US 12,147,229 B2
Self-driving vehicle systems and methods
Eric John Wengreen, Sammamish, WA (US); and Wesley Edward Schwie, Minneapolis, MN (US)
Assigned to Drivent LLC, Sammamish, WA (US)
Filed by DRIVENT LLC, Sammamish, WA (US)
Filed on Apr. 26, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/307,519.
Application 18/307,519 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/368,654, filed on Jul. 6, 2021, granted, now 11,789,460.
Application 18/307,519 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/026,656, filed on Sep. 21, 2020, granted, now 11,644,833.
Application 17/368,654 is a continuation of application No. 16/678,751, filed on Nov. 8, 2019, granted, now 11,221,622, issued on Jan. 11, 2022.
Application 17/368,654 is a continuation of application No. 16/678,660, filed on Nov. 8, 2019, granted, now 11,221,621, issued on Jan. 11, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/932,938, filed on Nov. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0266756 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2024.01); B60W 30/18 (2012.01); G01K 13/00 (2021.01)
CPC G05D 1/0055 (2013.01) [B60W 30/18 (2013.01); G01K 13/00 (2013.01); G05D 1/0088 (2013.01); B60W 2420/40 (2013.01); B60W 2510/246 (2013.01); B60W 2720/106 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:
a smoke detection system coupled to the self-driving vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a portion of the self-driving vehicle;
a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the self-driving vehicle,
wherein the smoke is combustion smoke, and
wherein the smoke detection system coupled to the self-driving vehicle comprises an ionization smoke detector and an optical smoke detector; and
a non-transitory computer-readable media, executable by a processor selected from the group consisting of the ionization smoke detector, the optical smoke detector, and combinations thereof, the non-transitory computer-readable media configured to cause the processor to carry out the steps of:
detecting, via the ionization smoke detector, the combustion smoke, and
detecting, via the optical smoke detector, an electronic cigarette aerosol by analyzing a particle size of an aerosol and determining that the particle size is indicative of electronic cigarette use.
 
11. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:
a smoke detection system coupled to the self-driving vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a portion of the self-driving vehicle;
a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the self-driving vehicle,
wherein the smoke is combustion smoke, and
wherein the smoke detection system coupled to the self-driving vehicle comprises an ionization smoke detector and an optical smoke detector; and
a non-transitory computer-readable media, executable by a processor selected from the group consisting of the ionization smoke detector, the optical smoke detector, and combinations thereof, the non-transitory computer-readable media configured to cause the processor to carry out the step of detecting the combustion smoke or an electronic cigarette aerosol by analyzing a first particle size of an aerosol and determining that the first particle size is greater than a first predetermined threshold.
 
14. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:
a smoke detection system coupled to the self-driving vehicle;
a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the self-driving vehicle;
a communication system; and
a non-transitory computer-readable media, executable by a processor selected from the group consisting of the smoke detection system, the communication system, and combinations thereof, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is configured to cause the processor to perform the steps of:
detecting, via the smoke detection system, smoke inside a portion of the self-driving vehicle,
sending, via the communication system, a first wireless communication to a remote computing device in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle,
analyzing, via the smoke detection system, a particle size of the smoke,
sending, via the communication system, the first wireless communication identifying the smoke as an aerosol in response to the smoke detection system determining that the particle size is greater than a predetermined threshold, and
sending, via the communication system, the first wireless communication identifying the smoke as combustion smoke in response to the smoke detection system determining that the particle size is less than the predetermined threshold.
 
16. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:
a smoke detection system coupled to the self-driving vehicle;
a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the self-driving vehicle;
a communication system; and
a non-transitory computer-readable media executable by a processor selected from the group consisting of the smoke detection system, the communication system, and combinations thereof, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is configured to cause the processor to perform the steps of:
detecting, via the smoke detection system, smoke inside a portion of the self-driving vehicle,
sending, via the communication system, a first wireless communication to a remote computing device in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke,
analyzing, via the smoke detection system, a particle size of the smoke,
sending, via the communication system, the first wireless communication identifying the smoke as an aerosol in response to the smoke detection system determining that the particle size is greater than a predetermined threshold, and
sending, via the communication system, the first wireless communication identifying the smoke as combustion smoke in response to the smoke detection system determining that the particle size is less than the predetermined threshold.
 
19. A maintenance system configured to be used with a self-driving vehicle, the maintenance system comprising:
a smoke detection system coupled to the self-driving vehicle, the smoke detection system comprising a first camera and an image analysis system;
a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the self-driving vehicle;
a memory having a first baseline image and a second image; and
a non-transitory computer-readable media executable by a processor selected from the group consisting of the smoke detection system, the image analysis system, and combinations thereof, the non-transitory computer-readable media configured to cause the processor to perform the steps of:
detecting, via the smoke detection system, smoke inside a portion of the self-driving vehicle, and
detecting, via the image analysis system, the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle by comparing the first baseline image taken by the first camera of an interior of the self-driving vehicle to the second image taken by the first camera of the interior.