Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for platooning vehicles or other types of nodes. The platooning may involve receiving a request from a vehicle to initiate a platoon. In response to the request, another vehicle may indicate a desire to form the platoon with the requesting vehicle. Before the platoon is formed, a verification process may be performed to determine the eligibility of the vehicle to join a platoon, which may be based on a rating associated with the vehicle. Once the vehicle is verified, the platoon may be established. Upon establishment, the vehicles may proceed to coordinate actions, and a lead vehicle may be identified for the platoon. Vehicles may request to join and leave the platoon throughout the lifetime of the platoon. The platoon may eventually be dismissed, for example if the lead vehicle leaves the platoon and no one vehicle is willing and/or able to serve as lead vehicle.

Abstract: A sanitization apparatus of a vehicle includes (i) surfaces defining a chamber configured to accept an object to be sterilized with ultraviolet light and (ii) a first light emitting diode (LED) including a die that is configured to emit ultraviolet light. The die has a primary surface that defines a plane that extends through the chamber. The sanitization apparatus further includes a first reflective surface that is reflective of ultraviolet light disposed adjacent to the first LED. At least a portion of the ultraviolet light that the die emits reflects off of the first reflective surface and into the chamber. The first reflective surface defines a plane that intersects with the plane that the primary surface of the die defines.

Abstract: A vehicle includes determines that vehicle computing resources will not be fully utilized during an upcoming time period and that exhaustible vehicle power reserves will not be exhausted beyond a threshold based on use of the reserves to power computing using unused computing resources during at least a portion of the time period, those resources suitable for cryptocurrency mining based at least on resource computing capability and a predicted availability of a given resource during the upcoming time period. The vehicle additionally determines a cryptocurrency to mine based on present value of the at least one cryptocurrency producing a positive yield relative to an expense of power used to mine the cryptocurrency using the vehicle computing resources determined to be suitable for cryptocurrency mining and automatically mines the at least one cryptocurrency using the vehicle computing resource determined to be suitable for cryptocurrency mining during the upcoming time period.

Abstract: A computer is configured to receive a request from an autonomous machine to perform an action, authenticate the autonomous machine according to a smart contract blockchain program, generate encrypted commands to actuate one or more components of the autonomous machine to perform the action in response to authenticating the autonomous machine, transmit the encrypted commands to an external server configured to authenticate the request according to a blockchain program, receive decrypted commands from the external server based on authentication of the request, and actuate the one or more components of the autonomous machine to perform the action according to the decrypted commands.

Abstract: Biometric data are collected about a user in a vehicle. A user is prompted to provide an input on a wearable device to identify an object based on the biometric data.

Abstract: This disclosure describes systems and methods using blockchain for in-vehicle health and wellness tracking. An example method may include receiving a request for a vehicle from a mobile device of a user. The example method may also include receiving, from a pathogen detector device within a first vehicle, an indication that a number of pathogens within the first vehicle is less than a threshold amount. The example method may also include assigning the first vehicle to the user based on the indication that the number of pathogens within the first vehicle is less than a threshold amount.

Abstract: A method of in-vehicle tracking begins with establishing a communication link between a mobile device and a navigation system of a vehicle. The navigation system presents driving instructions leading to a destination. Each of a plurality of locations is serially passed over the communication link from the mobile device to the navigation system. Additionally, each of the plurality of locations is serially set, as it is communicated, as the destination within the navigation system. As the destination within the navigation system is updated, the driving instructions leading to that destination are updated as well.

Abstract: A method includes storing a detected event code in a first blockchain, wherein each electronic control unit (ECU) in a plurality of ECUs in a vehicle includes a first blockchain node of the first blockchain; determining a validity of each first blockchain node of the first blockchain by determining that the event code is one of (a) stored in the respective first blockchain node of the first blockchain and valid or (b) not stored in the respective first blockchain node of the first blockchain and invalid; and providing the event code and the validity of each first blockchain node of the first blockchain to a second blockchain maintained at least one second blockchain node via a network outside the vehicle.

Abstract: An electronic ledger stores vehicle data including a distance travelled by a vehicle wheel assembly during operation and a number of instances of repair of the vehicle wheel assembly. A health status of the vehicle wheel assembly can be determined based on the vehicle data. Transfer of custody of the vehicle wheel assembly from a first entity to a second entity is based on the health status of the vehicle wheel assembly. Data indicating the custody transfer can be stored to the electronic ledger.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant messaging system includes a communication tag located in a buckle of a vehicle seatbelt assembly and configured to wirelessly transmit signals, to a mobile device, representing a location of a passenger using the mobile device in a host vehicle. The system further includes a communication transceiver programmed to transmit messages to the mobile device and a system processor programmed to generate the messages to the mobile device, the messages identifying the location of the passenger.

