Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) described herein is configured to receive a pull over location specified by a passenger, and is further configured to refine the pull over location based upon one or more factors, where the factors include computer-readable content from a profile of the passenger, sensor data output by sensor systems of the AV, observed or predicted weather conditions, observed or predicted traffic, and/or observations recently generated by other AVs that belong to the same fleet as the AV.

Abstract: A method for specifying a cleaning area to a cleaning robot without an in-built map provides a hand-held mobile device capturing a two-dimensional code label arranged on a top of a cleaning robot parked on a charging base, and obtaining a positional relationship between the mobile device and the cleaning robot through the captured image. The cleaning robot is controlled to enter a cleaning mode under the guidance of the mobile device. With captured images, a user can specify an area within the environment for cleaning, and through a touch display screen can control the cleaning robot to go to the specified cleaning area for cleaning. The mobile device and the cleaning robot employing the method are also disclosed.

Abstract: A driving supporter includes: an object-information obtainer that obtains object information relating to at least an object in an area; an environment obtainer that obtains a relative positional relationship between the own vehicle and the object located in the area and identified based on the object information obtained by the object-information obtainer; and a support inhibitor that inhibits driving support when an absolute value of a steering operation value representing a magnitude of a steering operation is greater than an inhibition threshold value. The support inhibitor includes a threshold-value determiner that determines the inhibition threshold value to a smaller value when the relative positional relationship is a specific relationship in which it is estimated that a steering operation in a direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object is to be performed, than when the relative positional relationship is not the specific relationship.

Abstract: An electronic device for a vehicle includes a power supply configured to supply power, an interface configured to receive high-definition (HD) map data of a specified region from a server through a communication device and to receive traveling situation information of the vehicle, and at least one processor configured to continuously generate electronic horizon data of the specified region based on the HD map data in a state in which the power is received, and to adjust a speed of reception of the HD map data based on the traveling situation information.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a navigation map updating method as well as an apparatus, and a robot using the same. The method includes: controlling a robot to move along a designated path after a successful relocalization of the robot, and recording key frame data of each frame on the designated path and a corresponding pose; creating a new navigation map, and copying information in an original navigation map into the new navigation map; and covering the key frame data of each frame on the designated path onto the new navigation map to obtain an updated navigation map. In this manner, there is no need for the user to manipulate the robot to recreate the map at the environment where the robot is operated, which saves a lot of time and manpower.

Abstract: A vehicle driving assist apparatus includes a first unit to set a degree of acceleration suppression to suppress acceleration of a vehicle, a controller to suppress target acceleration of the own vehicle based on the degree of acceleration suppression, a storage to store road map information, an estimator to estimate a vehicle position, a detector to map-match the estimated vehicle position to the road map information and detect whether there is a crossing road ahead of the vehicle, a second setting unit to set, when the detector detects the crossing road, a traveling-prohibited region on an opposite side of the vehicle on the road map information, and a calculator to calculate a reaching distance from the vehicle to the region. The degree of acceleration suppression is set to a higher value as the reaching distance becomes shorter.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for synchronizing a map within shared memory for a navigating autonomous vehicle. A map, defined by a geographical area around an autonomous vehicle navigating a route, can be received and stored in shared memory. The shared memory can be a specific physical block of RAM. Concurrent access to the map within the shared memory can be granted to downstream nodes on the autonomous vehicle as the autonomous vehicle navigates the route. This shares the map among many nodes while, at the same time, allowing updates to the map without blocking those nodes at any time.

Abstract: Exception event recorders and analysis systems include: vehicle mounted sensors arranged as a vehicle event recorder to capture both discrete and non-discrete data; a discretization facility; a database; and an analysis server all coupled together as a computer network. Motor vehicles with video cameras and onboard diagnostic systems capture data when the vehicle is involved in a crash or other anomaly (an ‘event’). In station where interpretation of non-discrete data is rendered, i.e. a discretization facility, captured data is used as a basis for production of supplemental discrete data to further characterize the event. Such interpreted data is joined to captured data and inserted into a database in a structure which is searchable and which supports logical or mathematical analysis by automated machines. A coupled analysis server is arranged to test stored data for prescribed conditions and upon finding such, to initiate further actions appropriate for the detected condition.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media are provided for obtaining a slice of static map data comprising a plurality of blocks, each block comprising a plurality of cells, each, each cell having a cell value indicating a probability that an object is present in the cell; loading the slice into a cache memory of a parallel processor; arranging the static map data in the cache memory in contiguous memory spaces assigned to a group of workers of the parallel processor that have coalescing constraints; loading a frame of dynamic map data into the cache memory; obtaining a plurality of scan match candidates each representing a possible position and attitude of the vehicle; processing, in the parallel processor, the static and dynamic map data and the candidates to generate results each representing a candidate and score; and selecting the candidate having the highest score as a vehicle position.

