Systems and Methods for Determining when to Release Control of an Autonomous Vehicle

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling an autonomous vehicle are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes providing a control of the autonomous vehicle to a user associated with a vehicle service. The method includes identifying one or more release signals indicative of one or more actions of the user. The method includes releasing the control of the autonomous vehicle from the user, based at least in part on the release signals.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, interior sensor data indicative of an interior environment of a vehicle during the performance of a vehicle service;   identifying, by the computing system, one or more release signals based, at least in part, on the interior sensor data;   determining, by the computing system, that the vehicle service is complete based, at least in part, on the one or more release signals; and   in response to determining that the vehicle service is complete, initiating, by the computing system, a vehicle action.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , wherein the interior sensor data indicative of the interior environment of the vehicle comprises at least one of image data or motion capture data indicative of a user exiting the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , wherein the vehicle comprises one or more interior sensors onboard the vehicle, the one or more interior sensors comprising at least one of one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more door sensors, or one or more pressure sensors. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , wherein the one or more release signals are indicative of one or more actions of a user within the vehicle. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , wherein the one or more release signals are indicative of a number of passengers that entered the vehicle. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , wherein the one or more release signals are indicative of an identifier of a pressure sensor or a door sensor of the vehicle. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more release signals are indicative of the identifier for the pressure sensor, and wherein determining that the vehicle service is complete based, at least in part, on the one or more release signals comprises:
 in response to determining that the pressure sensor is deactivated, determining, by the computing system, that the vehicle service is complete.   
     
     
         31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the computing system, data representing an ending location associated with the vehicle service;   causing, by the computing system, the vehicle to travel in accordance with a route that leads to the ending location; and   determining, by the computing system, that the vehicle has reached the ending location based, at least in part, on the one or more release signals.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , wherein the vehicle action comprises communicating, by the computing system, with a user computing device to provide a user with access to exit the vehicle. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , wherein determining that the vehicle service is complete based, at least in part, on the one or more release signals comprises:
 assigning, by the computing system, a weight to each of the one or more release signals;   determining, by the computing system, a confidence score based on the one or more release signals and the assigned weights; and   determining, by the computing system, that the vehicle service is complete when the confidence score is greater than a threshold value.   
     
     
         34 . A computing system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media that collectively store instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:   obtaining interior sensor data indicative of an interior environment of a vehicle during the performance of a vehicle service;   identifying one or more release signals based, at least in part, on the interior sensor data;   determining that the vehicle service is complete based, at least in part, on the one or more release signals; and   in response to determining that the vehicle service is complete, initiating a vehicle action.   
     
     
         35 . The computing systems of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more release signals are indicative of one or more actions of a user within the vehicle. 
     
     
         36 . The computing systems of  claim 34 , wherein the interior sensor data indicative of the interior environment of the vehicle comprises at least one of image data or motion capture data indicative of the user exiting the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         37 . The computing systems of  claim 34 , wherein the vehicle comprises one or more interior sensors onboard the vehicle, the one or more interior sensors comprising at least one of one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more door sensors, or one or more pressure sensors. 
     
     
         38 . The computing systems of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more release signals are indicative of a number of passengers that entered the vehicle. 
     
     
         39 . The computing systems of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more release signals are indicative of an identifier of a pressure sensor or a door sensor of the vehicle. 
     
     
         40 . The computing system of  claim 39 , wherein the one or more release signals are indicative of the pressure sensor, and wherein determining that the vehicle service is complete based, at least in part, on the one or more release signals comprises:
 in response to determining that the pressure sensor is deactivated, determining, by the computing system, that the vehicle service is complete.   
     
     
         41 . An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media that collectively store instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the autonomous vehicle to perform operations, the operations comprising:   obtaining interior sensor data indicative of an interior environment of a vehicle during the performance of a vehicle service;   identifying one or more release signals based, at least in part, on the interior sensor data;   determining that the vehicle service is complete based, at least in part, on the one or more release signals; and   in response to determining that the vehicle service is complete, initiating a vehicle action.   
     
     
         42 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 41 , wherein determining that the vehicle service is complete based, at least in part, on the one or more release signals comprises:
 assigning a weight to each of the one or more release signals;   determining a confidence score based on the one or more release signals and the assigned weights; and   determining that the vehicle service is complete when the confidence score is greater than a threshold value.   
     
     
         43 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 41 , wherein the vehicle action comprises communicating with a user computing device to provide a user with access to exit the autonomous vehicle.