Prioritization and guidance of an autonomous vehicle to a determined service provider

Abstract

Embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for a computer-aided or autonomous driving (CA/AD) system to transmit to a remote service scheduling server, a request message for a service slot at a service provider. In embodiments, the remote service scheduling server may assign the service slot for a semi-autonomous or autonomous driving (SA/AD) vehicle including the CA/AD system. In embodiments, the service scheduling server may perform analysis or machine learning on data received from the CA/AD system as well as from a plurality of service stations in order to assign the service provider and/or service slot to the SA/AD vehicle. In embodiments, the CA/AD system may receive an assignment message and control driving elements of the SA/AD vehicle to autonomously or semi-autonomously drive the SA/AD vehicle to the service provider to receive the service at the assigned service slot. Other embodiments may also be described and claimed.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-aided or autonomous driving (CA/AD) system, comprising:
 at least one memory; and   at least one processor;   wherein the at least one memory and the at least one processor are coupled to perform operations including to cause the CA/AD system to:   transmit to a service scheduling server, a request for a service slot at a service provider, wherein the request includes information about the service needed, wherein the service provider and the service slot are to be selected by the service scheduling server, and assigned to a semiautonomous or autonomous driving (SA/AD) vehicle from a plurality of service providers having a plurality of service slots;   receive, in response to the request, from the service scheduling server, an assignment message assigning the service provider and the service slot to the SA/AD vehicle, and the location of the assigned service provider; and   control driving elements of the SA/AD vehicle to autonomously or semi-autonomously drive the SA/AD vehicle to the location of the assigned service provider to receive the service at the assigned service slot.   
     
     
         22 . The CA/AD system of  claim 21 , wherein the request includes information related to at least one of a location of the SA/AD vehicle, a destination of the SA/AD vehicle, and a level of fuel or charge remaining in the SA/AD vehicle. 
     
     
         23 . The CA/AD system of  claim 21 , wherein the assignment message includes an identity of the assigned service provider. 
     
     
         24 . The CA/AD system of  claim 21 , wherein the assignment message includes an identity of a service provider selected based on at least one of fuel or charge price, type of fuel or charge provided, open slots, location, and a current queue length at each of the plurality of service providers. 
     
     
         25 . The CA/AD system of  claim 21 , wherein the operations include to transmit to the service scheduling server, user preference data to include at least one of information related to price, type of fuel or charge associated with the service, membership information, distance willing to travel, priority fees and time available for service. 
     
     
         26 . The CA/AD system of  claim 21 , wherein the operations include to collect information about performance of the service and transmit the collected information to the service scheduling server. 
     
     
         27 . The CA/AD system of  claim 21 , wherein the CA/AD system comprises the SA/AD vehicle and further comprises sensors to receive sensor data indication of a service need for the SA/AD vehicle. 
     
     
         28 . The CA/AD system of  claim 21 , wherein the operations include to receive updated service slot information while the SA/AD vehicle drives to the location of the assigned service provider. 
     
     
         29 . The CA/AD system of  claim 21 , wherein the operations include to establish, in response to receipt of the service provider and service slot assignment, direct communication with the assigned service provider, including provision of estimated time of arrival for the service while en-route to the service provider for the service. 
     
     
         30 . The CA/AD system of  claim 29 , wherein the operations include to receive from the assigned service provider, an updated service for the service slot, wherein the updated service time is determined based at least in part on the SA/AD vehicle's estimated time of arrival for the service, and on the assigned service provider's real time statuses of performance of services on other vehicles; and control driving elements of the SA/AD vehicle to autonomously or semi-autonomously drive the SA/AD vehicle to the location of the assigned service provider to receive the service in view of the updated service time. 
     
     
         31 . One or more computer-readable media containing instructions written thereon to cause a computer-aided or autonomous driving (CA/AD) system of a semi-autonomous or autonomous driving (SA/AD) vehicle, in response to execution of the instructions, to:
 transmit to a service scheduling server, a request for a service slot at a service provider, wherein the request includes information about the service needed, wherein the service provider and the service slot are to be selected by the service scheduling server, and assigned to the SA/AD vehicle from a plurality of service providers having a plurality of service slots;   receive, in response to the request, from the service scheduling server, an assignment message assigning the service provider and the service slot to the SA/AD vehicle, and the location of the assigned service provider; and   control driving elements of the SA/AD vehicle to autonomously or semi-autonomously drive the SA/AD vehicle to the location of the assigned service provider to receive the service at the assigned service slot.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the request includes information related to at least one of a location of the SA/AD vehicle, a destination of the SA/AD vehicle, and a level of fuel or charge remaining in the SA/AD vehicle. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the assignment message includes an identity of the assigned service provider. 
     
     
         34 . The computer-readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the assignment message includes an identity of a service provider selected based on at least one of fuel or charge price, type of fuel or charge provided, open slots, location, and a current queue length at each of the plurality of service providers. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions further include to transmit to the service scheduling server, user preference data to include at least one of information related to price, type of fuel or charge associated with the service, membership information, distance willing to travel, priority fees and time available for service. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions further include to collect information about performance of the service and transmit the collected information to the service scheduling server. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions further include to establish, in response to receipt of the service provider and service slot assignment, direct communication with the assigned service provider, including provision of estimated time of arrival for the service while en-route to the service provider for the service. 
     
     
         38 . The computer-readable media of  claim 37 , wherein the instructions further include to receive from the assigned service provider, an updated service for the service slot, wherein the updated service time is determined based at least in part on the SA/AD vehicle's estimated time of arrival for the service, and on the assigned service provider's real time statuses of performance of services on other vehicles; and control driving elements of the SA/AD vehicle to autonomously or semi-autonomously drive the SA/AD vehicle to the location of the assigned service provider to receive the service in view of the updated service time. 
     
     
         39 . A computer-aided or autonomous driving (CA/AD) system, comprising:
 a communication means for transmitting to a service scheduling server, a request for a service slot at a service provider, wherein the request includes information about the service needed, wherein the service provider and the service slot are to be selected by the service scheduling server, and assigned to a semiautonomous or autonomous driving (SA/AD) vehicle from a plurality of service providers having a plurality of service slots;   and to receive, in response to the request, from the service scheduling server, an assignment message assigning the service provider and the service slot to the SA/AD vehicle, and the location of the assigned service provider; and   a navigation control means for controlling driving elements of the SA/AD vehicle to autonomously or semi-autonomously drive the SA/AD vehicle to the location of the assigned service provider to receive the service at the assigned service slot.   
     
     
         40 . A method performed by a CA/AD system, comprising:
 transmitting by a transceiver, a request message to a service scheduling server, to request for a service slot at a service provider, wherein the request includes information about the service needed, wherein the service provider and the service slot are to be selected by the service scheduling server, and assigned to a semi-autonomous or autonomous driving (SA/AD) vehicle from a plurality of service providers having a plurality of service slots;   receiving, by the transceiver, in response to the request message, from the service scheduling server, an assignment message assigning the service provider and the service slot to the SA/AD vehicle, and the location of the assigned service provider; and   controlling driving elements of the SA/AD vehicle to autonomously or semi-autonomously drive the SA/AD vehicle to the location of the assigned service provider to receive the service at the assigned service slot.