Patents by Inventor Shenglong Gao

Shenglong Gao has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240144127
    Abstract: This document discloses system, method, and computer program product embodiments for dynamically assigning vehicles or other objects to fleets of multiple tenants. Each tenant will be assigned a primary fleet of objects (such as vehicles) and will be associated with a minimum service level requirement and parameters governing operation of each object that is assigned to that primary fleet. The system will maintain a common fleet of vehicles, from which objects may be temporarily assigned to the primary fleets. When one of the tenants submits a service request, the system will select an object from the common fleet, assign the selected object to the primary fleet of that tenant's primary fleet, and cause the object to fulfill the first trip request in accordance with the set of parameters governing operation of each object that is assigned to the primary fleet of that tenant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Sebastian Dovenor, Shubhashree Venkatesh, Bennett Diaz, Shenglong Gao
  • Patent number: 11953331
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices to facilitate pick-up/drop-off zone (PDZ) handoffs between autonomous vehicles. Consistent with some embodiments, a pick-up/drop-off zone (PDZ) is located based on detecting a first autonomous vehicle stopped at a stopping location. A system determines, based on one or more criteria, whether to request the first autonomous vehicle to remain stopped at the stopping location to create an opportunity for a second autonomous vehicle to claim the PDZ. An amount of time for the first autonomous vehicle to remain stopped at the stopping location is determined based on the one or more criteria. A request to remain stopped at the stopping location is transmitted to a vehicle autonomy system of the first autonomous vehicle based on satisfaction of the one or more criteria. The request specifies the amount of time for the first autonomous vehicle to remain at the stopping location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Brent Goldman, Konrad Julian Niemiec
  • Publication number: 20240095657
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) includes a cabin having a receiving with a table, one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions executable by the processors. The instructions have the processors: obtain information regarding an order to be delivered from an AV delivery service system that is remote from the AV; have the navigation system set a first selected destination as a pick-up location and a second selected destination as a delivery location; provide access to the receiving area via an access panel to obtain a delivery bin when the AV is at the pick-up location; determine that the delivery bin is received for the order to cause the drive system drive to the delivery location; and instruct an access panel to be unlocked to provide access to the receiving area in response to obtaining a vehicle access code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Shenglong GAO, Travis FEUERBACHER, Jessica A. SOLOMON
  • Patent number: 11886202
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for switching between local and remote guidance instructions for autonomous vehicles. For example, the method includes, in response to monitoring one or more actions of objects detected in a scene in which the autonomous robotic system is moving, causing the autonomous robotic system to slow or cease movement in the scene. The method includes detecting a trigger condition based on movement of the autonomous robotic system in the scene. In response to the one or more monitored actions and detecting the trigger condition, the method includes transmitting a remote guidance request to a remote server. After transmitting the remote guidance request, the method includes receiving remote guidance instructions from the remote server and causing the autonomous robotic system to begin operating according to the remote guidance instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Argo AI, LLC
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Ruben Zhao, Marcial Hernandez, Thomas Petroff, Edward Venator
  • Publication number: 20240017744
    Abstract: This document discloses system, method, and computer program product embodiments for operational weather management. For example, the method includes operating a fleet of autonomous vehicles within a geographical region, the fleet of autonomous vehicles performing one or more missions. The method further includes receiving a weather alert including a prediction of inclement weather, the weather alert including a predicted onset time and a predicted duration of the inclement weather. The method further includes analyzing the weather alert to determine actions for vehicles of the fleet to perform, wherein the actions include parking in a nearby location in the geographical region or returning to a base of operations. The method further includes, in response to the analysis, transmitting, to the vehicles of the fleet, a weather advisory, causing each of the vehicles to perform at least one of the actions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Lin Zuo, Shenglong Gao, Bradley Dryer
  • Publication number: 20240011781
    Abstract: This document discloses system, method, and computer program product embodiments for determining an intermediate (i.e., alternate) stopping location (ISL) for a ride service request when a desired stopping location (DSL) is not reachable. The system will map and sensor data to select an ISL. In response to determining that the passenger has approved the ISL as a final stopping location (FSL), the vehicle will move along a route to the FSL.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Bradley Dryer, Noe Brito, Steven Nielsen, Shenglong Gao
  • Patent number: 11841705
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining appropriate energy replenishment and controlling autonomous vehicles are provided. An example computer-implemented method can include obtaining one or more energy parameters associated with an autonomous vehicle. The method can include determining a refueling task for the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the energy parameters associated with the autonomous vehicle. The refueling task comprises a first refueling task that is interruptible by a vehicle service assignment or a second refueling task that is not interruptible by the vehicle service assignment. The method can include communicating data indicative of the refueling task to the autonomous vehicle or to a second computing system that manages the autonomous vehicle. The method can include determining whether the refueling task for the autonomous vehicle has been accepted or rejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent Justin Goldman, Mark Yen, Shenglong Gao, Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen
