Method and System for Providing Autonomous Car Errands

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016203649-A1
Application number	US-201514595305-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2015
Priority date	Jul 21, 2010
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A delivery server may generate two separate security codes following a transaction between a user and a vendor, as well as a hash of the combination of the codes. The server may provide the first code to the user and the second code to the vendor, and provide the hash of a combination of the codes to both the vendor and the user. The user's vehicle may receive mapping information for the vendor's location, and may use the mapping information to autonomously navigate to an exchange station at the vendor location. At the exchange station, the vendor and vehicle may exchange security codes, and both vehicle and vendor may create a hash of the combined first code and second code, and use this to authenticate each other (by comparing this hash with the hash received from the delivery server). The vendor may then provide the goods to the vehicle, and the vehicle may automatically receive them and return them to the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, at one or more computer processors associated with a vehicle, first information comprising a first security code, a hash of a combination of the first security code and a second security code, an address associated with a vendor, and mapping information associated with the vendor's location; navigating to the address associated with the vendor using the vehicle; receiving, from one or more transmitters at the vendor's location, one or more signals at one or more sensors associated with the vehicle; navigating to an exchange station associated with the vendor using the vehicle based in part on the one or more signals and the mapping information; receiving, over the network, a third security code at the one or more computer processors associated with the vehicle; providing the first security code, via a network, to a computer processor associated with the vendor; performing a hash of a combination of the first security code and the third security code; comparing the hash of the combination of the first security code and the second security code to the hash of the combination of the first security code and the third security code using the computer processor associated with the vehicle; and opening a compartment in the vehicle if there is a match between the hash of the combination of the first security code and the second security code and the hash of the combination of the first security code and the third security code.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors associated with the vehicle are at least one of a mobile device, a telematics control unit on the vehicle, and a network-enabled computer on the vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more signals comprises a unique identifier, wherein the mapping information comprises information associating each unique identifier to a respective transmitter of the one or more transmitters, a relative location of each of the one or more transmitters, and a relative location of the exchange station.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein navigating to an exchange station comprises determining the distance between the vehicle and each of the one or more transmitters based on the received one or more signals, determining the location of the vehicle relative to each of the one or more transmitters and the exchange station based on the received one or more signals, and driving to the exchange station.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising detecting, using a third sensor at the vehicle, the presence of at least one guidance segment at the vendor location, wherein the vendor mapping information further comprises location information associated with the guidance segment.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein navigating to an exchange station comprises determining the location of the vehicle relative to the exchange station based on the presence of the at least one guidance segment, and driving to the exchange station.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more transmitters emit the one or more signals using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmissions.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one guidance segment comprises a series of infrared transmitters located on the surface of the vendor's location.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a VIN number associated with the vehicle to a security station at the vendor's location.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a confirmation signal over the network to a remote server if there is a match between the hash of the combination of the first security code and the second security code and the hash of the combination of the first security code and the third security code.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information further comprises a scheduled date and time, wherein navigating to the address associated with the vendor using the vehicle further comprises navigating to the address associated with the vendor to arrive at the address at the scheduled date and time using the vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
comparing a current date and time with the scheduled date and time; and locking the compartment of the vehicle to prevent it from opening if the difference between the current date and time and the scheduled date and time is greater than a predetermined time range.

13 . A method comprising:
receiving, over a network at one or more computer processors, transaction confirmation data indicating a transaction between a user and a vendor, wherein the user is associated with a vehicle and a user device; generating, using the one or more computer processors, first information comprising a first security code, a second security code, and a hash of a combination of the first security code and the second security code; generating, using the one or more computer processors, mapping information associated with the vendor based at least in part on a profile associated with the user, a profile associated with the vendor, and the vehicle; retrieving, using the one or more computer processors, address information associated with the vendor; providing, over a network, the first information and the vendor mapping information to at least one of the user device and the vehicle; providing, over a network, the second security code and the hash to the vendor; receiving, over a network, a signal from at least one of the vendor, the vehicle, and the user device indicating that the vehicle has arrived at the address associated with the vendor; and providing, over a network, the second security code to the vehicle and the first security code to the vendor based on the received signal.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first security code and the second security code are randomly generated.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first security code and the second security code are based on at least one of profile information associated with the user, and a VIN associated with the vehicle.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the mapping information comprises information associated with the vendor's location, including the location of one or more transmitters at the vendor's location, the unique identifier associated with each of the one or more transmitters, the location of guidance segments at the vendor's location, and the location of one or more exchange stations at the vendor's location.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the mapping information includes instructions for the vehicle to navigate to one of the one or more exchange stations based on at least one of the size of the vehicle, the make of the vehicle, and the model of the vehicle.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the transaction includes a condition that the user at least one of pick up an item and drop off an item with the vendor.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first information further comprises a scheduled date and time.

20 . A system, comprising:
a processor; and a memory comprising computer-readable instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
receive, over a network at the processor, transaction confirmation data indicating a transaction between a user and a vendor, wherein the user is associated with a vehicle and a user device;
generate, using the processor, a first security code, a second security code, and a hash of a combination of the first sec

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Berkobin Eric
• Ibrahim Hamsa

Classifications

• G01C21/3476

  using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs · CPC title

• G07B13/02 Primary

  Details; Accessories · CPC title

• G06Q20/382

  insuring higher security of transaction · CPC title

• G05D1/0278

  using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G01C21/3605 Primary

  Destination input or retrieval · CPC title