Patent Publication Number: US-11648874-B2

Title: Non-visual notifications for autonomous vehicles

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/215,631, filed Mar. 29, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/731,762, filed Dec. 31, 2019, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to autonomous vehicles (AVs) and, more specifically, to devices and methods for interacting with users of such vehicles using audio or non-visual cues. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Conventional delivery systems interact with users by providing notifications to users&#39; mobile devices. For example, food delivery services typically alert users that their order is on its way, or has arrived, via in-app notifications or text messages. Similarly, ridesharing systems allow users to track their drivers in an app, and alerts users that a driver has arrived in the app or via a text message. Such visual, device-based notifications are not suitable or convenient for all users. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       To provide a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and features and advantages thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a block diagram illustrating a system including an example AV in which a non-visual interface according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented; 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram illustrating an audio notification system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  3    is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle management system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  4    is an example top view of an AV with multiple speakers according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS.  5 A- 5 B  illustrate an example use case of an example AV with a non-visual interface according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is an example user interface for setting options for an audio notification according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  7    is a flowchart of an example method for providing an audio notification to a user according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG.  8    is a flowchart of an example method for providing an audio notification according to a selected audio option according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Overview 
     The systems, methods and devices of this disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the all of the desirable attributes disclosed herein. Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the description below and the accompanying drawings. 
     Vehicle-based services, such as ridesharing and delivery services, often rely on in-app notifications to alert users to the arrival of the vehicle. For example, a delivery app may allow a user to track the delivery progress, and may text the user when the delivery is arriving. Such visual, device-based notifications are not suitable or convenient for all users, including users who have difficulty using apps or mobile phones, and users who are blind or have impaired vision. In other examples, drivers notify users upon arrival, e.g., a driver knocks on the user&#39;s door with a delivery. In autonomous vehicle (AV) contexts, a driver is not present, and the user may have to find the AV without the assistance of another human. 
     An audio notification system provides an audio notification from the AV that informs the user that the AV has arrived. The audio notification may be specific to the user, e.g., a specific sound pattern that the user is expecting, or a pitch or volume that the user is able to hear. Embodiments disclosed herein may be particularly advantageous for increasing accessibility of AV applications, e.g., ridesharing or delivery by an AV. Audio notifications are especially useful for users who are visually impaired or have difficulty using a mobile device. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an audio notification system for a vehicle. The audio notification includes a speaker configured to emit sound, a sensor configured to sense that a user has accessed the vehicle, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine that the vehicle is within a range of the user, access an instruction for generating a sound for notifying the user that the vehicle as arrived within the range of the user, provide the instruction to the speaker, and in response to receiving a signal from the sensor indicating that the user has accessed the vehicle, provide an instruction to the speaker to stop emitting the sound. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a method for providing a notification to a user, and a computer-readable medium comprising instructions for performing the method. The method includes determining that a vehicle is within a range of a user; accessing an instruction for generating a sound for notifying the user that the vehicle has arrived within the range of the user; in response to determining that the vehicle is within the range of the user, instructing a speaker on the vehicle to emit the sound according to the instruction; determining that the user has accessed the vehicle; and in response to determining that the user has accessed the vehicle, instructing the speaker to stop emitting the sound. 
     Further embodiments of the present disclosure provide an audio notification system for a vehicle that includes a speaker configured to emit sound according to a plurality of audio options available for an audio notification; a memory configured to store instructions for generating sound according to the plurality of audio options; and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a selection of an audio option for notifying a user that the vehicle has arrived within a range of the user, determine that the vehicle is within a range of the user, retrieve from the memory an instruction for generating a sound according to the received selection, and provide the retrieved instruction to the speaker to emit sound according to the received selection. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a vehicle management system comprising a user interface server and a vehicle manager. The user interface server is configured communicate with a user interface with which a user accesses a service of the vehicle management system, the user interface configured to provide a plurality of audio options to a user, receive a user selection of one of the plurality of audio options, and transmit the selected audio option to the user interface system for storage by the vehicle management system. The vehicle manager is configured to select a vehicle in a fleet of vehicles to dispatch to the user, retrieve the selected audio option for the user from storage, and transmit the selected audio option to the selected vehicle. The selected vehicle is configured to output an audio notification according to the selected audio option. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure still further provide a method including receiving a selected audio option of a plurality of audio options for notifying a user that the vehicle has arrived within a range of the user; determining that the vehicle is within a range of the user; retrieving, from a memory storing instructions for generating sound according to the plurality of audio options, an instruction for generating a sound according to the selected audio option; and providing the retrieved instruction to the speaker to emit sound according to the selected audio option. 
     As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present disclosure, in particular aspects of audio notifications for autonomous vehicles, described herein, may be embodied in various manners (e.g., as a method, a system, a computer program product, or a computer-readable storage medium). Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Functions described in this disclosure may be implemented as an algorithm executed by one or more hardware processing units, e.g. one or more microprocessors, of one or more computers. In various embodiments, different steps and portions of the steps of each of the methods described herein may be performed by different processing units. Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable medium(s), preferably non-transitory, having computer-readable program code embodied, e.g., stored, thereon. In various embodiments, such a computer program may, for example, be downloaded (updated) to the existing devices and systems (e.g. to the existing perception system devices and/or their controllers, etc.) or be stored upon manufacturing of these devices and systems. 
     The following detailed description presents various descriptions of specific certain embodiments. However, the innovations described herein can be embodied in a multitude of different ways, for example, as defined and covered by the claims and/or select examples. In the following description, reference is made to the drawings where like reference numerals can indicate identical or functionally similar elements. It will be understood that elements illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Moreover, it will be understood that certain embodiments can include more elements than illustrated in a drawing and/or a subset of the elements illustrated in a drawing. Further, some embodiments can incorporate any suitable combination of features from two or more drawings. 
