Method and vehicle system for handling parameters associated with surroundings of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11104302-B2
Application number	US-201916589219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2019
Priority date	Oct 4, 2018
Publication date	Aug 31, 2021
Grant date	Aug 31, 2021

Abstract

A method performed by a vehicle system for handling parameters associated with surroundings of a vehicle. The vehicle system obtains information indicating a first parameter associated with the surroundings of the vehicle and sensed by at least one low power sensor. The low power sensor is associated with the vehicle. The vehicle system triggers startup of at least one high power sensor when the first parameter has fulfilled a criteria. The high power sensor consumes a larger amount of power than the low power sensor, and the high power sensor is associated with the vehicle or another vehicle. The vehicle system obtains information indicating at least a second parameter associated with the surroundings of the vehicle and sensed by the high power sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed by a vehicle system for handling parameters associated with surroundings of a vehicle, the method comprising:
obtaining information indicating a first parameter associated with the surroundings of the vehicle and sensed by at least one low power sensor, the low power sensor being associated with the vehicle;
triggering startup of at least one high power sensor when the first parameter has fulfilled a criteria, wherein the high power sensor consumes a larger amount of power than the low power sensor, and the high power sensor being associated with the vehicle or another vehicle;
obtaining information indicating at least a second parameter associated with the surroundings of the vehicle and sensed by the high power sensor;
wherein the at least one low power sensor continuously or intermittently senses the first parameter and the at least one high power sensor senses the second parameter only when the first parameter has fulfilled the criteria;
obtaining information indicating that the first parameter has been sensed and fulfilled the criteria for at least one other vehicle;
determining that there is a likelihood of a security breach when the criteria has been fulfilled for at least two vehicles; and
triggering the vehicle and the at least one other vehicle to activate their associated alarms when the likelihood is determined.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
analyzing the first and second parameters to determine at least one of: a position in the surroundings where the first and second parameters have their origin, and a distance (d) from the vehicle to the position.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
informing a user of the vehicle about the first and second parameters.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
triggering an alarm associated with the vehicle when the first parameter has fulfilled the criteria.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
triggering at least one other vehicle to activate its associated alarm when the first parameter has fulfilled the criteria.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the criteria is at least one of: that the first parameter has reached or exceeded a threshold, and that the first parameter substantially matches a predetermined parameter.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first parameter is at least one of: sound, motion, smoke, and
wherein the second parameter is at least one image.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the low power sensor is at least one of: a microphone, a gyroscope, a smoke detector, an Infrared detector, and
wherein the high power sensor is at least one of: an image sensor, a radar, a lidar.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the low and high power sensors is mounted at least partly on the outside of the vehicle.

10. A vehicle system adapted to:
obtain information indicating a first parameter associated with the surroundings of the vehicle and sensed by at least one low power sensor, the low power sensor being associated with the vehicle;
trigger startup of at least one high power sensor when the first parameter has fulfilled a criteria, wherein the high power sensor consumes a larger amount of power than the low power sensor, and the high power sensor being associated with the vehicle or another vehicle;
obtain information indicating at least a second parameter associated with the surroundings of the vehicle and sensed by the high power sensor;
wherein the at least one low power sensor continuously or intermittently senses the first parameter and the at least one high power sensor senses the second parameter only when the first parameter has fulfilled the criteria;
obtain information indicating that the first parameter has been sensed and fulfilled the criteria for at least one other vehicle;
determine that there is a likelihood of a security breach when the criteria has been fulfilled for at least two vehicles; and
trigger the vehicle and the at least one other vehicle to activate their associated alarms when the likelihood is determined.

11. A vehicle system, comprising:
memory storing instructions executed by a processor for obtaining information indicating a first parameter associated with the surroundings of the vehicle and sensed by at least one low power sensor, the low power sensor being associated with the vehicle;
the memory storing instructions executed by the processor for triggering startup of at least one high power sensor when the first parameter has fulfilled a criteria, wherein the high power sensor consumes a larger amount of power than the low power sensor, and the high power sensor being associated with the vehicle or another vehicle;
the memory storing instructions executed by the processor for obtaining information indicating at least a second parameter associated with the surroundings of the vehicle and sensed by the high power sensor;
wherein the at least one low power sensor continuously or intermittently senses the first parameter and the at least one high power sensor senses the second parameter only when the first parameter has fulfilled the criteria;
the memory storing instructions executed by the processor for obtaining information indicating that the first parameter has been sensed and fulfilled the criteria for at least one other vehicle;
the memory storing instructions executed by the processor for determining that there is a likelihood of a security breach when the criteria has been fulfilled for at least two vehicles; and
the memory storing instructions executed by the processor for triggering the vehicle and the at least one other vehicle to activate their associated alarms when the likelihood is determined.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11 , further comprising:
the memory storing instructions executed by the processor for analyzing the first and second parameters to determine at least one of: a position in the surroundings where the first and second parameters have their origin, and a distance (d) from the vehicle to the position.

13. The vehicle system of claim 11 , further comprising:
the memory storing instructions executed by the processor for informing a user of the vehicle about the first and second parameters.

14. The vehicle system of claim 11 , further comprising:
the memory storing instructions executed by the processor for triggering an alarm associated with the vehicle when the first parameter has fulfilled the criteria.

15. The vehicle system of claim 11 , further comprising:
the memory storing instructions executed by the processor for triggering at least one other vehicle to activate its associated alarm when the first parameter has fulfilled the criteria.

16. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the criteria is at least one of: that the first parameter has reached or exceeded a threshold, and that the first parameter substantially matches a predetermined parameter.

17. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the first parameter is at least one of: sound, motion, smoke, and
wherein the second parameter is at least one image.

18. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the low and high power sensors is mounted at least partly on the outside of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Björkengren Ulf
• Bove Thomas
• Qvist Jessen Per

Classifications

• G08B13/19647

  Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle · CPC title

• B60R25/305 Primary

  using a camera · CPC title

• B60R11/0247

  for microphones or earphones · CPC title

• G08B13/19695 Primary

  Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves · CPC title

• B60R2011/004

  outside the vehicle · CPC title