Abstract:
A system of one or more computers configured to perform particular operations or actions by virtue of having software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of them installed on the system that in operation causes or cause the system to perform the actions. One general aspect includes a first computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the first computer is programmed to send parameters describing a target passenger to a mobile drone. The system instructs said drone to circumnavigate an area while searching said area for the target passenger with an image capturing device. The system receives communications from the drone and confirms a match to the target passenger and instructs the drone to guide the target passenger to a destination.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    As vehicles shift toward having autonomous driving capability, there can be situations in which a vehicle is dispatched to pick up a passenger. Such situations could require locating the target passenger. Difficulties in passenger location can make it difficult and time consuming for the autonomous vehicle and target passenger to rendezvous. Systems such as a vehicle-mounted video system with facial recognition have deficiencies, e.g., may not be usable to identify the passenger due to a blocked line of sight. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0002]      FIG. 1  is block diagram of an exemplary deployment of a drone dispatched from a vehicle to locate a passenger in a crowd of people. 
           [0003]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary docking of the drone on the vehicle before or after deployment. 
           [0004]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a first exemplary process that may be implemented by the vehicle&#39;s computer to locate a passenger. 
           [0005]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a second exemplary process that may be implemented by the vehicle&#39;s computer to locate a passenger. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0006]    As disclosed herein, a flying drone can position itself a few meters from the vehicle and search through a crowd of people in the rendezvous area. The drone can also transmit images of the passenger and surroundings to the vehicle, where the images could be stored and/or transmitted to a third party for a visual verification, for example, a parent who dispatched the vehicle. 
         [0007]    The drone device can also can establish a radio frequency connection, for example, a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection with the passenger&#39;s cellular telephone or wearable device to relay information between the vehicle, the drone and the passenger. 
         [0008]    Now turning to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  is block diagram of an exemplary passenger locator system  5  that includes an exemplary deployment of a passenger locator drone  14  which may be dispatched from a vehicle  10  to locate a target passenger  18  in a crowd of people  19 . The vehicle  10  is equipped with a communications antenna  11  to accommodate communications with the drone  14 . The communications antenna  11  can include one or more antennas such as are known, and can also include the antenna array for the vehicle  10  Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or Global Positioning System (GPS) and the antenna for a cellular network communication, for example, voice and data for the vehicle  10 . Additionally, the communications antenna  11  can provide for any other Radio Frequency (RF) communication devices, for example a Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communications device or Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) communications device. 
         [0009]    The vehicle  10  may also have a camera  12  attached to the vehicle, for example, a right lane mirror camera which can also be utilized to locate a passenger  18 . However, the camera  12  field of view  13  is limited to the immediate surrounding area of the vehicle  10 . 
         [0010]    The vehicle  10  includes a search computer unit (SCU)  8 , which has at least one processor and memory to store computer instructions executable on the at least one processor such that the computer is programmed to carry out various operations, including as disclosed herein. The memory can also store data, register values and temporary and permanent variables, etc., as is known. The executable instructions include one or more predetermined criteria for command and control of the drone along with facial and body identification algorithms. The SCU  8  may also contain or have an additional special processor, such as an imaging processor or a digital signal processor (DSP) to aid the processor with signal interpretation. The SCU  8  is communicatively coupled to a telematics control unit  9  and to the camera  12 , e.g., via a vehicle communications bus or other vehicle network such as is known. 
         [0011]    The telematics control unit  9  can be connected to the GNSS and the GPS unit and provides an interface for external communication, for example, with a GSM network, a GPRS network, a LTE network, a Wi-Fi network or a Bluetooth network. The telematics control unit  9  can include a processor, for example, a microcontroller and memory to store computer instructions, register values and temporary and permanent variables. 