     The following disclosure describes various illustrative embodiments and examples for implementing the features and functionality of the present disclosure. While particular components, arrangements, and/or features are described below in connection with various example embodiments, these are merely examples used to simplify the present disclosure and are not intended to be limiting. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer&#39;s specific goals, including compliance with system, business, and/or legal constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that, while such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming; it would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     In the Specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the present disclosure, the devices, components, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above”, “below”, “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, or other similar terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components, should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the components described herein may be oriented in any desired direction. When used to describe a range of dimensions or other characteristics (e.g., time, pressure, temperature, length, width, etc.) of an element, operations, and/or conditions, the phrase “between X and Y” represents a range that includes X and Y. 
     Other features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the claims. 
     Example AV With Non-Visual Interface 
       FIG.  1    is a block diagram illustrating a system  100  in which an example autonomous vehicle in which a non-visual interface according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. The system  100  includes an autonomous vehicle (AV)  110 , a vehicle management system  120 , and a user device  130 . The AV  110  includes a sensor suite  140  and an audio notification system  150 . The system  100  enables the AV  110  to provide audio notifications to a user of the user device  130  when the vehicle  110  is to be accessed by the user, e.g., when the AV  110  has reached the user&#39;s location. 
     The AV  110  is preferably a fully autonomous automobile, but may additionally or alternatively be any semi-autonomous or fully autonomous vehicle; e.g., a boat, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a driverless car, etc. Additionally, or alternatively, the AVs may be vehicles that switch between a semi-autonomous state and a fully autonomous state and thus, some AVs may have attributes of both a semi-autonomous vehicle and a fully autonomous vehicle depending on the state of the vehicle. 
     The AV  110  may include a throttle interface that controls an engine throttle, motor speed (e.g., rotational speed of electric motor), or any other movement-enabling mechanism; a brake interface that controls brakes of the AV (or any other movement-retarding mechanism); and a steering interface that controls steering of the AV (e.g., by changing the angle of wheels of the AV). The AV  110  may additionally or alternatively include interfaces for control of any other vehicle functions; e.g., windshield wipers, headlights, turn indicators, air conditioning, etc. 
     The AV  110  includes a sensor suite  140 , which includes a computer vision (“CV”) system, localization sensors, and driving sensors. For example, the sensor suite  140  may include photodetectors, cameras, RADAR, SONAR, LIDAR, GPS, wheel speed sensors, inertial measurement units (IMUS), accelerometers, microphones, strain gauges, pressure monitors, barometers, thermometers, altimeters, etc. The sensors may be located in various positions in and around the automated vehicle  110 . In some embodiments, the sensor suite  140  also includes sensors for finding and connecting to local wireless signals, e.g., Bluetooth, Zigbee, and/or Wi-Fi interfaces. 
     An onboard computer (not shown in  FIG.  1   ) is connected to the sensor suite  140  and functions to control the AV  110  and to process sensed data from the sensor suite  140  and/or other sensors in order to determine the state of the AV  110 . Based upon the vehicle state and programmed instructions, the onboard computer modifies or controls behavior of the AV  110 . The onboard computer is preferably a general-purpose computer adapted for I/O communication with vehicle control systems and sensor suite  140 , but may additionally or alternatively be any suitable computing device. The onboard computer is preferably connected to the Internet via a wireless connection (e.g., via a cellular data connection). Additionally or alternatively, the onboard computer may be coupled to any number of wireless or wired communication systems. 
     In some embodiments, the sensor suite  140  and/or onboard computer are configured to identify people in the area of the AV  110 . For example, the sensor suite  140  collects images and other data describing the environment of the AV  110  (e.g., using the cameras, RADAR, and LIDAR), and the onboard computer analyzes the collected data to identify a human in the environment. 
     The audio notification system  150  provides audio notifications to users. For example, the audio notification system  150  emits a sound when the AV  110  is within range of the user. The sound alerts the user that the AV  110  has arrived and allows the user to identify the AV  110 . The audio notification system  150  is described further in relation to  FIG.  2   . 
     The user device  130  may be a mobile device, tablet, computer, or other device for interfacing with a user of the AV  110 . The user device  130  may provide one or more applications (e.g., mobile device apps, browser-based apps) with which a user can interface with a service that provides or uses AVs. For example, the service provides rides to users in AVs, or the service provides deliveries of items, prepared foods, groceries, etc. to users using AVs. The service, and particularly the AVs associated with the service, is managed by the vehicle management system  120 . The vehicle management system  120  may provide the application to the user device  130 . In particular, the vehicle management system  120  may provide a user interface with which a user of the user device  130  can select one or more audio options. An example of a user interface for selecting audio options is shown in  FIG.  6   . The vehicle management system  120  may select an AV from a fleet of AVs, and instruct the selected AV (e.g., AV  110 ) to drive to a location of the user (e.g., the location of the user device  130 , or an address associated with the user). The vehicle management system  120  instructs the audio notification system  150  of the AV to provide an audio notification to the user according to the audio option(s) selected by the user. The vehicle management system  120  is described further in relation to  FIG.  2   . 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , the user device  130  communicates with the vehicle management system  120 . The user device  130  and vehicle management system  120  may connect over a public network, such as the Internet. The vehicle management system  120  also connects to the AV  110 , e.g., over the Internet. In some embodiments, the user device  130  can communicate with the AV  110 . For example, the user device  130  may emit a short-range wireless signal (e.g., a Bluetooth signal), and the AV  110  may be configured to detect the short-range wireless signal and, in response to detecting the signal, determine that the AV  110  has reached the vicinity of the user. 
     Example Audio Notification System 
       FIG.  2    is a block diagram illustrating the audio notification system  150  according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The audio notification system  150  includes a speaker  210 , an access sensor  220 , a wireless sensor  230 , a location sensor  240 , a memory  250 , and a processor  260 . In alternative configurations, different and/or additional components may be included in the audio notification system  150 . For example,  FIG.  2    illustrates one speaker  210 , but the audio notification system  150  may include additional speakers. Further, functionality attributed to one component of the audio notification system  150  may be accomplished by a different component included in the audio notification system  150  or a different system than those illustrated. 
