# US 10,872,253 B2 · Method and apparatus for vehicle interior evaluation and situational servicing

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- Number: US 10,872,253 B2
- Document ID: US10872253B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/271,101
- Filed: 2019-02-08
- Published: 2020-08-13
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-08
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Shiqi Qiu; Fling Tseng; Johannes Geir Kristinsson; Helen Elizabeth Kourous-Harrigan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872253B2

## CPC

- G06V 20/59: inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
- B25J 11/0085: {Cleaning}
- G06V 20/52: Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69)
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})

## Abstract

A vehicle may be configured to detect an object within an interior of the vehicle using a vehicle sensor. The vehicle may further determine whether the object should be removed, based on a determined object value, such as may be determined by comparison of an object characteristic to a database of objects. Also, responsive to determining the object should be removed, the vehicle may schedule removal at an automated object-removal center. The vehicle may also wirelessly notify the object-removal center of vehicle arrival when the vehicle arrives at the object-removal center, including sending identification of the object, receiving indication from the object-removal center that the object has been removed, and confirming removal of the object by attempting to detect the object using the vehicle sensor, the confirmation occurring based on non-detection of the object by the vehicle that originally detected the object and requested removal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a robotic removal device, equipped with a sensor; and
a processor configured to
receive wireless identification of an object, from a vehicle from which the object is to be removed;
guide the removal device within a vehicle interior to identify, using the sensor, the object based on the identification;
secure and remove the object using the removal device;
place the object in a locking receptacle;
create temporary access parameters for the locking receptacle; and
wirelessly communicate the access parameters to an object owner, having a predefined association with the object.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the removal device includes a robotic arm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the removal device includes a grasping portion configured to grasp an object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the removal device includes a suction portion configured to secure an object.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the removal device includes a drone capable of securing the object.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless identification includes an image of the object.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless identification includes a location of the object within a vehicle interior.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to communicate the wireless access parameters to an object owner's mobile device and to receive local wireless communication from the mobile device, including the access parameters, responsive to the owner arriving at a site including the locking receptacle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to provide access to the locking receptacle responsive to the local wireless communication.