Destination criteria for unlocking a vehicle door

• US 10,370,877 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rose, Amy Leigh, Crowe, John Scott, Cudak, Gary David, Lee-Baron, Jennifer, Peterson, Nathan J., Young, Bryan Lloyd
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US15/273,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20180080263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/18 to effect movement of a bolt or bolts E05B81/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/56 Control of actuators
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/64 Monitoring or sensing, e.g. by using switches or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

For controlling vehicle egress, an apparatus is disclosed. A system, method, and program product also perform the functions of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a vehicle, a processor, a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The processor determines whether a supervised passenger is in the vehicle, locks a vehicle door in response to a supervised passenger being in the vehicle, and unlocks the vehicle door in response to the vehicle satisfying one or more predetermined destination criteria. The one or more predetermined destination criteria may include reaching a predetermined location and/or detecting a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a vehicle having at least one sensor for identifying a passenger in the vehicle;

a processor;

a memory that stores code executable by the processor to;

determine an identity and a location of the passenger using sensor data from the at least one sensor;

determine whether the passenger is a supervised passenger based on the identity of the passenger;

identify whether a vehicle door is accessible by the passenger based on the location of the passenger;

control a lock actuator of the vehicle to lock the vehicle door in response to the passenger being a supervised passenger and in response to the vehicle door being accessible by the supervised passenger; and

control the lock actuator of the vehicle to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle satisfying one or more predetermined destination criteria, the predetermined destination criteria including;

the vehicle reaching a predetermined location and detecting a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a camera, wherein controlling the lock actuator of the vehicle to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle detecting a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle comprises the processor:

analyzing image data from the camera to detect a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle; and

unlocking the vehicle door in response to the guardian being within a predetermined distance of the vehicle door.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a camera, wherein controlling the lock actuator of the vehicle to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle detecting a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle comprises the processor:

analyzing image data from the camera to detect an individual in proximity to the vehicle;

determining whether the individual is an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger; and

unlocking the vehicle door in response to the individual being an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein determining whether the individual is an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger comprises the processor:

determining whether the individual near the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle;

performing facial recognition of the individual near the vehicle in response to the individual being within the predetermined distance;

accessing a database of authorized guardians for the supervised passenger;

comparing facial recognition results to entries in the database of authorized guardians; and

determining whether the individual is an authorized guardian based on the comparison.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a receiver that receives a key from the individual, wherein determining whether the individual is an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger comprises the processor validating the received key.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the key is a transmission from an RFID tag.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a clock, wherein controlling the lock actuator of the vehicle to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle satisfying one or more predetermined destination criteria further comprises the processor unlocking the vehicle door only at a predetermined time.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supervised passenger is an unaccompanied minor.

9. A method comprising:

detecting, using a processor, a passenger in a vehicle;

identifying an in-vehicle location of the passenger;

determining, using the processor, whether the passenger is a supervised passenger, wherein the determination is based on one of sensor data and user input;

identifying, using the processor, whether a vehicle door is accessible by the passenger based on the in-vehicle location of the passenger;

controlling, using the processor, a lock actuator of the vehicle door to lock the vehicle door in response to the passenger being a supervised passenger and in response to the vehicle door being accessible by the supervised passenger; and

controlling, using the processor, the lock actuator to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle satisfying one or more predetermined destination criteria, the predetermined criteria including;

the vehicle reaching a predetermined location and detecting a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving image data from a camera coupled to the vehicle;

analyzing the image data to detect a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity the vehicle; and

wherein controlling the lock actuator to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle detecting a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle comprises the processor controlling the lock actuator to unlock the vehicle door in response to the guardian being within a predetermined distance of the vehicle door.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving image data from a camera coupled to the vehicle;

analyzing the image data to detect an individual in proximity to the vehicle;

determining whether the individual is an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger; and

wherein controlling the lock actuator to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle detecting a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle comprises the processor controlling the lock actuator to unlock the vehicle door in response to the individual being an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the individual is an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger comprises:

determining whether the individual near the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle;

performing facial recognition of the individual near the vehicle in response to the individual being within the predetermined distance;

accessing a database of authorized guardians for the supervised passenger;

comparing facial recognition results to entries in the database of authorized guardians; and

determining whether the individual is an authorized guardian based on the comparison.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the individual is an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger comprises validating a key received from the individual.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the key is a security token received from an electronic device of the individual.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the lock actuator to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle satisfying one or more predetermined destination criteria comprises the processor controlling the lock actuator to unlock the vehicle door only at a predetermined time.

16. A program product comprising a computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory signal and that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to:

determine an identity and an in-the vehicle location of a passenger in a vehicle;

determine whether the passenger is a supervised passenger;

identify a vehicle door accessible by the passenger based on the in-vehicle location of the passenger;

control a lock actuator of the vehicle to lock the vehicle door in response to the passenger being a supervised passenger and in response to the vehicle door being accessible by the supervised passenger; and

control the lock actuator of the vehicle to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle satisfying one or more predetermined destination criteria, the predetermined destination criteria including one or more of;

the vehicle reaching a predetermined location and detecting a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle.

17. The program product of claim 16, wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform:

receiving image data from a camera coupled to the vehicle;

analyzing the image data to detect a guardian near the vehicle; and

wherein controlling the lock actuator of the vehicle to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle detecting a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle comprises unlocking the vehicle door in response to the guardian being within a predetermined distance of the vehicle door.

18. The program product of claim 16, wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform:

receiving image data from a camera coupled to the vehicle;

analyzing the image data to detect an individual near the vehicle;

determining whether the individual is an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger; and

wherein controlling the lock actuator of the vehicle to unlock the vehicle door in response to the vehicle detecting a guardian of the supervised passenger in proximity to the vehicle comprises unlocking the vehicle door in response to the individual being an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger.

19. The program product of claim 18, wherein determining whether the individual is an authorized guardian of the supervised passenger comprises validating a key received from the individual.

20. The program product of claim 16, wherein unlocking the vehicle door in response to the vehicle satisfying one or more predetermined destination criteria further comprises unlocking the vehicle door only at a predetermined time.