     The speaker  210  is located on the AV  110  for emitting sounds outside the AV  110 , including audio notifications. The speaker  210  is able to emit sounds that are audible at least around a certain range of the vehicle, e.g., 50 feet from the AV  110 , or 100 feet from the AV  110 , so that a user within this range of the AV  110  may locate the AV  110  based on the sound. In some embodiments, the speaker  210  produces a fixed sound or set of sounds. For example, the speaker  210  may be a car horn, or the speaker  210  may be a siren configured to produce one or a set of siren sounds. In other embodiments, the speaker  210  may reproduce a larger range of sounds, e.g., words (e.g., “Hello Jessica! Your ride is here!”), jingles, beeps, etc. In some embodiments, the speaker  210  generates an audible vibration or a buzzing sound. 
     In some embodiments, the AV  110  is an electric vehicle (EV), and the speaker  210  is a low-speed noise emitter. The low speed noise emitter emits a sound from the EV when the AV  110  travels at a low speed, e.g., below 15 miles per hour, or below 30 miles per hour, so that pedestrians and others in the vicinity of the EV can hear the EV. In this embodiment, the low-speed noise emitter is instructed to produce an audio notification for a user. The audio notification may be the same sound emitted during low speed travel or a different sound, depending on the capabilities of the low-speed noise emitter. If the low-speed noise emitter emits a single type of sound (e.g., an artificial car sound), the speaker  210  can be instructed to produce the sound with a pattern, i.e., repeatedly turning the sound off and on in a pulse pattern, to distinguish the audio notification from the sound of a moving car. 
     In some embodiments, multiple speakers  210  of any of the types described above are mounted in different locations of the AV  110 . An example of this is shown in  FIG.  4   . In some embodiments, the speaker  210  is a directional speaker that can emit sound in a particular direction selected from a larger range of directions. For example, the audio notification system  150  may determine the direction of the user relative to the speaker  210  and instruct the speaker  210  to emit sound in that direction. 
     The access sensor  220  senses when the AV  110  has been accessed. The access sensor  220  may be a sensor for sensing that a door has been opened, e.g., one of the doors to a seating area of the AV  110  or a door to a trunk or cargo area of the AV  110 . As another example, the access sensor  220  may be a proximity sensor that senses when a user has come within a certain range of the access sensor  220 , e.g., within a foot or a few feet of the access sensor  220 . In some embodiments, the AV  110  has an integrated delivery container, and the access sensor  220  senses when the delivery container has been opened. The audio notification system  150  may include multiple access sensors  220 , e.g., one on each door of the AV  110 , or one on each door handle of the AV  110 . 
     The wireless sensor  230  is a sensor for detecting a wireless signal emitted by the user device  130 . In some embodiments, the user device  130  emits a short-range wireless signal (e.g., a Bluetooth signal), and the wireless sensor  230  is configured to detect the short-range wireless signal output by the user device  130 . The short-range wireless signal may identify the user device  130  to the wireless sensor  230 , so that the wireless sensor  230  can distinguish the user device  130  of the intended user from other user devices in the area of the AV  110 . In response to the wireless sensor  230  detecting the wireless signal, the audio notification system  150  (e.g., the processor  260 ) determines that the user device  130  is within a range of the AV  110 , e.g., the range of the short-range wireless signal. In some embodiments, the wireless sensor  230  detects a strength of the wireless signal, and the wireless sensor  230  or processor  260  estimates a distance of the user device  130  based on the strength of the detected wireless signal. In other embodiments, the wireless sensor  230  is not included in the audio notification system  150 , and other methods are used to determine whether the AV  110  is near the user and/or user device  130 . 
     The location sensor  240  determines a current location of the AV  110 . The sensor suite  140  typically includes one or more sensors for determining the location of the AV  110 , such as a GPS sensors and one or more IMUs. The location sensor  240 , which may be included in the onboard computer of the AV  110 , receives signals from these sensors to determine a current location of the AV  110 . The location determined by the location sensor  240  can be used to determine if the user, or the user device  130 , is within a range of the AV  110 , e.g., by comparing an address of the user, or a real-time location of the user device  130 , to the location determined by the location sensor  240 . 
     The memory  250  stores data for generating audio notifications from the speaker  210 . For example, the memory  250  stores instructions for generating one or more audio patterns that can be emitted by the speaker  210 . The memory  250  may store audio options selected for the user (e.g., by the vehicle management system  120 ) or by the user (e.g., via a user interface provided on the user device  130 ). The audio options may include volume, pitch, and/or frequency (i.e., a number of times that an audio signal is emitted during a given time period). In some embodiment, audio options include a selection of a particular audio pattern, such as a jingle or word(s), for the speaker to reproduce. 
     The processor  260  receives signals from the access sensor  220 , wireless sensor, and location sensor  240 . The processor  260  processes these signals to determine whether to emit an audio notification, accesses data in the memory  250  to retrieve or generate instructions for producing an audio notification, and transmits the instructions to the speaker  210  to emit the audio signal. In particular, the processor  260  determines that the vehicle is within a range of the user based on signals from the wireless sensor  230  and/or location sensor  240 . For example, the processor  260  receives a signal from the wireless sensor  230  indicating that the wireless detector  230  has detected a wireless signal from the user device  130 . Based on this signal, the processor  260  determines that the user device  130  is within a range of the AV  110 , e.g., the range of the short-range wireless signal. In another example, the location sensor  240  determines a current location of the AV  110 . The processor  260  accesses a location of the user, e.g., a pick-up or delivery address entered by the user into a user interface, or a real-time location of the user device  130 . The processor  260  compares the current location of the AV  110  to the location of the user to determine a distance from the AV  110  to the user. If the distance is less than a predetermined range distance (e.g., within 25 feet or within 100 feet), the processor determines that the AV  110  is within the range of the user. 
