Smart drop off lighting system

• US 10,137,829 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Buttolo, Pietro, Gardner, Cornel Lewis, Surman, James J., Rankin, II, James Stewart
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US15/287,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20180099609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/00 Arrangement of lighting devices for vehicle interiors; Lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle interiors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/233 Seats; Arm rests; Head rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/44 Spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A lighting system is provided herein. The lighting system includes a number of lights and a portable electronic device carried by a vehicle occupant. A controller is in communication with a sensing system and configured to detect a cabin location of the electronic device, assign a seating area to the electronic device, and operate only the lights associated with the seating area based on information indicative of an impending departure of the vehicle occupant from the vehicle.

Claims

1. A lighting system of a vehicle, comprising:

a number of lights;

a portable electronic device carried by a vehicle occupant;

a controller in communication with a sensing system onboard the vehicle and configured to;

detect a cabin location of the electronic device, wherein the sensing system comprises a number of wireless communication transceivers and the controller is configured to detect the cabin location of the electronic device through triangulation of the signal strength and time to return of signals between the wireless communication transceivers and the electronic device;

assign a seating area to the electronic device; and

operate only the lights associated with the seating area based on information indicative of an impending departure of the vehicle occupant from the vehicle, wherein the controller operates the lights based on a seatbelt status or a door status communicated to the controller by the body control module.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the lights include exterior and interior vehicle lights.

3. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a smartphone.

4. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the information is provided from at least one of a navigation system, the body control module, and the electronic device.

5. The lighting system of claim 4, wherein the controller operates the lights if the information indicates that the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of a destination selected using the navigation system or the electronic device.

6. A method of controlling lights of a vehicle, comprising:

providing lights, each associated with a seating area of the vehicle;

using a controller coupled to a sensing system onboard the vehicle, wherein the controller is performing the steps of;

detecting a portable electronic device carried by a vehicle occupant;

assigning the portable electronic device to a corresponding seating area, wherein the sensing system comprises a number of wireless communication transceivers and the controller is configured to detect the cabin location of the electronic device through triangulation of the signal strength and time to return of signals between the wireless communication transceivers and the electronic device, wherein the controller operates the lights based on a seatbelt status or a door status communicated to the controller by a body control module; and

operating only the lights associated with the corresponding seating area based on information indicative of an impending departure of the vehicle occupant from the vehicle.

7. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the lights include exterior and interior vehicle lights.

8. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the information is provided from at least one of a navigation system, a body control module, and the electronic device.

9. The lighting system of claim 8, wherein the controller operates the lights if the information indicates that the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of a destination selected using the navigation system or the electronic device.