         [0012]    The drone  14  can be either a ground drone or an unmanned aerial vehicle, for example, a quadcopter, a hexcopter, a helicopter, a fixed wing or any aircraft capable of autonomous or semiautonomous flight. A ground drone is an unmanned ground vehicle that does not leave the surface of the earth. The drone  14  has an imaging capture device, for example, a drone camera  15  which the drone  14  uses to capture images of the passenger  18  and of the other people  19 . 
         [0013]    The drone  14  has a RF communication  16  link with the vehicle  16  for command and control of the drone  14  via a drone antenna  20 . The drone antenna can also facilitate communications with the passenger  18 , for example, the drone  14  can establish a drone to passenger communications link to a wearable device, for example, a cellular phone device on the passenger  18  via Wi-Fi protocol, Bluetooth protocol, Near Field Communications (NFC) protocol or any two way RF communications protocol. 
         [0014]    The drone  14  can additionally have a light signal (not shown) to get the attention of the passenger  18 , an aural signal generator (not shown), for example, a bell, a microphone (not shown), a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and a radio frequency transceiver for the above cited communications link. 
         [0015]    The drone  14 , can be programmed to search a drone search area  21  in a systematic way using the drone camera  15 . The drone camera field of view  17  can only visualize a portion of the drone search area  21  and may have to take several passes over the drone search area  21  until the passenger  18  is found. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows the drone  14  docked on the rear of the vehicle  10  either before or after a search mission to locate the passenger  18 . The drone  14  can, alternatively, be stowed in the trunk or hatch of the vehicle  10 , or even be an on demand drone which is already at the pick-up location. The vehicle  10  can initiate the search for the passenger while enroute by contacting the pick-up location and requesting the use of the drone  14 . 
         [0017]    Once the vehicle is either in a designated pick-up area or close to the pick-up area, the vehicle can provide the drone with an image of the likeness of the passenger  18 , and launch the drone. The drone can mingle amongst the people  19  if the drone  14  is a ground drone or, if aerial, the drone  14  can fly or hover over the people  19  and search for the passenger  18 . 
         [0018]    The drone  14  can merely send images of the people  19  back to the vehicle  10  and the vehicle SCU  8  can process the images and detect the passenger  18  or, alternatively or additionally, the drone  14  can process the images in a drone processor, which may include programming for image recognition to detect the passenger  18 . Once the passenger  18  has been detected, the SCU  8  can first instruct the drone  14  to message the passenger  18  that the passenger  18  has been detected. The message can be aural, a spot light, a flood light or a strobe light (not shown) illuminated upon the passenger  18 , a text message to a wearable device, for example, a cellular phone device of the passenger  18 , or some other form of message. The drone  14  can be programmed to either hover or circle above the passenger  18  and guide the passenger  18  to a destination, for example, the vehicle  10 , or alternatively if the drone  14  is a ground drone, the drone can simply lead the passenger to the vehicle  10 . 
         [0019]    To verify the identity of the passenger  18 , the SCU  8  can send an image of the passenger  18  to a human being for a positive visual identification. For example, a parent may have sent the vehicle to pick up their child at the airport. The image of the passenger  18  the drone  14  took with its camera  15  can be sent via the telematics control unit  9  to the dispatching parent for the positive visual identification. Once confirmed, the SCU  8  can unlock the doors of the vehicle  10  and let the passenger  18  into the vehicle  10 . 
       Process Flows 
       [0020]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process  100  of the SCU  8  commanding and controlling an image capable search and identify drone device which can identify a target passenger and guide the passenger back to an autonomous vehicle. 
         [0021]    The process  100  begins in a block  110 , in which a search profile, i.e., parameters describing a target passenger to be located, is uploaded to the drone  14 . If the drone  14  performs some or all of the imaging processing on board the drone, the drone  14  computer will be provided with a set of a set of facial recognition parameters or a set of physical characteristics of the passenger  18 , i.e., that may be used according to known image recognition techniques, along with a set of coordinates of a search area. The facial characteristics can include the relative position, size, and/or shape of the eyes, nose, cheekbones, and jaw, just to name a few. The drone  14  will match the facial characteristics of the crowd of people  19  until the drone finds the passenger  18 . 
