Assigned seating system for an automated-taxi

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10643439-B2
Application number	US-201816033467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2018
Priority date	Jul 11, 2018
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A system for an automated-taxi includes a display and a controller. The display is viewable by one or more of a plurality of clients of an automated-taxi. The controller-circuit is in communication with the display. The controller is configured to determine a seating-arrangement of the plurality of clients transported by the automated-taxi. The seating-arrangement is determined in accordance with destinations of the plurality of clients. The controller is also configured to operate the display to show the seating-arrangement to one or more of the plurality of clients. A method of operating an automated-taxi includes receiving destinations of a plurality of clients to transported by an automated-taxi; determining a seating-arrangement of the plurality of clients in accordance with the destinations; and operating a display viewable by one or more of a plurality of clients of an automated-taxi to show the seating-arrangement to one or more of the plurality of clients.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for an automated-taxi, said system comprising:
a display viewable by one or more of a plurality of clients of an automated-taxi;
a camera configured to render an image of a client; and
a controller-circuit in communication with the display, said controller configured to determine a characterization of the client in accordance with the image, wherein the characterization includes a handicap of the client, determine a seating-arrangement of the plurality of clients and the client transported by the automated-taxi, said seating-arrangement determined in accordance with destinations of the plurality of clients and the handicap, and operate the display to show the seating-arrangement to one or more of the plurality of clients.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the controller-circuit is configured to determine a baggage-arrangement that indicates where to place baggage of one or more of the plurality of clients transported by the automated-taxi, said baggage-arrangement determined in accordance with destinations of the plurality of clients, and operate the display to show the baggage-arrangement to one or more of the plurality of clients.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the characterization includes at least one of baggage associated with the client, and a headcount of a group associated with the client.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system includes an input-device used by a client to indicate a destination of the client.

5. The system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the input-device is configured so the client can indicate at least one of baggage associated with the client, a headcount of a group associated with the client, and a handicap of the client.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the controller-circuit is configured to operate the display to show at least one of a picture, a name, and an identification-number associated with each of the plurality of clients to indicate the seating-arrangement.

7. A controller-circuit for an automated-taxi, said controller-circuit comprising:
an output configured to communicate with a display viewable by one or more of a plurality of clients of an automated-taxi;
an input configured to communicate with a camera configured to render an image of a client; and
a processor in communication with the display, said processor configured to determine a characterization of the client in accordance with the image, wherein the characterization includes a handicap of the client, determine a seating-arrangement of the plurality of clients and the client transported by the automated-taxi, said seating-arrangement determined in accordance with destinations of the plurality of clients and the handicap, and operate the display to show the seating-arrangement to one or more of the plurality of clients.

8. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a baggage-arrangement that indicates where to place baggage of one or more of the plurality of clients transported by the automated-taxi, said baggage-arrangement determined in accordance with destinations of the plurality of clients, and operate the display to show the baggage-arrangement to one or more of the plurality of clients.

9. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the characterization includes at least one of baggage associated with the client, and a headcount of a group associated with the client.

10. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the controller-circuit includes receiver configured to communicate with an input-device used by the client to indicate a destination of the client.

11. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured so the client can indicate via the input-device at least one of baggage of the client, a headcount of a group associated with the client, and a handicap of the client.

12. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 7 , wherein processor is configured to operate the display to show at least one of a picture, a name, and an identification-number associated with each of the plurality of clients to indicate the seating-arrangement.

13. A method of operating an automated-taxi, said method comprising:
receiving destinations of a plurality of clients to be transported by an automated-taxi;
rendering an image of a client with a camera;
determining a characterization of the client in accordance with the image, said characterization includes a handicap of the client;
determining a seating-arrangement of the plurality of clients in accordance with the destinations and the handicap; and
operating a display viewable by one or more of a plurality of clients of an automated-taxi to show the seating-arrangement to one or more of the plurality of clients.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the method includes
determining a baggage-arrangement that indicates where to place baggage of one or more of the plurality of clients transported by the automated-taxi; and
operating the display to show the baggage-arrangement to one or more of the plurality of clients.

15. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the characterization includes at least one of baggage associated with the client, and a headcount of a group associated with the client.

16. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the method includes receiving from a client at least one of baggage associated with the client, a headcount of a group associated with the client, and a handicap of the client; and
determining the seating-arrangement of the plurality of clients in accordance with the at least one of baggage associated with the client, a headcount of a group associated with the client, and a handicap of the client.

17. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the method includes operating the display to show at least one of a picture, a name, and an identification-number associated with each of the plurality of clients to indicate the seating-arrangement.

Assignees

• Aptiv Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Mangal Nandita
• Laur Michael H

Classifications

• G08G1/202

  Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching · CPC title

• G06Q10/0631 Primary

  Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations · CPC title

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06Q10/02 Primary

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• G06F3/147

  using display panels · CPC title