second transfer hub proximate to the second location;
(c) selecting an autonomous vehicle from a fleet of autonomous vehicles to transfer the cargo from the first transfer hub to the second transfer hub, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on a current location of the selected autonomous vehicle and an availability of the selected autonomous vehicle; and
(d) configuring the autonomous vehicle to autonomously transport the cargo from a launch zone of the first transfer hub to a landing zone of the second transfer hub on a highway between the first transfer hub and the second transfer hub, the autonomous vehicle comprising one or more sensors and an autonomy computing system configured to obtain sensor data from the one or more sensors and process the sensor data to generate a motion plan through an environment of the autonomous vehicle.
 
13. A computing system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media that store instructions for execution by the one or more processors to cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
(a) receiving a service request to transfer cargo from a first location to a second location;
(b) scheduling receipt of the cargo from a first manually operated vehicle at a first transfer hub proximate to the first location and pickup of the cargo by a second manually operated vehicle at a second transfer hub proximate to the second location;
(c) selecting an autonomous vehicle from a fleet of autonomous vehicles to transfer the cargo from the first transfer hub to the second transfer hub, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on a current location of the selected autonomous vehicle and an availability of the selected autonomous vehicle; and
(d) configuring the autonomous vehicle to autonomously transport the cargo from a launch zone of the first transfer hub to a landing zone of the second transfer hub on a highway between the first transfer hub and the second transfer hub, the autonomous vehicle comprising one or more sensors and an autonomy computing system configured to obtain sensor data from the one or more sensors and process the sensor data to generate a motion plan through an environment of the autonomous vehicle.
 
18. One or more tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media that store instructions for execution by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
(a) receiving a service request to transfer cargo from a first location to a second location;
(b) scheduling receipt of the cargo from a first manually operated vehicle at a first transfer hub proximate to the first location and pickup of the cargo by a second manually operated vehicle at a second transfer hub proximate to the second location;
(c) selecting an autonomous vehicle from a fleet of autonomous vehicles to transfer the cargo from the first transfer hub to the second transfer hub, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on a current location of the selected autonomous vehicle and an availability of the selected autonomous vehicle; and
(d) configuring the autonomous vehicle to autonomously transport the cargo from a launch zone of the first transfer hub to a landing zone of the second transfer hub on a highway between the first transfer hub and the second transfer hub, the autonomous vehicle comprising one or more sensors and an autonomy computing system configured to obtain sensor data from the one or more sensors and process the sensor data to generate a motion plan through an environment of the autonomous vehicle.