Method and apparatus for monitoring a rear passenger seating area of a vehicle
First Claim
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1. A method for monitoring a rear seating area of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- monitoring, by an on-vehicle controller, a vehicle operating state comprising one of a key-on state and a key-off state;
monitoring the rear seating area to detect presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area, including monitoring input signals associated with a plurality of sensing devices and monitoring actuator commands from control elements associated with the rear seating area, and executing a sensor fusion routine to evaluate the input signals and the actuator commands; and
executing a control routine based upon the vehicle operating state and the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area, including executing an audio signal processing routine to detect the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area, including;
dynamically capturing audio signals employing the front and rear microphones;
determining differences in times of arrival of the audio signals between the front and rear microphones;
determining differences in magnitudes of power of the audio signals between the front and rear microphones; and
evaluating the differences in times of arrival of the audio signals and the differences in magnitudes of power of the audio signals to determine the presence of a passenger in the rear seating area.
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Abstract
A vehicle including a passenger compartment having a rear seating area is described. A method for monitoring the rear seating area of the passenger compartment includes monitoring a vehicle operating state comprising one of a key-on state and a key-off state and monitoring the rear seating area. A presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area is detected based upon the monitoring, and a control routine is executed based upon the vehicle operating state and the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area.
16 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring a rear seating area of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the method comprising:
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monitoring, by an on-vehicle controller, a vehicle operating state comprising one of a key-on state and a key-off state; monitoring the rear seating area to detect presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area, including monitoring input signals associated with a plurality of sensing devices and monitoring actuator commands from control elements associated with the rear seating area, and executing a sensor fusion routine to evaluate the input signals and the actuator commands; and executing a control routine based upon the vehicle operating state and the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area, including executing an audio signal processing routine to detect the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area, including; dynamically capturing audio signals employing the front and rear microphones; determining differences in times of arrival of the audio signals between the front and rear microphones; determining differences in magnitudes of power of the audio signals between the front and rear microphones; and evaluating the differences in times of arrival of the audio signals and the differences in magnitudes of power of the audio signals to determine the presence of a passenger in the rear seating area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for monitoring a rear seating area of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the method comprising:
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monitoring, by an on-vehicle controller, a vehicle operating state comprising one of a key-on state and a key-off state; monitoring the rear seating area to detect presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area and executing a control routine based upon the vehicle operating state and the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area wherein executing the control routine based upon the vehicle operating state and the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area comprises executing an passenger distress detection routine when a passenger is present in the rear seating area and the vehicle is in the key-off state. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A method for monitoring a rear seating area of a vehicle passenger compartment that includes an extra-vehicle communications system and a rear seat-specific active noise cancellation device, the method comprising:
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monitoring a vehicle operating state comprising one of a key-on state and a key-off state; monitoring the rear seating area to detect a presence of a passenger in the rear seating area; executing a control routine including operating one of the extra-vehicle communications system and the rear seat-specific active noise cancellation device based upon the vehicle operating state when presence of a passenger is detected in the rear seating area; and executing a distress detection routine when a passenger is present in the rear seating area and the vehicle is in the key-off state, the distress detection routine including; collecting, via an in-vehicle microphone, in-vehicle sounds, executing a speech recognition routine including a frequency spectrum analysis of the in-vehicle sounds, determining formants using the frequency spectrum analysis, evaluating formants of the monitored audible data to determine whether they correspond to speech indicating distress, and executing appropriate action when the formants correspond to speech indicating distress; wherein executing appropriate action when the formants correspond to speech indicating distress includes operating the extra-vehicle communications system. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification