A method for controlling an autonomous motor vehicle by an authority person by an edge device of the authority person, a computer program product,

Abstract

A method for controlling autonomous motor vehicle 12 by authority person 14 by edge device 16 of the authority person, comprises the steps of: Capturing optical code 18 displayed on the edge device by

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automobiles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for controlling an autonomous motor vehicle by an authority person by an edge device of the authority person. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a corresponding computer program product, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, as well as to a corresponding system. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0002] Autonomous vehicles need to make independent decisions at all times. They are typically designed to do just that. Sometimes they get into restricted areas such as a crime scene, emergency response or private property, where usual traffic rules do not apply. In such situations, autonomous vehicles may behave to the best of their abilities, for example come to a stop, slowly continue driving or turn around. Since such situations are very diverse and unique, it may take a long time until autonomous motor vehicles can behave the right way in those situations.

[0003] Humans in this situations identify authority figures such as police, emergency personnel or private property owners by their appearance or by conversing with the persons. While autonomous vehicles are also generally able to identify police or emergency persons, there may always be situations where they incorrectly detect someone as an authority person or incorrectly not detect them. Furthermore, those vehicles lack the communication ability to interact with people with verbal language, the most prevalent way authority figures identify themselves as such and the typical way authority figures give commands to vehicles in restricted areas. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is an object of the invention to provide a method, a corresponding computer program product, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, as well as a corresponding system, by which an autonomous motor vehicle can be controlled by an authority person.

[0005] This object is solved by a method, a corresponding computer program product, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, as well as a corresponding system according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are presented in the dependent claims.

[0006] One aspect of the invention relates to a method for controlling an autonomous motor vehicle by an authority person by an edge device of the authority person. An optical code displayed on the edge device is captured by a camera of the motor vehicle. A local network is generated by the motor vehicle depending on the captured optical code. The edge device is connected with the local network by the edge device. A control signal inputted by the authority person is transmitted from the edge device to the motor vehicle via the local network and the motor vehicle is controlled depending on the received control signal.

[0007] Therefore, the invention provides a way for authority figures to unambiguously establish the authority and give unambiguous commands to the autonomous motor vehicle.

[0008] According to an embodiment the optical code is verified by a certificate authority.

[0009] In another embodiment the optical code is assigned to a current position of the authority person.

[0010] In another embodiment the motor vehicle provides a template to be displayed on the edge device, wherein the template shows different controlling options for controlling the motor vehicle.

[0011] In another embodiment the motor vehicle transmits a status message of the motor vehicle to the edge device.

[0012] Another aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product comprising program code means for performing a method according to the preceding aspect.

[0013] A still further aspect of the invention relates to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising at least the computer program product according to the preceding aspect.

[0014] Another aspect of the invention relates to a system for controlling an autonomous motor vehicle by an authority person by an edge device of the authority person, wherein the system is configured for performing a method according to the preceding aspect. In particular, the method is performed by the system.

[0015] Advantageous embodiments of the method are to be regarded as advantageous embodiments of the computer program product, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, as well as the system. Therefore, the system comprises means for performing the method.

[0016] A computing unit / electronic computing device may in particular be understood as a data processing device, which comprises processing circuitry. The computing unit can therefore in particular process data to perform computing operations. This may also include operations to perform indexed accesses to a data structure, for example a look-up table, LUT.

[0017] In particular, the computing unit may include one or more computers, one or more microcontrollers, and / or one or more integrated circuits, for example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits, ASIC, one or more field-programmable gate arrays, FPGA, and / or one or more systems on a chip, SoC. The computing unit may also include one or more processors, for example one or more microprocessors, one or more central processing units, CPU, one or more graphics processing units, GPU, and / or one or more signal processors, in particular one or more digital signal processors, DSP. The computing unit may also include a physical or a virtual cluster of computers or other of said units.

[0018] In various embodiments, the computing unit includes one or more hardware and / or software interfaces and / or one or more memory units.

[0019] A memory unit may be implemented as a volatile data memory, for example a dynamic random access memory, DRAM, or a static random access memory, SRAM, or as a non-volatile data memory, for example a read-only memory, ROM, a programmable read-only memory, PROM, an erasable programmable read-only memory, EPROM, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, EEPROM, a flash memory or flash EEPROM, a ferroelectric random access memory, FRAM, a magnetoresistive random access memory, MRAM, or a phase-change random access memory, PCRAM.

[0020] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention derive from the following description of a preferred embodiment as well as from the drawing. The features and feature combinations previously mentioned in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned in the following description of the figure and / or shown in the figure alone can be employed not only in the respectively indicated combination but also in any other combination or taken alone without leaving the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0021] The novel features and characteristic of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and / or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0022] Therefore, the only Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view according to an embodiment of a system.

[0023] In the figure the same elements or elements having the same function are indicated by the same reference signs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0025] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawing and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.

[0026] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion so that a setup, device or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus preceded by “comprises” or “comprise” does not or do not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.

