US 11,837,063 B2
Communication method between a self-driving vehicle and a locking system, and self-driving vehicle
Rolf Kunzler, Berlin (DE); and Henning Sebastian Vogt, Jembke (DE)
Assigned to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
Appl. No. 17/441,742
Filed by VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, Wolfsburg (DE)
PCT Filed Mar. 16, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/057148
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/200742, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 8, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2019 204 617.7 (DE), filed on Apr. 1, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0207973 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. G07C 9/00 (2020.01); G08B 13/196 (2006.01)
CPC G08B 13/19691 (2013.01) [G07C 9/00182 (2013.01); G08B 13/19608 (2013.01); G07C 2009/0092 (2013.01); G07C 2009/00928 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for communication between a self-driving transportation vehicle and a locking system for securing an enclosure entrance, the method comprising:
monitoring, by the transportation vehicle using at least one sensor system that is part of the transportation vehicle, an area surrounding the enclosure entrance to detect persons or potentially intruding objects in the surrounding area of the entrance; and
selectively transmitting control command instructions to the locking system to unlock the enclosure entrance that is secured by the locking system, wherein the entrance is thereby opened so that the transportation vehicle can enter the entrance or set down or pick up one or more items within the enclosure through the entrance,
wherein the selective transmission of control command instructions is based on detection of a potentially intruding person or a potentially intruding object by the at least one sensor system, and
wherein the selective transmission of control command instructions to the locking system also includes transmission of a control command to the locking system to lock an already unlocked entrance in response to the detection of a potentially intruding person or potentially intruding object when the detection occurs while the entrance is unlocked.