ACCESS AND CONTROL FOR DRIVING OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE

• US 20180231979A1
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Published: 08/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: MILLER, James Stephen, GRAF, Patrick, RIGGI, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 10,970,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/045 Occupant permissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/049 Number of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 Recognising seat occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/178 estimating age from face image; using age information for improving recognition

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling use of an autonomous vehicle includes an interior occupant sensing system to obtain data of occupants from a video camera. An occupant sensing controller is configured to receive the video and detect a number of faces of occupants disposed in the vehicle. Further, the occupant sensing controller determines demographic information from the video data of each of the detected faces and then stores the vehicle location, the number of faces, and the demographic information for occupants as data in the vehicle. The occupant sensing controller determines from the demographic information an age of occupants in the autonomous vehicle, and when the demographic information indicates that all occupants in the autonomous vehicle are less than a certain age, limits travel to a destination or operation of the autonomous vehicle in response to age. Further, the occupant sensing controller can recognize a specific authorized individual within the vehicle and limit usage of the vehicle for the identified authorized individual.

Claims

1. A method for controlling use of an autonomous vehicle including an interior occupant sensing system having an occupant sensing controller to obtain data of occupants including video data, comprising:

operating at least one video camera to obtain the video data of occupants in the vehicle;

providing the video data to the occupant sensing controller;

detecting a number of faces of occupants disposed in the vehicle;

determining demographic information from the video data of each of the detected faces;

storing a vehicle location, the number of faces, and the demographic information for occupants as data in the autonomous vehicle;

determining from the demographic information an age of occupants in the autonomous vehicle, and

when the demographic information indicates that all occupants in the autonomous vehicle are less than a certain age, limiting travel to a destination or operation of the autonomous vehicle in response to age.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data of occupants is metadata, wherein the autonomous vehicle is a fully autonomous vehicle, and

only when the interior occupant sensing system determines that all occupants are at least a certain age and seated properly within the fully autonomous vehicle, is the fully autonomous vehicle operable to travel to a selected destination that is one of a plurality of preselected destinations determined in advance by a custodian.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle is a pay for hire vehicle and travel or operation of the autonomous vehicle is limited by an operating range and fuel or charge supply of the autonomous vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, further including:

upon determining from the demographic information that an occupant of the vehicle is an adult, requesting the destination;

receiving the destination from an occupant that is an adult,

determining whether providing travel or operation of the autonomous vehicle to the destination is authorized,

when authorized, determining a route to the destination and operating the autonomous vehicle to the destination, and

when not authorized, providing an indication that the destination is not valid, and

upon determining from the demographic information that an oldest occupant of the vehicle is a youth having an age in an age range that is older than between 6 and 8 years old and less than between 14 and 16 years old, requesting the destination;

receiving the destination from an occupant that is a youth,

determining whether providing travel or operation of the autonomous vehicle to the destination is authorized,

when authorized, determining the route to the destination and operating the autonomous vehicle to the destination, and

when not authorized, providing the indication that the destination is not valid.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the age range of a youth is between about 7 years old and about 15 years old.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle is a private vehicle, the method including

providing access to the autonomous vehicle in response to at least one from a group consisting of sensing actuation of a key fob, sensing a fingerprint with a fingerprint sensor, sensing actuation of a keypad, sensing an access signal from a smart phone and providing facial recognition of a specific authorized individual from video data, and

wherein the destinations and operation of the autonomous vehicle is preselected for occupants by inputs previously received from a custodian by entry remotely or by entry with a human-machine interface of the autonomous vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including:

determining when an occupant in the autonomous vehicle is attempting to obtain manual driving control of the autonomous vehicle,

permitting the occupant to obtain the manual driving control of the autonomous vehicle when the demographic information indicates that the occupant is of driving age, and

providing an alert to an authorized custodian at a remote location that the occupant is obtaining the manual driving control of the autonomous vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 7, further including providing an alert to the authorized custodian when an occupant unexpectedly leaves the vehicle during an autonomous trip, when an occupant unexpectedly enters the vehicle during autonomous travel, and when an occupant is not properly seated in the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, further including

obtaining a GPS signal for determining a vehicle location of the vehicle,

providing the vehicle location and the number of faces as metadata to a mobile communication device at a remote location, and

determining a route to a destination based on the GPS signal and map information.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the demographic information determines that a young child is located in the autonomous vehicle without another occupant,

selecting of the destination and operation of the autonomous vehicle is disabled.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle is free from a steering wheel.

