# US 2017/0284147 A1 · Detecting objects within a vehicle in connection with a service > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0284147 A1 - Document ID: US20170284147A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/629,357 - Filed: 2017-06-21 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-11 - Assignees: Uber Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Uber Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: David McAllister Bradley; Jean-Sebastien Valois - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170284147A1 ## CPC - E05F 15/70: with automatic actuation - B60N 2/002: {Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon (detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266)} - B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)} - G05D 1/0276: {using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle (involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058)} - G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management - G06Q 10/083: Shipping - G06Q 50/40: Business processes related to the transportation industry (shipping G06Q10/083) - G08B 21/24: Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms - B60N 2210/24: Cameras - E05Y 2400/446: Vehicle state sensors, e.g. parked or inclination - E05Y 2400/45: Control modes - E05Y 2900/548: Trunk lids - E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - 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 - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF ## Abstract A system for monitoring a vehicle used in providing a service is disclosed. The system detects when the service is complete, and upon detecting that the service is complete, the system determines, from one or more sensors of the vehicle, that an object which should have been removed from the vehicle after completion of the transport service, remains in the vehicle. The system then automatically initiates performance of a remedial action. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for monitoring an autonomous vehicle that is operating to provide a first transport service, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising: upon determining, from one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, that an object which should be removed from the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service, automatically initiating performance of a remedial action associated with the object prior to providing a second transport service. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle include one or more of (i) a camera, (ii) a weighing device, (iii) a suspension sensor, (iv) a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, (v) a radio-frequency transceiver, or (vi) an ultrasound sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes detecting a position of the object inside the autonomous vehicle based on image information from one or more cameras that are positioned within the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes detecting that the object has been placed in a trunk of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle include compression sensors positioned to detect compression of a portion of the autonomous vehicle that detect that the object has been placed in that portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes determining that an electronic device is in the autonomous vehicle based on radio-frequency signals emitted by the object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the electronic device is in the autonomous vehicle includes comparing location information from location sensors of the electronic device to location information from the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes determining first sensor data from the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle when the first transport service is being provided, determining second sensor data after completion of the first transport service, and comparing the first sensor data to the second sensor data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein automatically initiating performance of the remedial action includes transmitting a notification that the object is still present in the autonomous vehicle to a computing system that arranged the first transport service. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include chemosensors or gas chromatography sensors and the object is something that stained or spilled on an interior portion of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the object is in the autonomous vehicle includes capturing one or more images of a portion of the autonomous vehicle using one or more cameras of the autonomous vehicle, and performing image analysis to detect the object from the one or more images. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein automatically initiating performance of the remedial action includes communicating, over one or more networks, a message to a computing device associated with a user of the first transport service, the message notifying the user that the object is in the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the message includes an image of the object or results of the image analysis performed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: scheduling an additional transport service to deliver the object to a specified location in response to receiving a request from the user to deliver the object to the specified location. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein automatically initiating performance of the remedial action includes causing the autonomous vehicle to remain stationary at a specified location until the object is detected as being removed from the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, from the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, when the object is initially placed in the autonomous vehicle by a passenger who enters the autonomous vehicle at a pickup location. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein detecting when the object is initially placed in the autonomous vehicle is performed in response to one of (i) detecting that the passenger has entered the autonomous vehicle, (ii) detecting that a predetermined duration of time has elapsed since detecting that the passenger has entered the autonomous vehicle, (iii) receiving, from a computing device associated with the passenger, a message indicating that the first transport service can begin as a result of an input being provided at the computing device associated with the passenger, (iv) receiving, from a computing device associated with the autonomous vehicle, a message indicating that the first transport service can begin as a result of an input being provided at the computing device associated with the autonomous vehicle from the passenger within the autonomous vehicle, or (v) determining that the autonomous vehicle has been positioned within a predetermined distance of the pickup location for a predetermined duration of time based on location information of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 18 An autonomous vehicle comprising: one or more sensors generating sensor data; and a control system to execute instructions that cause the autonomous vehicle to: operate to provide a first transport service; and upon determining, from the sensor data, that an object which should be removed from the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service, automatically initiate performance of a remedial action associated with the object prior to providing a second transport service. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The autonomous vehicle of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of (i) a camera, (ii) a weighing device, (iii) a suspension sensor, (iv) a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, (v) a radio-frequency transceiver, or (vi) an ultrasound sensor. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an on-board computing system of an autonomous vehicle, cause the on-board computing system to: operate to provide a first transport service; and upon determining, from one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, that an object which should be removed from the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service is in the autonomous vehicle after completion of the first transport service, automatically initiate performance of a remedial action associated with the object prior to providing a second transport service.