Vehicle security monitoring in a key-off state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486649-B1
Application number	US-201816208492-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2018
Priority date	Dec 3, 2018
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for vehicle security monitoring in a key-off state. An example vehicle includes low-power sensors and high-power sensors for security monitoring, a communication module, and a controller. The controller is to, when in a key-off state, determine a first score based on the low-power sensors. The controller also is to, responsive the first score exceeding a first threshold, activate the high-power sensors and determine a second score based on the high-power sensors. The controller also is to, responsive the second score exceeding a second threshold, send an alert via the communication module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
low-power sensors and high-power sensors for security monitoring;
a communication module; and
a controller to:
when in a key-off state, determine a first score based on the low-power sensors;
responsive to the first score exceeding a first threshold, activate the high-power sensors;
determine a second score based on the high-power sensors; and
responsive to the second score exceeding a second threshold, send an alert via the communication module.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including an ignition switch and an ignition switch sensor, wherein the controller is to determine when the vehicle is in the key-off state based on the ignition switch sensor.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including a battery and a battery sensor to measure an energy level of the battery.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the high-power sensors are deactivated when the vehicle initially is in the key-off state to conserve energy consumption of the battery.

5. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the controller determines which of the low-power sensors to activate based on the energy level of the battery.

6. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the controller determines which of the high-power sensors to activate based on the energy level of the battery.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the controller is to identify a location of a security event based on data collected by the low-power sensors and determine which of the high-power sensors to activate based on the location.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the low-power sensors include at least one of a microphone, an accelerometer, an ultrasonic sensor, a surface nanosensor, and a low-power camera; and
the high-power sensors include at least one of a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, and a camera.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the low-power sensors and the high-power sensors are configured to monitor an exterior of the vehicle, an adjacent vehicle, and an adjacent building.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including a GPS receiver to identify a location of the vehicle, wherein the controller is to:
collect security data for the location via the communication module;
determine the first score further based on the location; and
determine the second score further based on the location.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including memory configured to store a recording of a security event in response to the controller determining that the second score exceeds the second threshold.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller activates the high-power sensors for a predefined duration responsive the first score exceeding the first threshold and deactivates the high-power sensors when the predefined duration has been completed.

13. A system comprising:
a vehicle including:
low-power sensors;
high-power sensors; and
a controller to:
when in a key-off state, determine a first score based on the low-power sensors;
activate the high-power sensors based on the first score; and
transmit data of the high-power sensors; and

a remote device to:
determine a second score based on the data; and
transmit an alert based on the second score.

14. The system of the claim 13 , wherein, to activate the high-power sensors based on the first score, the controller is to activate the high-power sensors responsive to determining that the first score exceeds a first threshold.

15. The system of the claim 14 , wherein, to transmit the alert based on the second score, the controller is to activate the transmit the alert responsive to determining that the second score exceeds a second threshold.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the remote device includes a remote server.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the remote device includes a mobile device.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the vehicle includes a communication module and the controller transmits the data of the high-power sensors via the communication module.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the remote device includes memory configured to store a recording of a security event in response to the remote device determining that the second score exceeds a second threshold.

20. A method comprising:
when a vehicle is in a key-off state, determining, via a processor, a first score based on data collected by a vehicle low-power sensor;
activating a vehicle high-power sensor upon determining, via the processor, the first score exceeds a first threshold;
determining a second score based on data collected by the vehicle high-power sensor; and
sending an alert upon determining the second score exceeds a second threshold.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Bennie Brian
• Gehrke Mark
• Diedrich Jonathan
• Ghannam Mahmoud Yousef

Classifications

• B60R25/403

  Power supply in the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R25/1004 Primary

  Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means (using door lock sensors B60R25/1001) · CPC title

• B60R25/102

  a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner · CPC title

• B60R25/40 Primary

  Features of the power supply for the anti-theft system, e.g. anti-theft batteries, back-up power supply or means to save battery power · CPC title

• Y02T10/92

  Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles · CPC title