Method and device for enabling access to a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, in particular for conveying a consignment of goods

• US 10,246,054 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Rous, Martin, Hofsaess, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Dionne
• Application Number:
  US15/575,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20180148016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general

Abstract

The present disclosure is based on a device and on a method for enabling access to a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle has at least one sensor which senses the surroundings and and/or the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. The core of the present disclosure is that the enabling of access which occurs in response to an enabling request originating from outside the motor vehicle takes place at least as a function of the sensing by the sensor. The disclosure advantageously provides secure access to the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detecting a surroundings of the motor vehicle;

a compartment; and

an authorization device operatively connected to the at least one sensor and the compartment, the authorization device being configured to;

receive an authorization request transmitted from an automated drone that is outside the motor vehicle;

perform a successful authorization to the compartment in response to the request only in response to detecting that no humans are within a predetermined radius of the motor vehicle based on data corresponding to the surroundings of the motor vehicle received from the at least one sensor; and

open the compartment to receive a consignment of goods from the automated drone only in response to the successful authorization.

2. A method for enabling access to a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting, with at least one sensor of the motor vehicle; and

performing an authorization of the access, in response to an authorization request transmitted from an automated drone that is outside the motor vehicle, the authorization of access further comprising;

performing a successful authorization to a compartment of the motor vehicle only in response to detecting that no humans are within a predetermined radius of the motor vehicle based on data corresponding to the surroundings of the motor vehicle received from the at least one sensor; and

opening the compartment in the motor vehicle to receive a consignment of goods from the automated drone only in response to the successful authorization.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, an ultrasound sensor, an infrared sensor, and a video system.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the authorization is performed only when the motor vehicle is stationary.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

performing at least one of (i) driving assistance and (ii) safety functions using the at least one sensor during a driving operation of the motor vehicle.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

ascertaining, with a camera in a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, a state variable representing occupancy of the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle by at least one of a person or an object, wherein the authorization occurs as a function of the state variable.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

conveying, with the automated drone, the consignment of goods to an alternative location in response to an unsuccessful authorization.