Unlock and authentication for autonomous vehicles

• US 9,194,168 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hubert, Renaud-Roland, Lu, David Tse-Zhou, Johnson, Calvin Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/550,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20150337587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/40 Dynamic objects, e.g. animals, windblown objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/24 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0025 specially adapted for specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00253 Taxi operations
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/76 responsive to devices carried by persons or objects, e.g. magnets or reflectors E05F15/77 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/426 against unauthorised use E05Y2400/51, E05Y2400/522 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 : Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 : Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• 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 1/0212 : with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 : using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 : Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/30 : Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/586 : of parking space
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 : indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

In one aspect, a vehicle'"'"'s computing device may receive information identifying a client computing device, a pickup location, and an encryption key. When the vehicle is within a given distance of the pickup location, the computing device uses the encryption key to authenticate the client computing device. When the client computing device is authenticated, the computing device may estimate a first distance between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device. The computing device may then automatically determine when to unlock the vehicle by selecting between a first distance value and a second distance value. The first value is selected when the first distance is greater than a threshold value, and the second value is selected when the first distance is less than the threshold value. The computing device may unlock the vehicle based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices, information assigning a vehicle to a client computing device and a pickup location for the client computing device, the information further including an encryption key for authenticating a client computing device to the vehicle;

when the vehicle is within a given distance of the pickup location using, by the one or more computing devices, the encryption key to authenticate the client computing device to the vehicle;

when the client computing device is authenticated, estimating a first distance, by the one or more computing devices, between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, when to unlock the vehicle by selecting between a first distance value and a second distance value, wherein the first distance value is selected when the first distance is greater than a threshold value and the second distance value is selected when the first distance is less than a threshold value, and wherein the first distance value is different from the second distance value; and

automatically unlocking the vehicle, by the one or more computing devices, based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first distance is greater than the threshold value, and the method further comprises:

estimating a second distance, by the one or more computing devices, between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device after the client computing device is authenticated, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; and

comparing the second distance to the first distance value, and wherein automatically unlocking the vehicle is further based on the comparison.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein automatically unlocking the vehicle is further based on whether the second distance is less than or equal to the first distance value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first distance is greater than the threshold value, and the method further comprises:

estimating a second distance, by the one or more computing devices, between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device after the client computing device is authenticated, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; and

comparing the second distance to the second distance value, wherein automatically unlocking the vehicle is further based on the comparison.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein automatically unlocking the vehicle is further based on whether the second distance is less than or equal to the second distance value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of directional antennas and estimating the first distance includes identifying an antenna of the plurality that receives strongest signal strength.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second distance value is less than the first distance value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further includes a destination location, and the method further comprises, after automatically unlocking the vehicle, autonomously maneuvering the vehicle to the destination location.

9. A system comprising one or more computing devices configured to:

receive information assigning a vehicle to a client computing device and a pickup location for the client computing device, the information further including an encryption key for authenticating a client computing device to the vehicle;

when the vehicle is within a given distance of the pickup location use the encryption key to authenticate the client computing device to the vehicle;

when the client computing device is authenticated, estimate a first distance between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device;

determine when to unlock the vehicle by selecting between a first distance value and a second distance value, wherein the first distance value is selected when the first distance is greater than a threshold value and the second distance value is selected when the first distance is less than a threshold value, and wherein the first distance value is different from the second distance value; and

automatically unlock the vehicle based on the determination.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first distance is greater than the threshold value, and the one or more computing devices are further configured to:

estimate a second distance between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device after the client computing device is authenticated, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; and

compare the second distance to the first distance value, and wherein automatically unlocking the vehicle is further based on the comparison.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to automatically unlock the vehicle further based on whether the second distance is less than or equal to the first distance value.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first distance is greater than the threshold value and the one or more computing devices are further configured to:

estimate a second distance between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device after the client computing device is authenticated, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance;

compare the second distance to the second distance value; and

automatically unlock the vehicle further based on the comparison.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to automatically unlock the vehicle further based on whether the second distance is less than or equal to the second distance value.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of directional antennas and the one or more computing devices are further configured to estimate the first distance includes identifying an antenna of the plurality that receives strongest signal strength.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the second distance value is less than the first distance value.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the information further includes a destination location, and the one or more computing devices are further configured to, after automatically unlocking the vehicle, autonomously maneuvering the vehicle to the destination location.

17. The system of claim 9, further comprising the vehicle.

18. A tangible, non-transitory recording medium on which instructions are stored, the instructions when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving information assigning a vehicle to a client computing device and a pickup location for the client computing device, the information further including an encryption key for authenticating a client computing device to the vehicle;

when the vehicle is within a given distance of the pickup location using the encryption key to authenticate the client computing device to the vehicle;

when the client computing device is authenticated, estimating a first distance between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device;

determining when to unlock the vehicle by selecting between a first distance value and a second distance value, wherein the first distance value is selected when the first distance is greater than a threshold value and the second distance value is selected when the first distance is less than a threshold value, and wherein the first distance value is different from the second distance value; and

automatically unlocking the vehicle based on the determination.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the first distance is greater than the threshold value and the method further comprises:

estimating a second distance between the client computing device and the vehicle based on a strength of a signal received from the client computing device after the client computing device is authenticated, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance; and

comparing the second distance to the first distance value, and wherein automatically unlocking the vehicle is further based on the comparison.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein automatically unlock the vehicle further based on whether the second distance is less than or equal to the first distance value.