Method for projecting a light pattern into the surroundings of a vehicle, and access control system
AssigneeMercedes-Benz Group AG
InventorRakesh KARURMATH SHIVANANDAIAH
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A light pattern, including a code, is projected into surroundings of a vehicle using a lighting device of the vehicle. An optical reader detects the light pattern, a computing unit coupled to the reader recognizes the code in the light pattern and, depending on information described by the code, causes an action to be carried out. The computing unit is integrated into or coupled to an access control station, checks whether a code corresponding to the code described by the light pattern can be found in a memory of the computing unit and permits or prevents access depending on the code check. The central computing device generates the code and initially transmits it to the vehicle and the computing unit.
Claims11
1-10. (canceled)
A method comprising:
- generating, by a central computing device, a code;
- transmitting, by the central computing device to a vehicle, the generated code;
- projecting, by a lighting device of the vehicle, a light pattern into surroundings of the vehicle, wherein the light pattern comprises the generated code;
- detecting, by an optical reader, the projected light pattern;
- recognizing, by a computing unit coupled to the optical reader, the generated code in the projected light pattern, wherein the computing unit is integrated into or coupled to an access control station;
- checking, by the computing unit, whether a code corresponding to the generated code in the projected light pattern is found in a memory of the computing unit;
- causing, by the computing unit when the code corresponding to the generated code in the projected light pattern is found in the memory of the computing unit, an obstacle blocking an entrance to an area controlled by the access control station to be removed so that the vehicle can drive into the area;
- and
- causing, by the computing unit when the code corresponding to the generated code in the projected light pattern is not found in the memory of the computing unit, the obstacle to remain in the entrance to the area.
An access control system comprising:
- a central computing device;
- a vehicle;
- an control station;
- an optical reader;
- and
- a computing unit, coupled to the optical reader and integrated into an access control station or coupled to the access control station,
- wherein the central computing device is configured to generate a code,
- wherein the central computing device is configured to transmit the generated code to the vehicle,
- wherein a lighting device of the vehicle is configured to project a light pattern into surroundings of the vehicle, wherein the light pattern comprises the generated code,
- wherein the optical reader is configured to detect the projected light pattern,
- wherein the computing unit is configured to recognize the generated code in the projected light pattern,
- wherein the computing unit is configured to check whether a code corresponding to the generated code in the projected light pattern is found in a memory of the computing unit,
- wherein the computing unit is configured, when the code corresponding to the generated code in the projected light pattern is found in the memory of the computing unit, to cause an obstacle blocking an entrance to an area controlled by the access control station to be removed so that the vehicle can drive into the area, and
- wherein the computing unit is configured, when the code corresponding to the generated code in the projected light pattern is not found in the memory of the computing unit, to cause the obstacle to remain in the entrance to the area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.