Method for driver personalization based on tunnel detection for a single-tuner system

• US 8,957,769 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Jaisimha, Shree, Kanji, Mohammed Reza, Fujisawa, Tatsuya, Chandrashekar, Roopa
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Terrell, Emily C
• Application Number:
  US12/322,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20100194552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/439, 340/988, 340/572.1, 340/686.1, 340/901
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00771 the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00849 for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air B60H1/00842 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/12 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/04 the devices being headlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/337 Tunnels or bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/18 for varying the light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side

Abstract

A method of operating a vehicle includes receiving a radio frequency signal and determining that the radio frequency signal has at least one characteristic indicative of the vehicle entering a tunnel. A setting of a vehicle system is automatically modified in response to the determining step.

Claims

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

receiving a radio frequency signal;

performing an autocorrelation operation on data sampled from the radio frequency signal;

determining that the radio frequency signal has at least one characteristic indicative of the vehicle entering a tunnel, the determining step being dependent upon a result of the autocorrelation operation; and

automatically modifying a setting of a vehicle system in response to the determining step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying of the setting of the vehicle system includes at least one of increasing illumination of an instrument cluster, inhibiting outside air from entering a passenger compartment, turning on headlights, regulating vehicle speed, and closing a window.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one characteristic indicative of the vehicle entering a tunnel comprises a decrease in field strength related to high multipath activity.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of storing a group of vehicle system settings, the group of settings being preferred by a person associated with the vehicle when the vehicle is in a tunnel, the automatically modifying step including implementing at least one of the preferred settings.

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

ascertaining that the radio frequency signal has at least one characteristic indicative of the vehicle exiting the tunnel, the ascertaining step occurring after the automatically modifying step; and

automatically re-modifying the setting of the vehicle system in response to the ascertaining step.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the automatically re-modifying step includes changing the setting of the vehicle system back to a state that the setting was in before the determining step.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises confirming that the radio frequency signal has an autocorrelation value that is greater than a threshold value.

8. A method of operating a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

storing a group of vehicle system settings, the group of settings being preferred when the vehicle is in a tunnel;

receiving a radio frequency signal;

determining that the radio frequency signal has a decrease in field strength that is indicative of the vehicle entering a tunnel; and

automatically implementing at least one of the preferred vehicle system settings in response to the determining step.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the automatically implementing step includes at least one of increasing illumination of an instrument cluster, inhibiting outside air from entering a passenger compartment, turning on headlights, regulating vehicle speed, and closing a window.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one characteristic indicative of the vehicle entering a tunnel comprises a decrease in field strength related to high multipath activity.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the group of vehicle system settings is preferred by a person associated with the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 8 comprising the further step of preventing the determining step from occurring more than once during any time period having a duration less than a predetermined duration.

13. The method of claim 8 comprising the further steps of:

ascertaining that the radio frequency signal has at least one characteristic indicative of the vehicle exiting the tunnel, the ascertaining step occurring after the automatically implementing step; and

automatically changing the setting of the vehicle system back to a state that the setting was in before the determining step.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the determining step additionally comprises confirming that the radio frequency signal has an autocorrelation value that is greater than a threshold value.

15. A method of operating a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

receiving a broadcast radio frequency signal;

determining that the broadcast radio frequency signal has at least one first characteristic indicative of the vehicle entering a tunnel, the first characteristic comprising a decrease in field strength and/or an autocorrelation value that is greater than a threshold value;

automatically changing a setting of a vehicle system from a first state to a second state in response to the determining step;

ascertaining that the broadcast radio frequency signal has at least one characteristic indicative of the vehicle exiting the tunnel, the ascertaining step occurring after the automatically modifying step; and

automatically changing the setting of the vehicle system back to the first state in response to the ascertaining step.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first automatically changing step includes at least one of increasing illumination of an instrument cluster, inhibiting outside air from entering a passenger compartment, turning on headlights, regulating vehicle speed, and closing a window.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one characteristic indicative of the vehicle entering a tunnel comprises a decrease in field strength related to high multipath activity.

18. The method of claim 15 comprising the further step of storing a group of vehicle system settings, the group of settings being preferred by a person associated with the vehicle when the vehicle is in a tunnel, the first automatically changing step including implementing at least one of the preferred settings.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the determining step comprises confirming that the radio frequency signal has an autocorrelation value that is greater than a threshold value.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one characteristic indicative of the vehicle exiting the tunnel comprises an increase in field strength related to high multipath activity.