Self-driving vehicle systems and methods

• US 10,479,319 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2019
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drivent LLC
• Original Assignee: Drivent LLC
• Inventors: Wengreen, Eric John, Schwie, Wesley Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis R
• Application Number:
  US16/524,110
• Time in Patent Office: 114 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/265 Voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/65 Instruments specially adapted for specific vehicle types or users, e.g. for left- or right-hand drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/54 Automatic securing or unlocking of bolts triggered by certain vehicle parameters, e.g. exceeding a speed threshold triggered by vehicle collision E05B77/12
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/56 Control of actuators
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/616 operated by push-pull mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/695 Control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/72 responsive to emergency conditions, e.g. fire
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/686 : Rods, links
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/30 : of motors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/252 : the elements functioning only in case of emergency
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/416 : against fire
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/42 : against smoke or gas
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 : Doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 : Windows
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle fire is an emergency in which seconds count. Each second saved until the rider exits the vehicle can significantly reduce the severity of injuries due to the fire. Accordingly, a safety system can include a self-driving vehicle configured to transport a rider, a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the self-driving vehicle, a seat coupled to the self-driving vehicle, and a seat belt configured to alternatively have a buckled state and an unbuckled state. In many embodiments, the safety system includes a smoke detection system coupled to the self-driving vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the self-driving vehicle.

Claims

1. A safety system comprising:

a self-driving vehicle configured to transport a rider;

a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the self-driving vehicle;

a seat coupled to the self-driving vehicle;

a seat belt configured to alternatively have a buckled state and an unbuckled state, wherein in the buckled state the seat belt is configured to secure the rider in the seat and in the unbuckled state the seat belt is configured to enable the rider to exit the seat;

a smoke detection system coupled to the self-driving vehicle and configured to detect smoke inside a cabin of the self-driving vehicle; and

at least one processor and at least one memory having program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle.

2. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising a first actuator configured to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state, wherein the program instructions are configured to send a control signal to the first actuator in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle, wherein the control signal is configured to cause the first actuator to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state.

3. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising a seat belt sensor configured to detect the buckled state of the seat belt, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the seat belt sensor detecting the buckled state.

4. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising an occupancy sensor configured to detect the rider sitting in the seat, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the occupancy sensor detecting the rider sitting in the seat.

5. The safety system of claim 4, further comprising a seat belt sensor configured to detect the buckled state of the seat belt, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to

the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle,

the occupancy sensor detecting the rider sitting in the seat, and

the seat belt sensor detecting the buckled state.

6. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising a speed detection system, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to automatically switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the speed detection system determining that the self-driving vehicle is moving at a first speed that is less than a first speed threshold, wherein the first speed threshold is less than 30 miles per hour.

7. The safety system of claim 6, wherein the first speed threshold is greater than one mile per hour.

8. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the self-driving vehicle comprises a door, a door lock configured to impede opening the door, and a door lock actuator configured to arrange the door lock to an unlocked state, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the door lock actuator to unlock the door in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle.

9. The safety system of claim 8, wherein the self-driving vehicle comprises a door actuator configured to at least partially open the door, and the program instructions are configured to cause the door actuator to at least partially open the door in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle.

10. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the self-driving vehicle comprises a door and a door actuator configured to at least partially open the door, and the program instructions are configured to cause the door actuator to at least partially open the door in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle,

wherein the safety system further comprises a speed detection system, and the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the speed detection system determining that the self-driving vehicle is moving at a first speed that is less than a first speed threshold, wherein the first speed threshold is less than 30 miles per hour, and

the program instructions are configured to cause the door actuator to at least partially open the door in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the speed detection system determining that the self-driving vehicle is moving at a second speed that is less than a second speed threshold, wherein the second speed threshold is less than 15 miles per hour.

11. The safety system of claim 10, wherein the first speed threshold is greater than 1 mile per hour and is greater than the second speed threshold.

12. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the self-driving vehicle comprises a window and a motor configured to at least partially open the window, wherein in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle the program instructions are configured to cause the motor to at least partially open the window prior to the seat belt switching from the buckled state to the unbuckled state.

13. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the smoke detection system is configured to detect a concentration of the smoke, and the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to automatically switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the safety system determining the concentration of the smoke is greater than a predetermined threshold.

14. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the smoke detection system is configured to detect a particle size of the smoke, and the vehicle management system is configured to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the safety system determining the particle size is smaller than a predetermined threshold.

15. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the self-driving vehicle comprises a window and a motor configured to at least partially open the window, the smoke detection system is configured to detect a particle size of the smoke, the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the safety system determining the particle size is smaller than a first predetermined threshold, and the program instructions are configured to cause the motor to at least partially open the window in response to the safety system determining the particle size is larger than a second predetermined threshold.

16. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the self-driving vehicle comprises a window and a motor configured to at least partially open the window,

the smoke detection system comprises a camera and at least one of an ionization smoke detector and an optical smoke detector, wherein the camera is configured to take a picture showing at least a portion of the cabin,

the program instructions are configured to cause the motor to at least partially open the window in response to the safety system determining that the picture shows the smoke, and

the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to at least one of the ionization smoke detector and the optical smoke detector detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle.

17. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature detection system coupled to the self-driving vehicle and configured to detect a temperature inside at least a portion of the self-driving vehicle,

wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the temperature detection system detecting that the temperature is greater than a predetermined temperature threshold.

18. The safety system of claim 17, wherein the temperature detection system comprises a thermal imaging camera.

19. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising an object detection system configured to detect a second vehicle and having at least one of a camera, a radar, and a lidar,

wherein at least one of the camera, the radar, and the lidar is coupled to the self-driving vehicle to enable the objection detection system to detect the second vehicle, and the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and in response to the object detection system detecting that the second vehicle is at least a predetermined distance from the self-driving vehicle.

20. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising an object detection system configured to detect a second vehicle and having at least one of a camera, a radar, and a lidar,

wherein at least one of the camera, the radar, and the lidar is coupled to the self-driving vehicle to enable the objection detection system to detect the second vehicle, and the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and in response to the object detection system detecting that the second vehicle is not on a collision course with the self-driving vehicle.

21. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising an object detection system configured to detect a second vehicle and having at least one of a camera, a radar, and a lidar,

wherein at least one of the camera, the radar, and the lidar is coupled to the self-driving vehicle to enable the objection detection system to detect the second vehicle, and the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and in response to the vehicle management system determining, based on data from the object detection system, that the second vehicle has less than a predetermined risk threshold of colliding with the self-driving vehicle.

22. The safety system of claim 1, wherein the self-driving vehicle comprises a door and a door actuator configured to at least partially open the door, and the program instructions are configured to cause the door actuator to at least partially open the door in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle.

23. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising a speed detection system, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the speed detection system determining that the self-driving vehicle is moving at a first speed that is less than a first speed threshold.

24. The safety system of claim 23, wherein the first speed threshold is less than 10 miles per hour.

25. The safety system of claim 1, further comprising a speed detection system,

wherein the self-driving vehicle comprises a door, a door lock configured to impede opening the door, and a door lock actuator configured to arrange the door lock to an unlocked state,

wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the door lock actuator to unlock the door in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and in response to the speed detection system determining that the self-driving vehicle is moving at a first speed that is less than a first speed threshold, wherein the first speed threshold is less than 30 miles per hour.

26. The safety system of claim 25, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the vehicle management system to switch the seat belt from the buckled state to the unbuckled state in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the speed detection system determining that the self-driving vehicle is moving at a second speed that is less than a second speed threshold, wherein the second speed threshold is less than 30 miles per hour, and

wherein the self-driving vehicle comprises a door actuator configured to at least partially open the door, and the program instructions are configured to cause the door actuator to at least partially open the door in response to the smoke detection system detecting the smoke inside the self-driving vehicle and the speed detection system determining that the self-driving vehicle is moving at a third speed that is less than a third speed threshold, wherein the third speed threshold is less than 15 miles per hour.