Autonomous vehicle routing

Abstract

Systems and methods for routing an autonomous vehicle are provided. In one aspect, a method is provided that includes generating a cost model for routing the autonomous vehicle. The cost model includes one or more costs other than travel time. The one or more costs other than travel time may include, for example, a cost of traversing an area where autonomous driving is prohibited, a cost of a characteristic of the autonomous vehicle or a cost of a road lacking lane lines. The method further includes receiving a request to route the autonomous vehicle from a first location to a second location. The method further includes, in response to the request to route the autonomous vehicle, selecting a route from the first location to the second location in accordance with the cost model and routing the autonomous vehicle along the selected route.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle routing method, comprising:
 at a computer system including one or more processors and memory:
 receiving a request to route an autonomous vehicle from a first location to a second location; and 
 generating a cost model for routing the autonomous vehicle, wherein the cost model includes one or more costs other than travel time, the one or more costs other than travel time selected from the group consisting of:
 a cost of traversing an area where autonomous driving is prohibited; 
 a cost of a driving maneuver; 
 a cost of a characteristic of the autonomous vehicle; 
 a cost of a weather condition; 
 a cost of a time of day; 
 a cost of a sunlight angle; 
 a cost of a pedestrian traffic pattern; 
 a cost of a non-motorized vehicle traffic pattern; 
 a cost of a pavement condition; 
 a cost of a road age; 
 a cost of an event present at the time of a routing request; 
 a cost of a road lacking lane lines; 
 a cost of an electric-charging constraint; and 
 a cost of acceleration; 
 
 in response to the request to route the autonomous vehicle:
 selecting a route from the first location to the second location in accordance with the cost model; and 
 routing the autonomous vehicle along the selected route. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cost model is generated in response to the request to route the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the cost model is a first cost model for the autonomous vehicle; and   the method includes:
 receiving a request to route a non-autonomous vehicle from a third location to a fourth location; and 
 generating a second cost model for routing the non-autonomous vehicle, wherein the second cost model is distinct from the first cost model and does not include one or more of the costs other than travel time that are included in the first cost model; 
 in response to the request to route the non-autonomous vehicle:
 selecting a route from the third location to the fourth location in accordance with the second cost model; and 
 routing the non-autonomous vehicle along the selected route for the non-autonomous vehicle. 
 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the autonomous vehicle is a first autonomous vehicle having first autonomous driving capabilities;   the cost model is a first cost model for the first autonomous vehicle; and   the one or more costs other than travel time for the first cost model include a cost corresponding to the first autonomous driving capabilities;   the method includes:
 receiving a request to route a second autonomous vehicle from a fifth location to a sixth location, wherein the second autonomous vehicle has second autonomous driving capabilities are different from the first autonomous driving capabilities; and 
 generating a third cost model for routing the second autonomous vehicle, wherein the third cost model is distinct from the first cost model and includes a cost corresponding to the second autonomous driving capabilities; 
 in response to the request to route the second autonomous vehicle:
 selecting a route from the fifth location to the sixth location in accordance with the second cost model; and 
 routing the second autonomous vehicle along the selected route for the second autonomous vehicle. 
 
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cost model further includes a travel-time cost and the route is selected in accordance with both the travel-time cost and the one or more costs other than travel time. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more costs other than travel time include the cost of an event present at the time of the routing request; and   the event present at the time of the routing request is a construction project or a traffic accident.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more costs other than travel time include the cost of an event present at the time of the routing request;   the event present at the time of the routing request is a regularly-scheduled event; and   the selecting the route is performed based at least in part on the cost of the regularly-scheduled event, in accordance with a determination that the regularly-scheduled event is occurring at the time of the routing request.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more costs other than travel time include the cost of an event present at the time of the routing request;   the event present at the time of the routing request is a regularly-scheduled event; and   selecting the route is performed based at least in part on the cost of the regularly-scheduled event, in accordance with a determination that the regularly-scheduled event will be occurring at a time when the autonomous vehicle is expected to reach the regularly-scheduled event.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the driving maneuver is selected from the group consisting of a lane change, a right turn, a left turn, an unprotected left turn, a U-turn, and a highway merge. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more costs other than travel time include the cost of a characteristic of the autonomous vehicle; and   the characteristic of the autonomous vehicle is a vehicle type.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more costs other than travel time include the cost of a characteristic of the autonomous vehicle; and   the characteristic of the autonomous vehicle is an autonomous driving capability of the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more costs other than travel time is a cost for a particular geographical area, road, lane within a road, or maneuver. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more costs other than travel time include, for a plurality of different roads, a plurality of distinct road-specific costs for a shared weather condition at the different roads. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more costs other than travel time include, for a plurality of different roads, a plurality of distinct road-specific costs for different weather conditions at the different roads. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more costs other than travel time include a plurality of distinct road-specific costs of the time of day for different roads. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more costs other than travel time include a plurality of distinct road-specific costs of the sunlight angle for different roads. 
     
