Automobile detection system

• US 10,131,362 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Gingrich, Jess, Hernandez, Heather
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/190,846
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 701 45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0809 Driver authorisation; Driver identity check
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0881 Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A method includes receiving sensor data from a sensor associated with a vehicle and determining a likelihood that the vehicle is experiencing an emergency condition based on the sensor data. The method also includes sending an alert indicative of the likelihood, the alert comprising at least a portion of the sensor data.

Claims

1. A system for managing an autonomous vehicle comprising:

a sensor associated with an autonomous vehicle;

a processor;

non-transitory memory storing computer-readable instructions that cause the processor to effectuate operations, the operations comprising;

receiving data from at least the sensor;

analyzing the data using a decision engine to identify a hazard associated with a condition of the autonomous vehicle,

wherein the condition includes a probability of a weather event near the autonomous vehicle and a likelihood that the autonomous vehicle is subject to environmental damage based on the weather event;

sending an alert indicative of the condition, wherein the alert is indicative of the weather event; and

sending a command to a vehicle actuation manager to start the autonomous vehicle and move the autonomous vehicle to a safe location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises audio data captured by the sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor and the condition comprises a passenger compartment temperature of the autonomous vehicle exceeding a threshold when the autonomous vehicle is occupied.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a movement sensor and the condition comprises a theft of the autonomous vehicle based on unexpected movement.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect one or more of body language and driving patterns and the condition comprises an impaired state of a driver of the autonomous vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of a humidity/moisture sensor or an atmospheric sensor.

7. A method implemented using a processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

receiving data from a sensor associated with an autonomous vehicle;

analyzing the data using a decision engine to identify a hazard associated with a condition of the autonomous vehicle,

wherein the condition includes a probability of a weather event near the autonomous vehicle and a likelihood that the autonomous vehicle is subject to environmental damage based on the weather event;

sending an alert indicative of the condition, wherein the alert is indicative of the weather event; and

sending a command to a vehicle actuation manager to start the autonomous vehicle and move the autonomous vehicle to a safe location.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the alert comprises audio data captured by the sensor.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor and the condition comprises a passenger compartment temperature of the autonomous vehicle exceeding a threshold when the autonomous vehicle is occupied.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor includes a movement sensor and the condition comprises a theft of the autonomous vehicle based on unexpected movement.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor is configured to detect one or more of body language and driving patterns and the condition comprises an impaired state of a driver of the autonomous vehicle.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of a humidity/moisture sensor or an atmospheric sensor.