Methods and apparatus to facilitate equipment status verification in a storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11001228-B2
Application number	US-201816146062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to facilitate equipment status verification in a storage device. An example vehicle comprises: an equipment rack, a processor and memory, and a display. The equipment rack includes sensors to generate presence and securement information. The processor and memory are in communication with the sensors and are configured to: determine a presence status of an object assigned to the equipment rack, determine a securement status of the object in the equipment rack, and display a report of the presence and securement statuses via the display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an equipment rack including sensors to generate presence and securement information;
a processor and memory in communication with the sensors and configured to:
determine a presence status of an object assigned to the equipment rack using the presence information;
determine a securement status of the object in the equipment rack using the securement information; and
display a report of the presence and securement statuses via a display; and

an ignition module in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to detect a key cycle based on key cycle information from the ignition module.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an infotainment head unit (IHU), wherein the display is included in the IHU.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the report to at least one of a mobile device or a central facility via the transceiver.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising
a transceiver in communication with one or more of a mobile device and a central facility; and
an infotainment head unit (IHU);
wherein the processor is configured to receive one or more status inquiry demands from one or more of the IHU, the mobile device, and the central facility.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence and securement statuses in response to receiving the status inquiry demand.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence and securement statuses in response to detecting the key cycle.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the equipment rack is configured to store and secure one or more weapons.

8. A method comprising:
detecting, with the processor, a key cycle based on key cycle information from an ignition module of a vehicle;
determining, with a processor, a presence status of an object assigned to an equipment rack using presence information from sensors;
determining, with the processor, a securement status of the object in the equipment rack using securement information from the sensors; and
displaying, with a display, a report of the presence and securement statuses.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the display is included in an infotainment head unit (IHU) of a vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting, with a transceiver, the report to at least one of a mobile device or a central facility.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving, with the processor, one or more status inquiry demands from one or more of an infotainment head unit, a mobile device, or a central facility.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the presence and securement statuses is in response to receiving the status inquiry demand.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the presence and securement statuses is in response to detecting the key cycle.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the equipment rack is configured to store and secure one or more weapons.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Skikun Steven T
• Kern robert s
• Groeneveld Arie
• Desjarlais Frank J
• Ohland Jon

Classifications

• F41A23/26

  Mountings for transport only; Loading or unloading arrangements for guns for use with carrier vehicles (F41A23/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R25/102 Primary

  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

• B60R7/14

  for supporting weapons · CPC title

• F41A23/005 Primary

  Locks for connecting guns to their mountings (F41A23/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G08B13/14

  by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles · CPC title