Seamless vehicle entry

• US 10,310,505 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2018
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Hanson, Eric James, Nix, Molly Castle, Chin, Sean, Zhao, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Whittington, Jess
• Application Number:
  US15/877,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20190171207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]

Abstract

Systems, methods, tangible non-transitory computer-readable media, and devices for autonomous vehicle operation are provided. For example, a method can include receiving trip data that includes information associated with a request for the autonomous vehicle at a pick-up location. The autonomous vehicle can then travel to the pick-up location. The autonomous vehicle can detect one or more signals associated with the trip data. In response to determining that the one or more signals satisfy one or more broadcast criteria associated with authorizing access to the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle can activate one or more vehicle systems associated with fulfilling the request for the autonomous vehicle at the pick-up location. The one or more broadcast criteria can be based in part on one or more properties of the one or more signals.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of autonomous vehicle operation, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by an autonomous vehicle comprising one or more computing devices, trip data comprising information associated with a request for the autonomous vehicle at a pick-up location;

travelling, by the autonomous vehicle, based in part on the trip data, to the pick-up location;

determining, by the autonomous vehicle, a location of the autonomous vehicle;

determining, by the autonomous vehicle, a signal disruption value based in part on the location of the autonomous vehicle and map data comprising an indication of one or more features that disrupt detection of one or more autonomous vehicle signals;

broadcasting, by the autonomous vehicle, one or more autonomous vehicle signals comprising information associated with the location of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more autonomous vehicle signals are broadcast using a protocol based in part on the signal disruption value;

detecting, by the autonomous vehicle, one or more signals associated with the trip data;

determining, by the autonomous vehicle, based in part on one or more properties of the one or more signals, a proximity of the autonomous vehicle to a source of the one or more signals;

generating, by the autonomous vehicle, based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals, one or more indications, wherein a frequency of the one or more indications is based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals; and

responsive to determining that the one or more signals satisfy one or more broadcast criteria associated with authorizing access to the autonomous vehicle, activating, by the autonomous vehicle, one or more vehicle systems associated with fulfilling the request for the autonomous vehicle at the pick-up location.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the satisfying the one or more broadcast criteria comprises the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals being within a threshold distance.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more properties of the one or more signals comprise a received signal strength of the one or more signals or a signal to noise ratio of the one or more signals.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,

wherein a type, or a magnitude of the one or more indications is based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the type of the one or more indications comprises one or more haptic indications, one or more light indications, one or more color indications, one or more audio indications, one or more pictorial indications, one or more pictographic indications, or one or more textual indications.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further-comprising:

wherein the one or more broadcast criteria are based in part on the location associated with the autonomous vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more features comprise buildings, tunnels, vegetation, weather conditions, or sources of electromagnetic transmissions.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the autonomous vehicle, a trip identifier to identify the autonomous vehicle; and

broadcasting, by the autonomous vehicle, one or more signals comprising the trip identifier.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the trip identifier comprises information associated with one or more symbols and is based in part on a randomly generated trip identifier generated through use of a pseudorandom number generator and a random seed, or selected from a plurality of trip identifiers that have not been used for a predetermined period of time.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the activating the one or more vehicle systems one or more vehicle systems associated with fulfilling the request for the autonomous vehicle at the pick-up location comprises unlocking an entrance to the autonomous vehicle, locking the entrance to the autonomous vehicle, opening the entrance to the autonomous vehicle, unlocking a cargo area of the autonomous vehicle, opening the cargo area of the autonomous vehicle, slowing the autonomous vehicle to a stop, or generating an availability indicator of the autonomous vehicle.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the protocol comprises Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

12. One or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving trip data comprising information associated with a request for an autonomous vehicle at a pick-up location;

controlling, based in part on the trip data, the autonomous vehicle to travel to the pick-up location;

determining a location of the autonomous vehicle;

determining a signal disruption value based in part on the location of the autonomous vehicle and map data comprising an indication of one or more features that disrupt detection of one or more autonomous vehicle signals;

broadcasting one or more autonomous vehicle signals comprising information associated with the location of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more autonomous vehicle signals are broadcast using a protocol based in part on the signal disruption value;

detecting one or more signals associated with the trip data;

determining, based in part on one or more properties of the one or more signals, a proximity of the autonomous vehicle to a source of the one or more signals;

generating, based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals, one or more indications, wherein a frequency of the one or more indications is based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals; and

responsive to determining that the one or more signals satisfy one or more broadcast criteria associated with authorizing access to the autonomous vehicle, activating one or more vehicle systems associated with fulfilling the request for the autonomous vehicle at the pick-up location.

13. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the satisfying the one or more broadcast criteria comprise the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals being within a threshold distance.

14. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, further comprising:

generating, based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals, one or more indications, wherein a type, or a magnitude of the one or more indications is based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals.

15. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the protocol comprises Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

16. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory comprising one or more computer-readable media, the memory storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving trip data comprising information associated with a request for an autonomous vehicle at a pick-up location;

controlling, based in part on the trip data, the autonomous vehicle to travel to the pick-up location;

determining a location of the autonomous vehicle;

determining a signal disruption value based in part on the location of the autonomous vehicle and map data comprising an indication of one or more features that disrupt detection of one or more autonomous vehicle signals;

broadcasting one or more autonomous vehicle signals comprising information associated with the location of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more autonomous vehicle signals are broadcast using a protocol based in part on the signal disruption value;

detecting one or more signals associated with the trip data;

determining, based in part on one or more properties of the one or more signals, a proximity of the autonomous vehicle to a source of the one or more signals;

generating, based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals, one or more indications, wherein a frequency of the one or more indications is based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals; and

responsive to determining that the one or more signals satisfy one or more broadcast criteria associated with authorizing access to the autonomous vehicle, activating one or more vehicle systems associated with fulfilling the request for the autonomous vehicle at the pick-up location.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the satisfying the one or more broadcast criteria comprises the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals being within a threshold distance.

18. The computing system of claim 16, further comprising:

generating, based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals, one or more indications, wherein a type, or a magnitude of the one or more indications is based in part on the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to the source of the one or more signals.

19. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the protocol comprises Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.