Determining and responding to an internal status of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10838425-B2
Application number	US-201815901379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2018
Priority date	Feb 21, 2018
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to determining and responding to an internal state of a self-driving vehicle. For instance, an image of an interior of the vehicle captured by a camera mounted in the vehicle is received. The image is processed in order to identify one or more visible markers at predetermined locations within the vehicle. The internal state of the vehicle is determined based on the identified one or more visible markers. A responsive action is identified action using the determined internal state, and the vehicle is controlled in order to perform the responsive action.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of determining and responding to an internal state of a self-driving vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving an image of an interior of the vehicle captured by a camera mounted in the vehicle;
processing the image in order to identify one or more visible markers and one or more partially or fully obscured markers at predetermined locations within the vehicle;
determining the internal state of the vehicle based on visibility of the identified markers;
identifying a responsive action using the determined internal state; and
controlling the vehicle in order to perform the responsive action.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image is processed using a machine learning model which provides the determined internal state.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the visibility of the identified markers to determine a height of a passenger of the vehicle, and wherein determining the internal state of the vehicle is based on the determined height.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal state indicates that a seat of the vehicle is occupied.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal state of the vehicle indicates that a seat of the vehicle is unoccupied.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more visible markers are located on a seat back of a seat of the vehicle, and the internal state of the vehicle indicates that the seat is unoccupied.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more visible markers are located on a seatbelt of a seat of the vehicle, and the internal state of the vehicle indicates that the seat is occupied by a passenger.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the internal state of the vehicle indicates that the passenger is wearing a seatbelt.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising qualifying the determined internal state based on whether the vehicle is currently on a trip to a destination with one or more passengers.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined internal state indicates a number of passengers within the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the determined internal state indicates that the vehicle is occupied by a passenger and a trip has just ended, the responsive action includes providing an audible notification to the passenger to indicate that it is time to leave the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the determined internal state indicates that the vehicle is unoccupied and a trip is in progress, the responsive action includes cancelling the trip.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the determined internal state indicates that a child is in the vehicle, the responsive action includes providing a notification that indicates that the child must be in a specific seat within the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the responsive action includes not starting a trip until the child is the specific seat of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined internal state indicates that a child is in the vehicle, the responsive action includes providing a notification that indicates that the child must be in an appropriate child restraint within the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the responsive action includes not starting a trip until the child is the appropriate child restraint.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined internal state indicates that a child is in the vehicle, the responsive action includes providing a notification to a client device of an account holders associated with a trip requesting confirmation that the child is allowed to ride in the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined internal state indicates that a child is in the vehicle, and the method further comprises turning off an airbag adjacent to a seat in which the child is located.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined internal state indicates that a passenger is not wearing a seatbelt, the responsive action includes providing a notification requests that the passenger use the seatbelt.

20. A system for determining and responding to an internal state of a self-driving vehicle, the system comprising one or more processors configured to:
receive an image of an interior of the vehicle captured by a camera mounted in the vehicle;
process the image in order to identify one or more visible markers and one or more partially or fully obscured markers at predetermined locations within the vehicle;
determine the internal state of the vehicle based on visibility of the identified markers;
identify a responsive action using the determined internal state; and
control the vehicle in order to perform the responsive action.

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Wendel Andreas
• Ludwick Christopher Kennedy
• Feenstra Laurens Andreas

Classifications

• B60W60/00253

  Taxi operations · CPC title

• B60W2540/01

  Occupants other than the driver · CPC title

• B60W2540/049

  Number of occupants · CPC title

• B60N2/002

  Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon (detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266) · CPC title

• B60N2210/18

  Infrared · CPC title