# US 10,872,252 B2 · Exterior camera services for vehicle-sharing fleet

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,872,252 B2
- Document ID: US10872252B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/677,013
- Filed: 2019-11-07
- Published: 2020-05-14
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-11-13
- Assignees: DENSO International America, Inc.; Denso Corporation
- Applicants: DENSO International America, Inc.; Denso Corporation
- Inventors: Robert Wunsche, III; Mustafa Mahmoud; Feng Xue
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872252B2

## CPC

- G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083)
- G06V 20/584: {of vehicle lights or traffic lights}
- B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
- B60R 25/04: operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
- B60R 25/1012: {Zone surveillance means, e.g. parking lots, truck depots}
- B60R 25/102: a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
- G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance
- G06Q 30/0645: Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
- G08G 1/205: {Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental}
- B60R 2021/0027: {Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services}
- B60R 2300/105: using multiple cameras
- B60R 2300/8073: for vehicle security, e.g. parked vehicle surveillance, burglar detection
- G06V 20/59: inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
- G06V 40/172: {Classification, e.g. identification}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})

## Abstract

A method and system are disclosed and include obtaining sensor data from at least one sensor of a subject vehicle. The method also includes determining whether the sensor data indicates one of (i) a first vehicle has contacted the subject vehicle and (ii) the first vehicle is located within a threshold distance of the subject vehicle. The method also includes selectively activating, in response to one of (i) the first vehicle contacting the subject vehicle and (ii) the first vehicle being located within the threshold distance, at least one camera of the subject vehicle. The method also includes obtaining image data of the first vehicle from the at least one camera. The method also includes transmitting the image data to a remote computing system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
obtaining, using a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a nontransitory computer-readable medium, sensor data from at least one sensor of a subject vehicle;
determining, using the processor, whether the sensor data indicates one of (i) a first vehicle has contacted the subject vehicle and (ii) the first vehicle is located within a threshold distance of the subject vehicle;
selectively activating, using the processor and in response to one of (i) the first vehicle contacting the subject vehicle and (ii) the first vehicle being located within the threshold distance, at least one camera of the subject vehicle;
obtaining, using the processor, image data of the first vehicle from the at least one camera;
transmitting, using the processor, the image data to a remote computing system;
generating, using the remote computing system, a cleanliness score of the first vehicle based on the image data; and
generating, using the remote computing system and in response to the cleanliness score being greater than a threshold value, an alert that is configured to indicate that the first vehicle needs to be cleaned.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the sensor is a global navigation satellite system sensor; and
the sensor data represents a location of the subject vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the sensor data indicates that the first vehicle is within a threshold distance of the subject vehicle further comprises:
retrieving, using the processor, location data associated with the first vehicle from the remote computing system;
determining, using the processor, a distance between the subject vehicle and the first vehicle based on the location of the subject vehicle and the location data associated with the first vehicle; and
determining, using the processor, whether the first vehicle is located within the threshold distance of the subject vehicle based on the distance.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein selectively activating the at least one camera of the subject vehicle further comprises:
retrieving, using the processor, trajectory data associated with the first vehicle from the remote computing system;
identifying, using the processor, a set of the at least one camera based on the location of the first vehicle and the trajectory data; and
activating, using the processor, the set of the at least one camera.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the sensor is an impact sensor; and
the sensor data represents an applied force to the subject vehicle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selectively activating the at least one camera of the subject vehicle further comprises:
determining, using the processor, a contact location of the subject vehicle based on the sensor data;
determining, using the processor, a location of the first vehicle based on the contact location;
identifying, using the processor, a set of the at least one camera based on the location of the first vehicle; and
activating, using the processor, the set of the at least one camera.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining, using the processor, whether the image data corresponds to image information of a vehicle-sharing account associated with the subject vehicle; and
identifying, using the processor and in response to (i) the image data not corresponding to the image information of the vehicle-sharing account and (ii) a vehicle state of the subject vehicle being associated with a first condition, the subject vehicle as stolen.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining, using the processor, a location of a user;
selectively activating, using the processor and in response to the user being located within a second threshold distance of the subject vehicle, at least one camera of the subject vehicle;
obtaining, using the processor, image data associated with an exterior of the vehicle from the at least one camera; and
activating, using the processor and in response to the image data indicating that the user is approaching the subject vehicle, an engine of the subject vehicle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is located on an exterior of the subject vehicle.

