Passenger selection and screening for automated vehicles

1. A system for an automated vehicle, said system comprising:

an exterior-camera used to detect an identification-feature of a person proximate to a host-vehicle;

a database that includes a customer-profile of the identified person; and

a controller-circuit in communication with the exterior-camera and the database, wherein the controller-circuit is configured to determine an identity of the person in accordance with the identification-feature while the person is external to the host-vehicle, recall from the database the customer-profile of the identified person, and operate the host-vehicle to either select or reject the identified person as a passenger before the identified person boards the host-vehicle in accordance with the customer-profile of the identified person.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the customer-profile includes a customer-rating, and the controller-circuit selects the identified person to be the passenger in response to a determination that the customer-rating is greater than a rating-threshold before the identified person boards the host-vehicle.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system includes a display viewable by the person while the person is external to the host-vehicle, wherein the controller-circuit is configured to operate the display to show an authorization that the identified person is authorized to board the host-vehicle before the identified person boards the host-vehicle.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system includes an interior-camera used to verify the identity of passengers transported by the host-vehicle.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system includes a transceiver used to communicate with a communication-device carried by the person to verify the identity of the person.

6. A controller-circuit for an automated vehicle, said controller-circuit comprising:

an input configured to communicate with an exterior-camera used to detect an identification-feature of a person proximate to a host-vehicle while the person is external to the host-vehicle;

a data-port configured to access a database that includes a customer-profile of the identified person; and

a processor in communication with the camera and the database, wherein the processor is configured to determine an identity of the person based on the identification-feature while the identified person is external to the host-vehicle, recall from the database the customer-profile of the identified person, and operate the host-vehicle to either select or reject the identified person as a passenger before the identified person boards the host-vehicle in accordance with the customer-profile of the identified person.

7. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the customer-profile includes a customer-rating, and the controller-circuit selects the identified person to be the passenger in response to a determination that the customer-rating is greater than a rating-threshold before the identified person boards the host-vehicle.

8. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the controller-circuit includes an output configured to communicate with a display viewable by the person while the person is external to the host-vehicle, wherein the controller-circuit is configured to operate the display to show an authorization that the identified person is authorized to board the host-vehicle before the identified person boards the host-vehicle.

9. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the controller-circuit includes an other-input configured to communicate with an interior-camera used to verify the identity of passengers transported by the host-vehicle.

10. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the controller-circuit includes a transceiver used to communicate with a communication-device carried by the person to verify the identity of the person.

11. A method of operating an automated vehicle, said method comprising:

receiving from an exterior-camera an image used to detect an identification-feature of a person proximate a host-vehicle while the person is external to the host-vehicle;

recalling from a database a customer-profile of the identified person;

determining an identity of the person based on the identification-feature;

recalling from the database the customer-profile of the identified person based on the identity; and

operating the host-vehicle to either select or reject the identified person as a passenger before the identified person boards the host-vehicle in accordance with the customer-profile of the identified person.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein method includes

determining a customer-rating of the identified person in accordance with the customer-profile; and

selecting the identified person to be the passenger in response to a determination that the customer-rating is greater than a rating-threshold before the identified person boards the host-vehicle.

13. The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the method includes

operating a display, viewable by the person while the person is external to the host-vehicle, to show an authorization that the identified person is authorized to board the host-vehicle before the identified person boards the host-vehicle.

14. The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the method includes receiving an other-image from an interior-camera; and

verifying the identity of passengers transported by the host-vehicle in accordance with the other-image.

15. The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the method includes

communicating with a communication-device carried by the person to verify the identity of the person.

16. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the customer-rating is based on at least one of an age, a disability, and an occupation of the identified person.

17. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the controller selects the identified person with the highest customer-rating to be the passenger.

18. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the customer-rating is based on at least one of an age, a disability, and an occupation of the identified person.

19. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the controller selects the identified person with the highest customer-rating to be the passenger.

20. The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the customer-rating is based on at least one of an age, a disability, and an occupation of the identified person.

21. The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the controller selects the identified person with the highest customer-rating to be the passenger.