User recognition system and methods for autonomous vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019051069-A1
Application number	US-201715674105-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 10, 2017
Priority date	Aug 10, 2017
Publication date	Feb 14, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and a system are disclosed for providing autonomous driving system functions. The system includes a controller providing functions for automated user recognition in the autonomous vehicle, at least one environmental sensor configured to scan an environment of the autonomous vehicle and to transmit scan data of the environment to a biometric recognition module of the autonomous vehicle, and a biometric recognition module configured to analyze the scan data of the environment based on a gesture recognition algorithm by using a processor. The gesture recognition algorithm analyzes the scan data of the environment based on at least one biometric feature by using the processor. The at least one biometric feature comprises at least a flagging down gesture and the controller is configured to stop the autonomous vehicle at a position relative to the user and to configure the autonomous vehicle to offer to the user the use of the autonomous vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A user recognition system for automated user recognition in an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a controller with at least one processor providing functions for automated user recognition in the autonomous vehicle; at least one environmental sensor configured to scan an environment of the autonomous vehicle and to transmit scan data of the environment to a biometric recognition module of the autonomous vehicle; a biometric recognition module configured to analyze the scan data of the environment based on a gesture recognition algorithm by using the at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to analyze the scan data of the environment based on at least one biometric feature; wherein the at least one biometric feature comprises at least a flagging down gesture; and wherein, the controller is configured to stop the autonomous vehicle at a position relative to the user and to configure the autonomous vehicle to offer to the user the use of the autonomous vehicle, if the gesture recognition algorithm recognizes a user showing a flagging down gesture according to the at least one biometric feature in the scan data of the environment.

2 . The user recognition system of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to focus at least one sensor of the autonomous vehicle on the user if the gesture recognition algorithm recognizes a user showing a flagging down gesture in the scan data of the environment according to the at least one biometric feature.

3 . The user recognition system of claim 1 ,
wherein the biometric recognition module is configured to analyze a gait of the user using a gait analyzing algorithm that analyzes current scan data of the environment while the user approaches the vehicle.

4 . The user recognition system of claim 3 ,
wherein the user recognition system comprises a server and a communication module; and wherein the controller is configured to transmit results of the gait analyzing algorithm and/or results of the gesture recognition algorithm to the server via the communication module; and wherein the server is configured to search for data related to the results of the gesture recognition algorithm and/or the results of the gait analyzing algorithm in a database and to transmit the data related to the results of the gesture recognition algorithm and/or the results of the gait analyzing algorithm to the controller by using the communication module.

5 . The user recognition system of claim 4 ,
wherein data transmitted from the server to the controller comprise at least data of a profile of the user, expected facial data of the user, and a voice map of the user.

6 . The user recognition system of claim 5 ,
wherein the controller comprises a voice recognition system and/or a facial recognition system; and wherein data transmitted from the server to the controller comprise a list of identification data of users that are to be recognized based on the results of the gait analyzing algorithm and/or results of the gesture recognition algorithm submitted to the server; and wherein the controller is configured to confirm the identity of one single user based on the data transmitted from the server via the facial recognition system and/or the voice recognition system; and wherein the controller is configured to transmit data determined by the facial recognition system and/or the voice recognition system to the server if the identity of one single user is not confirmed based on the data transmitted from the server using a facial recognition system and/or a voice recognition system; and wherein the server is configured to confirm the identity of one single user based on the data determined by the facial recognition system and/or the voice recognition system and a database comprising facial data and/or voice data of a multitude of users and to transmit the confirmed identity of the one single user to the controller.

7 . The user recognition system of claim 4 ,
wherein the controller is configured to exclude the user from using the autonomous vehicle if the server does not find data related to the results of the gesture recognition algorithm and/or the results of the gait analyzing algorithm in the database.

8 . The user recognition system of claim 5 ,
wherein the user recognition system comprises at least one facial recognition system that is configured to scan a face of the user using a face scanning sensor and to match the scan data of the face of the user with the expected facial data transmitted from the server by using the at least one processor; and wherein the controller is configured to unlock the autonomous vehicle and to start a dialog with the user if the scan data of the face of the user match with the expected facial data transmitted from the server.

9 . The user recognition system of claim 8 ,
wherein the user recognition system comprises at least one voice recognition system that is configured to scan voice data provided by the user during the dialog using a voice recognition sensor; and wherein the controller is configured to confirm the identity of the user if the scan data of the voice of the user match with the voice map transmitted from the server.

10 . The user recognition system of claim 8 ,
wherein the dialog comprises at least a question concerning a destination of the user.

11 . The user recognition system of claim 9 ,
wherein the voice recognition system is configured to extract information concerning the destination of the user from voice data provided by the voice recognition sensor; and wherein the controller is configured to determine a route to the destination of the user and to configure the autonomous vehicle to drive the user to the destination of the user.

12 . The user recognition system of claim 10 ,
wherein the controller is configured to determine the route to the destination of the user by transmitting information about the destination of the user extracted from the voice data provided by the voice recognition sensor to a server; and wherein the server is configured to generate a route to the destination of the user based on the voice data and to transmit the route to the controller by using a communication module.

13 . The user recognition system of claim 9 ,
wherein the voice recognition system is configured to extract information about an emotional state of the user from the voice data provided by the voice recognition sensor; and wherein the controller is configured to modify a driving behavior based on the current emotional state of the user.

14 . The user recognition system of claim 1 ,
wherein the biometric recognition module is configured to extract user related data from the scan data of the environment by matching the scan data of the environment with data of the environment provided by at least one additional environmental sensor of the autonomous vehicle, such that only data that are related to the user are used by the gesture recognition algorithm to recognize the flagging down gesture and data related to a particular background are subtracted.

15 . The user recognition system of claim 14 ,
wherein the at least one additional environmental sensor is at least one or a combination of: LIDAR-sensor, camera-sensors in multiple angles and microphone-sensor.

16 . The user recognition system of claim 1 ,
wherein the gesture recognition algorithm is based on a tracking algorithm of the autonomous vehicle to track road participants.

17 . The user recognition system of claim 1 ,
wherein, if the ges

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Cooley Robert B

Classifications

• G06F21/32 Primary

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title

• G07C9/37 Primary

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition · CPC title

• B60R25/25

  using biometry · CPC title

• G07C9/00571

  operated by interacting with a central unit · CPC title

• G10L25/63

  for estimating an emotional state · CPC title