[0027] In the following detailed description of the embodiment of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawing that forms part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment in which the disclosure may be practiced. This embodiment is described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0028] Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view according to an embodiment of a system 10. In particular, the system 10 is configured for controlling an autonomous motor vehicle 12 by an authority person 14 by an edge device 16 of the authority person 14.

[0029] According to an embodiment an optical code 18 displayed on the edge device 16 is captured by a camera 20 of the motor vehicle 12. A local network 22 of the motor vehicle 12 is generated depending on the captured optical code 18. The edge device 16 is connected with the local network 22 by the edge device 16. A control signal 24 inputted by the authority person 14 is transmitted from the edge device 16 to the motor vehicle 12 via the local network 22. The motor vehicle 12 is controlled depending on the received control signal 24.

[0030] For example, the motor vehicle 12 may comprise devices 26 for controlling the motor vehicle 12. For example, signals for an autonomous driving of the motor vehicle 12 may be generated by the device 26.

[0031] In particular, an authority may delegate similar to how it works in the internet. A central national certificate authority 28, for example someone of a government, signs and issues certificate for sub authorities 28 such as states or countries. Those can sign and issue sub authorities 28 themselves to sub categories such as municipalities, police stations and further individual persons.

[0032] Any such hierarchy level of authority 28 can sign messages that receives and can verify to be from a valid source. For this, they only need to trust the central national certificate authority 28. On a technical level this may work like copying the public key of the certificate authority 28 to a trusted storage location in the autonomous motor vehicle 12. When the autonomous motor vehicle 12 receives a message, it can verify with a public key that the message was sent from a valid authority.

[0033] Similar to the internet, should an authority key be compromised, new public keys may have to be rolled out to the vehicles.

[0034] The authority detection only works with the autonomous motor vehicle 12 with the camera 20 for example then a GPS and WIFI module. The authority person 14 needs the edge device 16 with for example a display, a storage, WIFI, and GPS.

[0035] The authority person 14 carries the edge device 16 such as a smartphone, where the certificate is stored. When the authority person 14 wants to establish authority, they open an application that uses their certificate to generate a visual code, for example a QR code, that contains assigned message with the device GPS location.

[0036] The autonomous motor vehicle 10 scans all camera images for the optical code 18 at all times. For performance reasons, it can focus on QR codes that are close enough to be readable in the camera image, for example by being close enough. When it sees such the optical code 18, it reads the signed message and verifies that it was signed by a trusted authority. It further verifies that its location is close to the GPS locations in the message.

[0037] The autonomous motor vehicle 12 uses their internal WIFI components to create a random, but deterministic local network 22. It hashes the received GPS location and uses that as a WIFI network name, furthermore, it hashes the hash again to create a password for the local network 22.

[0038] The authority person’s edge device 16 uses the same hash method to generate WIFI network name and password. It keeps scanning the environment until the WIFI network appears to connect with the generated password.

[0039] The authority person’s edge device 16 and autonomous motor vehicle 12 are now in the same local network 22 and can communicate via normal http requests.

[0040] The autonomous motor vehicle 12 launches a local http server on a deterministic host name, for example “car”, which hosts a website that the vehicle manufacturer can design.

[0041] The authority person 14 may open a web browser via the edge device 16 to the website hosted on “car”.

[0042] The website contains status information about the motor vehicle 12, for example how many passengers are inside, destinations and furthermore, and has buttons such as “stop until direct otherwise”, “stop and turn off”, “call vehicle owner”, “turn around”, “backup”, “unlock doors”, “turn hazard lights on”, or furthermore.

[0043] The authority person 14 may click on such buttons and can thus control the motor vehicle 12 in limited, but important ways.

[0044] In particular, all that happens in the local network 22, meaning that no internet connection is needed for the motor vehicle 12 as well as for the edge device 16. Reference signs 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 System Motor vehicle Authority person Edge device Optical code Camera Local network Control signal Device authority

Claims

1. A method for controlling an autonomous motor vehicle (12) by an authority person (14) by an edge device (16) of the authority person (14), comprising the steps of: - capturing an optical code (18) displayed on the edge device (16) by a camera (20) of the motor vehicle (12);- generating a local network (22) by the motor vehicle (12) depending on the captured optical code (18);- connecting the edge device (16) with the local network (22) by the edge device (16);- transmitting a control signal (24) inputted by the authority person (14) from the edge device (16) to the motor vehicle (12) via the local network (22); and- controlling the motor vehicle (12) depending on the received control signal (24).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe optical code (18) is verified by a certificate authority (28).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in thatthe optical code (18) is assigned to a current position of the authority person (14).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in thatthe motor vehicle (12) provides a template to be displayed on the edge device (16),wherein the template shows different controlling options for controlling the motor vehicle (12).

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in thatthe motor vehicle (12) transmits a status message of the motor vehicle (12) to the edge device (16).

6. A computer program product comprising program code means for performing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising at least the computer program product according to claim 6.

8. A system (10) for controlling an autonomous motor vehicle (12) by an authority person (14) by an edge device (16) of the authority person (14), wherein the system (10) is configured for performing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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