Context aware stopping for autonomous vehicles

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to context aware stopping of a vehicle without a driver. As an example, after a passenger has entered the vehicle, the vehicle is maneuvered by one or more processors in an autonomous driving mode towards a destination location along a route. The route is divided into two or more stages. A signal is received by the one or more processors. The signal indicates that the passenger is requesting that the vehicle stop or pull over. In response to the signal, the one or more processors determine a current stage of the route based on a current distance of the vehicle from a pickup location where the passenger entered the vehicle or a current distance of the vehicle from the destination location. The one or more processors then stop the vehicle in accordance with the determined current stage.

1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors of an autonomous vehicle, a pull over request as the vehicle maneuvers towards a destination location; and   in response to the pull over request:
 determining, by the one or more processors, a current distance of the vehicle from the destination location; and 
 stopping, by the one or more processors, the vehicle based on the determining. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle stops at a nearest available spot when the current distance is more than a threshold distance from the destination location. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle stops immediately when the vehicle is within the threshold distance from the destination location. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pull over request is initiated by a passenger of the vehicle pressing a button in the vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pull over request is initiated by a client computing device associated with a passenger of the vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the one or more processors, the vehicle to maneuver along a route from a pickup location to the destination location, the route including a plurality of stages.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the stopping of the vehicle occurs during a stage of the route in which a current location of the vehicle is less than a threshold distance from a pickup location where a passenger entered the vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the stopping of the vehicle occurs during a stage of the route when a current location of the vehicle is less than a threshold distance from the destination location. 
     
     
         9 . A vehicle that maneuvers in an autonomous driving mode, the vehicle comprising:
 a memory device configured to store information; and   one or more processors configured to:
 access the information stored in the memory; 
 receive a pull over request as the vehicle maneuvers from a pickup location towards a destination location; and 
 in response to the pull over request:
 determine a current distance of the vehicle from the pickup location; and 
 stop the vehicle based on the determining. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The vehicle of  claim 9 , further comprising a stop button, wherein the pull over request is initiated by a passenger pressing the stop button. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the pull over request is initiated by a client computing device associated with a passenger of the vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the vehicle stops at a nearest available spot when the current distance is more than a threshold distance from the destination location. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the vehicle stops immediately when the vehicle is within the threshold distance from the destination location. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to control the vehicle to maneuver along a route from a pickup location to the destination location, the route including a plurality of stages. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to stop the vehicle during a stage of the route in which a current location of the vehicle is less than a threshold distance from a pickup location where a passenger entered the vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to stop the vehicle occurs during a stage of the route when a current location of the vehicle is less than a threshold distance from the destination location. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors of an autonomous vehicle, a pull over request as the vehicle maneuvers from a pickup location towards a destination location; and   in response to the pull over request:
 determining, by the one or more processors, a current distance of the vehicle from the pickup location; and 
 stopping, by the one or more processors, the vehicle based on the determining. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the vehicle stops at a nearest available spot when the current distance is more than a threshold distance from the destination location. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the vehicle stops immediately when the vehicle is within the threshold distance from the destination location. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the pull over request is initiated by a passenger pressing a button in the vehicle. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the pull over request is initiated by a client computing device associated with a passenger of the vehicle.