ENERGY CONSUMPTION OPTIMIZATION SYSTEM

• US 20150073652A1
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bennie, Brian, Neubecker, Cynthia M.
• Application Number:
  US14/023,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073652A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• 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: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces

Abstract

A vehicle energy consumption optimization system may include a controller configured to detect a trigger event to determine a passenger departure. The controller may receive at least a first and second sensor input to determine a vacancy zone in response to the trigger event, associate a feature usage with the vacancy zone, and deactivate the feature usage associated with the vacancy zone.

Claims

1. A vehicle energy consumption optimization system comprising:

a controller configured to;

detect a trigger event to determine a passenger departure;

receive at least a first and second sensor input to determine a vacancy zone in response to the trigger event;

associate a feature usage with the vacancy zone; and

deactivate the feature usage associated with the vacancy zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the feature usage is deactivated in response to a verification event.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the verification event includes exceeding a threshold speed.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the verification event includes exceeding a threshold duration.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger event includes a door ajar event.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second sensor input include one of an occupant classification system sensor, seat belt monitoring sensor, ultrasonic sensor, and interior imaging camera sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit an alert of feature usage deactivation.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to override the feature usage deactivation in response to a user input.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the feature usage includes one of a massage seat, heated and cooled seat, climate control, foot well lights, television monitor, and reading light.

10. A vehicle controller configured to detect the egress of an occupant comprising:

a module configured to;

detect a trigger event to determine a passenger departure;

receive at least a first and second sensor input to generate a vacancy zone output in response to the trigger event;

a processor configured to;

receive the vacancy zone output from the module;

associate the vacancy zone output with a feature usage; and

deactivate the feature usage associated with the vacancy zone.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second sensor include one of an occupant classification system sensor, seat belt monitoring sensor, ultrasonic sensor, and interior imaging camera sensor.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the feature usage is deactivated in response to detecting a verification event.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the verification event includes exceeding at least one of a threshold speed and threshold duration.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the trigger event includes a door ajar event.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to transmit an alert of feature usage deactivation.

16. A method to detect the egression of an occupant to optimize energy consumption comprising:

monitoring, via a computing device, vehicle occupancy based on at least a first and second sensor input in response to detecting a trigger event;

determining a vacancy zone in response to the sensor input;

associating a feature usage with the vacancy zone; and

deactivating the feature usage associated with the vacancy zone.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the feature usage is deactivated in response to receiving a verification event.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the verification event includes one of exceeding a threshold speed and a threshold duration.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the trigger event includes at least one of a door ajar event and a braking event.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising communicating an alert message indicating the deactivation of the feature usage.