Directed acoustic alert notification from autonomous vehicles

Abstract

A system included and a computer-implemented method performed in an autonomous-driving vehicle are described. The system performs: receive a request to meet a person at a location; drive the vehicle to the location; identify the person at the location; and send a directed alert notification to the person, wherein the directed alert notification comprises a directed acoustic signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for a vehicle comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform a method comprising:
 locating a person at a location based on a global position system (GPS) signal provided by a device accompanying the person; 
 detecting a posture or orientation of a person; 
 determining, based on the posture or the orientation, a location of or around a body of the person to where a directed acoustic signal is to be delivered; 
 delivering the directed acoustic signal at the determined location; 
 in response to delivering the directed acoustic signal, receiving a notification from the device confirming an identity of the person; and 
 in response to identifying the person, unlocking the vehicle for the person. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to perform:
 determining whether to provide an additional alert notification to the person based on a density of people at the location around the body of the person.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the determining whether to provide an additional alert notification comprises:
 in response to the density of people being higher than a threshold, determining to provide the additional alert notification to the device; and   in response to the density of people being equal to or less than the threshold, determining not to provide the additional alert notification.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to perform:
 determining whether to provide an additional alert notification to the person based on an orientation of eyes of the person.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the determining whether to provide an additional alert notification comprises:
 determining whether the eyes of the person are oriented towards the device; and   in response to determining that the eyes of the person are oriented towards the device, determining to provide the additional alert notification to the device.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to perform:
 in response to delivering the directed acoustic signal to the person, determining whether the person is responsive to the directed acoustic signal;   in response to determining that the person is not responsive to the directed acoustic signal, alternating the delivery of the directed acoustic signal with a delivery of a non-acoustic signal.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to perform:
 in response to determining that the person is not responsive to the alternating delivery of the non-acoustic signal with the delivery of the directed acoustic signal, determining whether the person   
       is a wrong person; and
 in response to determining that the person is the wrong person, locating another person at which to deliver the directed acoustic signal. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the delivering the directed acoustic signal to the person comprises delivering a previously received secret phrase to the person. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to perform:
 unlocking a container, inside the vehicle, containing a delivery for the person.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the determined location to where the directed acoustic signal is to be delivered is at an ear of the person. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method performed in a vehicle comprising:
 locating a person at a location based on a global position system (GPS) signal provided by a device accompanying the person;   detecting a posture or orientation of a person;   determining, based on the posture or the orientation, a location of or around a body of the person to where a directed acoustic signal is to be delivered;   delivering the directed acoustic signal at the determined location;   in response to delivering the directed acoustic signal, receiving a notification from the device confirming an identity of the person; and   in response to identifying the person, unlocking the vehicle for the person.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining whether to provide an additional alert notification to the person based on a density of people at the location around the body of the person. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the determining whether to provide an additional alert notification comprises:
 in response to the density of people being higher than a threshold, determining to provide the additional alert notification to the device; and   in response to the density of people being equal to or less than the threshold, determining not to provide the additional alert notification.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining whether to provide an additional alert notification to the person based on an orientation of eyes of the person.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , wherein the determining whether to provide an additional alert notification comprises:
 determining whether the eyes of the person are oriented towards the device; and   in response to determining that the eyes of the person are oriented towards the device, determining to provide the additional alert notification to the device.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 in response to delivering the directed acoustic signal to the person, determining whether the person is responsive to the directed acoustic signal;   in response to determining that the person is not responsive to the directed acoustic signal, alternating the delivery of the directed acoustic signal with a delivery of a non-acoustic signal.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that the person is not responsive to the alternating delivery of the non-acoustic signal with the delivery of the directed acoustic signal, determining whether the person is a wrong person; and   in response to determining that the person is the wrong person, locating another person at which to deliver the directed acoustic signal.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the delivering the directed acoustic signal to the person comprises delivering a previously received secret phrase to the person. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 unlocking a container, inside the vehicle, containing a delivery for the person.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the determined location to where the directed acoustic signal is to be delivered is at an ear of the person.