System and Methods to Enable User Control of an Autonomous Vehicle

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a user control of an autonomous vehicle to enable the user to assist the autonomous vehicle. In one example embodiment, a computer implemented method includes identifying, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, an occurrence of an event associated with an autonomous vehicle. The event can hinder an ability of the autonomous vehicle to operate in an autonomous operating mode. In response to the occurrence of the event associated with the autonomous vehicle, the method includes determining, by the computing system, a user to operate the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on a profile associated with the user. The method includes providing, by the computing system, one or more control signals to cause the autonomous vehicle to enter into an operating mode that allows the user to operate the autonomous vehicle.

1 . A computing system for providing user control of autonomous vehicles, comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:   identifying an occurrence of an event associated with an autonomous vehicle;   in response to identifying the occurrence of the event associated with the autonomous vehicle, identifying one or more users to potentially operate the autonomous vehicle to move the autonomous vehicle from a stopped position;   determining at least one of the users to operate the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on a profile associated with at least one user, wherein the profile associated with the at least one user comprises data indicative of a willingness of the at least one user to operate the autonomous vehicle; and   providing one or more control signals to cause the autonomous vehicle to enter into an operating mode that allows the at least one user to operate the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one user is a passenger of the autonomous vehicle for a transportation service provided by the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the event comprises a fault associated with the autonomous vehicle that hinders an ability of the autonomous vehicle to autonomously operate without human user input to the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The computing system of  claim 3 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is in the stopped position such that the autonomous vehicle is at least partially in a vehicle travel way. 
     
     
         5 . The computing system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 facilitating communication with the at least one user to request that the at least one user operate the autonomous vehicle to control a motion of the autonomous vehicle to change a location of the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         6 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 obtaining data associated with an evaluation of the autonomous vehicle that indicates that the autonomous vehicle is in a safe condition to be operated by the at least one user.   
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein determining at least one of the users to operate the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the profile associated with the at least one user comprises:
 determining that the at least one user is authorized to operate the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the profile associated with the at least one user; and   determining that the at least one user is willing to operate the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the profile associated with the at least one user.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method of providing user control of autonomous vehicles, comprising:
 identifying, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, an occurrence of an event associated with an autonomous vehicle, wherein the event hinders an ability of the autonomous vehicle to operate in an autonomous operating mode;   in response to the occurrence of the event associated with the autonomous vehicle, determining, by the computing system, a user to operate the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on a profile associated with the user, wherein the profile associated with the user comprises data indicative of a willingness of the user to operate the autonomous vehicle; and   providing, by the computing system, one or more control signals to cause the autonomous vehicle to enter into an operating mode that allows the user to operate the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is subject to one or more limitations of one or more operating parameters of the autonomous vehicle while in the operating mode that allows the user to operate the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more limitations comprise at least one of a limitation on a speed associated with the autonomous vehicle, a limitation on a distance associated with the autonomous vehicle, a limitation on a location to which the autonomous vehicle can travel, or a limitation of an amount of time the user can operate the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the limitation on the location is based at least in part on at least one of sensor data acquired by the autonomous vehicle or map data provided to the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the user is not a passenger of the vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is in a stopped position that is at least partially in a travel way. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing, by the computing system, a communication to the user requesting that the user operate the autonomous vehicle to control a motion of the autonomous vehicle to move the autonomous vehicle completely out of the travel way.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the profile associated with the user indicates that the user is legally able to operate the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . An autonomous vehicle comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the autonomous vehicle to perform operations, the operations comprising:   providing, to one or more computing devices that are remote from the autonomous vehicle, data indicative of an event associated with the autonomous vehicle;   receiving data indicating that the autonomous vehicle is to enter into an operating mode, wherein the operating mode allows a user to operate the autonomous vehicle to control a motion of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the user is determined based at least in part on a profile associated with the user, and wherein the profile associated with the user comprises data indicative of a willingness of the user to operate the autonomous vehicle; and   causing the autonomous vehicle to enter into the operating mode to allow the user to operate the autonomous vehicle to control the motion of the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         18 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein causing the autonomous vehicle to enter into the operating mode to allow the user to operate the autonomous vehicle to control the motion of the autonomous vehicle comprises:
 providing one or more control signals to one or more systems located onboard the autonomous vehicle to cause the autonomous vehicle to enter into the operating mode.   
     
     
         19 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 causing the autonomous vehicle to perform an evaluation of the event associated with the autonomous vehicle to determine that it is safe for the user to operate the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         20 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein the profile indicates that the user is legally able to operate the autonomous vehicle.