Passenger authentication system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511756-B2
Application number	US-202016741032-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2020
Priority date	Jan 13, 2020
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle system is disclosed herein. A display panel is disposed on the exterior of the vehicle and is configured as a user interface for receiving inputs from a user. An occupant detection device is configured to detect the position of an occupant of the vehicle. A controller is configured to receive a request for pickup from a potential passenger via a first communication; register authorization information based on the first communication; receive a request for vehicle access via a second communication that includes authorization information; and control one or more doors of the vehicle to allow the potential passenger access to the vehicle via the one or more doors in response to the authorization information registered based on the first communication corresponding to the authorization information from the second communication, wherein the controller allows access via the one or more doors based on the position of the occupant detected by the occupant detection device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for a vehicle, comprising:
an occupant detection device configured to detect a position of an occupant of the vehicle; and
a controller configured to:
receive a request for pickup from a potential passenger via a first communication;
register authorization information based on the first communication;
control a first display disposed on a first door of the vehicle and configured as a user interface to display a first availability indication based on the position of the occupant of the vehicle;
control a second display disposed on a second door of the vehicle and configured as a user interface to display a second availability indication based on the position of the occupant within the vehicle;
receive a request for vehicle access via a second communication input into at least one of the first and second displays that includes authorization information; and
control at least one of the first and second doors of the vehicle to allow the potential passenger to access the vehicle via the at least one of the first and second doors in response to the authorization information registered based on the first communication corresponding to the authorization information from the second communication, wherein the controller allows access via the at least one of the first and second doors based on the position of the occupant detected by the occupant detection device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller allows access to the vehicle via the at least one of the first and second doors based on the at least one of the first and second doors corresponding with a seat that is not detected by the occupant detection device as being occupied by the occupant.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the at least one of the first and second doors of the vehicle to allow the potential passenger access to the vehicle by prompting the at least one of the first and second doors to be unlocked.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a door actuator configured to control the position of the at least one of the first and second doors, wherein the controller controls the at least one of the first and second doors of the vehicle to allow the potential passenger access to the vehicle by prompting the actuator to open the at least one of the first and second doors.

5. A method of allowing a potential passenger access to a vehicle, comprising:
receiving a request for pick up from the potential passenger via a first communication from a mobile device;
registering authorization information based on the first communication;
determining an availability of one or more of a plurality of seats within the vehicle;
displaying a negative availability indication from a first display panel that is coupled to a first door of the vehicle and configured as a user interface based on the determined availability of the one or more of the plurality of seats;
displaying a positive availability indication from a second display panel that is coupled to a second door of the vehicle and configured as a user interface based on the determined availability of the one or more of the plurality of seats;
receiving a request for vehicle access via a second communication input into the second display panel, wherein the second communication includes authorization information; and
providing access to the vehicle via the second door in response to the authorization information registered based on the first communication corresponding to the authorization information from the second communication, wherein access to the vehicle is provided by the second door based on the determined availability of the one or more of the plurality of seats within the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein seating availability is determined based on the position of one or more occupants within the vehicle detected by an occupant detection device of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the occupant detection device of the vehicle includes one or more seat sensors corresponding to one or more seats of the vehicle and configured to detect when the one or more occupants are seated in the one or more seats.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein seating availability is determined based on an expected occupancy of one or more seats within the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the expected occupancy of the one or more seats within the vehicle is based on a received communication from a second potential passenger.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the authorization information of the second communication comprises a unique identification code input into the second display panel disposed on an exterior of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of providing access to the vehicle via the second door further comprises:
unlocking the second door.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first door that access to the vehicle is not provided by remains locked when the second door that access to the vehicle is provided by is unlocked.

13. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of providing access to the vehicle via the second door further comprises:
opening the second door via a door actuator of the vehicle.

14. A system for a vehicle, comprising:
first and second doors coupled to the vehicle;
first and second display panels disposed on the first and second doors, respectively, and configured as user interfaces for receiving inputs from a user;
a plurality of seats disposed within the vehicle; and
a controller configured to:
receive a request for pickup from a potential passenger via a first communication from a mobile device;
register authorization information based on the first communication;
determine an availability of one or more of the plurality of seats disposed within the vehicle;
control the first display panel to display a negative availability indication based on the determined availability of the one or more of the plurality of seats;
control the second display panel to display a positive availability indication based on the determined availability of the one or more of the plurality of seats;
receive a request for vehicle access via a second communication input into the second display panel, wherein the second communication includes authorization information; and
control the second door of the vehicle to allow the potential passenger access to the vehicle via the second door in response to the authorization information registered based on the first communication corresponding to the authorization information from the second communication.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
an occupant detection device configured to detect which of the plurality of seats an occupant of the vehicle is seated within, wherein the controller is configured to determine the availability of one or more of the plurality of seats disposed within the vehicle based on the detection of the seated occupant by the occupant detection device.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the availability of one or more of the plurality of seats disposed within the vehicle based on a communication received by the controller from a second potential passenger.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first availability indication is a negative availability indication, and the second availability indication is a positive availability indication.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the negative availability indication is displayed on the first display as a first color, and the positive avail

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Brown Kristopher Karl
• Friedlander Steven Wayne
• Hassani Ali
• Leonard Kirk
• Salter Stuart C

Classifications

• B60W40/08 Primary

  related to drivers or passengers · CPC title

• B60W2040/0881

  Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence · CPC title

• G07B15/00

  Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points (handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00) · CPC title

• G07C9/28

  the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence · CPC title

• G07C2209/64

  using a proximity sensor · CPC title