     The processor  260  accesses an instruction for generating a sound for notifying the user that the AV  110  has arrived within the range of the user from the memory  250 . For example, the processor  260  retrieves instructions for generating a sound for the user from the memory  250 . The instructions may include a particular volume, pitch, audio pattern, or other audio characteristics. The processor  260  provides the instructions to the speaker  210 , which emits sound (i.e., the audio notification) according to the instructions. 
     As noted above, in some embodiments, the speaker  210  is a directional speaker. In such embodiments, the processor  260  may identify a location of the user, determine a direction of the user relative to the speaker  210 , and instruct the speaker  210  to emit the sound in that direction. For example, the processor  260  receives a real-time location of the user device  130 , and sets the location of the user device  130  as the location of the user. The processor  260  compares the location of the user device  130  to the location of the AV  110  (as determined by the location sensor  240 ) to determine the direction of the user relative to the speaker  210 . In another example, as described with respect to  FIG.  1   , the onboard computer may identify a human in the environment of the AV  110 . The processor  260  receives data describing the location of the identified human from the onboard computer and sets this location as the location of the user. The location of the user may be identified in directional terms, e.g., at a particular angle relative to the AV  110 . This direction may be used as the direction for the directional speaker to emit the audio notification. 
     After the user has accessed the AV  110 , the processor  260  receives a signal from the access sensor  220  indicating that the user has accessed the vehicle (e.g., the access sensor  220  determines that a door has been opened). In response to this signal, the processor  260  provides an instruction to the speaker  210  to stop emitting the audio notification. 
     In some embodiments, if the user has not accessed the AV  110  after a threshold period of time, the processor  260  provides an instruction to the speaker  210  to alter the audio notification. For example, if the user has not accessed the AV  110  within the threshold period (e.g., one minute or three minutes), the processor  260  instructs the speaker  210  to increase the volume (e.g., if the user could not hear the first audio notification), change the pitch (e.g., to a lower pitch, if an initial higher pitch may have been inaudible to an older user), or change the pattern (e.g., shorten a time period between which consecutive sounds in a pulse pattern are emitted, to better attract the attention of the user). 
     In some embodiments, the AV  110  (e.g., the sensor suite  140  and onboard computer) monitors the progress of the user in approaching the AV  110 , and the processor  260  alters the audio notification in response to the user moving farther away or closer to the AV  110 . For example, if the AV  110  first identifies a user within a first range (e.g., 20 feet), and the user moves into a second range from the AV  110  shorter than the first range (e.g., 10 feet), the processor  260  may instruct the speaker  210  to lower the volume of the audio notification, or to alter a pattern of the audio notification (e.g., increase a pitch of the audio notification or a frequency of an on-off pulse pattern, to indicate that the user has moved closer). As another example, if the AV  110  first identifies a user within a first range (e.g., 20 feet), and the user moves into a second range from the AV  110  longer than the first range (e.g., 40 feet), the processor  260  may instruct the speaker  210  to increase the volume of the audio notification, or to alter a pattern of the audio notification (e.g., lower a pitch of the audio notification or a frequency of an on-off pulse pattern, to indicate that the user has moved farther away). In some embodiments, the processor  260  may instruct the speaker  210  to provide spoken instructions, e.g., “I&#39;m on your left!” or “You&#39;re getting closer!” based on the progress of the user towards the AV  110 . 
     Example Vehicle Management System 
       FIG.  3    is a block diagram illustrating the vehicle management system  120  according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The vehicle management system  120  includes a UI (user interface) server  310 , an audio option database  320 , and a vehicle manager  330 . In alternative configurations, different and/or additional components may be included in the vehicle management system  120 . Further, functionality attributed to one component of the vehicle management system  120  may be accomplished by a different component included in the vehicle management system  120  or a different system than those illustrated. 
     The UI server  310  is configured to communicate with a client device, e.g. user device  130 , that provides a user interface to a user. For example, the UI server  310  may be a web server that provides a browser-based application to the user device  130 , or the UI server  310  may be a mobile app server that interfaces with a mobile app installed on the user device  130 . The UI server  310  may provide the user interface to the user device  130 . The UI server  310  receives data submitted by the user into the user interface. The user interface enables the user to access a service of the vehicle management system, e.g., to request a ride from the AV  110 , or to request a delivery from the AV  110 . 
     The audio options database  320  stores audio options for audio notifications. For example, the audio options database  320  stores audio options selected by users in the user interface. In some embodiments, the user interface provides various audio options to the user, and the user interface receives a user selection of one or more audio options. An example user interface for providing audio options is shown in  FIG.  6   . In some embodiments, the user interface provides an option for whether or not to emit an audio notification for the user. The user interface transmits the selected audio options to the UI server  310 , which receives the selected audio options. The UI server  310  stores the audio options selected by the user in the audio options database  320 . 
     In some embodiments, one or more audio options are selected by the vehicle management system  120 . For example, a user may be assigned a particular audio pattern (e.g., a default audio pattern, or a specific audio pattern for that user). In another example, the audio options database  320  includes audio settings for a particular service. For example, an audio notification for a ride service follows a given format, e.g., “Hello &lt;first name&gt;, your ride is here!”; an audio notification for a delivery service is a jingle used by the ride service. In such embodiments, the UI server  310  may transmit data describing the audio options (e.g., a sound file or instructions for emitting a sound) selected by the vehicle management system  120  to the user device  130 . The user device  130  outputs audio according to the data describing the audio options to inform the user of the selected audio options. For example, the audio options may be a particular jingle, and the user device  130  plays the jingle to the user before the AV arrives so that the user knows which jingle to listen for. 
