PASSENGER VALIDATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20180075565A1
• Filed: 09/13/2016
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Myers, Scott Vincent, Crawford, Mark, Scaria, Lisa, Nagraj Rao, Nikhil
• Application Number:
  US15/264,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20180075565A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Example passenger validation systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method receives, at a vehicle, a transport request indicating a passenger and a pick-up location. The vehicle drives to the pick-up location and authenticates the passenger at the pick-up location. If the passenger is successfully authenticated, the method unlocks the vehicle doors to allow access to the vehicle, determines a number of people entering the vehicle, and confirms that the number of people entering the vehicle matches a number of passengers associated with the transport request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a transport request at a vehicle, the transport request indicating a passenger and a pick-up location;

driving to the pick-up location;

authenticating the passenger at the pick-up location;

responsive to successfully authenticating the passenger;

unlocking vehicle doors to allow access to the vehicle;

determining a number of people entering the vehicle; and

confirming that the number of people entering the vehicle matches a number of passengers associated with the transport request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to not successfully authenticating the passenger;

notifying the passenger that authentication failed; and

providing instructions for making a transport request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the passenger at the pick-up location includes:

capturing an image of the passenger'"'"'s face using a vehicle-mounted camera;

identifying an image of the passenger in a user profile; and

applying a facial recognition algorithm to determine whether the captured image substantially matches the image in the user profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the passenger at the pick-up location includes:

identifying a unique identifier associated with a mobile device in the passenger'"'"'s user profile; and

determining if the passenger is currently carrying a mobile device with the unique identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to not successfully confirming that the number of people entering the vehicle matches a number of passengers associated with the transport request;

requesting verification that the additional people are guests of the person making the transport request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

driving to a destination associated with the transport request;

determining a number of people exiting the vehicle at the destination; and

confirming that the number of people exiting the vehicle matches the number of people that entered the vehicle at the pick-up location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

responsive to not successfully confirming that the number of people exiting the vehicle matches the number of people that entered the vehicle at the pick-up location;

generating a notification that all passengers must exit the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

locking the vehicle doors; and

awaiting the next transport request.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein confirming that the number of people exiting the vehicle matches the number of people that entered the vehicle at the pick-up location includes capturing, using a vehicle-mounted camera, images of passengers exiting the vehicle at the destination.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein confirming that the number of people exiting the vehicle matches the number of people that entered the vehicle at the pick-up location includes confirming, using a vehicle-mounted camera, that no passengers remain inside the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a transport request at a vehicle, the transport request indicating a passenger, a pick-up location, and a destination;

driving to the pick-up location;

authenticating the passenger at the pick-up location;

responsive to successfully authenticating the passenger;

unlocking vehicle doors to allow access to the vehicle;

determining a number of people entering the vehicle;

confirming that the number of people entering the vehicle matches a number of passengers associated with the transport request;

driving to the destination;

determining a number of people exiting the vehicle at the destination; and

confirming that the number of people exiting the vehicle at the destination matches the number of people that entered the vehicle at the pick-up location.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

responsive to not successfully authenticating the passenger;

notifying the passenger that authentication failed; and

providing instructions for making a transport request.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein authenticating the passenger at the pick-up location includes:

capturing an image of the passenger'"'"'s face using a vehicle-mounted camera;

identifying an image of the passenger in a user profile; and

applying a facial recognition algorithm to determine whether the captured image substantially matches the image in the user profile.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein authenticating the passenger at the pick-up location includes:

identifying a unique identifier associated with a mobile device in the passenger'"'"'s user profile; and

determining if the passenger is currently carrying a mobile device with the unique identifier.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

responsive to not successfully confirming that the number of people entering the vehicle matches a number of passengers associated with the transport request;

requesting verification that the additional people are guests of the person making the transport request.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

responsive to not successfully confirming that the number of people exiting the vehicle matches the number of people that entered the vehicle at the pick-up location;

generating a notification that all passengers must exit the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

locking the vehicle doors; and

awaiting the next transport request.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a communication manager configured to receive a transport request indicating a passenger and a pick-up location;

an automated driving system configured to drive a vehicle to the pick-up location;

a passenger identification module configured to authenticate the passenger at the pick-up location;

wherein, responsive to successfully authenticating the passenger at the pick-up location, a vehicle access manager is configured to;

unlock the vehicle doors to allow access to the vehicle;

determine a number of people entering the vehicle; and

confirm that the number of people entering the vehicle matches a number of passengers associated with the transport request.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the vehicle access manager is further configured to:

determine a number of people exiting the vehicle at the destination; and

confirm that the number of people exiting the vehicle matches the number of people that entered the vehicle at the pick-up location.