System for providing a notification of a presence of an occupant in a vehicle through historical patterns and method thereof

• US 10,274,335 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Stuart Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Rink, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/397,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20180188061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/267 alerting means responsive to presence or absence of children
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/24 Cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/40 Force or pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/20 Wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 Recognising seat occupancy

Abstract

The systems and methods disclosed herein are directed to providing a notification of a presence of an occupant in a vehicle before arriving at a destination. In an illustrative embodiment, the vehicle may include a location system for tracking routes taken or traveled by the vehicle. The vehicle may include a detection system for determining whether the occupant is in the vehicle along those routes traveled by the vehicle. The vehicle may also include a notification system. The notification system may store the routes traveled by the vehicle with and without the occupant in the vehicle. The notification system may provide a notification when a route is taken with the occupant and the route is not associated with the occupant based on the historical patterns of the routes traveled by vehicle with and without the occupant.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a notification of a presence of an occupant in a vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying a first route taken with the occupant;

identifying a second route taken without the occupant;

determining a crossroad where the first route and second route separate into different directions; and

providing the notification after the crossroad is passed by the vehicle when the second route is taken with the occupant;

wherein providing the notification after the crossroad when the second route is taken with the occupant comprises displaying rerouting directions for the vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first route taken with the occupant and identifying the second route taken without the occupant comprises gathering historical data on multiple routes taken with the occupant and without the occupant.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein gathering the historical data on the multiple routes taken with the occupant and without the occupant, comprises determining a number of times that routes are taken with the occupant and a number of times that routes are taken without the occupant.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein gathering the historical data on the multiple routes taken with the occupant and without the occupant comprises determining a time when each of the multiple routes are taken.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the crossroad where the first route and second route separate into different directions comprises identifying an intersection where the vehicle travels with the occupant and the vehicle travels without the occupant.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprises detecting the occupant in a backseat of the vehicle.

7. A vehicle comprising:

a location system tracking routes traveled by the vehicle;

a detection system determining whether an occupant is in the vehicle along those routes traveled by the vehicle; and

a notification system storing the routes traveled by the vehicle with and without the occupant in the vehicle to provide a notification when a route is taken with the occupant and the route is not associated with the occupant based on historical patterns of the routes traveled by the vehicle with and without the occupant.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the location system is a global positioning system.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the detection system is a camera.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the detection system is a weight sensor.

11. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the notification system stores a time when each of the routes were traveled with and without the occupant in the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the notification system determines a crossroad where the routes separate into different directions when traveling with and without the occupant and the notification is provided after the crossroad is passed by the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the notification system provides the notification by alerting a driver of the vehicle through an audible instruction.

14. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the notification system provides the notification by displaying rerouting directions to a driver.

15. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the detection system determines whether multiple occupants are in the vehicle along the routes traveled by the vehicle and the notification system provides notifications when multiple occupants are not associated with the route.

16. A vehicle computing system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing program instructions that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

identify a first route taken with an occupant;

identify a second route taken without the occupant;

determine a crossroad where the first route and second route separate into different directions;

provide a notification after the crossroad is passed by the vehicle when the second route is taken with the occupant;

wherein providing the notification after the crossroad when the second route is taken with the occupant comprises displaying rerouting directions for the vehicle.

17. The vehicle computing system of claim 16, wherein the memory storing program instructions when executed by the processor causes the processor to identify a driver of the vehicle before providing the notification.

18. The vehicle computing system of claim 16, wherein the memory storing program instructions when executed by the processor causes the processor to identify a passenger of the vehicle before providing the notification.

19. The vehicle computing system of claim 16, wherein the notification is a rerouting direction.