OCCUPANT BASED NAVIGATION AID LOCK-OUT FUNCTION

• US 20090088928A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: SENISH, JENNIFER A., FAILLA, SCOTT J., BROWNE, TREVOR E., SCHROEDER, JAMISON C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes

Abstract

A vehicle navigation aid (nav-aid) system and method are provided to un-lock nav-aid functions in a moving vehicle. Sensors within the vehicle provide vehicle speed S and whether a person other the driver is present. For S greater than predetermined threshold speed S_th≧0, the nav-aid system remains in a locked-out state if a passenger is not present. When a passenger is present, then the system may accept some otherwise locked-out nav-aid requests. A warning and disclaimer message requiring positive acknowledgement thereof is desirable. In a preferred embodiment, the passenger should occupy a front seat and have a weight or size or both exceeding a predetermined (e.g., “adult”) threshold. Desirably, navigation aid access is precluded for S>S_th unless the occupied seat belts are latched. In a further embodiment, a user access status display indicates which nav-aid functions can be accessed depending on the vehicle status.

Claims

1. A navigation aid system for use in a vehicle configured to carry a driver and at least one passenger, the system comprising:

a first sensor configured to provide information relating to vehicle movement;

a second sensor configured to provide information indicating whether or not the at least one passenger is present in the vehicle in addition to the driver; and

a navigation aid device coupled to the first and second sensors, and, when the vehicle is moving faster than a predetermined threshold speed is adapted to accept requests for navigation related information only when the second sensor indicates that the at least one passenger is present in the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is equipped with seat belts, further comprising a seat-belt engagement detector coupled to the navigation aid device, wherein the navigation aid device responds to requests for navigation related information only when seat belts of occupied seats are latched.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises a detector for determining passenger weight, or size, or weight and size, and, when the vehicle is moving, the navigation aid device responds to requests for navigation related information when the detector indicates that the passenger has a weight, or size, or weight and size exceeding a predetermined threshold weight, or size, or weight and size.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor provides information to the navigation aid device on vehicle speed S and the navigation aid device responds to any request for navigation related information when S≦

S_th and only responds to a limited set of requests for navigation related information when S>

S_th, where S_th is a predetermined threshold speed.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the vehicle includes a front passenger seat and for S>

S_th, the navigation aid device responds to requests for navigation related information only when the second sensor indicates that the front passenger seat is occupied.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the navigation aid device responds to a first limited set of requests for navigation related information when S>

S_th1, and responds to a second more limited set of requests for navigation related information when S>

S_th2, wherein S_th1 is a first predetermined threshold speed and S_th2 is a second predetermined threshold speed greater than S_th1.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigation aid device further comprises at least one indicator showing when a request for a certain type of navigation related information is allowed or locked-out.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of passenger seats and the second sensor is adapted to determine the weight distribution as a function of time in at least one of the plurality of passenger seats and transmits such information to the navigation aid device for use in determining whether access to various navigation aid functions is allowed.

9. A method of operating a navigation aid device in a vehicle that includes a driver seat, a passenger seat, and seat belts, the method comprising:

obtaining from the vehicle, information on vehicle speed S and passenger seat occupancy status;

if the vehicle speed S≦

S_th, wherein S_th is a predetermined threshold speed, enabling access to substantially all navigation aid functions; and

if the vehicle speed S>

S_th, enabling access to a limited set of navigation aid functions when the passenger seat is occupied and blocking access to navigation aid functions when the passenger seat is not occupied.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the passenger seat is a front passenger seat.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the obtaining step comprises obtaining information on whether the seat belts are engaged and if the vehicle speed S>

S_th, enabling access to the limited set of navigation aid functions only when seat belts of both the driver seat and the passenger seat are engaged.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the obtaining step comprises obtaining information on weight or size or a combination of weight and size of a passenger occupying the passenger seat and, if the vehicle speed S>

S_th enabling access to the limited set of navigation aid functions only when such weight or size or combination of weight and size exceeds a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the passenger seat is a front passenger seat.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a user access indication that indicates which navigation aid functions are available depending upon vehicle speed and occupancy status.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising, requiring execution of a disclaimer accepting responsibility for enabling access to navigation aid functions when the vehicle speed S>

S_th, and locking-out such navigation aid functions when such disclaimer is not executed.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle comprises a plurality of passenger seats and wherein the obtaining step comprises, obtaining information on weight distribution in one or more of the plurality of passenger seats and using such distribution information in determining navigation aid function availability.

17. A method for controlling access to navigation aid functions in a vehicle that includes a plurality of passenger seats and seat belts, the method comprising:

providing information on vehicle speed S, on seat belt status and on passenger seat occupancy status; and

for S>

S_th, where S_th is a predetermined threshold speed, using such seat belt status information and passenger seat occupancy information to at least in part determine access to vehicle navigation aid functions.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising for S>

S_th, allowing access to a limited set of vehicle navigation aid functions only if seat belts of occupied seats are latched and at least one passenger seat is occupied.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one passenger seat is a front passenger seat.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising for S>

S_th, allowing access to navigation aid functions only after a warning and disclaimer has been positively acknowledged.