Techniques are provided for autonomous vehicle fleet management for reduced traffic congestion. A request is received for a vehicular ride. The request includes an initial spatiotemporal location and a destination spatiotemporal location. A processor is used to generate a representation of lane segments. Each lane segment is weighted in accordance with a number of other vehicles on the lane segment. A vehicle located within a threshold distance to the initial spatiotemporal location is identified such that the identified vehicle has at least one vacant seat. The processor is used to determine a route for operating the identified vehicle from the initial spatiotemporal location to the destination spatiotemporal location. The route includes one or more lane segments of the lane segments. An aggregate of weights of the one or more lane segments is below a threshold value. The received request and the determined route are transmitted to the identified vehicle.

Systems and methods for route mapping with familiar routes include striking a balance between optimal routes from standard navigation systems minimizing time and distance and a mapping component that suggests familiar routes based on a user's route history. New routes including one or more familiar routes may be suggested to the user when they are not too far out of the way or take too long compared to the optimal routes and when they may be preferable or more comfortable.

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for improving user experiences for autonomous driving. In context of a method, the method determines one or more autonomous transition region parameters for a respective autonomous transition region along a route. The method also, based on the one or more autonomous transition region parameters, determines whether an action is to be performed by a vehicle in accordance with user preference data associated with a user. The method also causes the vehicle to perform the action in accordance with a determination that the action is to be performed by the vehicle.

An information processing apparatus according to the present technology includes a control unit. The control unit selects, from a plurality of key frames to be used in self-position estimation, a second key frame different from a first key frame assumed to correspond to a current self-position, performs content output for guiding to a position corresponding to the second key frame, and acquires environment information to be used in self-position estimation at the position corresponding to the second key frame.

Among other things, techniques are described for forecasting occupancy of a vehicle location. This includes receiving, by at least one processor, status information of a parking location the status information representing an availability of the parking location; predicting, by the at least one processor, a future status of the parking location based on the received status information; determining, by the at least one processor, a destination based on the predicted future status of the parking location; and providing, by the at least one processor, the predicted future status to a controller of a vehicle for controlling the vehicle to drive to the destination.

An autonomous vehicle may include an autonomous driving control apparatus having a processor that transmits vehicle data and a vehicle path for remote control of the autonomous vehicle to a control system when the remote control of the autonomous vehicle is required, and performs following and control based on adjusted path information when receiving the adjusted path information from the control system.

A coordinated virtual scene for an autonomous vehicle is disclosed. A real route for an autonomous vehicle can be determined. This autonomous vehicle route can be employed to determine a virtualized route in a virtual environment. The autonomous and virtualized routes can be coordinated. A level of coordination can be selectable via one or more selectable congruence values. Generally, a greater congruence value can correspond to a greater coherence between the autonomous route and the virtualized route. A congruence value can be selectable, which can allow an occupant to indicate a level of coherence that is acceptable to an occupant. A virtual environment can be selectable to enable the virtualized routes to be more relevant to an autonomous vehicle occupant, passenger, operator, etc. Moreover, selection of a virtual environment can be predicated on a selection rule having been satisfied. Virtual environments can be non-fiction, fiction, or both.

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include monitoring, during a ride provided by an autonomous vehicle (AV), passenger communications between a passenger and a remote agent using an in-vehicle electronic device. The method may further include identifying passenger ride preferences based on a passenger request, and in association with a first occurrence of a ride event. The method may also include providing confirmation, via the in-vehicle electronic device, that the request is being fulfilled, the fulfillment of which causes a change in the passenger's AV experience based upon changes to features of the AV. The method may further include generating, based upon the request, a prediction of passenger ride preferences for the passenger and then, during a subsequent AV ride carrying the passenger, applying the predicted passenger ride preferences to an AV during a second occurrence of the ride event. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

A system including a processor and memory may provide for automatically activating or deactivating a feature of a fleet vehicle. For example, one or more fleet vehicles may include one or more of a global-positioning system, a speed governor, electronically-controlled brakes, an electronically-controlled accelerator, a speed limiter, or an on-board computer with a processor and memory. One or more features may be activated by a local or remote computing device or system. For example, a system may determine one or more recommended routes between two or more locations. The system may track a fleet vehicle's progress along a route, and activate a feature of the fleet vehicle based on the fleet vehicle following or not following the recommended route. For example, the system may cause activation of a speed limiter on the fleet vehicle, disable the fleet vehicle, and/or activate or deactivate autonomous features of the fleet vehicle.

In some implementations, a computing device can provide a map application providing a representation of a physical structure of venues (e.g., shopping centers, airports) identified by the application. In addition, the application can provide an inside view that includes the physical layout and geometry of the venue's structure as well as the location, structure and layout of points of interest (e.g., stores, security check points, restrooms) within the venue. The views become more detailed as the user zooms into the venue to reveal points of interest and to give the user a feel for traversing the venue.