METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADDRESSING AND IDENTIFYING VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR RECEIPT OF A DELIVERED SERVICE WHILE BEING UNATTENDED

• US 20170018181A1
• Filed: 02/11/2015
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Davidsson, Staffan, Maresch, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 10,013,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/142 external to the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method performed by a vehicle identification system (2) for addressing and identifying vehicles adapted for receipt of a delivered service while being unattended. The vehicle identification system determines (301), by means of a determining unit (21), a position (11) of one or more vehicles of a group of vehicles (1) awaiting the delivered service. The vehicle identification system furthermore determines (302), by means of the determining unit, a position (31) of a service provider (3) adapted to carry out the delivered service. Additionally, the vehicle identification system receives (303), by means of a receiving unit (22), an input (5) from the service provider indicating an interest in nearby vehicles, out of the group of vehicles, which are in vicinity of the service provider. Furthermore, the vehicle identification system determines (304), by means of the determining unit, at least a first nearby vehicle (101), out of the group of vehicles, to be in vicinity of the service provider, based on considering a determined position (1011) of the first nearby vehicle in view of the position of the service provider. The vehicle identification system additionally requests (306), by means of a requesting unit (23), at least the first nearby vehicle to announce itself. The disclosure also relates to a vehicle identification system in accordance with the foregoing. an announcing system (8) and a method performed therein for enabling the vehicle identification system to address and identify vehicles adapted for receipt of a delivered service while being unattended. The disclosure furthermore relates to a vehicle (101) comprising at least parts of such an announcing system.

Claims

1. A method performed by a vehicle identification system for addressing and identifying vehicles adapted for receipt of a delivered service while being unattended, said vehicle identification system being adapted to communicate indirectly or directly with said vehicles and with a service provider adapted to carry out said delivered service, said method comprising:

determining, by means of a determining unit comprised in said vehicle identification system, a position of one or more vehicles of a group of vehicles awaiting said delivered service, which position is received indirectly or directly from the corresponding vehicle;

determining, by means of said determining unit, a position of said service provider adapted to carry out said delivered service, which position is received indirectly or directly from said service provider;

receiving, by means of a receiving unit comprised in said vehicle identification system, an input represented by a signal or message from said service provider indicating an interest in nearby vehicles, out of said group of vehicles, which are in vicinity of said service provider;

determining, by means of said determining unit, at least a first nearby vehicle, out of said group of vehicles, to be in vicinity of said service provider, based on comparing a determined position of said first nearby vehicle to said position of the service provider; and

requesting, by means of a requesting unit comprised in said vehicle identification system, at least said first nearby vehicle to announce itself, by sending a request indirectly or directly to said first nearby vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said requesting at least the first nearby vehicle to announce itself comprises requesting at least said first nearby vehicle to announce itself visually and/or audibly, for instance by means of blinking and/or honking.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining at least the first nearby vehicle further comprises:

determining at least a second nearby vehicle, out of said group of vehicles, to be in vicinity of said service provider, based on considering a determined position of said second nearby vehicle in view of said position of the service provider; and

wherein said requesting at least the first nearby vehicle to announce itself further comprises;

requesting at least said second nearby vehicle to announce itself.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining at least the first nearby vehicle comprises:

determining the at least first nearby vehicle, out of said group of vehicles, to be in vicinity of said service provider, based on;

a distance between said position of the first nearby vehicle and said position of the service provider being within a predetermined range, and/or said position of the first nearby vehicle being within a predetermined region associated with said position of the service provider.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining the position of one or more vehicles of the group of vehicles awaiting said delivered service, comprises receiving said position indirectly or directly from the corresponding vehicle;

and/or wherein said requesting at least the first nearby vehicle to announce itself comprises sending a request indirectly or directly to said first nearby vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving the input from the service provider comprises:

receiving said input from a user interface of a control unit associated with said service provider, which control unit is in communication with said vehicle identification system, said control unit e.g. being comprised in said service provider and/or comprised in a mobile user equipment.

