Systems and methods for detecting vehicle door closing events

• US 10,538,149 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2019
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Inventors: DiCarlo, Michael Jonathan, Clement, Romain, Thor, Mikael Kjell Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nimox, Raymond L
• Application Number:
  US16/453,852
• Time in Patent Office: 209 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/047 characterised by the opening or closing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/2026 automatic, i.e. actuated by a closed door position sensor
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/005 pivoted about an axis on the wing, perpendicular to the plane of the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/42 Detection using safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/483 for detection during opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/36 Speed control, detection or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/40 Control units therefore
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/44 Sensors therefore E05Y2400/322, E05Y2400/33, E05Y2400/55, E05Y2400/56, E05Y2400/852 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/56 by using speed sensors sensors for electronic control of hinges, wings, windows as such E05Y2400/44
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/66 Wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/80 User interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include receiving sensor data associated with a mobile device associated with a vehicle, wherein the sensor data includes at least one of an angular velocity vector, a linear acceleration vector, and a rotational acceleration vector recorded over a period of time, determining an event signature based on the sensor data, and detecting a door closing event associated with the vehicle based at least in part on the event signature. Other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving sensor data associated with a mobile device associated with a vehicle, wherein the sensor data includes at least one of an angular velocity vector, a linear acceleration vector, and a rotational acceleration vector recorded over a period of time;

determining an event signature based on the sensor data; and

detecting a door closing event associated with the vehicle based at least in part on the event signature.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the door closing event, wherein the door closing event is caused by a transportation requestor entering the vehicle; and

recording a pickup location of the transportation requestor at the location of the door closing event in response to determining, based on the door closing event, that the transportation requestor entered the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the door closing event, wherein the door closing event is caused by a transportation requestor exiting the vehicle; and

recording a drop-off location of the transportation requestor at the location of the door closing event in response to determining, based on the door closing event, that the transportation requestor exited the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the door closing event is a door closing event on a left side of the vehicle or a right side of the vehicle based on a direction component of the at least one of an angular velocity vector, a linear acceleration vector, and a rotational acceleration vector.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data is received from at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a barometer, a microphone, and a magnetometer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the event signature is associated with an impulse momentum to the vehicle, wherein the impulse momentum is caused by force transferred from the door closing event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the event signature comprises:

processing the sensor data in a frequency domain; and

assigning weights to the sensor data, wherein the assigned weights are based on a relative orientation of the mobile device mounted to the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data is received from

a gyroscope of the mobile device and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving sound level data from a microphone of the mobile device; and

processing a temporal correlation between the sensor data from the gyroscope and the sound level data from the microphone, wherein detecting the door closing event associated with the vehicle is based on the temporal correlation between the sensor data from the gyroscope and the sound level data from the microphone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the event signature based on the sensor data is agnostic to a type of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the event signature based on the sensor data is specific to a type of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the event signature based on the sensor data is specific to a context of the vehicle, wherein the context of the vehicle includes at least one of a model of the vehicle, a location of the vehicle, a level of sound within the vehicle over a recent time period, a mounting condition of the mobile device, and a suspension response of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of transportation requestors that have entered the vehicle based at least in part on a number of door closing events;

comparing the number of transportation requestors that have entered the vehicle to a number of transportation requestors scheduled for a transportation service;

determining all transportation requestors scheduled for the transportation service have entered the vehicle based on the comparison; and

starting the transportation service.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a record of the door closing event;

storing a record of a location associated with the door closing event; and

providing door usage guidance to a transportation requestor device based at least in part on the record of the location associated with the door closing event, wherein the door usage guidance comprises at least one of which door to use to enter the vehicle and which door to use to exit the vehicle.

14. A system comprising one or more physical processors and one or more memories coupled to one or more of the physical processors, the one or more memories comprising instructions operable when executed by the one or more physical processors to cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving sensor data associated with a mobile device associated with a vehicle, wherein the sensor data includes at least one of an angular velocity vector, a linear acceleration vector, and a rotational acceleration vector recorded over a period of time;

determining an event signature based on the sensor data; and

detecting a door closing event associated with the vehicle based at least in part on the event signature.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising determining whether the door closing event is a door closing event on a left side of the vehicle or a right side of the vehicle based on a direction component of the at least one of an angular velocity vector, a linear acceleration vector, and a rotational acceleration vector.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor data is received from at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a barometer, a microphone, and a magnetometer.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising determining that the event signature is associated with an impulse momentum to the vehicle, wherein the impulse momentum is caused by force transferred from the door closing event.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the event signature comprises:

processing the sensor data in a frequency domain; and

assigning weights to the sensor data, wherein the assigned weights are based on a relative orientation of the mobile device mounted to the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor data is received from a gyroscope of the mobile device and wherein the system further performs operations comprising:

receiving sound level data from a microphone of the mobile device; and

processing a temporal correlation between the sensor data from the gyroscope and the sound level data from the microphone, wherein detecting the door closing event associated with the vehicle is based on the temporal correlation between the sensor data from the gyroscope and the sound level data from the microphone.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive sensor data associated with a mobile device associated with a vehicle, wherein the sensor data includes at least one of an angular velocity vector, a linear acceleration vector, and a rotational acceleration vector recorded over a period of time;

determine an event signature based on the sensor data; and

detect a door closing event associated with the vehicle based at least in part on the event signature.