Coordinating Movements of Autonomous Vehicles to Direct Autonomous Vehicle Maneuvering

Abstract

A method includes receiving, by a computing device of an autonomous vehicle of multiple autonomous vehicles, instructions to travel to a target location, determining, by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle, that the autonomous vehicle is blocked from traveling to the target location by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles of the multiple autonomous vehicles located at one or more blocking locations, and causing, by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle, coordinated movements by the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles to be performed to allow the autonomous vehicle to travel to the target location, wherein the coordinated movements include at least one of the blocking autonomous vehicles returning to its respective blocking location after allowing the autonomous vehicle to travel to the target location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing device of an autonomous vehicle of a plurality of autonomous vehicles, instructions to travel to a target location;   determining, by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle, that the autonomous vehicle is blocked from traveling to the target location by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles of the plurality of autonomous vehicles located at one or more blocking locations; and   causing, by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle, coordinated movements by the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles to be performed to allow the autonomous vehicle to travel to the target location, wherein the coordinated movements include at least one of the blocking autonomous vehicles returning to its respective blocking location after allowing the autonomous vehicle to travel to the target location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing coordinated movements by the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles to be performed comprises:
 sending, by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle, to one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles, an indication that the autonomous vehicle has received the instructions to travel to the target location,   wherein the indication is configured to cause the one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking automotive vehicles to determine one or more of the coordinated movements.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coordinated movements are determined collectively by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle and one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the coordinated movements comprise respective movements by each of the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles; and   the respective movements of each of the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles are determined by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle and one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles, respectively.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the autonomous vehicle is blocked from traveling to the target location is based on one or more of:
 sensors or markers associated with one or more autonomous vehicles in an area comprising the plurality of autonomous vehicles; or   sensors or markers associated with the area.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coordinated movements are determined based at least on known locations of the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles in a mapped area. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device of the autonomous vehicle resides in:
 one of the plurality of autonomous vehicles; or   a location external to the plurality of autonomous vehicles.   
     
     
         8 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed by a computing device of an autonomous vehicle of a plurality of autonomous vehicles to:
 receive instructions to travel to a target location;   determine that the autonomous vehicle is blocked from traveling to the target location by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles of the plurality of autonomous vehicles located at one or more blocking locations; and   cause coordinated movements by the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles to be performed to allow the autonomous vehicle to travel to the target location, wherein the coordinated movements include at least one of the blocking autonomous vehicles returning to its respective blocking location after allowing the autonomous vehicle to travel to the target location.   
     
     
         9 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 8 , wherein the software is further operable when executed by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle to:
 send, to one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles, an indication that the autonomous vehicle has received the instructions to travel to the target location,   wherein the indication is configured to cause the one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking automotive vehicles to determine one or more of the coordinated movements.   
     
     
         10 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 8 , wherein the coordinated movements are determined collectively by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle and one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles. 
     
     
         11 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the coordinated movements comprise respective movements by each of the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles; and   the respective movements of each of the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles are determined by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle and one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles, respectively.   
     
     
         12 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 8 , wherein determining that the autonomous vehicle is blocked from traveling to the target location is based on one or more of:
 sensors or markers associated with one or more autonomous vehicles in an area comprising the plurality of autonomous vehicles; or   sensors or markers associated with the area.   
     
     
         13 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 8 , wherein the coordinated movements are determined based at least on known locations of the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles in a mapped area. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 8 , wherein the computing device of the autonomous vehicle resides in:
 one of the plurality of autonomous vehicles; or   a location external to the plurality of autonomous vehicles.   
     
     
         15 . A system comprising: one or more processors of a computing device of an autonomous vehicle of a plurality of autonomous vehicles and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors, the one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to:
 receive instructions to travel to a target location;   determine that the autonomous vehicle is blocked from traveling to the target location by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles of the plurality of autonomous vehicles located at one or more blocking locations; and   cause coordinated movements by the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles to be performed to allow the autonomous vehicle to travel to the target location, wherein the coordinated movements include at least one of the blocking autonomous vehicles returning to its respective blocking location after allowing the autonomous vehicle to travel to the target location.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the processors of the computing device of the autonomous vehicle are further operable when executing the instructions to:
 send, to one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles, an indication that the autonomous vehicle has received the instructions to travel to the target location,   wherein the indication is configured to cause the one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking automotive vehicles to determine one or more of the coordinated movements.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the coordinated movements are determined collectively by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle and one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the coordinated movements comprise respective movements by each of the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles; and   the respective movements of each of the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles are determined by the computing device of the autonomous vehicle and one or more computing devices of the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles, respectively.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein determining that the autonomous vehicle is blocked from traveling to the target location is based on one or more of:
 sensors or markers associated with one or more autonomous vehicles in an area comprising the plurality of autonomous vehicles; or   sensors or markers associated with the area.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the coordinated movements are determined based at least on known locations of the autonomous vehicle and the one or more blocking autonomous vehicles in a mapped area.