US 12,085,960 B2
Autonomously following a person
Boaz Mell, Petach Tikva (IL); Adam Harel, Tel Aviv (IL); and Igal Raichelgauz, Tel Aviv (IL)
Assigned to AUTOBRAINS TECHNOLOGIES LTD, Tel Aviv-Jaffa (IL)
Filed by AUTOBRAINS TECHNOLOGIES LTD, Tel Aviv (IL)
Filed on Mar. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/301,382.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/055,875, filed on Jul. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0026930 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2024.01)
CPC G05D 1/12 (2013.01) [G05D 1/0094 (2013.01); G05D 1/0217 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for following a driver of an autonomous vehicle, the method comprises:
entering a tracking mode for following the driver;
when operating in the tracking mode:
tracking the driver by (i) tracking the driver based on visual information obtained by the autonomous vehicle, while the driver is visible to the autonomous vehicle, and (ii) tracking the driver based on received driver location information that is generated by an entity outside the autonomous vehicle, while the driver is not visible to the autonomous vehicle;
wherein operating in the tracking mode further comprises selecting between:
(a) autonomously driving the autonomous vehicle towards the driver and parking the autonomous vehicle within a first distance from the driver; or
(b) autonomously driving the autonomous vehicle towards the driver for pickup;
wherein the selecting is based on a status of fuel of the autonomous vehicle, a distance between a location of the pickup of the driver and a gas station, and a distance between a location of the parking of the autonomous vehicle and the gas station.