Network-based control of movable barrier operators for autonomous vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11074773-B1
Application number	US-201916454978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to a system and method for enabling on-demand, temporary storage of an autonomous vehicle in vehicle storage areas of existing infrastructures. The vehicle storage areas include one or more movable barrier operators configured to control access to the vehicle storage areas via movable barriers. An autonomous vehicle access control platform is configured to enable access to individual ones of the vehicle storage areas by a single-use access credential sent to at least one of the autonomous vehicle and one of the movable barrier operators. The autonomous vehicle access control platform communicates with a transportation-as-a-service (TaaS) platform that pairs an autonomous vehicle with a vehicle storage area for storage based at least on a factor or parameter including the location of the vehicle storage area relative to the autonomous vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network computing device for facilitating operation of movable barrier operators by autonomous vehicles, the network computing device comprising:
a communication interface configured to communicate with a plurality of autonomous vehicles and a plurality of movable barrier operators, the movable barrier operators associated with vehicle storage areas;
wherein the communication interface is configured to receive sensed environmental conditions of the vehicle storage areas;
a memory configured to store information regarding the movable barrier operators and the sensed environmental conditions of the vehicle storage areas; and
a processor operably coupled to the communication interface and the memory, the processor configured to cause the communication interface to communicate a temporary access credential to a first movable barrier operator of the plurality of movable barrier operators to facilitate operation of the first movable barrier operator by a first autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles, wherein communication of the temporary access credential is based at least in part on the sensed environmental conditions; and
wherein the temporary access credential is derived at least in part from information associated with the first autonomous vehicle.

2. The network computing device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store information regarding availability of vehicle storage areas associated with the movable barrier operators, and wherein the processor is further configured to identify the first movable barrier operator to the first autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the availability of a first vehicle storage area associated with the first movable barrier operator.

3. The network computing device of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is further configured to facilitate communication of at least one of software updates and firmware updates to the first autonomous vehicle.

4. The network computing device of claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the first autonomous vehicle from which the temporary access credential is derived includes at least one of:
a vehicle identification number (VIN) specific to the first autonomous vehicle;
a media access control (MAC) address specific to the first autonomous vehicle; and
an internet protocol (IP) address specific to the first autonomous vehicle.

5. The network computing device of claim 1 , wherein the sensed environmental conditions are sensed by sensors associated with the movable barrier operators.

6. The network computing device of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is configured to receive an access request from the first autonomous vehicle; and
the processor is configured to facilitate control of the first movable barrier operator in response to the access request.

7. The network computing device of claim 1 , wherein the temporary access credential is a single-use access credential to be sent to the first movable barrier operator and the first autonomous vehicle to facilitate operation of the first movable barrier operator by the first autonomous vehicle.

8. The network computing device of claim 1 , wherein the temporary access credential includes a public key specific to the first autonomous vehicle.

9. The network computing device of claim 1 , wherein the temporary access credential includes a hashed version of the information associated with the first autonomous vehicle.

10. A method of using a network computing device to control operation of a movable barrier operator by an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
communicating, by the network computing device, with a plurality of autonomous vehicles and a plurality of movable barrier operators, the movable barrier operators associated with vehicle storage areas;
receiving, at the network computing device, sensed environmental conditions of the vehicle storage areas;
identifying, by the network computing device, a first movable barrier operator of the plurality of movable barrier operators for operation by a first autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles based at least in part on the sensed environmental conditions;
communicating, by the network computing device, a temporary access credential to the first movable barrier operator to facilitate operation of the first movable barrier operator by the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the temporary access credential is derived at least in part from information associated with the first autonomous vehicle; and
enabling, by the network computing device, operation of the first movable barrier operator by the first autonomous vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein identifying the first movable barrier operator includes identifying the first movable barrier operator based at least in part on the availability of a vehicle storage area associated with the first movable barrier operator.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein identifying the first movable barrier operator includes identifying the first movable barrier operator based at least in part on a location of the first autonomous vehicle relative to the first movable barrier operator.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sensed environmental conditions are sensed by sensors associated with the movable barrier operators.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
communicating the temporary access credential to the first autonomous vehicle to facilitate operation of the first movable barrier operator by the first autonomous vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
deriving, by the network computing device, the temporary access credential based at least in part on the information associated with the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the information associated with the first autonomous vehicle includes at least one of:
a vehicle identification number (VIN) specific to the first autonomous vehicle;
a media access control (MAC) address specific to the first autonomous vehicle; and
an internet protocol (IP) address specific to the first autonomous vehicle.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the enabling operation of the first movable barrier operator includes:
receiving, at the network computing device, a control request from the first autonomous vehicle.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising causing, by the network computing device, a service to be provided to the first autonomous vehicle in a vehicle storage area associated with the first movable barrier operator.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sensed environmental conditions of the vehicle storage areas are sensed by at least one of:
sensors associated with the movable barrier operators; and
sensors associated with the autonomous vehicles.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the temporary access credential includes a public key specific to the first autonomous vehicle.

20. The method of claim 10 , further comprising deriving, by the network computing device, the temporary access credential based at least in part on the information associated with the first autonomous vehicle; and
wherein deriving the temporary access credential includes hashing the information associated with the first autonomous vehicle.

21. A movable barrier operator system for controlling access to a vehicle storage area, the movable barrier operator system comprising:
a motor configured to move a movable barrier and control access to a vehicle storage area;
at least one sensor c

Assignees

• Chamberlain Group Inc

Inventors

• Morris David R

Classifications

• Y04S30/14

  Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing · CPC title

• Y02T90/16

  Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/63

  in response to network capacity · CPC title

• B60L53/665

  Methods related to measuring, billing or payment · CPC title

• B60L53/66 Primary

  Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles · CPC title