         [0022]    Next in a block  120 , the drone  14  is deployed; for example, if the drone  14  is stored in or on the vehicle  10 , the vehicle  10  will launch the drone  14 , e.g., according to instructions form the SCU  8 . Alternatively, if the drone is pre-parked at an airport terminal, for example, the SCU  8  will send a launch command to the pre-parked drone at the airport terminal along with the facial characteristics and the search area. 
         [0023]    Next, in a block  130 , the vehicle  10  SCU  18  receives a “match-found” communication from the drone  14 , indicating that the drone  14  has determined it has a high confidence that the drone  14  has located the passenger  18 , for example, by matching the uploaded facial characteristics with a person in the search area. 
         [0024]    Next, in a block  140 , the match profile can be confirmed, for example, the SCU  8  can place a telephone call or send a text to the passenger  18  and request that the passenger signal the drone  14 , for example, by waving, responding to a text message, or displaying a confirmation QR code the SCU  8  has sent to the passenger  18  mobile device. A QR code, abbreviated from Quick Response Code, is type of matrix barcode. It is a machine-readable optical label that contains information about the item to which it is displayed. A QR code uses four standardized encoding modes including numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, and kanji to efficiently store and represent data. 
         [0025]    Next, in a block  150 , the SCU  8  instructs the drone  14  to position itself near the passenger  18 , for example, if the drone  14  is a hovercraft, such as a quad or multicopter, the drone  14  can be instructed to hover over or just in front of the passenger  14  or if the drone  14  is a fixed wing aircraft, the drone  14  can circle above the passenger  18 . Alternatively, if the drone  14  is a ground drone, the drone  14  can be instructed to position itself next to the passenger  18 . 
         [0026]    Next, a block  160 , the SCU  8  instructs the drone  14  to guide the passenger to the vehicle  10  and the process  100  ends. 
         [0027]    Now turning to  FIG. 4 , the process  200  begins in a block  210 , in which a search profile is uploaded to the memory of the drone  14  and into the memory of the SCU  8 . The drone search profile includes a set of coordinates of the search area. When deployed in the process  200 , the drone  14  will send images, such as a video feed or still pictures of the crowd of people  19  and the passenger  18 , but not perform image recognition. The SCU  18  will perform the imaging processing at the vehicle  10 . 
         [0028]    Next in a block  220 , the drone  14  is deployed; for example, if the drone  14  is stored in the vehicle  10 , the vehicle  10  will launch the drone  14 . Alternatively, if the drone is pre-parked at an airport terminal, for example, the vehicle  10  will send a launch command to the pre; parked drone at the airport terminal along with the search area to be covered. 
         [0029]    Next, in a block  230 , which can follow in the block  220  or in a block  240 , the vehicle  10  SCU  18  receives and processes the images from the drone  14   
         [0030]    Next, in the block  240 , the SCU  8  determines whether an image match of the search profile has been determined. If there is a match, the process proceeds to a block  250 , else the process returns to in the block  230 . 
         [0031]    Next, in the block  250 , the SCU  8  instructs the drone  14  to position itself near the passenger  18 , as like in the block  150  from  FIG. 3 , if the drone  14  is a hovercraft, such as a quad or multicopter, the drone  14  can be instructed to hover over or just in front of the passenger  14  or if the drone  14  is a fixed wing aircraft, the drone  14  can circle above the passenger  18 . Alternatively, if the drone  14  is a ground drone, the drone  14  can be instructed to position itself next to the passenger  18 . 
         [0032]    Next, a block  260 , the SCU  8  instructs the drone  14  to guide the passenger to the vehicle  10   
         [0033]    Next in the block  270 , the SCU  8  instructs the drone n to it stored and docked positon and the process  200  ends. 
         [0034]    The disclosure has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings, and the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.