  • Patent number: 11829904
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices to auction-based on-demand transport selection. A transport request is received from a requesting user of a transport service region. A subset of transport providers to service the transport request are determined from transport providers that service the transport service region. A transport provider is selected to service the transport request based in part on a combination of a proposed cost to service the transport request and a proposed price to be paid in exchange for utilizing one or more pick-up/drop-off zones (PDZs) in servicing the request. The proposed cost to complete the transport request and the proposed price to be paid for utilizing one or more PDZs are specified by the transport provider. A transport assignment is transmitted to the selected transport provider to cause the selected transport provider to service the transport request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen, Shenglong Gao
  • Patent number: 11745759
    Abstract: Systems and methods for autonomous vehicle operations are provided. An example computer-implemented method includes obtaining data indicative of vehicle fleet feature(s) associated with an autonomous vehicle fleet. The method includes obtaining data indicative of a vehicle service request associated with a user, the vehicle service request indicating a request for a vehicle service. The method includes determining user feature(s) associated with the user. The method includes determining a compatibility of the user and the autonomous vehicle fleet for the vehicle service based at least in part on the fleet feature(s) and the user feature(s). Determining the compatibility can include predicting how the autonomous vehicle fleet will perform the vehicle service associated with the vehicle service request based at least in part on the fleet's autonomy capabilities. The method includes communicating data associated with the vehicle service request to a computing system associated with the autonomous vehicle fleet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhe Liu, Mark Yen, Nathan Falk, Brent Justin Goldman, Shenglong Gao, Aaron Matthew Crum
  • Publication number: 20230251104
    Abstract: This document describes methods by which a system determines a pickup/drop-off zone (PDZ) to which a vehicle will navigate to perform a ride service request. The system will access map data that includes the destination interval and define a geometric interval at the requested destination of the ride service request by: (i) using the vehicle's length and the road's speed limit at the destination to calculate a minimum allowable length for the interval; and (ii) setting start point and end point boundaries for the interval having an intervening distance that is equal to or greater than the minimum allowable length. The system will then generate a path to guide the vehicle to the interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Jonathan Pan, Matthew L. Gilson, Shenglong Gao
  • Patent number: 11656093
    Abstract: This document describes methods by which a system determines a pickup/drop-off zone (PDZ) to which a vehicle will navigate to perform a ride service request. The system will define a PDZ that is a geometric interval that is within a lane of a road at the requested destination of the ride service request by: (i) accessing map data that includes the geometric interval; (ii) using the vehicle's length and the road's speed limit at the destination to calculate a minimum allowable length for the PDZ; (iii) setting, start point and end point boundaries for the PDZ having an intervening distance that is equal to or greater than the minimum allowable length; and (iv) positioning the PDZ in the lane at or within a threshold distance from the requested destination. The system will then generate a path to guide the vehicle to the PDZ.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: ARGO AI, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Pan, Matthew L. Gilson, Shenglong Gao
  • Patent number: 11653086
    Abstract: One or more systems and/or methods for capturing an image are provided. In an example, an application interface (e.g., a weather application interface), within which the image is to be populated, may be identified. The application interface may be evaluated to identify display context (e.g., a temperature label, weather visual effect, a weather icon, etc.) of the application interface. A camera user interface, associated with a camera of a device, may be displayed to a user. The display context may be overlaid a real-time image capture preview provided by the camera user interface so that the user may preview how the image may appear when used as a background image for the application interface (e.g., how a scene of a park may appear when the temperature label, weather icon, etc. are displayed over the background image). The image may be captured through the camera user interface utilizing the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Adam Mathes, Gregory Choi, Dongeun Lee, Luiz Fernando da Silva Pereira, Yuhuan Tang
  • Patent number: 11651693
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for finding an available pickup/drop-off zone (PDZ) for an autonomous vehicle (AV) to use to pick up a passenger. A PDZ is selected that is likely to be available and that is within a reasonable walking distance of a passenger. The AV and the passenger are guided to the available PDZ. In selecting the available PDZ, the system balances the human and vehicle routing by taking into account the distance possible PDZs are from the passenger, the likelihood the respective PDZs will be available, the passenger's desire/ability to walk to the respective PDZs (e.g., due to physical limitations, weather, etc.), the driving time of the AV to the respective PDZs, the walking time of the passenger to the respective PDZs, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen, Mark Yen
  • Publication number: 20230145326
