Systems and methods for control systems to facilitate situational awareness of a vehicle

• US 10,829,966 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2020
• Issued: 11/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Chan, Leo, Gaudin, Kristopher Keith, Lyons, Roxane, Leise, William J., Nepomuceno, John A., Shah, Rajiv C., Matesevac, III, Edward P., Kellett, Jennifer Criswell, Cielocha, Steven C., Myers, Jeremy, Megyese, Matthew S., Crawford, Jennifer L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brian E
• Application Number:
  US16/774,951
• Time in Patent Office: 287 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/006 using a distance sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2025/1013 Alarm systems characterised by the type of warning signal, e.g. visual, audible
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/468 Call registering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4653 wherein the call is registered using portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4684 for preventing accidental or deliberate misuse
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/54 Automatic securing or unlocking of bolts triggered by certain vehicle parameters, e.g. exceeding a speed threshold triggered by vehicle collision E05B77/12
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/64 Monitoring or sensing, e.g. by using switches or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

An automatic alarm system for a vehicle includes a sensor adapted to detect electromagnetic data, a computer system, and an automatic alarm mechanism. The computer system receives data from the sensor. A computer processor analyzes the data from the sensor to determine whether a pattern from the electromagnetic data has been detected and compares the pattern of electromagnetic data detected by the sensor with known patterns of electromagnetic data emitted by emergency vehicles that are stored in a library. The automatic alarm mechanism activates in response to the processor determining that the comparison matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data for an emergency vehicle resulting in the computer processor sending a first signal to activate an alarm of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An automatic alarm system of a vehicle comprising:

a sensor adapted to detect electromagnetic data;

a computer system adapted to;

receive data from the sensor;

analyze, by a computer processor, the data from the sensor to determine whether a pattern from the electromagnetic data has been detected;

compare, by the computer processor, the pattern of electromagnetic data detected by the sensor with known patterns of electromagnetic data emitted by emergency vehicles that are stored in a library; and

an automatic alarm mechanism that activates in response to the processor determining that the comparison matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data for an emergency vehicle resulting in the computer processor sending a first signal to activate an alarm of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to:

detect audible frequencies in the 20 Hz to 20 KHz range.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to:

detect visible wavelengths in the 390 nm to 700 nm range.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sensors adapted to detect electromagnetic data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of sensors are comprised of different types of sensors adapted to:

detect audible frequencies in the 20 Hz to 20 KHz range; and

detect visible wavelengths in the 390 nm to 700 nm range.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to:

detect specific wavelengths and patterns of light in the visible range (390 nm to 700 nm); and

detect specific frequencies and patterns of sound in the audible range (20 Hz to 20 KHz).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is adapted to:

send a first signal to activate the alarm if the outcome of the data analysis matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data; and

turn off one or more peripheral devices.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more peripheral devices comprise, but are not limited to, the following:

AM/FM radio, satellite radio, Bluetooth, WiFi, CD player, cassette player, auxiliary input(s), or USB input(s).

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer processor is further adapted to:

continue to receive data from the sensor;

continue to analyze the data from the sensor to determine whether the outcome of the data analysis matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data;

send a second signal to deactivate the alarm if the outcome of the data analysis no longer matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data; and

turn on one or more peripheral devices that were turned off when the alarm was activated.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer processor is further adapted to:

send a second signal to deactivate the alarm if the electromagnetic audio data drops below a predetermined decibel level.

11. A method implemented by an automatic alarm system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting electromagnetic data using a sensor;

receiving, by a computer system, data from the sensor;

analyzing, by a computer processor, the data from the sensor to determine whether a pattern from the electromagnetic data has been detected;

comparing, by the computer processor, the pattern of electromagnetic data detected by the sensor with known patterns of electromagnetic data emitted by emergency vehicles that are stored in a library; and

activating an automatic alarm mechanism in response to the computer processor determining that the comparison matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data for an emergency vehicle, at least in part by the computer processor sending a first signal to activate an alarm of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensor is adapted to:

detect audible frequencies in the 20 Hz to 20 KHz range.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensor is adapted to:

detect visible wavelengths in the 390 nm to 700 nm range.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sensors adapted to detect electromagnetic data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensors are comprised of different types of sensors adapted to:

detect audible frequencies in the 20 Hz to 20 KHz range; and

detect visible wavelengths in the 390 nm to 700 nm range.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensor is adapted to:

detect specific wavelengths and patterns of light in the visible range (390 nm to 700 nm); and

detect specific frequencies and patterns of sound in the audible range (20 Hz to 20 KHz).

17. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the method further comprises sending, by the computer processor, the first signal to activate the alarm if the outcome of the data analysis matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data; and

the method comprises turning off, by the computer processor, one or more peripheral devices.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more peripheral devices comprise, but are not limited to, the following:

AM/FM radio, satellite radio, Bluetooth, WiFi, CD player, cassette player, auxiliary input(s), or USB input(s).

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

continuing, by the computer processor, to receive data from the sensor;

continuing, by the computer processor, to analyze the data from the sensor to determine whether the outcome of the data analysis matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data;

sending, by the computer processor, a second signal to deactivate the alarm if the outcome of the data analysis no longer matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data; and

turning on, by the computer processor, one or more peripheral devices that were turned off when the alarm was activated.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

sending, by the computer processor, a second signal to deactivate the alarm if the electromagnetic audio data drops below a predetermined decibel level.