Interior component management of a vehicle via occupant monitoring

• US 7,894,953 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Geisler, Scott P., Ressler, Galen E., Deering, Richard K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/734,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20080255725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 701 45- 47, 701/36, 701/62
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for managing an interior component of a vehicle. A system includes a device for monitoring a passenger, a vehicle speed detector, and a controller in communication the interior component, the passenger monitoring device, and the vehicle speed detector, wherein the controller is configured to disable at least one function of the interior component if the rate of speed is greater than a predetermined threshold speed and enable the disabled function(s) when the passenger attempts to actuate the function(s). One method includes the steps of determining a rate of speed the vehicle is traveling, disabling at least one function of the interior component when the rate of speed is greater than a predetermined threshold speed, and enabling the disabled function(s) when the rate of speed is greater than the threshold speed if a passenger attempts to actuate the function(s).

Claims

1. A system for managing an interior component of a vehicle capable of carrying a driver and at least one passenger, the system comprising:

a camera for monitoring the at least one passenger;

a vehicle speed detector; and

a controller in communication with each of the camera, the speed detector, and the interior component, wherein the controller is configured to;

disable at least one function of the interior component if a detected rate of speed is greater than a predetermined threshold speed, and

enable the at least one disabled function when the detected rate of speed is greater than the threshold speed if the passenger attempts to actuate the at least one function.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to enable the disabled function if an arm of the passenger is within a predetermined threshold distance of the interior component when the attempt occurred.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a gear shift actuator in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is further configured disable the gear shift actuator if the passenger attempts to actuate the gear shift actuator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the interior component is one of a navigation system, a communication system, a personalization system, and an entertainment system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to enable the at least one disabled function if the detected rate of speed is less than the threshold speed.

6. A method for managing an interior component of a vehicle capable of carrying a driver and at least one passenger, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a rate of speed the vehicle is traveling;

disabling at least one function of the interior component when the rate of speed is greater than a predetermined threshold speed; and

enabling the at least one disabled function when the rate of speed is greater than the threshold speed if the passenger attempts to actuate the at least one function.

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

detecting an attempt to actuate the at least one function when the rate of speed is greater than the threshold speed; and

determining which of the driver and the passenger is responsible for the attempt to actuate the at least one function.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining which of the driver and the passenger is responsible for the attempt to actuate the at least one function comprises the steps of:

detecting a position of an arm of the passenger in relation to the interior component; and

correlating, in time, the position of the arm and the attempt to actuate the at least one function to determine if the arm is within a predetermined threshold distance of the interior component when the attempt to actuate the at least one function occurred.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the enabling step comprises the step of enabling the at least one function when the correlating step determines that the arm is within the threshold distance when the attempt to actuate the at least one function occurred.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

continuing to disable the at least one function when the correlating step determines that the arm is not within the threshold distance when the attempt to actuate the at least one function occurred.

11. A method for managing a gear shift actuator of a vehicle capable of carrying a driver and at least one passenger, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an attempt to actuate the gear shift actuator; and

disabling the gear shift actuator if the passenger is responsible for attempting to actuate the gear shift actuator.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of determining which of the driver and the passenger attempted to actuate the gear shift actuator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of determining which of the driver and the passenger is responsible for the attempt to actuate the gear shift actuator comprises the steps of:

detecting a position of an arm of the passenger in relation to the gear shift actuator; and

correlating, in time, the position of the arm of the passenger and the attempt to actuate the gear shift actuator to determine if the arm is within a predetermined threshold distance of the gear shift actuator when the attempt to actuate the gear shift actuator occurred.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the disabling step comprises the step of disabling the gear shift actuator when the correlating step determines that the arm is within the threshold distance when the attempt to actuate the gear shift actuator occurred.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of enabling the gear shift actuator if the passenger is not responsible for attempting to actuate the gear shift actuator.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the enabling step comprises the step of enabling the gear shift actuator when the correlating step determines that the arm is not within the threshold distance when the attempt to actuate the gear shift actuator occurred.

17. A system for managing an interior component of a vehicle capable of carrying a driver and at least one passenger, the system comprising:

a speed detecting device determining a rate of speed the vehicle is traveling;

a controller capable of enabling and disabling at least one function of the interior component, the at least one function being disabled when the rate of speed is greater than a predetermined threshold speed and enabled when the rate of speed is less than the threshold speed; and

a detector detecting an attempt to actuate the at least one function when the rate of speed is greater than the threshold speed,

wherein the controller enables the at least one disabled function when the rate of speed is greater than the threshold speed if the attempt to actuate the at least one function is performed by the passenger.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the detector detects a position of an arm of a passenger in relation to the interior component; and

the controller correlates, in time, the position of the arm and the attempt to actuate the at least one function to determine if the arm is within a predetermined threshold distance of the interior component when the attempt occurred.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller enables the at least one function when the controller determines that the arm is within the threshold distance when the attempt occurred.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a detector detecting actuation of a gear shift actuator, wherein

the controller disables the gear shift actuator when the passenger attempts to actuate the gear shift actuator.