Protecting contents of a smart vault being transported by a self-driving vehicle

• US 10,152,060 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gordon, Michael S., Kundu, Ashish, Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arthur Jeanglaude, Gertrude
• Application Number:
  US15/452,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20180259965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 701 24, 180170, 713200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/30 Detection related to theft or to other events relevant to anti-theft systems

Abstract

A method reduces a risk exposure to an item being transported by a self-driving vehicle (SDV). One or more processors determine a risk-level R for contents of a smart vault that is being transported by the SDV, where R describes a real-time risk of the contents being stolen from the smart vault while being transported by the SDV. In response to determining that R is greater than a predefined risk value, one or more processors electronically communicate an executable instruction to a SDV on-board computer to take a risk-lowering action that will reduce the level of R.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, a risk-level R for contents of a smart vault being transported by a self-driving vehicle (SDV), wherein R describes a real-time risk of the contents being stolen from the smart vault while being transported by the SDV that has an SDV on-board computer that controls the SDV; and

in response to determining that R is greater than a predefined risk value, electronically communicating, by one or more processors, an executable instruction to the SDV on-board computer to take a risk-lowering action that will reduce the level of R.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the executable instruction is transmitted wirelessly from the smart vault to the SDV on-board computer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the smart vault is from a group consisting of a safe, a deposit box, and a cargo compartment of the SDV.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by a positioning system, that the SDV is deviating from a planned route; and

increasing, by one or more processors, R based on the SDV deviating from the planned route.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by a sensor system, that the smart vault is being breached; and

increasing, by one or more processors, R based on the smart vault being breached.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by one or more sensors on the SDV, that the SDV is experiencing a mechanical breakdown; and

increasing, by one or more processors, R based on the SDV experiencing the mechanical breakdown.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by one or more processors, pre-defined anomalous movement by one or more vehicles that are in proximity to the SDV; and

increasing, by one or more processors, R based on the pre-defined anomalous movement by the one or more vehicles that are in proximity to the SDV.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, that the contents of the smart vault exceed a predefined value; and

increasing, by one or more processors, R based on the contents of the smart vault exceeding the predefined value.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by one or more sensors, inclement weather at a current location of the SDV, wherein the inclement weather has been predetermined to pose a threat to the contents of the smart vault; and

increasing, by one or more processors, R based on the inclement weather at the current location of the SDV.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by a sensor on the SDV, that the SDV is moving at a velocity that is less than a predefined value; and

increasing, by one or more processors, R based the SDV moving at the velocity that is less than the predefined value.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the SDV is traveling along a planned route, and wherein the risk-lowering action is the SDV taking a new route that is different from the planned route.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the risk-lowering action is transmitting an emergency signal that describes R exceeding the predefined risk value.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the risk-lowering action is a deployment of additional vault locking protection on the smart vault.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the risk-lowering action is modifying a configuration of the SDV.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the risk-lowering action is transferring the contents of the smart vault to an aerial drone.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the risk-lowering action is activating a fluid dispenser to dispense an anti-theft fluid on the smart vault, wherein the anti-theft fluid makes the smart vault inaccessible to a person.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions are executable by the device to cause the device to provide a service in a cloud environment.

17. A computer program product for protecting contents of a smart vault being transported by a self-driving vehicle (SDV), the computer program product comprising:

program instructions executable by a device to determine a risk-level R for contents of a smart vault being transported by a self-driving vehicle (SDV), wherein R describes a real-time risk of the contents being stolen from the smart vault while being transported by the SDV that has an SDV on-board computer that controls the SDV; and

program instructions executable by the device to, in response to determining that R is greater than a predefined risk value, electronically communicate an executable instruction to the SDV on-board computer to take a risk-lowering action that will reduce the level of R.

19. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer readable memories operably coupled to the one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable storage mediums having program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the stored program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine a risk-level R for contents of a smart vault being transported by a self-driving vehicle (SDV), wherein R describes a real-time risk of the contents being stolen from the smart vault while being transported by the SDV that has an SDV on-board computer that controls the SDV; and

program instructions to, in response to determining that R is greater than a predefined risk value, electronically communicate an executable instruction to the SDV on-board computer to take a risk-lowering action that will reduce the level of R.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the program instructions are executable by the system to cause the system to provide a service in a cloud environment.