     The vehicle manager  330  manages and communicates with a fleet of AVs, including AV  110 . The vehicle manager  330  may assign AVs to various tasks and direct the movements of the AVs in the fleet. The vehicle manager  330  provides instructions to AVs to provide audio notifications. For example, the vehicle manager  330  selects an AV (e.g., AV  110 ) in a fleet of vehicles to dispatch to the user, e.g., based on a request for a service received at the UI server  310 . The vehicle manager  330  retrieves audio options associated with the requesting user from the audio options database  320 . The vehicle manager  330  transmits the audio options to the selected AV, which outputs an audio notification to according to the audio options. In some embodiments, the audio options transmitted to the AV include a sound file for the audio notification. In other embodiments, the AV  110  locally stores the sound file(s) used to generate audio notifications. 
     In some situations, the vehicle manager  330  may assign multiple AVs to the same geographic area. In such situations, different audio options can be used to assist users in locating the correct AV. For example, if one audio option (e.g., a particular jingle) is selected for a first AV dispatched to a geographic area, the vehicle manager  330  can retrieve this audio option selection and select a different audio option (e.g., a different jingle) for a second AV dispatched to the same geographic area. The UI server  310  may inform the intended user of each AV of their respective selected audio option so that the users can locate their correct AVs. 
     Example AV Use Cases 
       FIG.  4    is an example top view of an AV  400  with multiple speakers according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The AV  400  includes four doors, including doors  410   a  and  410   b , and four door handles, including door handles  415   a  and  415   b . The AV  400  includes three speakers  420   a - 420   c . The speakers  420   a - 420   c  are examples of the speaker  210  described with respect to  FIG.  2   . The AV  400  also includes a delivery container  430  and sensor suite  440 . The delivery container  430  may be a specialized compartment configured to store items for delivery. The delivery container  430  may be accessed separately from the rest of the AV  400 . In some embodiments, the delivery container  430  has features designed to protect items for delivery, e.g., the delivery container  430  may be heated, cooled, or padded. The sensor suite  440  is similar to the sensor suite  140  described with respect to  FIG.  1   . 
     Each of the four doors  410  may be equipped with an access sensor  220 . For example, each door handle  415  has an integrated sensor that is triggered by movement of the door handle  415 . Each of the four doors  410  on the AV  400  may have a separate access sensor  220 . Similarly, the delivery container  430  may have an access sensor  220 . 
     The speakers  420   a - 420   c  are located at different positions on the AV  400 . In particular, speaker  420   a  is located above door  410   a , and speaker  420   b  is located above door  410   b , and speaker  420   c  is located near the front of the roof of the AV  400 . In some embodiments, the audio notification system  150  selects a particular speaker to emit the audio notification based on an intended use of the AV  400 , e.g., based on a location of a delivery. An example of this is shown in  FIGS.  5 A- 5 B . 
     In another embodiment, the audio notification system  150  selects a particular speaker to emit the audio notification based on a location of the user. The processor  260  may determine a location of the user relative to the AV  400 , as described with respect to  FIG.  2   , and select the speaker closest to the user to emit the audio notification. For example, if the speakers are directed speakers, the speaker on a same side of the AV  400  as the user may be able to best provide the directed audio notification to the user. In some embodiments, the processor  260  determines an expected location of the user, without real-time data about the user&#39;s position. For example, if the AV  400  is directed to a particular address and stops in front of the address on the right hand side of the street, the processor  260  instructs the speaker  420   b  on the right hand side of the AV  400  to emit the audio notification. 
       FIGS.  5 A- 5 B  illustrate an example use case of an example AV with a non-visual interface according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In this example, the sensor suite  440  determines that a user  510  is in range of the AV  400 . For example, a Bluetooth sensor in the sensor suite  440  detects a Bluetooth signal emitted by a mobile device carried by the user  510 , or an onboard computer identifies the user  510  based on other sensor data (e.g., camera, RADAR, and/or LIDAR data) describing the environment of the AV  400  collected by the sensor suite  440 . 
     In response to determining that the user  510  is within range of the AV  400 , the AV  400  (e.g., the processor  260 ) instructs one of the speakers  420   b  to emit an audio notification  520 , e.g., a jingle. In this example, the speakers  420   a ,  420   b , and  420   c  are located at different locations on the AV  400 , and the processor  260  selects one of the speakers  420   b  to emit the audio notification  520  based on a portion of the AV  400  to be accessed by the user  510  and the proximity of the speakers to the portion to be accessed. In this example, the door  410   b  is to be accessed by the user  510 , e.g., if the AV  400  is making a delivery to the user, the item being delivered is located behind the door  410   b , or if the AV  400  is picking up the user  510  for a ride, the user  510  is to sit in the seat behind door  410   b . The processor  260  selects speaker  420   b  because it is the closest speaker to the door  410   b  to be accessed and instructs the speaker  420   b  to emit the audio notification  520 . 
     The audio notification  520  directs the user  510  to the door  410   b . The user reaches the door  410   b  and opens the door  410   b  with the door handle  415   b , as shown in  FIG.  5 B . In response to the user  510  accessing the door  410   b , the processor  260  instructs the speaker  420   b  to stop emitting the audio notification  520 . 
     Example User Interface 
       FIG.  6    is an example user interface  600  for setting options for an audio notification according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The example user interface  600  may be provided by the user device  130  and in communication with the UI server  310 . The user interface  600  provides four selectable audio patterns  610 , a volume slider  620 , and a pitch slider  630 . The audio patterns  610  may include, for example, one or more jingles; one or more series of beeps, tones, vibrations, or other sounds at one pitch or a set of pitches; one or more words or phrases, or other options. The user interface  600  may include more or less audio patterns  610  than shown in  FIG.  6   . 
     The volume slider  620  and pitch slider  630  allow the user to select a volume and a pitch for the audio notification, respectively. In other embodiments, volume and/or pitch are selected from a list of options, rather than through a slider. The volume  620  and pitch  630  may enhance accessibility for users. For example, a user who is hard of hearing can select a higher volume  620 . A user who has difficulty hearing certain tones (e.g., tones in a higher range) can select a pitch that is audible to the user, e.g., a pitch in the lower range. On the other hand, a lower volume and/or a higher pitch can be selected to draw less attention to the ride share. For example, a blind user may select a high pitch that is audible to a guide dog, but not to humans; in this embodiment, the user&#39;s guide dog may identify the AV based on the audio notification and lead the user to the AV. 
