Detecting objects within a vehicle in connection with a service

• US 9,909,349 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2017
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Bradley, David McAllister, Valois, Jean-Sebastien
• Primary Examiner(s): ANTONUCCI, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US15/629,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20170284147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/44 Sensors therefore E05Y2400/322, E05Y2400/33, E05Y2400/55, E05Y2400/56, E05Y2400/852 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/45 Control modes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/548 Trunk lids
• 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 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A system for monitoring a vehicle used in providing a service is disclosed. The system detects when the service is complete, and upon detecting that the service is complete, the system determines, from one or more sensors of the vehicle, that an object which should have been removed from the vehicle after completion of the transport service, remains in the vehicle. The system then automatically initiates performance of a remedial action.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an autonomous vehicle that is operating to provide a first transport service, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

upon determining, from one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, that an object which should be removed from the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service, automatically initiating performance of a remedial action associated with the object prior to providing a second transport service,

wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes detecting that the object has been placed in a trunk of the autonomous vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle include one or more of (i) a camera, (ii) a weighing device, (iii) a suspension sensor, (iv) a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, (v) a radio-frequency transceiver, or (vi) an ultrasound sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes detecting a position of the object inside the autonomous vehicle based on image information from one or more cameras that are positioned within the autonomous vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle include compression sensors positioned to detect compression of a portion of the autonomous vehicle that detect that the object has been placed in that portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes determining that an electronic device is in the autonomous vehicle based on radio-frequency signals emitted by the object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining that the electronic device is in the autonomous vehicle includes comparing location information from location sensors of the electronic device to location information from the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes determining first sensor data from the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle when the first transport service is being provided, determining second sensor data after completion of the first transport service, and comparing the first sensor data to the second sensor data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically initiating performance of the remedial action includes transmitting a notification that the object is still present in the autonomous vehicle to a computing system that arranged the first transport service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include chemosensors or gas chromatography sensors and the object is something that stained or spilled on an interior portion of the autonomous vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, from the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, when the object is initially placed in the autonomous vehicle by a passenger who enters the autonomous vehicle at a pickup location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting when the object is initially placed in the autonomous vehicle is performed in response to one of (i) detecting that the passenger has entered the autonomous vehicle, (ii) detecting that a predetermined duration of time has elapsed since detecting that the passenger has entered the autonomous vehicle, (iii) receiving, from a computing device associated with the passenger, a message indicating that the first transport service can begin as a result of an input being provided at the computing device associated with the passenger, (iv) receiving, from a computing device associated with the autonomous vehicle, a message indicating that the first transport service can begin as a result of an input being provided at the computing device associated with the autonomous vehicle from the passenger within the autonomous vehicle, or (v) determining that the autonomous vehicle has been positioned within a predetermined distance of the pickup location for a predetermined duration of time based on location information of the autonomous vehicle.

12. An autonomous vehicle comprising:

one or more sensors generating sensor data; and

a control system to execute instructions that cause the autonomous vehicle to;

operate to provide a first transport service; and

upon determining, from the sensor data, that an object which should be removed from the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service, automatically initiate performance of a remedial action associated with the object prior to providing a second transport service,

wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes detecting that the object has been placed in a trunk of the autonomous vehicle.

13. The autonomous vehicle of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of (i) a camera, (ii) a weighing device, (iii) a suspension sensor, (iv) a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, (v) a radio-frequency transceiver, or (vi) an ultrasound sensor.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an on-board computing system of an autonomous vehicle, cause the on-board computing system to:

operate to provide a first transport service; and

upon determining, from one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, that an object which should be removed from the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service, automatically initiate performance of a remedial action associated with the object prior to providing a second transport service,

wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes detecting that the object has been placed in a trunk of the autonomous vehicle.

15. A method for monitoring an autonomous vehicle that is operating to provide a first transport service, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

upon determining, from one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, that an object which should be removed from the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service, automatically initiating performance of a remedial action associated with the object prior to providing a second transport service,

wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes determining that an electronic device is in the autonomous vehicle based on radio-frequency signals emitted by the object and comparing location information from location sensors of the electronic device to location information from the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle.

16. A method for monitoring an autonomous vehicle that is operating to provide a first transport service, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

upon determining, from one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, that an object which should be removed from the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service, automatically initiating performance of a remedial action associated with the object prior to providing a second transport service,

wherein the one or more sensors include chemosensors or gas chromatography sensors and the object is something that stained or spilled on an interior portion of the autonomous vehicle.

17. A method for monitoring an autonomous vehicle that is operating to provide a first transport service, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

capturing one or more images of a portion of the autonomous vehicle using one or more cameras of the autonomous vehicle;

analyzing the one or more images to detect that an object which should be removed from the autonomous vehicle is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service;

upon determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service, communicating, over one or more networks, a message to a computing device associated with a user of the first transport service, the message notifying the user that the object is in the autonomous vehicle; and

scheduling an additional transport service to deliver the object to a specified location in response to receiving a request from the user to deliver the object to the specified location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the message includes an image of the object or results of image analysis.

19. A method for monitoring an autonomous vehicle that is operating to provide a first transport service, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

capturing one or more images of a portion of the autonomous vehicle using one or more cameras of the autonomous vehicle;

analyzing the one or more images to detect that an object which should be removed from the autonomous vehicle is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service;

upon determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service, communicating, over one or more networks, a message to a computing device associated with a user of the first transport service, the message notifying the user that the object is in the autonomous vehicle; and

causing the autonomous vehicle to remain stationary at a specified location until the object is detected as being removed from the autonomous vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the message includes an image of the object or results of image analysis.