Patent ID: 11935305
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  B | IPC B  G

Claim 16:
17. A method comprising:
detecting, by an autonomous vehicle, that a passenger is within a first proximity threshold to the autonomous vehicle;
in response to detecting that the passenger is within the first proximity threshold to the autonomous vehicle, display the passenger's name on a display mounted over the B-pillar on a side of the autonomous vehicle and without outputting an audio rendition of the passenger's name using a speaker, wherein the display is powered by a power supply coupled to an exterior of a body of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the display faces away from an interior of the autonomous vehicle in order to communicate with the passenger when positioned external to and spaced from the autonomous vehicle such that the autonomous vehicle functions as an autonomous taxi, and wherein the power supply is disposed between the exterior of the vehicle body and the display;
detecting, by the autonomous vehicle, that the passenger is within a second proximity threshold to the autonomous vehicle; and
in response to detecting that the passenger is within the second proximity threshold to the autonomous vehicle, displaying, by the autonomous vehicle, the passenger's name on the display and output the audio rendition of the passenger's name using the speaker;
detecting that the passenger is within a third proximity threshold to the autonomous vehicle;
in response to detecting that the passenger is within the third proximity threshold to the autonomous vehicle, displaying, by the autonomous vehicle, a request for a code on the display and outputting an audio rendition of a request for the code using the speaker;
receiving, by the autonomous vehicle, an input from the passenger through one of a microphone and a touch interface; and
when the input matches the code, unlocking, by the autonomous vehicle, a door of the autonomous vehicle and outputting a visible and/or audible prompt to the passenger to enter the vehicle.