VEHICLE SEATING ZONE ASSIGNMENT CONFLICT RESOLUTION

• US 20170280302A1
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Livio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Myine Electronics, Inc. (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: DICKOW, Justin, MAYLONE, Corey, SMEREKA, Scott, GROVER, Joey Ray
• Granted Patent: US 10,015,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0881 Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A vehicle may identify a highest-ranked seating zone for a mobile device using values determined from signal strengths from wireless sensors, the values indicating probabilities of the mobile device being located in each of a plurality of seating zones. The vehicle may also assign the mobile device to the highest-ranked seating zone if the mobile device indicates a higher probability for the zone than other mobile devices. Responsive to determining the mobile device is located within a vehicle, the mobile device may determine position ranks for each of a plurality of seating zones of the vehicle using signal strength values to vehicle wireless sensors, determine confidence values for each of the seating zones using the position ranks, and receive a seating zone assignment responsive to sending the confidence values to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

wireless sensors; and

a processor programmed to

identify a highest-ranked seating zone for a mobile device using values determined from signal strengths from the wireless sensors, the values indicating probabilities of the mobile device being located in each of a plurality of seating zones,

assign the mobile device to the highest-ranked seating zone if the mobile device indicates a higher probability of being in the zone than other mobile devices, and

otherwise identify a next-highest-ranked seating zone for the mobile device, and assign the mobile device to the next-highest-ranked seating zone if the mobile device indicates a higher probability for the next-highest-ranked seating zone than other mobile devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the highest-ranked seating zone is a driver seating zone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each seating zone is associated with a different respective door of a vehicle, and each one of the wireless sensors is embedded within a different door of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal strength is measured according to BLUETOOTH Low Energy (BLE) protocol received signal strength information (RSSI) values.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is determined to be within a vehicle by using a hypothesis test comparing a threshold signal strength value to a snapshot of the signal strength from the wireless sensors.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the values are determined using the signal strength from the wireless sensors and the threshold signal strength value.

2. (canceled)

8. A system comprising:

a mobile device having a wireless transceiver and programmed to

determine the mobile device is within a vehicle by using a hypothesis test comparing a threshold signal strength value to a snapshot of signal strength values,

responsive to determining the mobile device is located within the vehicle, determine position ranks for each of a plurality of seating zones of the vehicle using the signal strength values to vehicle wireless sensors,

determine confidence values for each of the seating zones using the position ranks, the confidence values determined by dividing the signal strength values by the threshold signal strength value, such that lower confidence values indicate greater probability of the mobile device being located in the seating zone, and

receive a seating zone assignment responsive to sending the confidence values to the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile device is further programmed to utilize the snapshot of the signal strength values to indicate that the mobile device is within the vehicle, to determine the position ranks.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile device is further programmed to determine the confidence values using the signal strength values and the threshold signal strength value.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the seating zone assignment is a driver seating zone.

9. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

14. A method comprising:

identifying, from mobile devices, confidence values determined from signal strength data from wireless sensors indicating probabilities of the mobile devices being located in vehicle seating zones; and

responsive to two mobile devices indicating a highest confidence value for the same seating zone, assigning the device with the higher confidence value to the zone and the other device to a seating zone for which the other device has a next highest confidence value and a higher probability for the next-highest-ranked seating zone than other mobile devices.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the mobile device is within the vehicle by using a hypothesis test comparing a threshold signal strength value to a snapshot of the signal strength values.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

utilizing the snapshot of the signal strength values indicating that the mobile device is within the vehicle to determine position ranks; and

determining the confidence values using the position ranks.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the same seating zone is a driver seating zone, and further comprising identifying the mobile device with the higher confidence value as being located within the driver seating zone.

18. A method comprising:

responsive to two mobile devices indicating a highest confidence value for a first of a plurality of seating zones, assigning the device with the higher confidence value to the first seating zone and the other device to a second of the seating zones for which the other device has a next highest confidence value and a higher probability for the second seating zone than other mobile devices.