Abstract: An apparatus and method for communicating with third parties external to autonomous vehicles are disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus may be configured to receive a signal from a first user interface mounted to an exterior of an autonomous vehicle, establish a two way communication between the first user interface and a remote system, authenticate a third party, and in response to the third party being authenticated, establish a connection with a second user interface.

Abstract: A gateway processor coordinates communication among an autonomous vehicle components boundary domain, a vehicle boundary domain, and an oversight server. The gateway processor receives a message from the oversight server. The gateway processor determines a priority level, a domain tag data, and destination data associated with the message. The priority level indicates a scheduling requirement associated with the message. The domain tag data indicates that the message is associated with a particular domain from among the autonomous vehicle components boundary domain, the vehicle components boundary domain, or the security domain. The destination data indicates that the message is designated to a particular component within the particular domain. In response, the gateway processor schedules the message to be transmitted to the particular domain. The gateway processor routes the message to the particular component.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle includes audio sensors configured to detect audio in an environment around the autonomous vehicle and to generate audio signals based on the detected audio. A processor in the autonomous vehicle receives the audio signals and compares a time domain or frequency domain representation of the audio signals to a corresponding representation of a known emergency vehicle siren. The comparison causes the processor to output a first determination indicating whether the audio signals are indicative of an emergency vehicle siren. The processor also applies a trained neural network to the audio signals that causes the processor to output a second determination indicating whether the audio signals are indicative of the emergency vehicle siren. If the first determination or the second determination indicates presence of an emergency vehicle siren in the environment around the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle is caused to perform an action.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) includes features that allows the AV to comply with applicable regulations and statues for performing safe driving operation. An example system for an AV includes a communications gateway device. The communications gateway device includes a plurality of modules each configured for different communication mediums or applications. In particular, the plurality of modules includes a first module for communicating with a remote computer. Via the first module, vehicle operational data is reported to the remote computer, and instructional data is received from the remote computer. The modules further include a second module for communicating with devices located within a vicinity external to the vehicle, and a third module configured to communicate with subsystems located within the vehicle. The example AV system includes a second communications gateway device that is configured to be redundant.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) includes features that allows the AV to comply with applicable regulations and statues for performing safe driving operation. Example embodiments disclosed herein provide enhanced high-precision operation of an AV in low-speed environments, such as a toll booth facility or heavy traffic. One example method disclosed herein includes a control computer identifying a starting point of the toll booth facility on the roadway and a plurality of toll lanes associated with the toll booth facility; selecting a particular toll lane; determining a trajectory for the AV that extends through the particular toll lane; and in response to the autonomous vehicle arriving at the starting point for the toll booth facility, transmitting, over a subsystem interface to one or more drive subsystems of the AV, instructions configured to cause the drive subsystems to operate together to cause the AV to travel according to the trajectory.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) includes features that allows the AV to comply with applicable regulations and statues for performing safe driving operation. An example method for operating an AV includes receiving, from a sensor located on the AV, sensor data that captures a road sign located at a distance from the AV that is operating on a roadway; obtaining, from the sensor data, roadway information indicated by the road sign that corresponds to a segment of the roadway associated with the road sign that is ahead of a current position of the AV on the roadway; determining trajectory-related information for the AV for the distance that is based on the roadway information obtained from the sensor data; and causing the AV to travel in accordance with the trajectory-related information until a determination that the AV has arrived within the segment of the roadway associated with the road sign.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) includes features that allows the AV to comply with applicable regulations and statues for performing safe driving operation. An example method for operating the AV includes determining a trajectory related information of a vehicle operating on a roadway on which the AV is operating; receiving sensor data of a first area that includes the vehicle; determining an additional trajectory related information for the AV by comparing the trajectory related information of the vehicle to a current trajectory related information of the AV, wherein the additional trajectory related information is based on a category to which the vehicle belongs, and wherein the additional trajectory related information allows the AV to maintain at least a distance between the AV and the vehicle; and causing the AV to operate in accordance with the additional trajectory related information.