     The user device  130  returns the user selections in the user interface  600  to the UI server  310 . The vehicle management system  120  may store the selected audio options in the audio options database  320 . In some embodiments, the vehicle management system  120  may store the user&#39;s audio settings as part of a user profile that is relied upon each time that user engages the AV service, e.g., each time the user hails a ride, or each time the user picks up a delivery. 
     While the user interface  600  is a graphical user interface, the user interface  600  may be accessible to a vision impaired user, or one or more alternative interfaces may be provided to provide audio options and receive user selections in a non-visual manner. For example, a screen reader (e.g., VOICEOVER) may provide spoken descriptions of the audio options and allow a user to select on-screen options without seeing the options. In another example, the vehicle management system  120  provides an audio-based user interface that outputs the audio notification options aurally and uses voice recognition to receive oral instructions from a user. 
     Example Methods for Providing Audio Notifications 
       FIG.  7    is a flowchart of an example method  700  for providing an audio notification to a user according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. An audio notification system  150  (e.g., the processor  260 , in conjunction with data from the wireless sensor  230  and/or location sensor  240 ) determines  710  that the AV  110  is within range of an intended user of the AV  110 . The audio notification system  150  (e.g., the processor  260 ) accesses  720  instructions for generating an audio notification, e.g., from a memory  250 . The audio notification system  150  (e.g., the processor  260 ) instructs  730  a speaker (e.g., speaker  210 , or one or more of speakers  420 ) to emit sound according to the instruction. The audio notification system  150  (e.g., the processor  260  in conjunction with the access sensor  220 ) determines  740  that the intended user has accessed the AV  110 . The audio notification system  150  (e.g., the processor  260 ) then instructs  750  the speaker (e.g., speaker  210 , or one or more of speakers  420 ) to stop emitting the sound. 
       FIG.  8    is a flowchart of an example method for providing an audio notification according to a selected audio option according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. An audio notification system  150  (e.g., the processor  260 ) receives  810  a selection of an audio option (e.g., from a UI server  310 , from user interface  600 ) for an audio notification for an intended user of the AV  110 . The audio notification system  150  (e.g., the processor  260 , in conjunction with data from the wireless sensor  230  and/or location sensor  240 ) determines  820  that the AV  110  is within range of the intended user of the AV  110 . The audio notification system  150  (e.g., the processor  260 ) retrieves  830  an instruction for generating sound according to the selected audio option, e.g., from a memory  250 , or from an audio options database  320 . The audio notification system  150  (e.g., the processor  260 ) instructs  840  a speaker (e.g., speaker  210 , or one or more of speakers  420 ) to emit sound according to the instruction. 
     SELECT EXAMPLES 
     Example 1 provides audio notification system for a vehicle including a speaker configured to emit sound; a sensor configured to sense that a user has accessed the vehicle; and a processor. The processor is configured to determine that the vehicle is within a range of the user, access an instruction for generating a sound for notifying the user that the vehicle has arrived within the range of the user, provide the instruction to the speaker, and, in response to receiving a signal from the sensor indicating that the user has accessed the vehicle, provide an instruction to the speaker to stop emitting the sound. 
     Example 2 provides the audio notification system according to example 1, where the audio notification further includes a wireless sensor configured to sense a wireless signal output by a mobile device associated with the user (e.g., a Bluetooth signal), and where the processor is configured to determine that the vehicle is within the range of the user in response to receiving a signal from the wireless sensor indicating that the mobile device is within the range of the wireless sensor. 
     Example 3 provides the audio notification system according to example 1 or 2, where the processor is configured to determine that the vehicle is within the range of the user by receiving a current location of the vehicle, comparing the current location of the vehicle to a location associated with the user (e.g., a device location or an address), and determining that the current location of the vehicle is less than a predetermined distance from the location associated with the user. 
     Example 4 provides the audio notification system according to any one of the preceding examples, where the speaker is a directional speaker configured to focus emitted sound in a particular direction selected from a range of directions, and the processor is further configured to identify a location of the user, determine a direction of the user relative to the directional speaker based on the location of the user, and instruct the directional speaker to emit the sound in the direction of the user relative to the directional speaker. 
     Example 5 provides the audio notification system according to any one of the preceding examples, where the speaker is a first speaker located at a first location of the vehicle, the vehicle includes at least a second speaker located at a second location on the vehicle, and the processor is further configured to identify a portion of the vehicle to be accessed by the user, select one of the first speaker and the second speaker based on proximity to the identified portion of the vehicle, and provide the instruction for generating the sound to the selected speaker. 
     Example 6 provides the audio notification system according to any one of the preceding examples, where the sensor configured to sense that the user has accessed the vehicle is a sensor configured to sense whether one of a vehicle door, a trunk door, and a door to a delivery container is open. 
     Example 7 provides the audio notification system according to any one of the preceding examples, where the speaker is configured to emit sound according to a first sound setting, the first sound setting is a setting for one of an audio pitch, an audio pattern, and an audio volume, and the processor is further configured to instruct the speaker to emit the sound with a second sound setting different from the first sound setting. 
     Example 8 provides a method for providing a notification to a user, the method including determining that a vehicle is within a range of the user; accessing an instruction for generating a sound for notifying the user that the vehicle has arrived within the range of the user; in response to determining that the vehicle is within the range of the user, instructing a speaker on the vehicle to emit the sound according to the instruction; determining that the user has accessed the vehicle; and in response to determining that the user has accessed the vehicle, instructing the speaker to stop emitting the sound. 
     Example 9 provides the method according to example 8, where determining that the vehicle is within the range of the user includes sensing, by a wireless sensor of the vehicle, a wireless signal output by a mobile device associated with the user. 