     
         17 . A computer system, comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing one or more programs, the one or more programs storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to:
 receive a request to route an autonomous vehicle from a first location to a second location; and 
 generate a cost model for routing the autonomous vehicle, wherein the cost model includes one or more costs other than travel time, the one or more costs other than travel time selected from the group consisting of:
 a cost of traversing an area where autonomous driving is prohibited; 
 a cost of a driving maneuver; 
 a cost of a characteristic of the autonomous vehicle; 
 a cost of a weather condition; 
 a cost of a time of day; 
 a cost of a sunlight angle; 
 a cost of a pedestrian traffic pattern; 
 a cost of a non-motorized vehicle traffic pattern; 
 a cost of a pavement condition; 
 a cost of a road age; 
 a cost of an event present at the time of a routing request; 
 a cost of a road lacking lane lines; 
 a cost of an electric-charging constraint; and 
 a cost of acceleration; 
 
 in response to the request to route the autonomous vehicle:
 select a route from the first location to the second location in accordance with the cost model; and 
 route the autonomous vehicle along the selected route. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
 a computer system, comprising:
 one or more processors; and 
 memory storing one or more programs, the one or more programs storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: 
 receive a request to route an autonomous vehicle from a first location to a second location; and 
 generate a cost model for routing the autonomous vehicle, wherein the cost model includes one or more costs other than travel time, the one or more costs other than travel time selected from the group consisting of:
 a cost of traversing an area where autonomous driving is prohibited; 
 a cost of a driving maneuver; 
 a cost of a characteristic of the autonomous vehicle; 
 a cost of a weather condition; 
 a cost of a time of day; 
 a cost of a sunlight angle; 
 a cost of a pedestrian traffic pattern; 
 a cost of a non-motorized vehicle traffic pattern; 
 a cost of a pavement condition; 
 a cost of a road age; 
 a cost of an event present at the time of a routing request; 
 a cost of a road lacking lane lines; 
 a cost of an electric-charging constraint; and 
 a cost of acceleration; 
 
 in response to the request to route the autonomous vehicle:
 select a route from the first location to the second location in accordance with the cost model; and 
 route the autonomous vehicle along the selected route. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer system having one or more processors, cause the computer system to:
 receive a request to route an autonomous vehicle from a first location to a second location; and   generate a cost model for routing the autonomous vehicle, wherein the cost model includes one or more costs other than travel time, the one or more costs other than travel time selected from the group consisting of:
 a cost of traversing an area where autonomous driving is prohibited; 
 a cost of a driving maneuver; 
 a cost of a characteristic of the autonomous vehicle; 
 a cost of a weather condition; 
 a cost of a time of day; 
 a cost of a sunlight angle; 
 a cost of a pedestrian traffic pattern; 
 a cost of a non-motorized vehicle traffic pattern; 
 a cost of a pavement condition; 
 a cost of a road age; 
 a cost of an event present at the time of a routing request; 
 a cost of a road lacking lane lines; 
 a cost of an electric-charging constraint; and 
 a cost of acceleration; 
   in response to the request to route the autonomous vehicle:
 select a route from the first location to the second location in accordance with the cost model; and 
 route the autonomous vehicle along the selected route.