Operating method for vehicles

• US 7,431,120 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Fuchs, Maximilian, Pollehn, Dietger, Borke, Danny
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US11/502,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20070007067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 180/272, 180/271, 340/439, 340/438, 340/576, 701/1, 701/29
• US Class Current: 180/272
• 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: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A method for operating vehicles, with which the state of the driver'"'"'s health is determined and a corresponding signal is sent, provides continuously activatable systems in the vehicle, and thus the physical state of the driver and the other passengers is positively influenced and/or any stress that arises is counteracted.

Claims

1. A method for operating a vehicle, comprising the acts of:

determining a state of health of at least one vehicle occupant;

prior to determining a critical state of health of the at least one vehicle occupant that requires a warning or an intervention by a safety device, determining adjustments to at least one continuously activatable system in the vehicle, based on the state of health of the at least one vehicle occupant;

transmitting a signal, corresponding to the determined adjustments, to the at least one continuously activatable system in the vehicle; and

positively influencing a physical state of, or counteracting a detected stress on, the at least one vehicle occupant with the at least one continuously activatable system in the vehicle, based on the transmitted signal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the state of health of the at least one vehicle occupant is determined contactlessly.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein an actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is determined by bio-sensor technology.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is derived from events occurring during the trip or a current or preceding traffic situation.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is derived from acoustic behavior.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a scope or nature of an activation of the at least one continuously activatable system is individually set by respective vehicle users.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein an actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is derived from events occurring during the trip or a current or preceding traffic situation.

8. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is derived from events occurring during the trip or a current or preceding traffic situation.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein an actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is derived from acoustic behavior.

10. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein an actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is derived from acoustic behavior.

11. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein an actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is derived from acoustic behavior.

12. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a scope or nature of an activation of the at least one continuously activatable system is individually set by respective vehicle users.

13. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein a scope or nature of an activation of the at least one continuously activatable system is individually set by respective vehicle users.

14. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a scope or nature of an activation of the at least one continuously activatable system is individually set by respective vehicle users.

15. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a scope or nature of an activation of the at least one continuously activatable system is individually set by respective vehicle users.

21. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one continuously activatable system comprises at least one of a passenger compartment heating and cooling system, a passenger compartment air improvement system, a passenger compartment lighting system, a seat massage system, a music system, a chassis and suspension tuning system and an air pressure balancing system.

16. A vehicle system for influencing a physical state of, or counteracting a detected stress on, at least one vehicle occupant, comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to detect data having a relationship to the physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant;

a plurality of continuously adjustable systems in the vehicle; and

a health determination and adjustment unit configured to determine the physical state of, or to detect the stress on, the at least one vehicle occupant based on the detected data and, prior to determining a critical physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant that requires a warning or an intervention by a safety device, to determine adjustments to at least one continuously activatable system in the vehicle designed to improve the physical state of, or counteract the stress on, the at least one vehicle occupant.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the state of health of the at least one vehicle occupant is determined contactlessly.

18. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein an actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is determined by a bio-sensor.

19. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein an actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is derived from events occurring during use of the vehicle or a current traffic situation or a preceding traffic situation.

20. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein an actual physical state of the at least one vehicle occupant is derived from acoustic data.

22. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one continuously activatable system comprises at least one of a passenger compartment heating and cooling system, a passenger compartment air improvement system, a passenger compartment lighting system, a seat massage system, a music system, a chassis and suspension tuning system and an air pressure balancing system.