Capacity Based Vehicle Operation

Abstract

Systems, methods, and vehicles for capacity based vehicle operation are provided. For example, a method can include receiving, by a computing system including one or more computing devices, object data based in part on one or more states of one or more objects. Based in part on the object data, the computing system can determine one or more features of the one or more objects. Based on a comparison of the one or more features of the one or more objects to a vehicle capacity criterion, the one or more objects that satisfy the vehicle capacity criterion can be determined. The vehicle capacity criterion can be based in part on a carrying capacity of an autonomous vehicle. In response to the one or more objects satisfying the vehicle capacity criterion, one or more control systems associated with operation of the autonomous vehicle can be activated by the computing system.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, object data associated with one or more objects external to an autonomous vehicle at a location;   determining, by the computing system, one or more features of the one or more objects based in part on the object data;   determining, by the computing system, based on a comparison of the one or more features of the one or more objects to one or more vehicle capacity criteria, whether the one or more objects satisfy the one or more vehicle capacity criteria, wherein the one or more vehicle capacity criteria are based in part on a carrying capacity of an autonomous vehicle;   responsive to the one or more objects not satisfying the one or more vehicle capacity criteria, activating, by the computing system, a vehicle access system to restrict access to the autonomous vehicle; and   sending, by the computing system, a signal to provide another vehicle to the location to accommodate the one or more objects at the location.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more features comprise a number of the one or more objects, one or more identities of the one or more objects, a weight of the one or more objects, a volume of the one or more objects, an electrostatic capacitance of the one or more objects, or a shape of the one or more objects. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein determining whether the one or more objects satisfy the one or more vehicle capacity criteria comprises:
 determining, by the computing system, a spatial relationship between the one or more objects and an entrance to the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the vehicle access system is associated with locking an entrance to the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more vehicle carrying capacity criteria comprise a distribution throughout the autonomous vehicle of the mass of the one or more objects or a maximum volume the autonomous vehicle is allowed to carry. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the determining whether the one or more objects satisfy the one or more vehicle capacity criteria comprises:
 comparing, by the computing system, a physical characteristic of the one or more objects to the one or more vehicle capacity criteria.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more vehicle capacity criteria are based in part on a weather condition. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more objects comprise one or more humans. 
     
     
         29 . One or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving object data associated with one or more objects external to an autonomous vehicle at a location;   determining one or more features of the one or more objects based in part on the object data;   determining based on a comparison of the one or more features of the one or more objects to one or more vehicle capacity criteria, whether the one or more objects satisfy the one or more vehicle capacity criteria, wherein the one or more vehicle capacity criteria are based in part on a carrying capacity of an autonomous vehicle;   responsive to at least one object of the one or more objects not satisfying the one or more vehicle capacity criteria, activating a vehicle access system to restrict access to the autonomous vehicle; and   sending a signal to provide another vehicle to the location to accommodate the at least one object that does not satisfy the one or more vehicle capacity criteria.   
     
     
         30 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more features comprise a number of the one or more objects, one or more identities of the one or more objects, a weight of the one or more objects, a volume of the one or more objects, an electrostatic capacitance of the one or more objects, or a shape of the one or more objects. 
     
     
         31 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 29 , wherein the vehicle access system is associated with controlling access to a passenger compartment of the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         32 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 31 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is to transport the at least one object that does satisfy the one or more vehicle capacity criteria and the other vehicle is to transport the at least one object that does not satisfy the one or more vehicle capacity criteria. 
     
     
         33 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 29 , wherein the location is a pick-up location associated with a vehicle service. 
     
     
         34 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 33 , wherein vehicle service is associated with delivery of an item. 
     
     
         35 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 34 , wherein the item is food. 
     
     
         36 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 29 , wherein the other vehicle is another autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         37 . An autonomous vehicle comprising:
 one or more processors;   one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving object data associated with one or more objects external to an autonomous vehicle at a location; 
 determining one or more features of the one or more objects based in part on the object data; 
 determining based on a comparison of the one or more features of the one or more objects to one or more vehicle capacity criteria, whether the one or more objects satisfy the one or more vehicle capacity criteria, wherein the one or more vehicle capacity criteria are based in part on a carrying capacity of an autonomous vehicle; 
 responsive to at least one object of the one or more objects not satisfying the one or more vehicle capacity criteria, activating a vehicle access system to restrict access to the autonomous vehicle; and 
 sending a signal to provide another vehicle to the location to accommodate the at least one object not satisfying the one or more vehicle capacity criteria. 
   
     
     
         38 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 37 , wherein the one or more vehicle capacity criteria are based in part on a weather condition. 
     
     
         39 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 37 , wherein the one or more features comprise a temperature. 
     
     
         40 . The autonomous vehicle of  claim 37 , wherein the one or more objects comprise one or more food items.