Abstract: A system that includes a wearable device, and a method of using the system, including: receiving, at a first transceiver element of a wearable device, a target beam from a ride-share vehicle, the element having a first axis of reception; and when the first axis is oriented toward the beam, providing an indication, via the device, to a user thereof.

Abstract: A method includes transmitting a ride-share request to a ride-share server, the ride-share request including information about an accessibility device, determining a present orientation of the accessibility device, and transmitting the present orientation of the accessibility device to the ride-share vehicle. Another method includes transmitting a present orientation of an accessibility device, receiving a target orientation of the accessibility device, illuminating a light projector, determining that the accessibility device is in the target orientation, and turning off the light projector.

Abstract: A usage rule specifies a number of tokens to access a vehicle. Authorization of a request to access the vehicle is based on receiving the number of tokens specified by the usage rule. The request is stored to an electronic ledger. Actuation of the vehicle is based on the request being authorized. An allocation rule specifies the number of tokens allocated to each of an entity and the vehicle based on the request. Allocation of tokens to the entity and the vehicle is based on the allocation rule.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking a smart container are provided. The methods use sensors of the smart container to detect tampering with the smart container after the container leaves a sender and before the container arrives at a receiver. In particular, the sensors detect when the smart container has been opened by someone other than the receiver (i.e., tampered with) and write the detection of tampering (e.g., the sensor measurement) to a blockchain. Delivery agents use scanners to write their possession or agency over the smart container to the blockchain. Accordingly, the agency of the smart container can be determined if tampering occurs.

Abstract: Blockchain-enabled advanced shipment notice for additive manufacturing supply chain is disclosed herein. An example method includes generating a digital supply item associated with a product model for a part, encrypting the digital supply item, generating an additive manufacturing policy for the part, and adding the digital supply item and the additive manufacturing policy to a blockchain ledger. A supplier can authorize a print job for the part, decrypt the digital supply item from the blockchain ledger, and print the part using the digital supply item on a three-dimensional printer, according to the additive manufacturing policy.

Abstract: Vehicles that are autonomous or human-operated may drive in a platoon to achieve energy savings. A leader vehicle receives information broadcasts from following vehicles that include a state of energy and one or more other values such as energy usage rates, range, destination, and aerodynamic properties. The leader vehicle may then determine an ordering of vehicles that increases the range of the platoon, e.g., reduces the number of refueling/recharging stops of the platoon. Other considerations for ordering the vehicles may include overall energy savings and a fair distribution of energy savings. A desired ordering may be achieved by transmitting swap commands to pairs of vehicles until the platoon is in the correct ordering.

Abstract: A system comprises a computer including a processor and a memory. The memory storing instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to receive a blockchain including a record of a vehicle status, wherein the vehicle status comprises at least an intended vehicle operation of a first vehicle; determine a path recommendation for the first vehicle based on at least a vehicle trajectory of a second vehicle; and transmit the path recommendation to the first vehicle.

Abstract: A blockchain block generated by one or more blockchain nodes when the one or more blockchain nodes are only connected to a local area network is received, and the blockchain block is synchronized with a blockchain. After determining that a backhaul network device is not connected to the one or more blockchain nodes and then determining that the backhaul network device is connected to the one or more blockchain nodes, the blockchain is transmitted to the one or more blockchain nodes via the backhaul network device upon determining that the backhaul network device is connected to the one or more blockchain nodes.

Abstract: The disclosure provides systems and methods for tracking a smart container. The methods use sensors of the smart container to detect tampering with the smart container after the container leaves a sender and before the container arrives at a receiver. In particular, the sensors detect when the smart container has been opened by someone other than the receiver (i.e., tampered with) and write the detection of tampering (e.g., the sensor measurement) to a blockchain. Delivery agents use scanners to write their possession or agency over the smart container to the blockchain. Accordingly, the agency of the smart container can be determined if tampering occurs.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for platooning vehicles or other types of nodes. The platooning may involve receiving a request from a vehicle to initiate a platoon. In response to the request, another vehicle may indicate a desire to form the platoon with the requesting vehicle. Before the platoon is formed, a verification process may be performed to determine the eligibility of the vehicle to join a platoon, which may be based on a rating associated with the vehicle. Once the vehicle is verified, the platoon may be established. Upon establishment, the vehicles may proceed to coordinate actions, and a lead vehicle may be identified for the platoon. Vehicles may request to join and leave the platoon throughout the lifetime of the platoon. The platoon may eventually be dismissed, for example if the lead vehicle leaves the platoon and no one vehicle is willing and/or able to serve as lead vehicle.