Methods and apparatus for enabling contactless command of a vehicle

A non-transitory storage medium encoded with code devices that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

• determining when a vehicle has arrived at a destination, wherein a sensing zone is defined around the vehicle;
• performing a first authentication process when it is determined that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, the first authentication process being arranged to authenticate a first party to enable the first party to interact with the vehicle wherein performing the first authentication process includes the first party providing at least a first authentication indicator;
• determining when the first party has successfully completed the first authentication process;
• performing a second process when it is determined that the first party has successfully completed the first authentication process, wherein performing the second process includes determining when the first party being present within the sensing zone;
• determining whether the second process is successfully completed;
• and
• enabling the first party to interact with the vehicle when it is determined that the second process is successfully completed, wherein the first authentication process and the second process are contactless with respect to the vehicle.

A platform comprising:

• at least a first vehicle, the first vehicle being semi-autonomous or autonomous, wherein a first sensing zone is defined around the first vehicle;
• a system, the system arranged to communicate with the first vehicle, the system including a database, the database configured to store information associated with a first customer, wherein the system is arranged to perform a first authentication process for the first customer with respect to the first vehicle;
• and
• at least a first device, the first device configured to interact with the system to perform the first authentication process, wherein the first device is further configured to interact with the first vehicle after the first authentication process to perform a second process, wherein the first device and the first vehicle cooperate to perform the second process when the first device is identified by the first vehicle as being physically located in the first sensing zone.