System and method for providing a notification that a mobile device is still in an autonomous vehicle after detecting an arrival at a destination

• US 10,623,553 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2019
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Porter Joseph Zilka
• Original Assignee: Porter Joseph Zilka
• Inventors: Zilka, Porter Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Worden, Thomas E
• Application Number:
  US16/679,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20200076941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 157 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• 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: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Under the user'"'"'s instruction, an autonomous vehicle travels to a selected location. The user chooses a place to arrive at the destination. After the arrival of the autonomous vehicle, it is determined whether the user'"'"'s or third party'"'"'s mobile device is still in the vehicle. If the mobile device is still in the vehicle, the vehicle will notify the user or third party in one or more ways to come back and get their mobile device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an autonomous vehicle configured to travel from an origin to a destination, in response to a user instruction; and

an application including one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are to be executed by one or more processors of a mobile device of a user, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving user input of the user;

in response to receipt of the user input, causing transmission of the user instruction;

at the origin, authenticating the user as well as another person other than the user;

detecting arrival at the destination;

after detecting arrival at the destination and without the autonomous vehicle being powered down;

determining whether the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle,

identifying at least one device, that is of the another person other than the user and that is not the mobile device, based on contact information of the at least one device of the another person other than the user being present in the mobile device, and

determining whether the at least one device was present in the autonomous vehicle during the travel from the origin to the destination, based at least on the authentication of the another person other than the user, in addition to determining whether the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle; and

in response to determining that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle and determining that the at least one device was present in the autonomous vehicle during the travel from the origin to the destination after detecting the arrival at the destination, causing transmission of a signal to the at least one device utilizing the contact information, for providing a notification that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle after detecting the arrival at the destination.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, after the notification that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle after detecting the arrival at the destination, additional user input is received for causing the autonomous vehicle to remain in a proximity of the destination in response thereto.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein, after the notification that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle after detecting the arrival at the destination, additional user input is received for causing the autonomous vehicle to remain in a proximity of the user by tracking the user using a camera of the autonomous vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, after the notification that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle after detecting the arrival at the destination, additional user input is received for causing the autonomous vehicle to travel to an updated location indicated by the additional user input.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, after the notification that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle after detecting the arrival at the destination, additional user input is received for causing the autonomous vehicle to travel to a location of the at least one device.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions which, when executed by a mobile device of a user, cause the mobile device to:

receive user input of the user;

in response to receipt of the user input, cause transmission of a user instruction for use by an autonomous vehicle configured to travel from an origin to a destination in response to the user instruction;

at the origin, authenticate the user as well as another person other than the user,

detect arrival at the destination;

after detecting arrival at the destination and without the autonomous vehicle being powered down;

determine whether the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle,

identify at least one device, that is of the another person other than the user and that is not the mobile device, based on contact information of the at least one device of the another person other than the user being present in the mobile device, and

determine whether the at least one device was present in the autonomous vehicle during the travel from the origin to the destination, based at least on the authentication of the another person other than the user, in addition to determining whether the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle; and

in response to determining that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle and determining that the at least one device was present in the autonomous vehicle during the travel from the origin to the destination after detecting the arrival at the destination, cause transmission of a signal to the at least one device utilizing the contact information, for providing a notification that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle after detecting the arrival at the destination.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the one or more programs comprise additional instructions which, when executed by the mobile device of the user, cause the mobile device to:

in response to detecting the arrival at the destination and determining that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle, capture a picture of the mobile device; and

cause the picture of the mobile device to be sent in connection with the transmission of the signal.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the one or more programs comprise additional instructions which, when executed by the mobile device of the user, cause the mobile device to:

receive calendar information from the mobile device;

determine whether there is an upcoming event based on the calendar information;

display a location of the upcoming event as one possibility for the destination; and

in response to a selection of the destination as the user input, cause the transmission of the user instruction.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs comprise additional instructions which, when executed by the mobile device of the user, cause the mobile device to:

identify the contact information from the calendar information.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more programs comprise additional instructions which, when executed by the mobile device of the user, cause the mobile device to:

display another location of the at least one device, that is of the another person other than the user and that is not the mobile device, as another possibility for an intermediate destination; and

in response to a selection of the another location as the intermediate destination, cause the transmission of another user instruction that causes the autonomous vehicle to travel from the origin to the intermediate destination before the destination, in response to the other user instruction.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more programs comprise additional instructions which, when executed by the mobile device of the user, cause the mobile device to:

determine whether food is required for the upcoming event based on the calendar information;

display at least one food delivery option, based on whether it is determined that the food is required for the upcoming event; and

in response to a selection of the at least one food delivery option, cause delivery of the food to the destination.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more programs comprise additional instructions which, when executed by the mobile device of the user, cause the mobile device to:

select the at least one food delivery option, based on preferences stored on the mobile device in addition to preferences stored on the at least one device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more programs comprise additional instructions which, when executed by the mobile device of the user, cause the mobile device to:

in response to the selection of the at least one food delivery option, cause information regarding the delivery of the food to the destination, to be transmitted to the at least one device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more programs comprise additional instructions which, when executed by the mobile device of the user, cause the mobile device to:

detect that the autonomous vehicle has almost arrived at the destination;

in response to detecting that the autonomous has almost arrived at the destination, display a map including empty parking spaces around the destination; and

in response to a selection of at least one of the empty parking spaces around the destination, cause the autonomous vehicle to park at the at least one of the empty parking spaces.

15. A method, comprising:

at a mobile device of a user;

receiving user input of the user;

in response to receipt of the user input, causing transmission of a user instruction for use by an autonomous vehicle configured to travel from an origin to a destination in response to the user instruction;

at the origin, authenticating the user as well as another person other than the user;

detecting arrival at the destination;

in response to detecting arrival at the destination and without the autonomous vehicle being powered down;

determining whether the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle,

identifying at least one device, that is of the another person other than the user and that is not the mobile device, based on contact information of the at least one device of the another person other than the user being present in the mobile device, and

determining whether the at least one device was present in the autonomous vehicle during the travel from the origin to the destination, based at least on the authentication of the another person other than the user, in addition to determining whether the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle; and

in response to determining that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle after detecting the arrival at the destination, causing transmission of a signal to the at least one device utilizing the contact information, for providing a notification that the mobile device is still in the autonomous vehicle after detecting the arrival at the destination.