Infrared sensor arrays for monitoring vehicle occupants and windows

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10183546-B2
Application number	US-201715443940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2017
Priority date	Feb 27, 2017
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for infrared sensor arrays for monitoring vehicle occupants and windows. An example vehicle includes a side window and an infrared sensor array. The infrared sensor array includes first pixels of measurement resolution to monitor an occupant and second pixels of measurement resolution to monitor the side window. The example vehicle also includes a cabin environment controller to detect, via the first pixels, whether a body temperature of the occupant is outside a predetermined temperature range and detect, via the second pixels, whether fog is on the side window.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a side window;
an infrared sensor array including first pixels of measurement resolution to monitor an occupant and second pixels of measurement resolution to monitor the side window; and
a cabin environment controller to:
select the first pixels and the second pixels of the infrared sensor array based on a location of the occupant relative to the side window;
detect, via the first pixels, whether a body temperature of the occupant is outside a predetermined temperature range; and
detect, via the second pixels, whether fog is on the side window.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the cabin environment controller detects the location of the occupant based on a temperature map determined via the infrared sensor array.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the first pixels selected by the cabin environment controller have a temperature value that is greater than or equal to a body temperature threshold.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the second pixels selected by the cabin environment controller have a temperature value that is less than the body temperature threshold.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including a camera to detect the location of the occupant.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including an HVAC system in communication with the cabin environment controller, wherein the cabin environment controller adjusts an HVAC setting of the HVAC system.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein:
the HVAC system includes a vent, a heater, and an air conditioner; and
the cabin environment controller adjusts the HVAC setting by at least one of adjusting a rate of airflow through the vent and adjusting, via the air conditioner or the heater, a temperature of air flowing through the vent.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the cabin environment controller adjusts an HVAC setting to decrease a cabin temperature in response to detecting, via the first pixels, that the body temperature of the occupant is greater than an upper limit of the predetermined temperature range.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the cabin environment controller adjusts the HVAC setting to increase the cabin temperature in response to detecting, via the first pixels, that the body temperature of the occupant is less than a lower limit of the predetermined temperature range.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein, the cabin environment controller adjusts an HVAC setting to defog the side window in response to detecting, via the second pixels, that fog is on the side window.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the cabin environment controller adjusts the HVAC setting to a defog mode or a defrost-floor mode to defog the side window.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including:
a windshield; and
a windshield sensor adjacent to the windshield to detect whether fog is on the windshield.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the windshield sensor monitors at least one of an ambient temperature, a cabin temperature, and a cabin humidity to detect whether fog is on the windshield.

14. A method comprising:
selecting first pixels and second pixels of resolution of an infrared sensor array based on an occupant location relative to a side window;
monitoring a body temperature of an occupant via the first pixels;
monitoring the side window via the second pixels; and
adjusting, via a processor, an HVAC setting responsive to detecting at least one of the body temperature being outside a predetermined temperature range and fog on the side window.

15. The method of claim 14 , further including decreasing a cabin temperature by adjusting the HVAC setting in response to detecting, via the first pixels, that the body temperature of the occupant is greater than an upper limit of the predetermined temperature range.

16. The method of claim 15 , further including increasing the cabin temperature by adjusting the HVAC setting in response to detecting, via the first pixels, that the body temperature of the occupant is less than a lower limit of the predetermined temperature range.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein adjusting the HVAC setting includes changing the HVAC setting to a defog mode or a defrost-floor mode to defog the side window in response to detecting, via the second pixels, fog on the side window.

18. The method of claim 14 , further including monitoring, via a windshield sensor, at least one of an ambient temperature, a cabin temperature, and a cabin humidity to detect fog on a windshield.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Whitens Mike James
• Maranville Clay Wesley
• Flanigan Cynthia Mowery
• Schein Victoria Leigh

Classifications

• G01J2005/0077

  Imaging · CPC title

• G01J5/0025

  Living bodies (ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00) · CPC title

• B60S1/023

  including defroster or demisting means · CPC title

• G01J5/0037

  for sensing the heat emitted by liquids · CPC title

• B60H1/00007 Primary

  Combined heating, ventilating, or cooling devices (control systems or mechanisms B60H1/00642) · CPC title