Creating Aisle Access for Autonomous Vehicle Parking

Abstract

A method includes, by a central computing device, receiving instructions to provide access to a first autonomous vehicle of multiple autonomous vehicles in an array, wherein the first autonomous vehicle is blocked by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles of the multiple autonomous vehicles in the array, and causing coordinated movements to be performed by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles to create a gap in the array, wherein the gap provides a temporary access aisle to provide access to the first autonomous vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising, by a central computing device:
 receiving instructions to provide access to a first autonomous vehicle of a plurality of autonomous vehicles in an array, wherein the first autonomous vehicle is blocked by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles of the plurality of autonomous vehicles in the array; and   causing coordinated movements to be performed by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles to create a gap in the array, wherein the gap provides a temporary access aisle to provide access to the first autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gap is created in a portion of the array such that one or more of the blocking autonomous vehicles are on one side of the temporary access aisle and one or more of the other blocking autonomous vehicles are on another side of the temporary access aisle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gap is created at one end of the array such that all of the blocking autonomous vehicles are on a same side of the temporary access aisle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of autonomous vehicles in the array are arranged in a plurality of columns, and wherein the temporary access aisle is:
 perpendicular to one or more of the columns; or   diagonal with respect to one or more of the columns.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing the first autonomous vehicle to move through the temporary access aisle to a location that allows the first autonomous vehicle to be accessible.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 causing, after determining that access to the first autonomous vehicle has been provided, the first autonomous vehicle to move back to its starting location in the array.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the coordinated movements include, after determining that the first autonomous vehicle has moved through the temporary access aisle, causing one of the plurality of autonomous vehicles in the array to move to a starting location of the first autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coordinated movements include, after determining that access to the first autonomous vehicle has been provided, removing the temporary access aisle by moving at least one of the blocking autonomous vehicles into the gap in the array. 
     
     
         9 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed by a central computing device to:
 receive instructions to provide access to a first autonomous vehicle of a plurality of autonomous vehicles in an array, wherein the first autonomous vehicle is blocked by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles of the plurality of autonomous vehicles in the array; and   cause coordinated movements to be performed by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles to create a gap in the array, wherein the gap provides a temporary access aisle to provide access to the first autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         10 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the gap is created in a portion of the array such that one or more of the blocking autonomous vehicles are on one side of the temporary access aisle and one or more of the other blocking autonomous vehicles are on another side of the temporary access aisle. 
     
     
         11 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the gap is created at one end of the array such that all of the blocking autonomous vehicles are on a same side of the temporary access aisle. 
     
     
         12 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of autonomous vehicles in the array are arranged in a plurality of columns, and wherein the temporary access aisle is:
 perpendicular to one or more of the columns; or   diagonal with respect to one or more of the columns.   
     
     
         13 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the software is further operable when executed by the central computing device to:
 cause the first autonomous vehicle to move through the temporary access aisle to a location that allows the first autonomous vehicle to be accessible.   
     
     
         14 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 13 , wherein the software is further operable when executed by the central computing device to:
 cause, after determining that access to the first autonomous vehicle has been provided, the first autonomous vehicle to move back to its starting location in the array.   
     
     
         15 . A system comprising: one or more processors of a central computing device 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 provide access to a first autonomous vehicle of a plurality of autonomous vehicles in an array, wherein the first autonomous vehicle is blocked by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles of the plurality of autonomous vehicles in the array; and   cause coordinated movements to be performed by one or more blocking autonomous vehicles to create a gap in the array, wherein the gap provides a temporary access aisle to provide access to the first autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the gap is created in a portion of the array such that one or more of the blocking autonomous vehicles are on one side of the temporary access aisle and one or more of the other blocking autonomous vehicles are on another side of the temporary access aisle. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the gap is created at one end of the array such that all of the blocking autonomous vehicles are on a same side of the temporary access aisle. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of autonomous vehicles in the array are arranged in a plurality of columns, and wherein the temporary access aisle is:
 perpendicular to one or more of the columns; or   diagonal with respect to one or more of the columns.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:
 cause the first autonomous vehicle to move through the temporary access aisle to a location that allows the first autonomous vehicle to be accessible.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:
 cause, after determining that access to the first autonomous vehicle has been provided, the first autonomous vehicle to move back to its starting location in the array.