Methods for executing autonomous rideshare requests

Abstract

One variation of a method for executing autonomous rideshare requests includes: following arrival of an autonomous vehicle proximal a pickup location specified in a rideshare request submitted by a user, setting a user arrival timer for a first duration and a depart timer for a second duration exceeding the first duration; serving a state of the user arrival timer to a mobile computing device affiliated with the user; rendering a state of the depart timer on an external display arranged on the autonomous vehicle; in response to failure of the user to arrive at the autonomous vehicle prior to expiration of the user arrival timer, departing from the pickup location without the user; and, in response to the user arriving at the autonomous vehicle prior to expiration of the user arrival timer, departing from the pickup location with the user prior to expiration of the delay timer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 navigating an autonomous vehicle to a dropoff location for a person to disembark from the autonomous vehicle;   obtaining an estimated duration of time from a dropoff time associated with the person disembarking the vehicle to a pickup time for the person to enter the autonomous vehicle at a pickup location;   navigating the autonomous vehicle from the dropoff location following the dropoff time;   determining at least one action;   performing at least one action during the estimated duration of time; and   navigating the autonomous vehicle towards the pickup location based on a proximity of a current time with the pickup time.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one action includes:
 identifying a location;   determining a route towards the location; and   navigating the autonomous vehicle along the route towards the location.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one action includes retrieving an order. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the order includes at least one of: groceries, food, or merchandise. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one action includes receiving a package in a storage area of the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the package is received in the storage area of the autonomous vehicle in connection with a scheduled delivery of the package. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one action includes delivering a package. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is further navigated towards the pickup location based on a completion of the at least one action. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein estimated duration of time is determined based on at least one of traffic data or user input. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one action is determined based on at least one of user input or a schedule of events.