    Abstract: Systems and methods for autonomous vehicle operations are provided. An example computer-implemented method includes obtaining data indicative of vehicle fleet feature(s) associated with an autonomous vehicle fleet. The method includes obtaining data indicative of a vehicle service request associated with a user, the vehicle service request indicating a request for a vehicle service. The method includes determining user feature(s) associated with the user. The method includes determining a compatibility of the user and the autonomous vehicle fleet for the vehicle service based at least in part on the fleet feature(s) and the user feature(s). Determining the compatibility can include predicting how the autonomous vehicle fleet will perform the vehicle service associated with the vehicle service request based at least in part on the fleet's autonomy capabilities. The method includes communicating data associated with the vehicle service request to a computing system associated with the autonomous vehicle fleet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Zhe Liu, Mark Yen, Nathan Falk, Brent Justin Goldman, Shenglong Gao, Aaron Matthew Crum
  • Publication number: 20230132029
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for switching between local and remote guidance instructions for autonomous vehicles. For example, the method includes, in response to monitoring one or more actions of objects detected in a scene in which the autonomous robotic system is moving, causing the autonomous robotic system to slow or cease movement in the scene. The method includes detecting a trigger condition based on movement of the autonomous robotic system in the scene. In response to the one or more monitored actions and detecting the trigger condition, the method includes transmitting a remote guidance request to a remote server. After transmitting the remote guidance request, the method includes receiving remote guidance instructions from the remote server and causing the autonomous robotic system to begin operating according to the remote guidance instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Ruben Zhao, Marcial Hernandez, Thomas Petroff, Edward Venator
  • Publication number: 20230100961
    Abstract: This document describes methods by which a system determines a pickup/drop-off zone (PDZ) to which a vehicle will navigate to perform a ride service request. The system will define a PDZ that is a geometric interval that is within a lane of a road at the requested destination of the ride service request by: (i) accessing map data that includes the geometric interval; (ii) using the vehicle's length and the road's speed limit at the destination to calculate a minimum allowable length for the PDZ; (iii) setting, start point and end point boundaries for the PDZ having an intervening distance that is equal to or greater than the minimum allowable length; and (iv) positioning the PDZ in the lane at or within a threshold distance from the requested destination. The system will then generate a path to guide the vehicle to the PDZ.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Jonathan Pan, Matthew L. Gilson, Shenglong Gao
  • Publication number: 20230062664
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining appropriate energy replenishment and controlling autonomous vehicles are provided. An example computer-implemented method can include obtaining one or more energy parameters associated with an autonomous vehicle. The method can include determining a refueling task for the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the energy parameters associated with the autonomous vehicle. The refueling task comprises a first refueling task that is interruptible by a vehicle service assignment or a second refueling task that is not interruptible by the vehicle service assignment. The method can include communicating data indicative of the refueling task to the autonomous vehicle or to a second computing system that manages the autonomous vehicle. The method can include determining whether the refueling task for the autonomous vehicle has been accepted or rejected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Brent Justin Goldman, Mark Yen, Shenglong Gao, Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen
  • Patent number: 11541904
    Abstract: Systems and methods for autonomous vehicle operations are provided. An example computer-implemented method includes obtaining data indicative of vehicle fleet feature(s) associated with an autonomous vehicle fleet. The method includes obtaining data indicative of a vehicle service request associated with a user, the vehicle service request indicating a request for a vehicle service. The method includes determining user feature(s) associated with the user. The method includes determining a compatibility of the user and the autonomous vehicle fleet for the vehicle service based at least in part on the fleet feature(s) and the user feature(s). Determining the compatibility can include predicting how the autonomous vehicle fleet will perform the vehicle service associated with the vehicle service request based at least in part on the fleet's autonomy capabilities. The method includes communicating data associated with the vehicle service request to a computing system associated with the autonomous vehicle fleet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhe Liu, Mark Yen, Nathan Falk, Brent Justin Goldman, Shenglong Gao, Aaron Matthew Crum
  • Publication number: 20220349720
    Abstract: A ride service system will determine a stopping location for an autonomous vehicle (AV) before the AV picks up a passenger in response to a ride service request. The system will determine a pickup area for the request, along with a loading point within a pickup area, and the AV will navigate along the route toward the pickup area. Before the AV reaches the pickup area, the system will determine whether it received a departure confirmation indicating that the passenger is at the loading point. If the system received the departure confirmation, the AV will navigate into the pickup area and stop at the loading point; otherwise, the AV will either (a) navigate to an intermediate stopping location before reaching the pickup area or (b) pass through the pickup area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Ramadev Burigsay Hukkeri, Israel-Marc Kositsky, Dale Lord
  • Publication number: 20220297698
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are provided for enhanced rider pairing of an autonomous vehicle (AV). A system may pair a first user profile of a first user located at a first location with a first autonomous vehicle (AV) to complete a trip to a destination selected by the first user. The system may detect a second AV at the first location, wherein the second AV is associated with a second user profile. The system may connect the second AV with the first user using a connection mechanism. The system may select a profile status of the first user profile based on the connection to the second AV. The system may pair the first user profile with the second AV based on the profile status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Applicant: Argo AI, LLC
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Israel Marc Kositsky, Ramadev Burigsay Hukkeri, Thomas Mark Petroff, Scott Plant, Brett Browning, Shubhashree Venkatesh