Autonomous-vehicle dispatch based on fleet-level target objectives

US10775806B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Lyft, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Farzad Cyrus Foroughi Abari · San Bruno, US
• Aaron Jacob Levine Friedman · San Francisco, US
• John Houston · San Francisco, US
• Adam Hart Reis · San Francisco, US
• Alexander Thomas Starns · Redwood City, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 22, 2017
• Grant date: Sep 15, 2020
• Expiry date: Aug 18, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q50/40
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes a computing system receiving information from an autonomous vehicle (AV). Based on the received information, the system may identify a target objective, with an associated target destination, for the AV and determine that the AV is able to transport passengers while furthering the target objective. The system may receive multiple ride requests from ride requestors, respectively. Each of the ride requests is associated with an origination location and a destination location. The system may match the AV with one of the ride requests based on a location of the AV, the target destination of the target objective, and the origination location and destination location associated with the ride request. The system may instruct the AV to perform a transportation task from the origination location to the destination location associated with the ride request, and drive to the target destination after completing the transportation task.