Intelligent vehicular occupant safety method

• US 9,855,820 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2017
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baron, Jr., Rudolph C., Childress, Rhonda L., Ecks, Christopher W., Grimes, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/615,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20170297411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 209 Days
• 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: B60H 1/00778 the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/008 the input being air quality
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00814 Control systems or circuits characterised by their output, for controlling particular components of the heating, cooling or ventilating installation
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00821 the components being ventilating, air admitting or air distributing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/17 vertically
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/00 Non-fixed roofs; Roofs with movable panels , e.g. rotary sunroofsB60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00; fixed roofs B62D25/06; mechanisms for operating wings E05F11/00, E05F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A vehicle occupant safety method involves receiving data from multiple sensors including at least one carbon monoxide (CO) sensor and GPS sensor; wherein, when a specified danger condition relating to CO level alone, or in combination with vehicle interior temperature, exists, and based upon the sensor data, causing the vehicle component controls to modify operation of at least one vehicle component; d) determining i) based upon further sensor data, that the specified danger condition either: A) is persisting, or B) has exceeded at least one specified severity threshold; and ii) using GPS location information from the GPS sensor, whether or not the vehicle is in an unsafe location, whether the vehicle is occupied, and where any occupants are located; continuing to make determinations regarding the specified danger condition; and, based upon a result of the determinations in taking further control actions until the specified danger condition no longer exists.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant safety method comprising:

a) receiving data from multiple sensors within a vehicle, via a monitor aggregator, at a processor within the vehicle, the multiple sensors including at least one carbon monoxide (CO) sensor and GPS sensor;

b) using a decision engine running on the processor

i) comparing the sensor data, received by the processor against a set of sensor parameters to determine whether any of multiple potential danger conditions exists within the vehicle, and

ii) determining which of multiple control actions are to be automatically taken, via a vehicle electronic control system, coupled to the processor and vehicle component controls, when some danger condition is determined to exist within the vehicle;

c) wherein, when a specified danger condition relating to CO level alone, or in combination with vehicle interior temperature, exists, and based upon the sensor data, causing, using the processor, the vehicle component controls to modify operation of at least one vehicle component that is coupled to the vehicle component controls;

d) determining, using the decision engine,

i) based upon further sensor data, that the specified danger condition either;

A) is persisting for longer than a specified period of time, or

B) has exceeded at least one specified severity threshold; and

ii) using GPS location information from the GPS sensor,

A) whether or not the vehicle is in an unsafe location, and

B) whether the vehicle is occupied and where any occupants are located,

e) based upon a result of “

d)”

, determining how to further modify operation of any vehicle component or take any of at least two specified escalation actions available for the same specified danger condition;

f) following “

e)”

, continuing to make determinations regarding the specified danger condition, using the decision engine; and

g) based upon a result of the determinations in “

f)”

taking further control actions, via the vehicle electronic control system, or further specified escalation actions, until the specified danger condition no longer exists.