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).

  • Patent number: 11449055
    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: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent Justin Goldman, Mark Yen, Shenglong Gao, Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen
  • Patent number: 11436926
    Abstract: Systems and methods for multi-autonomous vehicle servicing and control are provided. A method can include receiving a service request for a vehicle service. The method can include determining a vehicle route from the start location to the end location. The method can include identifying a plurality of candidate vehicles from a plurality of autonomous vehicles. The method can include obtaining data indicative of one or more operational capabilities for each candidate vehicle in the plurality of autonomous vehicles. The method can include segmenting the vehicle route into one or more route segments based on the one or more operational capabilities associated with each autonomous vehicle in the plurality of autonomous vehicles. The method can include assigning at least two candidate vehicles to perform the vehicle service by assigning at least one of the one or more route segments to each of the at least two candidate vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Leigh Gray Hagestad, Jay A. Chen, Mark Yen, Brent Justin Goldman
  • Publication number: 20220221286
    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: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Brent Goldman, Konrad Julian Niemiec
  • Publication number: 20220139227
    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: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen, Mark Yen
  • Patent number: 11320277
    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: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Brent Goldman, Konrad Julian Niemiec
  • Patent number: 11300419
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices to provide estimations of vehicular pick-up/drop-off zone (PDZ) availability. A request for vehicular PDZ availability at a location is received from a vehicular autonomy system of a vehicle. The request specifies an estimated time of arrival at the location. The PDZ availability at the location at the estimated time of arrival is estimated using a probabilistic model. A response to the request is generated based on the estimated PDZ availability. The response indicates the estimated PDZ availability. The response is transmitted to the vehicular autonomy system responsive to the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Brent Goldman, Konrad Julian Niemiec, Michael Voznesensky
  • Patent number: 11244571
    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: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen, Mark Yen
  • Publication number: 20210380126
    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: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Zhe Liu, Mark Yen, Nathan Falk, Brent Justin Goldman, Shenglong Gao, Aaron Matthew Crum
  • Publication number: 20210109524
    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: December 31, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Brent Justin Goldman, Mark Yen, Shenglong Gao, Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen
  • Publication number: 20210104160
    Abstract: Systems and methods for multi-autonomous vehicle servicing and control are provided. A method can include receiving a service request for a vehicle service. For example, the service request can include a start location and an end location. The method can include determining a vehicle route from the start location to the end location. The method can include identifying a plurality of candidate vehicles from a plurality of autonomous vehicles. For example, each candidate vehicle in the plurality of candidate vehicles can be available to perform at least one portion of the vehicle route. The method can include obtaining data indicative of one or more operational capabilities for each candidate vehicle in the plurality of autonomous vehicles. The method can include segmenting the vehicle route into one or more route segments based on the one or more operational capabilities associated with each autonomous vehicle in the plurality of autonomous vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Leigh Gray Hagestad, Jay A. Chen, Mark Yen, Brent Justin Goldman
  • Publication number: 20210095977
    Abstract: Various examples are directed to systems and methods for controlling a self-driving vehicle. A computing device may cause the self-driving vehicle to begin traversing a route. The computing device may detect that the self-driving vehicle is approaching an obstruction and determine to take a deviating maneuver to a revised route prior to the obstruction. The computing device may cause the self-driving vehicle to take the deviating maneuver and cause the self-driving vehicle to execute a revised route, the revised route including the deviating maneuver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Jacob Robert Forster, Mark Yen, Alan B. Sheinberg
  • Publication number: 20210097587
    Abstract: Various examples are directed to systems and methods for operating a self-driving vehicle. A service arrangement system may select a first self-driving vehicle for providing a first transportation service. The service arrangement system may send to the first self-driving vehicle, first stopping location data describing a first set of stopping locations associated with the first transportation service. The service arrangement system may cause the first self-driving vehicle to begin executing a route associated with the first transportation service The service arrangement system may receive stopping location use data indicating that the first self-driving vehicle is stopped at a first stopping location of the first set of stopping locations and send stopping location payment data to a parking management system. The stopping location payment data may indicate a payment for use of the first stopping location by the first self-driving vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Mark Yen
  • Publication number: 20210097452
    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: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen, Shenglong Gao
  • Publication number: 20210042668
    Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting, deploying, and controlling autonomous vehicles are provided. For example, a method can include obtaining data indicative of transportation service request and determining that a human driver would not prefer to service the transportation service request. The method can include determining an availability of a plurality of vehicle service providers for the transportation service request (e.g., human driven vehicles, autonomous vehicles). The method can include obtaining operational capability information associated with the autonomous vehicle(s). The method can include generating ranking data associated with the available vehicle service providers and determining at least one selected vehicle service provider for the transportation service request utilizing the ranking data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Jay A. Chen, Konrad Julian Niemiec
  • Publication number: 20210033410
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices to facilitate routing of an autonomous vehicle (AV) based on pick-up or drop-off zones (PDZs) that are usable by the AV at destination location. A request for one or more PDZs that are usable by a vehicle to perform a pick-up or drop-off operation at a specified location is received from a vehicular autonomy system of the vehicle. A set of PDZs that are usable by the vehicle at the specified location is identified based on an association between information associated with vehicle and one or more PDZ objects in a data store. Each PDZ object comprising data describing a PDZ. A response is generated based on the set of PDZs and transmitted to the vehicular autonomy system. The response includes at least one PDZ identifier to the set of PDZs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen, Shenglong Gao, Mark Yen
  • Publication number: 20210035450
    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: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Konrad Julian Niemiec, Jay A. Chen, Mark Yen
  • Publication number: 20200327811
    Abstract: Various examples are directed to systems and methods for supporting an autonomous vehicle user. A user computing device may send a service arrangement system a service request describing a payload to be transported. The user computing device may receive from the service arrangement system, a service confirmation message describing a stopping location for a user to meet an autonomous vehicle and autonomous vehicle data describing the autonomous vehicle. The user computing device may also receive a first wireless signal from a first wireless beacon and determine a first location of the user computing device using the first wireless signal. The user computing device may display at a display of the user computing device, a direction from the first location of the user computing device to the stopping location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Inventors: Carol Jacobs Smith, Michael Voznesensky, Shenglong Gao, Shubhit Mohan Singh, Jacob Robert Forster, Konrad Julian Niemiec
  • Publication number: 20200240799
    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: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Brent Goldman, Konrad Julian Niemiec
  • Publication number: 20200240798
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices to provide estimations of vehicular pick-up/drop-off zone (PDZ) availability. A request for vehicular PDZ availability at a location is received from a vehicular autonomy system of a vehicle. The request specifies an estimated time of arrival at the location. The PDZ availability at the location at the estimated time of arrival is estimated using a probabilistic model. A response to the request is generated based on the estimated PDZ availability. The response indicates the estimated PDZ availability. The response is transmitted to the vehicular autonomy system responsive to the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Brent Goldman, Konrad Julian Niemiec, Michael Voznesensky
  • Publication number: 20200154052
    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: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Adam Mathes, Gregory Choi, Dongeun Lee, Luiz Fernando da Silva Pereira, Yuhuan Tang