7. A vehicle identification system for addressing and identifying vehicles adapted for receipt of a delivered service while being unattended, said vehicle identification system being adapted to communicate indirectly or directly with said vehicles and with a service provider adapted to carry out said delivered service, said vehicle identification system comprising:

a determining unit adapted for determining a position of one or more vehicles of a group of vehicles awaiting said delivered service, which position is received indirectly or directly from the corresponding vehicle, said determining unit further being adapted for determining a position of said service provider adapted to carry out said delivered service, which position is received indirectly or directly from said service provider;

a receiving unit adapted for receiving an input represented by a signal or message from said service provider, said input indicating an interest in nearby vehicles, out of said group of vehicles, which are in vicinity of said service provider;

said determining unit further being adapted for determining at least a first nearby vehicle, out of said group of vehicles, to be in vicinity of said service provider, based on comparing a determined position of said first nearby vehicle to said position of the service provider; and

a requesting unit adapted for requesting at least said first nearby vehicle to announce itself by sending a request indirectly or directly to said first nearby vehicle.

8. The vehicle identification system according to claim 7, wherein said requesting unit is adapted to request at least the first nearby vehicle to announce itself visually and/or audibly, for instance by means of blinking and/or honking.

9. The vehicle identification system according to claim 7, wherein said determining unit further is adapted to determine at least a second nearby vehicle out of said group of vehicles, to be in vicinity of said service provider, based on considering a determined position of said second nearby vehicle in view of said position of the service provider;

and

wherein said requesting unit further is adapted to request at least said second nearby vehicle to announce itself.

10. The vehicle identification system according to claim 7, wherein said determining unit is adapted to determine the at least first nearby vehicle, out of said group of vehicles, to be in vicinity of said service provider, based on:

a distance between said position of the first nearby vehicle and said position of the service provider being within a predetermined range, and/or said position of the first nearby vehicle being within a predetermined region associated with said position of the service provider.

11. The vehicle identification system according to claim 7, wherein said determining unit is adapted to receive said position of the one or more vehicles of the group of vehicles awaiting said delivered service, directly or indirectly from the corresponding vehicle;

and/or wherein said requesting unit is adapted to send a request indirectly or directly to said first nearby vehicle.

12. The vehicle identification system according to claim 7, wherein said receiving unit is adapted to receive said input from a user interface of a control unit associated with said service provider, adapted to be in communication with said vehicle identification system, said control unit e.g. being comprised in said service provider and/or comprised in a mobile user equipment.

13. A method performed by an announcing system for enabling a vehicle identification system to address and identify vehicles adapted for receipt of a delivered service while being unattended, said announcing system being adapted to communicate directly or indirectly with said vehicle identification system, said method comprising:

providing, by means of a position provision unit (81) comprised in said announcing system, a position of one or more vehicles of a group of vehicles (1) awaiting said delivered service, to said vehicle identification system, which vehicle identification system is adapted to communicate indirectly or directly with said vehicles and with a service provider adapted to carry out said delivered service, said vehicle identification system being adapted to;

determine a position of said service provider adapted to carry out said delivered service, which position is received indirectly or directly from said service provider,

receive an input represented by a signal or message from said service provider indicating an interest in nearby vehicles, out of said group of vehicles, which are in vicinity of said service provider, and determine at least a first nearby vehicle, out of said group of vehicles, to be in vicinity of said service provider, based on comparing a determined position of said first nearby vehicle to said position of the service provider;

receiving, by means of a request receiving unit comprised in said announcing system, from said vehicle identification system, a request for said at least first nearby vehicle to announce itself; and

initiating (403), by means of an initiating unit comprised in said announcing system, announcing of said at least first nearby vehicle.

14. An announcing system for enabling a vehicle identification system to address and identify vehicles adapted for receipt of a delivered service while being unattended, said announcing system being adapted to communicate directly or indirectly with said vehicle identification system, said announcing system comprising:

a position provision unit adapted for providing, to said vehicle identification system, a position of one or more vehicles of a group of vehicles awaiting said delivered service, which vehicle identification system is adapted to communicate indirectly or directly with said vehicles and with a service provider adapted to carry out said delivered service, said vehicle identification system being adapted to;

determine a position of said service provider adapted to carry out said delivered service, which position (31) is received indirectly or directly from said service provider, receive an input represented by a signal or message from said service provider indicating an interest in nearby vehicles, out of said group of vehicles, which are in vicinity of said service provider, and

determine at least a first nearby vehicle, out of said group of vehicles, to be in vicinity of said service provider, based on comparing a determined position of said first nearby vehicle to said position of the service provider;

a request receiving unit adapted for receiving, from said vehicle identification system, a request for said at least first nearby vehicle to announce itself; and

an initiating unit adapted for initiating announcing of said at least first nearby vehicle.

15. A vehicle adapted for receipt of a delivered service while unattended, said vehicle comprising at least parts of said position provision unit, said request receiving unit and/or said initiating unit of the announcing system according to claim 14.