STANDBY VIRTUAL BUMPER FOR PARKED VEHICLE PROTECTION

• US 20140168435A1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Autonomous Mobility US LLC (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Tuhro, Matthew Conrad, Coullard, Bryan, MIKEL, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 9,296,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/48 for parking purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians

Abstract

A method of providing parked vehicle protection comprises determining if a vehicle ignition is in an off position and monitoring an exterior area proximate to a vehicle with a plurality of sensors when the vehicle ignition is off to detect an object proximate to the vehicle. The ECU determines whether the object is within a first object range and provides a first external warning when the object is within the first object range and determines whether the object is within a second object range and provides a second external warning when the object is within the second object range.

Claims

1. A method of providing parked vehicle protection comprising:

determining if a vehicle ignition is in an off position;

monitoring an exterior area proximate to a vehicle with a plurality of sensors when the vehicle ignition is off to detect an object proximate to the vehicle; and

determining whether the object is within a first object range and providing a first external warning when the object is within the first object range.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the object is within a second object range and providing a second external warning when the object is within the second object range.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the second external warning is at least two of:

flashing the exterior lights of the vehicle, sounding a horn for the vehicle, providing another external warning signal.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising taking a picture of the object when the object is within the second object range.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining if the object has made contact with the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending an alert for a vehicle owner if the object has made contact with the vehicle, wherein the alert includes one of the picture and information obtained from the picture.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising performing a character recognition analysis on the picture to identify the object in the picture.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the exterior area proximate to the vehicle with the plurality of sensors further comprises placing the parked vehicle protection system in standby mode to preserve battery power for the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the parked vehicle protection system is disabled when at least one of:

the vehicle ignition is on, the battery power is insufficient to operate the system, the vehicle operator has disabled the system and there is a sensor failure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the object is within the first object range and determining whether the object is within the second object range further comprises determining if the object is still moving and when the object is not moving returning the parked vehicle protection system to standby mode.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first external warning is one of:

flashing the exterior lights of the vehicle and sounding a horn for the vehicle.

12. A method of providing parked vehicle protection comprising:

determining if a vehicle ignition is in an off position;

monitoring an exterior area proximate to a vehicle with a plurality of sensors when the vehicle ignition is off to detect an object proximate to the vehicle;

determining whether the object is within a first object range and providing a first external warning by flashing at least one vehicle light when the object is within the first object range;

determining whether the object is within a second object range and providing a second external warning by flashing at least one vehicle light and sounding a horn for the vehicle when the object is within the second object range;

taking a picture of the object;

determining if the object has made contact with the vehicle; and

sending an alert for a vehicle owner if the object has made contact with the vehicle, wherein the alert includes one of the picture and information obtained from the picture.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising performing a character recognition analysis on the picture to identify the object in the picture.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein monitoring the exterior area proximate to the vehicle with the plurality of sensors further comprises placing the parked vehicle protection system in standby mode to preserve battery power for the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the parked vehicle protection system is disabled when at least one of:

the vehicle ignition is on, the battery power is insufficient to operate the system, the vehicle operator has disabled the system and there is a sensor failure.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether the object is within the first object range and determining whether the object is within the second object range further comprises determining if the object is still moving and when the object is not moving returning the parked vehicle protection system to standby mode.

17. A parked vehicle protection system comprising:

a plurality of sensors to monitor an area proximate to the vehicle;

an electronic control unit connected to the plurality of sensors to detect an object, wherein the electronic control unit is configured with instructions for;

determining if a vehicle ignition is in an off position;

monitoring an exterior area proximate to a vehicle with a plurality of sensors when the vehicle ignition is off to detect an object proximate to the vehicle;

determining whether the object is within a first object range and providing an external warning when the object is within the first object range;

determining whether the object is within a second object range and providing an external warning when the object is within the second object range; and

taking a picture of the object.

18. The parked vehicle protection system of claim 17, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured with instructions for determining if the object has made contact with the vehicle and sending an alert for a vehicle owner if the object has made contact with the vehicle, wherein the alert includes one of the picture and information obtained from the picture.

19. The parked vehicle protection system of claim 18, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured with instructions for performing a character recognition analysis on the picture to identify the object in the picture.

20. The parked vehicle protection system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of sensors are placed in standby mode to preserve battery power for the vehicle.

21. The parked vehicle protection system of claim 17, wherein the parked vehicle protection system is disabled when at least one of:

the vehicle ignition is on, the battery power is insufficient to operate the system, the vehicle operator has disabled the system and there is a sensor failure.

22. The parked vehicle protection system of claim 17, the first external warning and the second external warning are one of:

flashing the exterior lights of the vehicle, sounding a horn for the vehicle and providing another external warning signal.