Authorized remote control

• US 10,328,897 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Nabbe, Bartholomeus C., Chen, Tie-Qi, Lyon, Benjamin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Application Number:
  US15/275,147
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 : by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 : Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 : Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 : Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a vehicle navigation system which can navigate a vehicle through an environment based on driving commands received from a remote control system based on manual operator interaction with an interface of the remote control system. Remote driving control can be engaged based on determination, via processing vehicle sensor data, of a health emergency associated with one or more occupants of the vehicle, and the remote control system can generate remote driving commands which cause the vehicle to be navigated to a particular location without requiring the occupant associated with the health emergency to manually navigate the vehicle. The remote control system can monitor the occupant via communicated vehicle sensor data and can control remote control devices included in the vehicle to provide external indication that the vehicle is being navigated according to remote driving control.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle navigation system configured to be installed in a vehicle and control one or more sets of vehicle control elements installed in the vehicle to cause the vehicle to be navigated through an environment in which the vehicle is located based on remote driving commands received from a remote control system, wherein the vehicle navigation system is configured to;

transmit a remote control request signal, to the remote control system, based at least in part upon a determination that an occupant of an interior of the vehicle is associated with a health state which meets at least one threshold;

receive a remote control authorization request message from the remote control system; and

authorize the remote control system for remote driving control of the vehicle, based at least in part on a determination that the remote control authorization request message includes authentication data for the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

based at least in part authorization of the remote control system for remote driving control, transmit an authorization signal to the remote control system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, to authorize remote driving control of the vehicle, the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

identify an instance of identity data included in the remote control authorization request message; and

determine that the instance of identity data matches a locally stored instance of identity data.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the instance of identity data comprises an instance of identity data associated with a particular end user; and

the locally stored instance of identity data comprises an instance of identity data associated with an authorized end user who is authorized to request remote driving control of the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, to authorize remote driving control of the vehicle, the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

transmit an authorization signal which specifies password information via which the remote control system can engage remote driving control of the vehicle; and

execute one or more remote driving command signals received from the remote control system, based at least in part on a determination that the one or more remote driving command signals include the specified password information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

transmit a remote control request signal, to the remote control system, based at least in part upon user interaction with one or more user interfaces installed in the vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

authorize remote driving control of the vehicle concurrently with generating the remote control request signal, based at least in part upon the based at least in part upon user interaction with one or more user interfaces installed in the vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

selectively engage one or more sets of remote control devices based on one or more devices commands received from the remote control system, wherein the one or more sets of remote control devices are configured to provide externally-observable indications that the vehicle is being navigated via remote driving control.

9. A system, comprising:

a vehicle comprising one or more sets of vehicle control elements configured to cause the vehicle to be navigated through an environment in which the vehicle is located based on remote driving commands received from a remote control system; and

a vehicle navigation system is configured to;

transmit a remote control request signal, to the remote control system, based at least in part upon a determination that an occupant of an interior of the vehicle is associated with a health state which meets at least one threshold;

receive a remote control authorization request message from the remote control system; and

authorize the remote control system for remote driving control of the vehicle, based at least in part on a determination that the remote control authorization request message includes authentication data for the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

based at least in part authorization of the remote control system for remote driving control, transmit an authorization signal to the remote control system.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more interfaces configured to communicatively couple to a communication network, wherein the remote control request signal is transmitted to the remote control system via the communication network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more interfaces comprises one or more cellular communication devices, wireless communication transceivers, radio communication interfaces, or any combination thereof.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein to authorize remote driving control of the vehicle, the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

identify an instance of identity data included in the remote control authorization request message; and

determine that the instance of identity data matches a locally stored instance of identity data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, to authorize remote driving control of the vehicle, the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

transmit an authorization signal which specifies password information via which the remote control system can engage remote driving control of the vehicle; and

execute one or more remote driving command signals received from the remote control system, based at least in part on a determination that the one or more remote driving command signals include the specified password information.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

transmit a remote control request signal, to the remote control system, based at least in part upon user interaction with one or more user interfaces installed in the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising one or more sensors configured to collect sensor data for the vehicle, wherein the vehicle navigation system is further configured to:

determine the health state of the occupant based at least in part on the sensor data.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle navigation system is configured to:

receive a disable remote driving control request;

navigate the vehicle to a stopped position; and

enable manual driving control of the vehicle.

18. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

transmit a remote control request signal, to a remote control system, based at least in part upon a determination that an occupant of an interior of a vehicle is associated with a health state which meets at least one threshold;

receive a remote control authorization request message from the remote control system; and

authorize the remote control system for remote driving control of the vehicle, based at least in part on a determination that the remote control authorization request message includes authentication data for the vehicle.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

identify an instance of identity data included in the remote control authorization request message; and

determine that the instance of identity data matches a locally stored instance of identity data.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

authorize remote driving control of the vehicle concurrently with generating the remote control request signal, based at least in part upon the based at least in part upon user interaction with one or more user interfaces installed in the vehicle.

21. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

selectively engage one or more sets of remote control devices based on one or more devices commands received from the remote control system, wherein the one or more sets of remote control devices are configured to provide externally-observable indications that the vehicle is being navigated via remote driving control.