### Claim 10

A system comprising:
a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a nontransitory computer-readable medium, wherein the instructions include:
obtaining sensor data from at least one sensor of a subject vehicle;
determining whether the sensor data indicates one of (i) a first vehicle has contacted the subject vehicle and (ii) the first vehicle is located within a threshold distance of the subject vehicle;
in response to one of (i) the first vehicle contacting the subject vehicle and (ii) the first vehicle being located within the threshold distance, selectively activating at least one camera of the subject vehicle;
obtaining image data of the first vehicle from the at least one camera; and
transmitting, using the processor, the image data to a remote computing system;
wherein the remote computing system is configured to:
generate a cleanliness score of the first vehicle based on the image data; and
in response to the cleanliness score being greater than a threshold value, generate an alert that is configured to indicate that the first vehicle needs to be cleaned.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein:
the sensor is a global navigation satellite system sensor; and
the sensor data represents a location of the subject vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein determining whether the sensor data indicates that the first vehicle is within a threshold distance of the subject vehicle further comprises:
retrieving location data associated with the first vehicle from the remote computing system;
determining a distance between the subject vehicle and the first vehicle based on the location of the subject vehicle and the location data associated with the first vehicle; and
determining whether the first vehicle is located within the threshold distance of the subject vehicle based on the distance.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein selectively activating the at least one camera of the subject vehicle further comprises:
retrieving trajectory data associated with the first vehicle from the remote computing system;
identifying a set of the at least one camera based on the location of the first vehicle and the trajectory data; and
activating the set of the at least one camera.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein:
the sensor is an impact sensor; and
the sensor data represents an applied force to the subject vehicle.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein selectively activating the at least one camera of the subject vehicle further comprises:
determining a contact location of the subject vehicle based on the sensor data;
determining a location of the first vehicle based on the contact location;
identifying a set of the at least one camera based on the location of the first vehicle; and
activating the set of the at least one camera.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise:
determining whether the image data corresponds to image information of a vehicle-sharing account associated with the subject vehicle; and
in response to (i) the image data not corresponding to the image information of the vehicle-sharing account and (ii) a vehicle state of the subject vehicle being associated with a first condition, identifying the subject vehicle as stolen.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise:
obtaining a location of a user;
in response to the user being located within a second threshold distance of the subject vehicle, selectively activating at least one camera of the subject vehicle;
obtaining image data associated with an exterior of the vehicle from the at least one camera; and
in response to the image data indicating that the user is approaching the subject vehicle, activating an engine of the subject vehicle.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one camera is located on an exterior of the subject vehicle.

### Claim 19

A method comprising:
obtaining, using a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a nontransitory computer-readable medium, sensor data from at least one sensor of a subject vehicle;
determining, using the processor, whether the sensor data indicates one of (i) a first vehicle has contacted the subject vehicle and (ii) the first vehicle is located within a threshold distance of the subject vehicle;
selectively activating, using the processor and in response to one of (i) the first vehicle contacting the subject vehicle and (ii) the first vehicle being located within the threshold distance, at least one camera of the subject vehicle;
obtaining, using the processor, image data of the first vehicle from the at least one camera;
transmitting, using the processor, the image data to a remote computing system;
obtaining, using the processor, a location of a user;
selectively activating, using the processor and in response to the user being located within a second threshold distance of the subject vehicle, at least one camera of the subject vehicle;
obtaining, using the processor, image data associated with an exterior of the vehicle from the at least one camera; and
activating, using the processor and in response to the image data indicating that the user is approaching the subject vehicle, an engine of the subject vehicle.