12. A method for controlling use of an autonomous vehicle including an interior occupant sensing system to obtain data of occupants including video data, comprising:

operating at least one video camera of the interior occupant sensing system to obtain the video data of occupants in the vehicle;

providing the video data to an occupant sensing controller of the interior occupant sensing system; and

recognizing a face of at least one occupant disposed in the vehicle, wherein the occupant that is recognized is a specific authorized individual and routes and destinations of use of the autonomous vehicle are provided for the specific authorized individual, and wherein different specific authorized individuals have different authorized routes and destinations of use and different authorized times of use.

13. The method according to claim 12, further including

upon recognizing that an occupant of the vehicle is the specific authorized individual, selecting a destination:

receiving a route and a destination from the specific authorized individual,

determining whether providing travel or operation of the autonomous vehicle to the destination is authorized for the specific authorized individual,

when authorized, operating the autonomous vehicle to the destination.

14. The method according to claim 12, further including:

determining when the specific authorized individual in the autonomous vehicle is attempting to obtain a manual driving control of the autonomous vehicle,

permitting the specific authorized individual to obtain the manual driving control of the autonomous vehicle, and

providing an alert to an authorized custodian at a remote location that the specific authorized individual is obtaining the manual driving control of the autonomous vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 14, further including providing an alert to the authorized custodian when an occupant unexpectedly leaves the autonomous vehicle during an autonomous trip, when an occupant unexpectedly enters the autonomous vehicle during an autonomous trip, and when an occupant is not properly seated in the autonomous vehicle.

16. A vehicle control system for access and operation of an autonomous vehicle comprising:

a vehicle controller;

an interior occupant sensing system to obtain data of occupants that includes video data, the interior occupant sensing system including

at least one video camera to obtain the video data of occupants in the vehicle; and

an occupant sensing controller for receiving the video data, the occupant sensing controller configured to;

detect a number of faces of occupants disposed in the vehicle;

determine demographic information from the video data of each of the detected number of faces;

store a vehicle location, the number of faces, and the demographic information for occupants as data in the vehicle;

determine from the demographic information an age of occupants in the autonomous vehicle, and

provide the demographic information including an age of occupants to the vehicle controller,

wherein the vehicle controller is configured to, in response to the demographic information indicating that all occupants in the autonomous vehicle are less than a certain age, limit travel to a destination or operation of the autonomous vehicle in response to the certain age.

17. The vehicle control system according to claim 16, further including a fingerprint sensing system including a fingerprint sensor for providing an access to an interior of the autonomous vehicle.

18. The vehicle control system according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to, upon receiving the demographic information indicating that an oldest occupant of the vehicle is a youth, request a destination,

receive a destination from an occupant that is a youth,

determine whether providing travel or operation of the autonomous vehicle to the destination is authorized,

when authorized, determine a route to the destination and operating the autonomous vehicle to the destination, and

when not authorized, providing an indication that the destination is not valid.

19. The vehicle control system according to claim 16, including a GPS navigation system for receiving GPS signals, the GPS navigation system configured to determine the vehicle location of the autonomous vehicle, and

wherein the vehicle controller configured to determine a route to the destination based on the GPS signals and map information.

20. A vehicle control system for access and operation of an autonomous vehicle comprising:

a vehicle controller; and

an interior occupant sensing system to obtain data of occupants that includes video data, the interior occupant sensing system including

at least one video camera to obtain the video data of occupants in the vehicle; and

an occupant sensing controller for receiving the video data, the occupant sensing controller configured to recognize a face of at least one occupant disposed in the vehicle,

wherein the occupant that is recognized is a specific authorized individual and routes and destinations of use of the autonomous vehicle are provided for the specific authorized individual, and wherein different specific authorized individuals have different authorized routes and destinations of use and different authorized times of use.