Post-impact control system

• US 10,207,583 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dudar, Aed M., Ghannam, Mahmoud Yousef
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US15/242,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20180050591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2306/13 Failsafe arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 33/006 depending on engine operating conditions, e.g. start, stop or ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3005 Details not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A control system in a vehicle includes a sensor and a control module. The sensor is programmed to detect an impact to the vehicle while the vehicle is in a key-off state and output an impact signal in response to detecting the impact. The control module is programmed to activate in response to the impact signal, receive a condition signal identifying a vehicle condition, and prevent at least one vehicle operation based at least in part on the condition signal.

Claims

1. A system in a vehicle comprising:

a sensor programmed to detect an impact to the vehicle while the vehicle is in a key-off state and output an impact signal in response to detecting the impact;

a transmitter; and

a control module in communication with the transmitter and programmed to activate in response to the impact signal, receive a condition signal representing an extent of damage to the vehicle from a remote server, prevent at least one vehicle operation based at least in part on the condition signal, query a database for an owner of the vehicle and a second remote server associated with the owner of the vehicle, and command the transmitter to transmit a message to the second remote server representing an extent of damage to the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control module is programmed to command the transmitter to transmit a message to a remote server soliciting the condition signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein preventing the at least one vehicle operation includes deactivating a vehicle powertrain system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle powertrain system is a fuel pump.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface in communication with the control module, wherein the control module is programmed to command the user interface to display a message based at least in part on the extent of damage to the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is at least one of an accelerometer, an angular-rate sensor, a vibration detector, and a level indicator for a fluid.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wake-up circuit in communication with the sensor and the control module, wherein the sensor is programmed to output the impact signal to the wake-up circuit, and wherein the wake-up circuit determines if the impact to the vehicle satisfies at least one impact criterion and outputs a wake-up signal to the control module if the impact signal satisfies the at least one impact criterion.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one impact criterion is based at least in part on a signal received from the control module.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control module is programmed to receive an input indicating the at least one impact criterion and output the signal to the wake-up circuit setting the at least one impact criterion.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the wake-up circuit includes a high-pass filter in communication with the sensor and an operational amplifier in communication with the high-pass filter and the control module.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power supply active during a key-off vehicle state and electrically connected to the sensor.

12. A control module comprising a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor is programmed to:

while in a powered-down state, receive a wake-up signal indicating an impact to a vehicle;

receive a condition signal representing an extent of damage to the vehicle from a remote server;

prevent at least one vehicle operation based at least in part on the condition signal;

query a database for an owner of the vehicle and a second remote server associated with the owner of the vehicle; and

command a transmitter to transmit a message to the second remote server representing an extent of damage to the vehicle.

13. The control module of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to command a transmitter to transmit a message to a remote server soliciting the condition signal.

14. The control module of claim 12, wherein preventing the at least one vehicle operation includes deactivating a vehicle powertrain system.

15. The control module of claim 14, wherein the vehicle powertrain system is a fuel pump.

16. The control module of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to command the user interface to display a message based at least in part on the extent of damage to the vehicle.

17. The control module of claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to receive an input indicating at least one impact criterion and output a signal to a wake-up circuit in communication with the control module setting the at least one impact criterion.