Smart drop off lighting system

• US 10,434,938 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Buttolo, Pietro, Gardner, Cornel Lewis, Surman, James J., Rankin, II, James Stewart
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US16/159,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20190061616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/00 Arrangement of lighting devices for vehicle interiors; Lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle interiors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/233 Seats; Arm rests; Head rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/44 Spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A vehicle lighting system includes a plurality of lights. A controller is in communication with a sensing system for detecting the presence of an electronic device carried by a vehicle occupant. The controller is configured to assign a seating area to the electronic device based on a detected cabin location of the device and operate the lights based on the assigned seating area and information indicative of an impending vehicle departure of the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting system, comprising:

a plurality of lights; and

a controller in communication with a sensing system for detecting the presence of an electronic device carried by a vehicle occupant, wherein the controller is configured to;

assign a seating area to the electronic device based on detected cabin location of the device; and

operate the lights based on the assigned seating area and information indicative of an impending vehicle departure of the vehicle occupant, wherein the information is provided from at least one of a navigation system, a body control module, and the electronic device, and wherein the controller operates the lights if the information indicates that the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of a destination selected using the navigation system or the electronic device.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the lights include exterior and interior vehicle lights.

3. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the sensing system comprises a number of wireless communication transceivers and the controller is configured to detect the cabin location of the electronic device through triangulation of the signal strength and time to return of signals between the wireless communication transceivers and the electronic device.

4. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a smartphone.

5. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the controller operates the lights based on a seatbelt status or a door status communicated to the controller by the body control module.

6. A vehicle lighting system, comprising:

a plurality of lights; and

a controller in communication with a sensing system for detecting the presence of an electronic device carried by a vehicle occupant, wherein the controller is configured to;

assign a seating area to the electronic device based on detected cabin location of the device; and

operate the lights based on the assigned seating area and a seatbelt status or a door status, wherein the information is provided from at least one of a navigation system, a body control module, and the electronic device, and wherein the controller operates the lights if the information indicates that the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of a destination selected using the navigation system or the electronic device.

7. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the lights include exterior and interior vehicle lights.

8. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the sensing system comprises a number of wireless communication transceivers and the controller is configured to detect the cabin location of the electronic device through triangulation of the signal strength and time to return of signals between the wireless communication transceivers and the electronic device.

9. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device comprises a smartphone.

10. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the controller operates the lights based on a seatbelt status or a door status communicated to the controller by the body control module.

11. A vehicle lighting system, comprising:

a light; and

a controller in communication with a sensing system for detecting the presence of an electronic device carried by a vehicle occupant, wherein the controller is configured to;

assign a seating area to the electronic device based on detected cabin location of the device; and

operate the light based on the assigned seating area and information from at least one of a navigation system and the electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a portable electronic device, and wherein information from at least one of a navigation system and the portable electronic device is information indicative of an impending vehicle departure of the vehicle occupant.

12. The lighting system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle lighting system comprises a plurality of lights.

13. The lighting system of claim 11, wherein the sensing system comprises a number of wireless communication transceivers.

14. The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to detect the cabin location of the electronic device through triangulation of the signal strength and time to return of signals between the wireless communication transceivers and the electronic device.

15. The lighting system of claim 11, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a smartphone.