Vehicle shut-down functionality for peps-equipped vehicles

• US 8,838,325 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tomik, Filip, Pebley, Kirk, Hille, Kevin Thomas, Treharne, William David, King, Daniel M
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US13/230,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20130066525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.6, 701/30.8, 701/472, 701/471, 701/113, 701/102, 340/438, 340/5.31
• US Class Current: 701/30.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/04 responsive to presence or absence of the driver, e.g. to weight or lack thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/12 responsive to conditions relating to doors or doors locks, e.g. open door
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/04 Vehicle stop
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A vehicle comprises a plurality of control module structures. A first control module structure is configured for determining a current motive mode of the vehicle. A second control module structure is configured for determining information indicating that a driver of the vehicle has left the vehicle unattended while the vehicle is in a motive-enabled mode. A third control module structure is configured for causing a secure idle mode to be implemented as a function of determining the information indicating that the driver of the vehicle has left the vehicle unattended while the vehicle is in the motive-enabled mode. Implementing the secure idle mode can include inhibiting the vehicle from being driveable until a driver access code is successfully received and authenticated by the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

preforming an operation for determining if a driver is present in the vehicle;

determining an indication that the driver of a vehicle has left the vehicle unattended while the vehicle is in a motive-enabled mode upon determining the driver is not present in the vehicle;

performing an operation for attempting to receive and authenticate a driver access code; and

changing the vehicle from the motive-enabled mode to a secure idle mode as a function of determining the indication that the driver of the vehicle has left the vehicle unattended while the vehicle is in the motive-enabled mode.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein changing the vehicle to the secure idle mode includes inhibiting the vehicle from being driveable until a driver access code is successfully received and authenticated by the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a current vehicle operating condition necessitates a change in a current engine operating mode, wherein said determining of the necessity to change the current engine operating mode is performed after changinging the vehicle from the motive-enabled mode to the secure idle mode and before a vehicle shut-down delay period of time expires; and

implementing a required change in the current engine operating, mode in response to determining that the current vehicle operating condition necessitates a change in the current engine operating mode.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the operation for determining if the driver is present in the vehicle includes:

determining if the vehicle is stationary;

determining if a driver door has been open for at least a defined period of time; and

determining if input has been detected by at least one driver input device of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein changing the vehicle to the secure idle mode includes inhibiting the vehicle from being driveable until a driver access code is successfully received and authenticated by the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

shutting down operation of the vehicle after a vehicle shut-down delay period of time has elapsed since changing the vehicle to the secure idle mode.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising,

determining, if the driver of the vehicle is present in the vehicle during the vehicle shut-down delay period of time.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein changing the vehicle to the secure idle mode includes inhibiting the vehicle from being driveable until a driver access code is successfully received and authenticated by the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining if a current vehicle operating condition necessitate a change in a current engine operating mode, wherein said determining of the necessity to change the current engine operating mode is performed after changing the vehicle from the motive-enabled mode to the secure idle mode and before a vehicle shut-down delay period of time expires; and

implementing a required change in the current engine operating mode in response to determining that the current vehicle operating condition necessitates a change in the current engine operating mode.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein determining the indication that the driver of the vehicle has left the vehicle unattended while the vehicle is in the motive-enabled mode includes:

performing an operation for determining if the driver is present in the vehicle; and

performing an operation for attempting to receive and authenticate a driver access code.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein performing the operation for determining if the driver is present in the vehicle includes:

determining if the vehicle is stationary;

determining if a driver door has been open for at least a defined period of time; and

determining if input has been detected by at least one driver input device of the vehicle.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having tangibly embodied thereon and accessible therefrom a set of instructions interpretable by at least one data processing device, said set of instructions configured for causing said at least one data processing device to carry out operations for:

performing an operation for determining if the driver is present in the vehicle;

determining an indication that a driver of a vehicle has left the vehicle unattended while the vehicle is in a motive-enabled mode upon determining the driver is not present in the vehicle;

performing an operation for attempting to receive and authenticate a driver access code; and

changing the vehicle from the motive-enabled mode to a secure idle mode as a function of determining the indication that the driver of the vehicle has left the vehicle unattended while the vehicle is in the motive-enabled mode.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein changing the vehicle to the secure idle mode includes inhibiting the vehicle from being driveable until a driver access code is successfully received and authenticated by the vehicle.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein said set of instructions configured for causing said at least one data processing device to carry out operations for:

determining if a current vehicle operating condition necessitate a change in a current engine operating mode, wherein said determining of the necessity to change the current engine operating mode is performed after changing the vehicle from the motive-enabled mode to the secure idle mode and before a vehicle shut-down delay period of time expires; and

implementing a required change in the current engine operating mode in response to determining that the current vehicle operating condition necessitates a change in the current engine operating mode.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein performing the operation for determining if the driver is present in the vehicle includes:

determining if the vehicle is stationary;

determining if a driver door has been open for at least a defined period of time; and

determining if input has been detected by at least one driver input device of the vehicle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

shutting down operation of the vehicle after a vehicle shut-down delay period of time has elapsed since changing the vehicle to the secure idle mode.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

determining if the driver of the vehicle is present in the vehicle during the vehicle shut-down delay period of time.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein changing the vehicle to the secure idle mode includes inhibiting the vehicle from being driveable until a driver access code is successfully received and authenticated by the vehicle.