A network system uses Wi-Fi signals or other types of short-range transmissions to determine pickup locations for users receiving services provided via the network system. The network system builds a database of search records mapping pickup locations to signatures of short-range transmission detected by users' client devices when they searched for the pickup locations. By comparing a signature detected by a given user's client device to the signatures in the database, the network system can check for similarities between the short-range transmissions. Responsive to finding a match, the network system predicts that the given user is likely to select a similar pickup location as other users whose client devices detected the signatures corresponding to the match. Accordingly, by leveraging the database, the network system can predict pickup locations without requiring the given user to input a search for a pickup location.

A boarding/deboarding point providing system includes a probe vehicle group, a data server, and an on-board unit or a mobile terminal. When vehicle data transmitted from the probe vehicle group are input, the data server extracts a boarding/deboarding point suitable for boarding a vehicle or deboarding a vehicle from the vehicle data, and stores the point while updating the boarding/deboarding point information database. When a request for boarding/deboarding point information is received from the on-board unit or the mobile terminal, the boarding/deboarding point information stored in the boarding/deboarding point information database is searched for a boarding/deboarding point that meets the request conditions, and the search result that includes the boarding/deboarding point is transmitted to the on-board unit or the mobile terminal.

An autonomous vehicle includes a control system for remotely controlling the same. The autonomous vehicle includes an autonomous driving control apparatus having a processor that is configured to transmit an emergency request message to a control system when an emergency occurs to an emergency patient in the vehicle during autonomous driving, and the autonomous driving control apparatus is configured to direct the autonomous vehicle to follow a path with a shortest estimated required time among a contact path with an ambulance, a contact path with a neighboring vehicle capable of first aid, or a travel path to a hospital depending on remote control of the control system.

A server includes a communication device and a processor. From a user terminal, the communication device acquires a vehicle dispatch request including information indicating a vehicle dispatch location and a destination of a vehicle. When the communication device acquires the vehicle dispatch request, the processor determines a traveling route of the vehicle from a current location of the vehicle to the destination via the vehicle dispatch location in accordance with the vehicle dispatch request. The processor determines a route from the current location to the vehicle dispatch location such that an amount of power storage in a power storage device at the vehicle dispatch location is larger than an amount of electric power with which the vehicle can travel from the vehicle dispatch location to the destination.

A computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes: obtaining a location of a vehicle driver's terminal device, a location of a first passenger's terminal device and a location of a second passenger's terminal device and a location of a destination; determining a plurality of candidate pick-up points according to the locations of the first and second passenger's terminal devices; determining at least one target pick-up point from the plurality of candidate pick-up points, in such a manner that a total time cost from the location of the vehicle driver's terminal device to the location of the destination to be minimum when the first and second passenger's terminal devices are picked up from a respective target pick-up point in the at least one target pick-up point; and determining a navigation path for the vehicle driver's terminal device based on at least a location of the at least one target pick-up point.

Technical solutions are described for determining a route for multiple users traveling to a common destination. An example method includes determining, by a multiuser route generator, a multiuser route for a plurality of users traveling to the common destination, the multiuser route comprising a waypoint, the waypoint being a location to which each of the plurality of users travel independently, and travel to the common destination jointly thereafter. Determining the multiuser route includes receiving departure locations of the users, determining the waypoint, and calculating a first total of travel parameters associated with the users traveling to the waypoint independently and jointly thereafter that is lesser than a second total of travel parameters associated with the users traveling to the common destination independently. The method further includes sending the multiuser route to navigation devices of the respective users, the navigation devices navigating the respective users along the multiuser route.

The present application includes a search route processor that calculates a plurality of search routes between locations of a plurality of searchers belonging to a predetermined area and a search target based on position information of the search target acquired from a position information terminal held by the search target, and a plurality of portable terminals that is held by the plurality of searchers and displays the plurality of search routes calculated by the search route processor and personal information that identifies the search target.

An interactive digital map of a geographic area is provided via a user interface. A request to obtain travel directions to a destination is received via the user interface. Respective indications of candidate rides for at least a portion of a route to the destination are requested from third-party providers, each of the indications including a pick-up location, a price estimate, and pick-up time. The requested indications of the candidate rides are received. A ranking of the candidate rides is determined using at least one of the corresponding pick-up locations, the price estimates, or the pick-up times, and a listing of the candidate rides is provided via the user interface in accordance with the determined ranking. In response to one of the candidate rides being selected via the user interface, a request for the selected ride is transmitted to the corresponding third-party provider.

An estimated time of arrival (ETA) of a vehicle is predicted by receiving a request for the vehicle to conduct a trip that includes a first location. A predicted ETA for the vehicle to travel from a particular location to the first location is computed. The predicted ETA is refined to compute a refined ETA using a machine-learned model that takes as input a plurality of features associated with the trip. The plurality of features including at least geospatial features transformed using a locality-sensitive hashing function. An action is performed based on the refined ETA. The action may include one or more of estimating a pickup time or drop-off time for the trip, matching a driver to the trip, and planning a delivery.

The technology employs spatial audio information to enhance wayfinding for pickup, drop-off and in-vehicle situations. The spatial information has a directional component, and a sense of distance can also be incorporated into the audio information. Audio cues or other spatial information is provided via headphones worn by a user. The spatial audio gives the user direction information, which can help locate the vehicle. In addition, this approach can be used when the rider is in the vehicle prior to exiting. For instance, spatial audio can be provided to the rider to give them contextual information about the environment outside the vehicle prior to exiting, such as whether a bicyclist is approaching on the side they will be exiting. This contextual information can alert the rider to wait or otherwise be more situationally aware when departing the vehicle.