Method for secure transfer of an unaccompanied person by autonomous vehicle

• US 10,401,851 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Carlhoff, Philipp, Neugebauer, Georg, Strahl, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US15/865,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20180196421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 701 25
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8006 for monitoring and displaying scenes of vehicle interior, e.g. for monitoring passengers or cargo
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/252 Fingerprint recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/00 Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• 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: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

A method of operating a self-driving (autonomous) motor vehicle to transport a passenger who requires supervision. An authorization of a sender to operate the vehicle is checked and, if authorized, the sender provides instructions to a vehicle control unit to designate a destination and one or more authorization criterion that must be met by a recipient in order to unlock the vehicle and take custody of the passenger at the destination. The vehicle travels to the destination autonomously, during which travel the status of the passenger is monitored and transmitted wirelessly to a device in the possession of the sender. At the destination, unlocking of the vehicle is permitted upon confirmation of the authorization criterion by the recipient.

Claims

1. A method for operating a self-driving motor vehicle to transport a passenger to a destination in a secure transfer mode wherein unlocking of the vehicle at the destination requires authorization, comprising:

receiving from a sender, via a human-machine interface, instructions comprising the destination and at least one authorization criterion required to unlock the vehicle;

operating an electronic monitoring device to monitor a passenger status during autonomous travel to the destination;

transmitting the passenger status wirelessly for receipt by the sender; and

at the destination, receiving from a recipient other than the passenger, the authorization criterion to unlock the vehicle,

wherein the recipient obtains the authorization criterion from the sender.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

operating a control unit of the vehicle to confirm a sender is authorized to operate the vehicle in the secure transfer mode.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

preventing the passenger from removing an occupant restraint belt prior to arrival at the destination.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the confirmation of the authorization criterion comprises a recipient matching an authorized finger print.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the confirmation of the authorization criterion comprises a recipient entering into human-machine interface a character sequence that matches a predetermined character sequence.

6. The method for claim 1 wherein the monitoring of passenger status comprises video monitoring.

7. A system for self-driving motor vehicle comprising:

a controller programmed to

accept from a sender a destination and an authorization criterion;

lock a vehicle door;

monitor a passenger status during vehicle travel to the destination;

communicate the passenger status to the sender; and

at the destination, unlock the vehicle door after confirmation that a recipient, other than the passenger, meets the authorization criterion obtained from the sender.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the controller is further programmed to:

prevent a passenger from removing an occupant restraint belt prior to arrival at the destination.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the confirmation that the recipient meets the authorization criterion comprises the recipient matching an authorized finger print.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the confirmation that the recipient meets the authorization criterion comprises the recipient entering into a human-machine interface device a character sequence that matches a predetermined character sequence.

11. The system for claim 7 wherein the monitoring of passenger status comprises video monitoring.

12. The system for claim 7 wherein the controller is further programmed to:

before accepting the destination and authorization criterion, confirm the sender has authorization to operate the vehicle.

13. A method for operating a self-driving motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving from a sender instructions including a destination for the vehicle and an authorization criterion required to unlock the vehicle at the destination;

performing a first check to confirm the sender is authorized to command operation of the vehicle;

responsive to the instructions and the sender being authorized, locking a passenger in the vehicle and transporting the passenger to the destination;

responsive to arrival of the vehicle at the destination and receipt of data from a recipient that was obtained by the recipient from the sender, performing a second check to confirm the recipient is authorized to escort the passenger from the vehicle, the second check including determining whether the data satisfies the authorization criterion received from the sender; and

responsive to the data satisfying the authorization criterion, unlocking the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

preventing the passenger from removing an occupant restraint belt prior to arrival at the destination.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the confirmation of the authorization criterion comprises a recipient matching an authorized finger print.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the confirmation of the authorization criterion comprises a recipient entering into human-machine interface a character sequence that matches a predetermined character sequence.

17. The method for claim 13 wherein the monitoring of passenger status comprises video monitoring.