Abstract: Autonomous vehicles are requested to execute a route from an origin location to a destination location. The route specifies one or more waypoints between the origin location and the destination location, with the autonomous vehicle requested to transit from the origin location to the destination location via the waypoints. Some autonomous vehicles vary their route and do not necessarily visit each of the specified waypoints along the route. To improve adherence to the waypoints specified in the route, an arranger assigns a weight to each of the waypoints. The weight is used to score the vehicle's performance of the route based at least in part on whether the vehicle visited each of the waypoints and the weight associated with each of the waypoints. The score is used to control dispatch of additional service requests to the autonomous vehicle or other autonomous vehicles operated by the same operator or manufacturer.

Abstract: A system for controlling an autonomous vehicle when the autonomous vehicle is outside of its operational design domain. The system includes an environment detection system, a vehicle control system, and a first electronic processor. The first electronic processor is configured to detect that an autonomous vehicle is outside of its operational design domain and send a first electronic message. The first electronic message requests that a surrounding vehicle lead the autonomous vehicle until the autonomous vehicle returns to its operational design domain or reaches a predetermined location. The electronic processor is also configured to determine a leading vehicle and control the autonomous vehicle to follow the leading vehicle until the autonomous vehicle returns to its operational design domain or reaches the predetermined location.

Abstract: A plan creation apparatus includes a prediction unit configured to acquire an operation plan for an electrical device mounted on a vehicle and used for a service other than functions of the vehicle and to predict a demand for electric power of the electrical device based on the operation plan, and a planning unit configured to create a travel plan in which electric power supplied to the electrical device for the service is secured based on the demand for electric power.

Abstract: A mapping system creates feature data associated with a first section of a route, stores the feature data in the local storage system as stored feature data, fuses the feature data with the stored feature data to create map data associated with the first section when the vehicle has traversed the first section and collected the stored feature data at least a threshold number of times, stores the map data in the local storage system, identifies one or more route sections as being part of one or more commute routes, and when space in the local storage system is insufficient for storage of the map data or the feature data, enables the storage by removing stored map data from the location storage system based at least in part on a determination that the removed data is not associated with the one or more commute routes.

Abstract: An example apparatus comprises a memory resource configured to store data and transmit data. The apparatus may further include a safety controller coupled to the memory resource configured to receive the data from the memory resource, receive latched data from an application controller, and determine whether to allow an output of commands from the application controller in response to a comparison of the data from the memory resource and the latched data from the application controller.

Abstract: A method, computer system, and computer program product for arranging transportation are provided. The method includes analyzing a first set of data by one or more processors to predict transportation demands of a passenger, and includes analyzing a second set of data by the one or more processors to determine a supply of vehicles in a transportation system. The method also includes generating, by the one or more processors, a transportation offer based on the predicted transportation demands of the passenger and the supply of vehicles. The method includes transmitting the transportation offer to the passenger and the transportation system. Upon receiving an acceptance of the offer by at least the passenger, the method further includes creating a transportation arrangement between the passenger and the transportation system.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing a driving path is provided. The apparatus includes an input device configured to receive a return need time to a departure point. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to determine whether the return need time is less than a preset time, to set a virtual destination depending on a result of the determination, to calculate a first driving time from the departure point to the virtual destination and a second driving time from the virtual destination to the departure point, to compare a sum of the first driving time and the second driving time with the return need time, and to determine whether to provide a return path to the departure point based on a result of the comparison.

Abstract: An example operation includes one or more of determining, by a transport at a first location, that the transport is not in use, determining, by the transport, a second location to transfer energy stored in the transport, maneuvering, by the transport, to the second location, discharging, by the transport, the stored energy to the second location, and maneuvering, by the transport, to the first location.

Abstract: A location and governance system and method for light electric vehicles that includes on-board sensors and receivers for providing readings used to compute absolute and relative vehicle position information, and combining the absolute and relative position information to compute a determined vehicle position, and a current surface type being traveled on by the vehicle. Governance commands for the vehicle can be generated based on the current surface type. Positioning system receivers, inertial measuring units, cameras and other sensor can be used. Vibration analysis, image processing, transition detection and other methods can be used to determine vehicle position and surface type, and spatial databases and other resources can be used. Determining a current surface type the vehicle is travelling on can include determining whether the vehicle is traveling on a sidewalk.

Abstract: A method for training an autonomous vehicle to reach a target location. The method includes detecting the state of an autonomous vehicle in a simulated environment, and using a neural network to navigate the vehicle from an initial location to a target destination. During the training phase, a second neural network may reward the first neural network for a desired action taken by the autonomous vehicle, and may penalize the first neural network for an undesired action taken by the autonomous vehicle. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed and claimed herein.

Abstract: A vehicle information processing apparatus includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a terminal of a first user, a storage unit configured to store an end-of-use position and an expected end-of-use time at which a second user of a vehicle ends use of the vehicle for each of a plurality of vehicles subjected to autonomous driving control and occupied by the second user, and a vehicle selection unit configured to acquire a boarding position and a boarding time at which the first user wants to get on a vehicle from the terminal via the communication unit and select at least one vehicle, of which the end-of-use position and the expected end-of-use time are in a predetermined relationship with the boarding position and the boarding time, from among the plurality of vehicles while referring to the storage unit.