Waymo patents camera system to check if self-driving cars are empty
This patent describes a method for self-driving vehicles to use internal cameras to check their own status. The system analyzes images of the car's interior to detect specific markers or occupancy, allowing the vehicle to determine if it is ready for operation.
In the filing’s own words
Aspects of the disclosure relate to determining and responding to an internal state of a self-driving vehicle. For instance, an image of an interior of the vehicle captured by a camera mounted in the vehicle is received. The image is processed in order to identify one or more visible markers at predetermined locations within the vehicle. The internal state of the vehicle is determined based on the identified one or more visible markers. A responsive action is identified action using the determined internal state, and the vehicle is controlled in order to perform the responsive action.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method comprising: generating, by one or more processors, a model; training, by the one or more processors, the model, wherein the training is performed with images of different interiors of vehicles that are in a default state; and sending, by the one or more processors, the trained model to a vehicle, wherein the trained model is configured to output an indication associated with an occupancy of the vehicle.
Facts
- Company
- Google (Waymo LLC)
- Official title
- Determining and responding to an internal status of a vehicle
- Patent number
- US12754550B2
- Application number
- 18814682
- Filed
- Aug 26, 2024
- Granted
- Oct 6, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G05D 1/0246 Physics & computingB60N 2/002 Operations & transportB60N 2/0026 Operations & transportB60N 2/271 Operations & transportB60Q 9/00 Operations & transportB60W 60/00253 Operations & transportMore from Google in Cars & transport
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.