     Example 10 provides the method according to example 8 or 9, where determining that the vehicle is within the range of the user includes receiving a current location of the vehicle, comparing the current location of the vehicle to a location associated with the user, and determining that the current location of the vehicle is less than a predetermined distance from the location associated with the user. 
     Example 11 provides the method according to any of examples 8 through 10, where the speaker is a directional speaker, and instructing the speaker to emit the sound includes identifying a location of the user, determining a direction of the user relative to the directional speaker based on the location of the user, and instructing the directional speaker to emit the sound in the direction of the user relative to the directional speaker. 
     Example 12 provides the method according to any of examples 8 through 11, where the vehicle includes a plurality of speakers located in different positions, and the method further includes identifying a portion of the vehicle to be accessed by the user, and outputting audio by a speaker of the plurality of speakers in a position associated with the identified portion of the vehicle to be accessed by the user. 
     Example 13 provides the method according to any of examples 8 through 12, where determining that the user has accessed the vehicle involves determining that a door to a compartment of the vehicle has been opened, where the compartment is one of a vehicle door, a trunk door, and a door to a delivery container. 
     Example 14 provides the method according to any of examples 8 through 13, where the instruction for generating the sound includes a first sound setting, the first sound setting is a setting for one of an audio pitch, an audio pattern, and an audio volume, and the method further includes determining that the user has not accessed the vehicle within a threshold period of time, and, in response to determining that the user has not accessed the vehicle within the threshold period of time, instructing the speaker to emit the sound with a second sound setting different from the first sound setting. 
     Example 15 provides the method according to any of examples 8 through 14, where the instruction for generating the sound includes a sound setting, the sound setting is a setting for one of an audio pitch, an audio pattern, and an audio volume, and the method further includes determining that the vehicle is within a second range of the user, the second range smaller than the range of the user; and, in response to determining that the vehicle is within the second range of the user, instructing the speaker to emit the sound with a different sound setting. 
     Example 16 provides a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for providing a notification to a user. The instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to determine that a vehicle is within a range of the user; access an instruction for generating a sound for notifying the user that the vehicle has arrived within the range of the user; in response to determining that the vehicle is within the range of the user, instruct a speaker on the vehicle to emit the sound according to the instruction; determine that the user has accessed the vehicle; and in response to determining that the user has accessed the vehicle, instruct the speaker to stop emitting the sound. 
     Example 17 provides the non-transitory computer readable medium according to example 16, where determining that the vehicle is within the range of the user involves receiving a current location of the vehicle, comparing the current location of the vehicle to a location associated with the user, and determining that the current location of the vehicle is less than a predetermined distance from the location associated with the user. 
     Example 18 provides the non-transitory computer readable medium according to example 16 or 17, where the speaker is a directional speaker, and instructing the speaker to emit the sound involves identifying a location of the user, determining a direction of the user relative to the directional speaker based on the location of the user, and instructing the directional speaker to emit the sound in the direction of the user relative to the directional speaker. 
     Example 19 provides the non-transitory computer readable medium according to any of examples 16 through 18, where the instruction for generating the sound includes a first sound setting, the first sound setting is a setting for one of an audio pitch, an audio pattern, and an audio volume, and the instructions further cause the processor to determine that the user has not accessed the vehicle within a threshold period of time and, in response to determining that the user has not accessed the vehicle within the threshold period of time, instruct the speaker to emit the sound with a second sound setting different from the first sound setting. 
     Example 20 provides the non-transitory computer readable medium according to any of examples 16 through 19, where instruction for generating the sound includes a sound setting, the sound setting is a setting for one of an audio pitch, an audio pattern, and an audio volume, and the instructions further cause the processor to determine that the vehicle is within a second range of the user, the second range smaller than the range of the user; and, in response to determining that the vehicle is within the second range of the user, instruct the speaker to emit the sound with a different sound setting. 
     Example 21 provides an audio notification system for a vehicle that includes a speaker configured to emit sound according to a plurality of audio options available for an audio notification, a memory configured to store instructions for generating sound according to the plurality of audio options, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a selection of an audio option for notifying a user that the vehicle has arrived within a range of the user, determine that the vehicle is within the range of the user, retrieve from the memory an instruction for generating a sound according to the received selection, and provide the retrieved instruction to the speaker to emit sound according to the received selection. 
     Example 22 provides the audio notification system according to example 21, where the audio option is received at a vehicle management system from a user device, the audio option selected by the user in a user interface provided by the vehicle management system, and the audio option is transmitted from the vehicle management system to the vehicle. 
     Example 23 provides the audio notification system according to example 22, where the plurality of audio options include volume levels or pitches, and the audio option selected by the user is one of a volume level and a pitch. 
     Example 24 provides the audio notification system according to example 22 or 23, where the plurality of audio options include a plurality of audio patterns, and the audio option, or a second audio option, selected by the user is an audio pattern. 
     Example 25 provides the audio notification system according to example 21, where the audio option is selected by a vehicle management system, the vehicle management system is configured to transmit data describing the selected audio option to a user device of the user, and the user device is configured to output audio according to the transmitted data describing the selected audio option to inform the user of the selected audio option. 
     Example 26 provides the audio notification system according to example 25, where the audio option selected for the vehicle is different from an audio option selected for a second vehicle in a same geographic area as the vehicle. 
     Example 27 provides a vehicle management system that includes a user interface server and a vehicle manager. The user interface server is configured to communicate with a user interface with which a user accesses a service of the vehicle management system, the user interface configured to provide a plurality of audio options to the user, receive a user selection of one of the plurality of audio options, and transmit the selected audio option to the user interface server for storage by the vehicle management system. The vehicle manager is configured to select a vehicle in a fleet of vehicles to dispatch to the user, retrieve the selected audio option for the user from storage, and transmit the selected audio option to the selected vehicle, where the selected vehicle is configured to output an audio notification according to the selected audio option. 
     Example 28 provides the vehicle management system according to example 27, where the user interface is configured to provide the plurality of audio options and to receive the user selection in a non-visual manner. 
