System and method for vehicle control integrating health priority alerts of vehicle occupants

• US 10,486,590 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2018
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kirsch, David M., Chen, Bonnie, Vashi, Harinkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Luat T
• Application Number:
  US15/916,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20180194281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1523 Matrix displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/741 Instruments adapted for user detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• 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 35/65 Instruments specially adapted for specific vehicle types or users, e.g. for left- or right-hand drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/04 the devices being headlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/346 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/52 for indicating emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/544 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• 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: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers

Abstract

A method for vehicle control includes receiving data associated with one or more wearable computing devices. Each of the one or more wearable computing devices are associated with one or more vehicle occupants in the vehicle. The method includes determining a health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data and determining a location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data. The method includes controlling one or more vehicle systems based on the health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants and the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

receiving data associated with one or more wearable computing devices, wherein each of the one or more wearable computing devices are associated with one or more vehicle occupants in the vehicle;

determining a health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data, the health state describing a current condition of each of the one or more vehicle occupants;

determining a location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data; and

controlling one or more vehicle systems based on the health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants and the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the one or more wearable computing devices is received from the one or more wearable computing devices.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the one or more wearable computing devices is received from one or more vehicle sensors of the vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data includes patterns of light emitted from the one or more wearable computing devices, and wherein determining the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants is based on identifying the patterns of light relative to the vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data includes determining whether each of the one or more vehicle occupants are located outside of the vehicle or inside the vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including determining a motion state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data, wherein the motion state describes motion of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the motion state is at least one of moving or not moving.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein controlling the one or more vehicle systems is based on the health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants, the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants, and the motion state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including determining a priority level of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants and the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein controlling the one or more vehicle systems includes controlling the one or more vehicle systems according to the priority level of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

11. A system for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

one or more wearable computing devices each associated with one or more vehicle occupants;

the vehicle including one or more vehicle systems, one or more vehicle sensors and a processor, the processor operably connected for computer communication to the one or more wearable computing devices;

a data receiving module of the processor receives data associated with each of the one or more wearable computing devices;

a health prioritization module of the processor determines a health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data, the health state describing a current condition of each of the one or more vehicle occupants, and determines a location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data; and

a vehicle control module of the processor controls the one or more vehicle systems of the vehicle based on the health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants and the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data associated with the one or more wearable computing devices is received from at least one of the one or more wearable computing devices or the vehicle sensors.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the data includes patterns of light emitted from the one or more wearable computing devices, and wherein determining the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants is based on identifying the patterns of light relative to the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor determines a motion state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data, wherein the motion state describes motion of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor controls the one or more vehicle systems based on the health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants, the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants, and the motion state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor determines a priority level of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants and the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving data associated with one or more wearable computing devices, wherein each of the one or more wearable computing devices are associated with one or more vehicle occupants in the vehicle;

determining a health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data, the health state describing a current condition of each of the one or more vehicle occupants;

determining a location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data; and

transmitting one or more vehicle commands to the vehicle to control one or more vehicle systems based on the health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants and the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, including determining a motion state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the data, wherein the motion state describes motion of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein transmitting the one or more vehicle commands includes transmitting the one or more vehicle commands to the vehicle to control the one or more vehicle systems based on the health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants, the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants, and the motion state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, including determining a priority level of each of the one or more vehicle occupants based on the health state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants, the location relative to the vehicle of each of the one or more vehicle occupants, and the motion state of each of the one or more vehicle occupants, wherein transmitting the one or more vehicle commands includes transmitting the one or more vehicle commands to the vehicle to control the one or more vehicle systems according to the priority level of each of the one or more vehicle occupants.