Sensor-based tracking of vehicle content

Abstract

Techniques are described for sensor-based tracking of vehicle content. In an embodiment, a request is received to deploy a vehicle to a location specified by a user. Such a vehicle may contain various items available for a user to remove from the vehicle at the location when the vehicle arrives. The techniques include determining which of the items has been taken from the vehicle using sensors of the vehicles to detect the removal of such items from the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle comprising:
 a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage storing a set of program instructions for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory, wherein the set of program instructions includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause:
 receiving a request to deploy said vehicle to a location specified by a user; 
 wherein said vehicle contains a plurality of items, each item of the plurality of items is available to remove from the plurality of items of the vehicle at the location; 
 determining which of the plurality of items has been taken from said vehicle by detecting one or more items that are taken from said vehicle from the plurality of items placed in the vehicle; 
 providing information regarding the one or more items taken from said vehicle to the user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause:
 tracking, using one or more sensors, which of the plurality of items has been taken from said vehicle.   
     
     
         3 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle is autonomous or teleoperated. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause:
 unlocking a compartment of said vehicle with the plurality of items, or opening a compartment of said vehicle with the plurality of items.   
     
     
         5 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause:
 sending one or more notifications to a computing device linked to the user about arrival of the vehicle to the location.   
     
     
         6 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause:
 determining that an item removal from said vehicle has completed;   after determining that the item removal from said vehicle has completed, closing a compartment of said vehicle.   
     
     
         7 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle comprises one or more sensors including: a camera, an RFID sensor, an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, a motion sensor, a proximity sensor, a lidar, or a radar; and wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause tracking, using the one or more sensors, which of the plurality of items has been taken from said vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle comprises a plurality of sensors that includes one or more of: a camera, an RFID sensor, an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, a motion sensor, a proximity sensor, a lidar, or a radar; and wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause tracking which of the plurality of items has been taken from said vehicle using a combination of different type of sensors from the plurality of sensors based at least in part on an image, detected tag, weight, or size of the taken item. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle comprises a plurality of sensors that includes an RFID sensor; and wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause determining whether a particular item is a part of the one or more items of the plurality of items based at least in part on determining whether the particular item has been left in said vehicle based at least in part on detecting an RFID tag of the particular item within said vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle comprises a plurality of sensors that includes one or more of: a camera, an RFID sensor, an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, a touch sensor, a lidar, or a radar; and
 wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause:
 detecting, by a first sensor of the plurality of sensors, a removal of a first item from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle, 
 detecting, by a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, a removal of a second item from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle, and 
 determining that the removed first item and the removed second item are the same item of the plurality of items. 
   
     
     
         11 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle comprises a plurality of sensors that includes one or more of: a camera, an RFID sensor, an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, a touch sensor, a lidar, or a radar; and
 wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause:
 detecting, by a first sensor, of the plurality of sensors, a removal of a first item from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle, 
 detecting, by a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, a removal of a second item, different from the first item, from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle, and 
 determining that the removed first item and the removed second item are the same item of the plurality of items despite detecting, by the second sensor of the plurality of sensors, the removal of the second item, different from the first item, from said vehicle. 
   
     
     
         12 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle comprises a plurality of sensors that includes one or more of: a camera, an RFID sensor, an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, a touch sensor, a lidar, or a radar; and
 wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause:
 detecting, by a first sensor, of the plurality of sensors, a removal of a first item from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle, 
 detecting, by a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, no removal of the first item from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle, and 
 determining, based on the first sensor being the camera, that the first item of the plurality of items was removed from said vehicle despite detecting, by the second sensor of the plurality of sensors, no removal of the first item from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle. 
   
     
     
         13 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle comprises a plurality of sensors that includes one or more of: a camera, an RFID sensor, an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, a touch sensor, a lidar, or a radar;
 wherein a first sensor of the plurality of sensors is the camera;   wherein said vehicle comprises one or more racks on which the plurality of items is placed and which has embedded one or more visual cues for the camera;   wherein the set of program instructions further includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause:
 detecting, by the first sensor of the plurality of sensors, a removal of a first item from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle, 
 detecting, by a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, no removal of the first item from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle or a removal of a second item, different from the first item, from the plurality of items, and 
 determining, based on the first sensor being the camera and the camera relying on the one or more visual cues of the one or more racks, that the first item and not the second item of the plurality of items was removed from said vehicle despite:
 detecting, by the second sensor of the plurality of sensors, no removal of the first item from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle, or 
 detecting, by the second sensor of the plurality of sensors, the removal of the second item, different from the first item, from the plurality of items placed in said vehicle. 
 
   
     
     
         14 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle comprises a plurality of sensors that includes one or more of: a camera, an RFID sensor, an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, a touch sensor, a lidar, or a radar, to track which of the plurality of items has been taken from said vehicle; and wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is also used to assist said vehicle in autonomous or teleoperated movement to deploy said vehicle to the location. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a request to deploy a vehicle to a location specified by a user;   wherein said vehicle contains a plurality of items, each item of the plurality of items is available to remove from the plurality of items of the vehicle at the location;   determining which of the plurality of items has been taken from said vehicle by detecting one or more items that are taken from said vehicle from the plurality of items placed in the vehicle;   providing information regarding the one or more items taken from said vehicle to the user.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 sending one or more notifications to a computing device linked to the user about arrival of the vehicle to the location.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said vehicle is autonomous or teleoperated. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining that an item removal from said vehicle has completed;   after determining that the item removal from said vehicle has completed, closing a compartment of said vehicle.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said vehicle comprises one or more sensors including:
 a camera, an RFID sensor, an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, a motion sensor, a proximity sensor, a lidar, or a radar; and the method further comprises tracking, using the one or more sensors, which of the plurality of items has been taken from said vehicle.   
     
     
         20 . A system comprising:
 a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage storing a set of program instructions for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory, wherein the set of program instructions includes program instructions, which, when executed by the CPU, cause:
 receiving a request to deploy a vehicle to a location specified by a user; 
 wherein said vehicle contains a plurality of items, each item of the plurality of items is available to remove from the plurality of items of the vehicle at the location; 
 determining which of the plurality of items has been taken from said vehicle by detecting one or more items that are taken from said vehicle from the plurality of items placed in the vehicle; 
 providing information regarding the one or more items taken from said vehicle to the user.