An autonomous vehicle (AV) implements a notification system that provides notifications to user devices in nearby vehicles to alert drivers of the nearby vehicles of the AV's planned behavior. The notifications are delivered wirelessly and output by the user device to the drivers. The planned behaviors of the AV may not be conveyed by existing mechanisms, such as turning signals or hazard lights. The AV or the receiving user device may determine when an AV's planned behavior may impact a particular driver, and provide relevant notifications to the driver.

The disclosure relates collecting feedback from passengers of autonomous vehicles. For instance, that a triggering circumstance for triggering a feedback request has been met may be determined. The triggering circumstance may include a driving event, a presence of other road users, or a trip state. A display requirement and data collection parameters for the feedback request are identified based on the determination. The display requirement defines when the feedback request is displayed and the data collection parameters identify information that the feedback request is to collect. The feedback request is provided for display based on the display requirement and data collection parameters. In response, feedback from a passenger of the autonomous vehicle is received and stored for later use.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to protecting the privacy of a user of a dispatching service for driverless vehicles. For example, a request for a vehicle identifying user information is received. A client computing device may be identified based on the user information. In response to the request, a driverless vehicle may be dispatched to the location of the client device. Signaling information may be generated based on a set of rules including a first rule that the signaling information does not identify, indirectly or directly, the user as well as a second rule that the signaling information does not identify, indirectly or directly, the user information. The location of the client computing device and the signaling information may be sent to the driverless vehicle for display. In addition, the signaling information may also be sent to the client computing device for display.

A vehicle sharing system includes a vehicle having interior transceiver modules associated with different passenger seating areas and a vehicle computing system (VCS) including a processor and a memory in communication with the modules and programmed to detect occupancy status of each seating area based on signals from the modules and to communicate the occupancy statuses to a remote server to facilitate scheduling of ride-sharing passengers for a specified seating area of the vehicle. The reserved seating location may be used to align the seating location/door with a passenger during pick-up, adjust vehicle accessory settings associated with the reserved seating location, and activate a visual indicator to direct the passenger to the assigned/reserved seating location.

Example vehicle security systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method receives a destination and a driving route to the destination for an autonomous vehicle to follow. A vehicle security system identifies a passkey associated with the driving route and communicates the passkey to a user designated to meet the autonomous vehicle at the destination. The vehicle security system confirms that the user designated to meet the autonomous vehicle possesses the passkey.

An operation management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a method, performed by an operation management apparatus, for managing operation of a plurality of vehicles for passenger transportation. The operation management method includes selecting, upon detecting an occurrence of a predetermined event, one vehicle from among the plurality of vehicles each traveling a predetermined first route, determining a second route different from the first route, and switching a route traveled by the selected vehicle from the first route to the second route.

An autonomous vehicle (AV) implements a health protocol that may reduce pathogen transmission between users of the AV. The AV is equipped with a thermal sensor that captures a body temperature of a user. The AV compares the user’s temperature to a threshold temperature, and if the user’s temperature exceeds the threshold temperature, the AV performs checks to ensure that the user’s planned trip follows current regulations or recommendations. For example, the AV confirms that the user is traveling between the user’s home and a healthcare facility. If the trip is permitted, the AV enables the user to enter the AV. The AV may include a disinfectant system for disinfecting the passenger compartment or surfaces after the user exits the AV.

The present disclosure relates to an autonomous vehicle, a station system, and a door control method for the autonomous vehicle. An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an autonomous vehicle, comprising a processor configured to control opening and closing of a door of the autonomous vehicle depending on existence of an object around the door of the autonomous vehicle and whether an object outside and inside a station reaches a boarding zone of the autonomous vehicle within a predetermined time when the autonomous vehicle is stopped, and a storage configured to store data and algorithms driven by the processor.

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.

An autonomous vehicle location providing apparatus for providing a location of an autonomous vehicle which travels to a location of a user depending on a call of the user and a method thereof are provided. The autonomous vehicle location providing apparatus receives a call, a call location, and user information from a user's terminal and communicates with the user's terminal around an autonomous vehicle corresponding to the user information, while the autonomous vehicle travels to the call location depending on the call. The autonomous vehicle location providing apparatus provides a location of the autonomous vehicle which travels to a location of the user depending on a call of the user to recognize a customer who calls an auto-taxi.