Assigned seating system for an automated taxi

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11625993-B2
Application number	US-202117240960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2021
Priority date	Jul 11, 2018
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

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 comprising:
at least one programmable processor; and
a machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one programmable processor, causes the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:
obtaining an image of a passenger;
determining, based on the image, a characterization of the passenger;
determining, based on the characterization of the passenger and a destination of the passenger, a seating location within the vehicle for the passenger; and
presenting the seating location to the passenger.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the characterization of the passenger comprises one or more of a special need of the passenger, at least one baggage of the passenger, and a number of other passengers riding together in a group including the passenger.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the special need of the passenger is based on one or more of an age of the passenger, a mobility limitation of the passenger, a service-animal accompanying the passenger, or a sickness of the passenger.

4. The system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, as input prior to the determining of the seating location, one or more of the age of the passenger, the mobility limitation of the passenger, an indication of the service-animal accompanying the passenger, or the sickness of the passenger.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, based on the destination of the passenger, a baggage location of a baggage of the passenger; and
presenting the baggage location in the vehicle to the passenger.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, as input prior to the determining of the seating location, the destination of the passenger.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
presenting an identification of the passenger along with the seating location of the passenger in the vehicle to the passenger.

8. The system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the identification comprises one or more of a picture of the passenger, a name of the passenger, or an identification-number of the passenger.

9. A method comprising:
obtaining an image of a passenger;
determining, based on the image, a characterization of the passenger;
determining, based on the characterization of the passenger and a destination of the passenger, a seating location within the vehicle for the passenger; and
presenting the seating location in the vehicle to the passenger.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the characterization of the passenger comprises one or more of a special need of the passenger, at least one baggage of the passenger, and a number of other passengers riding together in a group including the passenger.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the special need of the passenger is based on one or more of an age of the passenger, a mobility limitation of the passenger, a service-animal accompanying the passenger, or a sickness of the passenger,
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, as input prior to the determining of the seating location, one or more of the age of the passenger, the mobility limitation of the passenger, an indication of the service-animal accompanying the passenger, or the sickness of the passenger.

12. The method in accordance with claim 9 , further comprising:
determining, based on the destination of the passenger, a baggage location of a baggage of the passenger; and
presenting the baggage location in the vehicle to the passenger.

13. The method in accordance with claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, as input prior to the determining of the seating location, the destination of the passenger.

14. The system in accordance with claim 9 , further comprising presenting an identification of the passenger along with the seating location of the passenger in the vehicle, wherein the identification comprises one or more of a picture of the passenger, a name of the passenger, or an identification-number of the passenger.

15. One or more non-transitory computer program products storing instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:
obtaining an image of a passenger;
determining, based on the image, a characterization of the passenger;
determining, based on the characterization of the passenger and a destination of the passenger, a seating location within the vehicle for the passenger; and
presenting the seating location in the vehicle to the passenger.

16. The system in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the characterization of the passenger comprises one or more of a special need of the passenger, at least one baggage of the passenger, and a number of other passengers riding together in a group including the passenger.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer program products in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the special need of the passenger is based on one or more of an age of the passenger, a mobility limitation of the passenger, a service-animal accompanying the passenger, or a sickness of the passenger,
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, as input prior to the determining of the seating location, one or more of the age of the passenger, the mobility limitation of the passenger, an indication of the service-animal accompanying the passenger, or the sickness of the passenger.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer program products in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, based on the destination of the passenger, a baggage location of a baggage of the passenger; and
presenting the baggage location in the vehicle to the passenger.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer program products in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, as input prior to the determining of the seating location, the destination of the passenger.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer program products in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise presenting an identification of the passenger along with the seating location of the passenger in the vehicle, wherein the identification comprises one or more of a picture of the passenger, a name of the passenger, or an identification-number of the passenger.

Assignees

• Motional Ad Llc

Inventors

• Mangal Nandita
• Laur Michael H

Classifications

• G08G1/202

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

• G06Q10/06311

  Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group · CPC title