System for Providing Alerts to Vehicle Occupants

• US 20160358453A1
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Wassef, Andrew, Lazar, Walter M. II, Paul, Brian D., Kiefer, Raymond J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,734,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A method and system for generating an alert to one or more occupants of a vehicle are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an input signal from a vehicle safety system. The input signal is indicative of an alert condition (e.g. an impending collision). The method further includes generating an output signal responsive to said input signal and wirelessly transmitting the output signal to the portable device. The portable device, such as a cellular communications device, has a haptic actuator and is configured to be mechanically disconnected from the vehicle while in physical contact with an occupant of the vehicle. The output signal, which may be transmitted directly to the portable device using short-range wireless communication protocols, is configured to activate the haptic actuator to cause a vibratory movement of the portable device and alert the vehicle occupant to the alert condition.

Claims

1. A method for generating an alert to one or more occupants of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first input signal from a first vehicle safety system, said first input signal indicative of a first alert condition;

generating a first output signal responsive to said first input signal; and

,

wirelessly transmitting said first output signal to a first portable device having a first haptic actuator, the first portable device configured to be mechanically disconnected from the vehicle while in physical contact with a first occupant of the vehicle;

wherein said first output signal is configured to activate the first haptic actuator to cause a first vibratory movement of the first portable device

receiving a second input signal from one of the first vehicle safety system and a second vehicle safety system, said second input signal indicative of a second alert condition different from said first alert condition;

generating a second output signal responsive to said second input signal; and

,

transmitting said second output signal to at least one of said first portable device, an audio warning system of the vehicle, a visual warning system of the vehicle, and a haptic warning system of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first vehicle safety system comprises a collision avoidance or mitigation system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first portable device comprises a cellular communications device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first portable device comprises a wearable device configured to be supported by a member of a body of the first occupant.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a third output signal responsive to said first input signal; and

,

wirelessly transmitting said third output signal to a second portable device having a haptic actuator, said second portable device configured to be mechanically disconnected from the vehicle while in physical contact with one of the first occupant of the vehicle and a second occupant of the vehicle;

wherein said third output signal is configured to activate the haptic actuator of the second portable device to cause a second vibratory movement of the second portable device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a third output signal responsive to said first input signal; and

,

wirelessly transmitting said third output signal to a second portable device having a haptic actuator, said second portable device located outside of the vehicle and in physical contact with a person;

wherein said third output signal is configured to activate the haptic actuator of the second portable device to cause a second vibratory movement of the second portable device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a third output signal responsive to said first input signal; and

,

transmitting, after wirelessly transmitting said first output signal, said third output signal to at least one of said audio warning system of the vehicle, said visual warning system of the vehicle, and said haptic warning system of the vehicle, the third output signal configured to cause the at least one of the audio warning system, visual warning system and haptic warning system to generate an audio, visual, or haptic warning, respectively, to the first occupant.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one of said first portable device, said audio warning system of the vehicle, said visual warning system of the vehicle, and said haptic warning system of the vehicle comprises at least one of said audio warning system of the vehicle, said visual warning system of the vehicle, and said haptic warning system of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the haptic warning system comprises a vehicle seat comprising a haptic actuator.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one of said first portable device, said audio warning system of the vehicle, said visual warning system of the vehicle, and said haptic warning system of the vehicle comprises said first portable device;

wherein said second output signal is configured to activate a second haptic actuator of the first potable device to cause a second vibratory movement of the first portable device.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one of said first portable device, said audio warning system of the vehicle, said visual warning system of the vehicle, and said haptic warning system of the vehicle comprises said first portable device;

wherein said second output signal is configured to activate the first haptic actuator to cause a second vibratory movement of the first portable device, the second movement different from the first movement in at least one of duration, frequency and intensity.

13. A method for generating an alert to one or more occupants of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first input signal from a first vehicle safety system, said first input signal indicative of a first alert condition;

receiving a second input signal from one of the first vehicle safety system and a second vehicle safety system, said second input signal indicative of a second alert condition different from said first alert condition;

generating a first output signal responsive to said first input signal;

generating a second output signal responsive to said second input signal;

wirelessly transmitting said first and second output signals to a first portable device having a haptic actuator, the first portable device configured to be mechanically disconnected from the vehicle while in physical contact with a first occupant of the vehicle wherein said first output signal is configured to activate the haptic actuator to cause a first vibratory movement of the first portable device and said second output signal is configured to activate the haptic actuator to cause a second vibratory movement of the first portable device, the second vibratory movement different from the first vibratory movement in at least one of duration, frequency and intensity;

associating the first vibratory movement with said first input signal responsive to a first configuration signal; and

,

associating the second vibratory movement with said second input signal responsive to a second configuration signal.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said first and second configuration signals are received from the first portable device.

15. A system for generating an alert to one or more occupants of a vehicle, comprising:

a first vehicle safety system; and

,

a controller coupled to said first vehicle safety system and configured to;

receive a first input signal from said first vehicle safety system, said first input signal indicative of a first alert condition;

generate a first output signal responsive to said first input signal; and

,

wirelessly transmit said first output signal to a first portable device having a haptic actuator, the first portable device configured to be mechanically disconnected from the vehicle while in physical contact with a first occupant of the vehicle;

wherein said first output signal is configured to activate the haptic actuator to cause a first vibratory movement of the first portable device

receive a second input signal from one of the first vehicle safety system and a second vehicle safety system, said second input signal indicative of a second alert condition different from said first alert condition;

generate a second output signal responsive to said second input signal; and

transmit said second output signal to at least one of said first portable device, an audio warning system of the vehicle, a visual warning system of the vehicle, and a haptic warning system of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 15, wherein said controller is further configured to transmit a third output signal to at least one of said audio warning system of the vehicle, said visual warning system of the vehicle, and said haptic warning system of the vehicle in the event of a loss of communication between said controller and the first portable device, said third output signal configured to cause the at least one of the audio warning system, the visual warning system and the haptic warning system to generate a warning indicative of the loss of communication.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said controller is further configured to receive said first input signal over a vehicle communications bus, configures said first output signal for short-range wireless transmission to said first portable device and transmits said first output signal directly to said first portable device.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said controller is further configured to:

generate a third output signal responsive to said first input signal; and

,

wirelessly transmit said third output signal to a second portable device having a haptic actuator, said second portable device configured to be mechanically disconnected from the vehicle while in physical contact with one of the first occupant of the vehicle and a second occupant of the vehicle

wherein said third output signal is configured to activate the haptic actuator of the second portable device to cause a second vibratory movement of the second portable device.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein

wherein the at least one of said first portable device, said audio warning system of the vehicle, said visual warning system of the vehicle, and said haptic warning system of the vehicle comprises at least one of said audio warning system of the vehicle, said visual warning system of the vehicle, and said haptic warning system of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein

the at least one of said first portable device, said audio warning system of the vehicle, said visual warning system of the vehicle, and said haptic warning system of the vehicle comprises said first portable device;

wherein said second output signal is configured to activate the haptic actuator to cause a second vibratory movement of the first portable device, the second vibratory movement different from the first vibratory movement in at least one of duration, frequency and intensity.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said controller is further configured to:

associate the first vibratory movement with said first input signal responsive to a first configuration signal received by said controller; and

,

associate the second vibratory movement with said second input signal responsive to a second configuration signal received by said controller.