# US 11,998,494 B2 · Perception supporting hardware features for a wheelchair accessible autonomous vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,494 B2 - Document ID: US11998494B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/988,709 - Filed: 2022-11-16 - Published: 2023-03-16 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-29 - Assignees: GM Cruise Holdings LLC - Applicants: GM Cruise Holdings LLC - Inventors: Rajat Basu; Jessica Uelmen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998494B2 ## CPC - A61G 3/0808: {Accommodating or securing wheelchairs} - G06V 20/59: inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions - A61G 3/061: {using ramps} - B60P 1/43: using a loading ramp mounted on the vehicle (loading ramps per se B65G69/28) - G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)} - G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control - G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle - A61G 2203/36: for motion - A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract The subject disclosure relates to features for improving wheelchair accessibility in autonomous vehicles (AVs) and in particular, for enabling automatic ingress/egress of a wheelchair ramp to facilitate the loading and unloading of a passenger wheelchair. In some aspects, a process of the disclosed technology includes steps for identifying one or more visual reference features on at least one surface of an autonomous vehicle (AV), automatically deploying a ramp to facilitate ingress of a wheelchair, and tracking ingress of the wheelchair based on the one or more visual reference features. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: identifying one or more reference features on at least one surface of an autonomous vehicle (AV); automatically deploying a ramp to facilitate ingress of a wheelchair, wherein the ramp comprises visual markers; determining a position of the wheelchair based on a position of the visual markers; engaging a wheelchair restraint system during ingress of the wheelchair; and tracking the ingress of the wheelchair based on the one or more reference features. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more reference features are a plurality of reference features. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface of the autonomous vehicle includes an interior of a cabin of the autonomous vehicle and the ramp of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein engaging the wheelchair restraint system is responsive to a command. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wheelchair restraint system is configured to receive commands from a ridesharing application. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein tracking the ingress of the wheelchair includes tracking using sensors of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more reference features are used to ascertain a location of the wheelchair. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: a storage configured to store instructions; a processor configured to execute the instructions and cause the processor to: identify one or more reference features on at least one surface of an autonomous vehicle (AV); automatically deploy a ramp to facilitate ingress of a wheelchair, wherein the ramp comprises visual markers; determine a position of the wheelchair based on a position of the visual markers; engage a wheelchair restraint system during ingress of the wheelchair; and track the ingress of the wheelchair based on the one or more reference features. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more reference features are a plurality of reference features. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one surface of the autonomous vehicle includes an interior of a cabin of the autonomous vehicle and the ramp of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein engaging the wheelchair restraint system is responsive to a command. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the wheelchair restraint system is configured to receive commands from a ridesharing application. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein tracking the ingress of the wheelchair includes tracking using sensors of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more reference features are used to ascertain a location of the wheelchair. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, the instructions, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to: identify one or more reference features on at least one surface of an autonomous vehicle (AV); automatically deploy a ramp to facilitate ingress of a wheelchair, wherein the ramp comprises visual markers; determine a position of the wheelchair based on a position of the visual markers; engage a wheelchair restraint system during ingress of the wheelchair; and track the ingress of the wheelchair based on the one or more reference features. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer readable medium of claim 15, the one or more reference features are a plurality of reference features. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer readable medium of claim 15, the at least one surface of the autonomous vehicle includes an interior of a cabin of the autonomous vehicle and the ramp of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer readable medium of claim 15, engaging the wheelchair restraint system is responsive to a command. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer readable medium of claim 15, the wheelchair restraint system is configured to receive commands from a ridesharing application. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer readable medium of claim 15, tracking the ingress of the wheelchair includes tracking using sensors of the autonomous vehicle.