     Example 29 provides the vehicle management system according to example 27 or 28, where the plurality of audio options include volume levels or pitches, and the audio option selected by the user is one of a volume level and a pitch. 
     Example 30 provides the vehicle management system according to any of examples 27 through 29, where the plurality of audio options are a plurality of audio patterns, and the audio option, or a second audio option, selected by the user is an audio pattern. 
     Example 31 provides the vehicle management system according to any of examples 27 through 30, where the vehicle manager is configured to determine that the vehicle is within a range of the user, and in response to the determination, instruct the vehicle to output the audio notification according to the selected audio option. 
     Example 32 provides the vehicle management system according to any of examples 27 through 31, where the vehicle includes a plurality of speakers located in different positions, and the vehicle management system is further configured to identify a portion of the vehicle to be accessed by the user, and instruct the vehicle to output the audio notification from a speaker of the plurality of speakers located at a position associated with the identified portion of the vehicle to be accessed by the user. 
     Example 33 provides a method for providing an audio notification from a vehicle having a speaker, the method including receiving a selected audio option of a plurality of audio options for notifying a user that the vehicle has arrived within a range of the user; determining that the vehicle is within the range of the user; retrieving, from a memory storing instructions for generating sound according to the plurality of audio options, an instruction for generating a sound according to the selected audio option; and providing the retrieved instruction to the speaker to emit sound according to the selected audio option. 
     Example 34 provides the method according to example 33, where the method further includes providing the plurality of audio options to the user via a user interface, and receiving the selected audio option via the user interface, the selected audio option having been selected by the user. 
     Example 35 provides the method according to example 33 or 34, where the plurality of audio options include volume levels or pitches, and the selected audio option is one of a selected volume level and a selected pitch. 
     Example 36 provides the method according to any of examples 33 through 35, where the plurality of audio options include a plurality of audio patterns, and the audio option, or a second audio option, selected by the user is an audio pattern. 
     Example 37 provides the method according to any of examples 33 through 36, where the method further includes selecting, by a vehicle management system, the selected audio option; and transmitting, by the vehicle management system, data describing the selected audio option to a user device of the user, where the user device is configured to output audio according to the transmitted data describing the selected audio option to inform the user of the selected audio option. 
     Example 38 provides the method according to example 37, where the method further includes retrieving a second audio option selected for a second vehicle in a same geographic area as the vehicle, and selecting the audio option so that the audio option is different from the second audio option. 
     Example 39 provides the method according to any of examples 33 through 38, where the vehicle includes a plurality of speakers located in different positions, and the method further involves identifying a portion of the vehicle to be accessed by the user, and instructing the vehicle to emit the sound from a speaker of the plurality of speakers located at a position associated with the identified portion of the vehicle to be accessed by the user. 
     Example 40 provides the method according to any of examples 33 through 39, where the method further includes determining that the user has accessed the vehicle, and, in response to determining that the user has accessed the vehicle, instructing the speaker to stop emitting the sound. 
     Other Implementation Notes, Variations, and Applications 
     It is to be understood that not necessarily all objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment described herein. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain embodiments may be configured to operate in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. 
     In one example embodiment, any number of electrical circuits of the FIGS. may be implemented on a board of an associated electronic device. The board can be a general circuit board that can hold various components of the internal electronic system of the electronic device and, further, provide connectors for other peripherals. More specifically, the board can provide the electrical connections by which the other components of the system can communicate electrically. Any suitable processors (inclusive of digital signal processors, microprocessors, supporting chipsets, etc.), computer-readable non-transitory memory elements, etc. can be suitably coupled to the board based on particular configuration needs, processing demands, computer designs, etc. Other components such as external storage, additional sensors, controllers for audio/video display, and peripheral devices may be attached to the board as plug-in cards, via cables, or integrated into the board itself. In various embodiments, the functionalities described herein may be implemented in emulation form as software or firmware running within one or more configurable (e.g., programmable) elements arranged in a structure that supports these functions. The software or firmware providing the emulation may be provided on non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions to allow a processor to carry out those functionalities. 
     It is also imperative to note that all of the specifications, dimensions, and relationships outlined herein (e.g., the number of processors, logic operations, etc.) have only been offered for purposes of example and teaching only. Such information may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure, or the scope of the appended claims. The specifications apply only to one non-limiting example and, accordingly, they should be construed as such. In the foregoing description, example embodiments have been described with reference to particular arrangements of components. Various modifications and changes may be made to such embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The description and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense. 
     Note that with the numerous examples provided herein, interaction may be described in terms of two, three, four, or more components. However, this has been done for purposes of clarity and example only. It should be appreciated that the system can be consolidated in any suitable manner. Along similar design alternatives, any of the illustrated components, modules, and elements of the FIGS. may be combined in various possible configurations, all of which are clearly within the broad scope of this Specification. 
     Note that in this Specification, references to various features (e.g., elements, structures, modules, components, steps, operations, characteristics, etc.) included in “one embodiment”, “example embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “another embodiment”, “some embodiments”, “various embodiments”, “other embodiments”, “alternative embodiment”, and the like are intended to mean that any such features are included in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, but may or may not necessarily be combined in the same embodiments. 
     Numerous other changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications may be ascertained to one skilled in the art and it is intended that the present disclosure encompass all such changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications as falling within the scope of the appended claims. Note that all optional features of the systems and methods described above may also be implemented with respect to the methods or systems described herein and specifics in the examples may be used anywhere in one or more embodiments. 
     In order to assist the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and, additionally, any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, Applicant wishes to note that the Applicant: (a) does not intend any of the appended claims to invoke paragraph (f) of 35 U.S.C. Section 112 as it exists on the date of the filing hereof unless the words “means for” or “step for” are specifically used in the particular claims; and (b) does not intend, by any statement in the Specification, to limit this disclosure in any way that is not otherwise reflected in the appended claims.