METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IN-VEHICLE PRESENCE DETECTION AND DRIVER ALERTING

• US 20110074565A1
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Rao, Manoharprasad K., Luu, Tai, Cuddihy, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/457
• 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 2/0029 for detecting the motion of the occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0031 mounted on the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/30 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data
• 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: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A system for alerting a responsible party to the presence of an occupant in a passenger compartment of a vehicle includes a vibration sensor detecting movement of an occupant, a microphone detecting sound made by the occupant, a processor configured to receive signals output from the vibration sensor and the microphone and to use a combination of the signals to determine whether the occupant is present, and an alerting device to provide an alert to the responsible party if the processor determines that the occupant is present. The microphone may also be used in a communication or voice-recognition command system. Two or more microphones may be used to locate the sound'"'"'s source of origin.

Claims

1. A system for alerting a responsible party to the presence of an occupant in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one vibration sensor disposed in the passenger compartment and configured to detect movement of an occupant and to output signals related to the sensed movement;

at least one microphone disposed within the passenger compartment and configured to detect sound made by the occupant and to output signals related to the sensed sound;

a processor configured to receive the signals output from the vibration sensor and the microphone and to use a combination of the vibration sensor signals and the microphone signals to determine whether the occupant is present; and

an alerting device configured to provide an alert to the responsible party if the processor determines that the occupant is present.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one microphone comprises a first microphone and a second microphone disposed at separate locations in the passenger compartment, and the processor is further configured to determine a location of origin of sound made by the occupant on the basis of differences between the signals output by the first microphone and signals output by the second microphone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one microphone serves as a component of a vehicle occupant communication system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vibration sensor comprises a plurality of vibration sensors located adjacent a respective plurality of defined seating positions and the processor is further configured to monitor occupancy status of the defined seating positions based upon the vibration sensor signals.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to distinguish between vocal patterns of different individuals present in the passenger compartment.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor employs a neural network trained to distinguish between vocal patterns.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one door sensor configured to monitor an open/closed status of at least one door of the vehicle and output signals related to the open/closed status, and the processor is further configured to use the open/closed status in determining whether to activate the alerting device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor monitoring an ambient temperature of the passenger compartment and outputting signals related to the ambient temperature, and the processor further configured to receive the signals output by the temperature sensor and to use the signals in determining whether to activate the alerting device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor uses the signals output by the temperature sensor to adjust at least one of an intensity, a frequency, and an escalation level of the alerts.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration sensor is a polymer-based electret vibration sensor positioned in a vehicle seat.

11. A system for alerting a responsible party that an occupant has been inadvertently left in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of vibration sensors disposed in the passenger compartment, each of the vibration sensors disposed adjacent a defined seating position and detecting movement of an occupant of the defined seating position and outputting signals related to the sensed movement;

a plurality of microphones disposed within the passenger compartment and detecting sounds made by any one or more of the occupants of the seating positions and outputting signals related to the sensed sounds;

a plurality of door sensors monitoring an open/closed status of a plurality of doors of the vehicle and outputting signals related to the open/closed status;

at least one powertrain sensor monitoring a condition of a vehicle powertrain and outputting signals related to the powertrain status;

a processor using the signals output from the vibration sensors and the microphones to determine an occupancy status of the passenger compartment, the occupancy status including a total number of occupants and which of the seating positions is occupied, and the processor further using the signals from the door sensors and the powertrain sensors to determine that the vehicle is in a parked condition; and

an alerting device providing an alert to the responsible party when the processor has determined that the occupant is present in the passenger compartment and that the vehicle is in the parked condition.

12. A method for detecting the presence of an occupant in a passenger compartment of a vehicle and alerting a responsible party of the presence of the occupant, the method comprising:

sensing motion of the occupant in the passenger compartment using a vibration sensor associated with a seating position in which the occupant is seated;

sensing sounds in the passenger compartment;

generating signals related to the sensed motions and sounds;

processing the signals to determine whether the sensed motions and sounds indicate that the occupant is present in the passenger compartment; and

alerting the responsible party if the processed signals indicate that the occupant is present in the passenger compartment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of sensing sound comprises sensing sound at least two separate locations in the passenger compartment, and the step of processing the signals comprises determining a sound origin location on the basis of differences between the sounds sensed at the at least two separate locations.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of sensing sounds is performed by at least one microphone serving as a component of a vehicle occupant communication system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of sensing motion comprises monitoring a plurality of vibration sensors located adjacent respective plurality of defined seating positions, and the step of processing the signals further comprises monitoring occupancy status of the defined seating positions based upon the vibration sensor signals.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of processing the signals comprises distinguishing between voice patterns of at least a first human being and a second human being present in the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of processing the signals comprises employing a neural network trained to distinguish between voice patterns.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

monitoring an open/closed status of at least one door of the vehicle; and

processing signals related to the open/closed status to determine whether to activate the alerting device.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

monitoring an ambient temperature of the passenger compartment;

processing signals related to the ambient temperature; and

using the signals related to the ambient temperature to determine whether to activate the alerting device

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

using the signals related to the ambient temperature to adjust at least one of an intensity, a frequency, and an escalation level of the alerts.