Systems and methods for securing a vehicle and its content after a bailout operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11292430-B2
Application number	US-201916422779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2019
Priority date	May 24, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for automatically securing a vehicle such as a police truck or an emergency response vehicle and/or the contents of the vehicle after a bailout by the driver. In one exemplary method, a computer is configured to use a sensor system to detect that a driver of a vehicle has bailed out of the vehicle. Based at least in part on detecting that the driver has bailed out of the vehicle, the computer can execute operations such as automatically locking a door of the vehicle, logging out a computer located in the vehicle, locking a first component inside the vehicle such as a gun vault, and/or disabling an operation of another component in the vehicle such as a trunk release or an ignition switch.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method for securing a vehicle and/or one or more items in the vehicle after a bailout operation, the method comprising:
determining that the vehicle is engaged in a pursuit mode;
determining, by a first computer, that a driver of the vehicle has bailed out of the vehicle during the pursuit mode; and
automatically activating, by the first computer, based at least in part on determining that the driver has bailed out of the vehicle and one or more cue words uttered by the driver, one or more controls for securing at least one of the vehicle or one or more items in the vehicle, wherein the one or more cue words are uttered by the driver into a communications apparatus that is operable to provide communications between the driver and an operator located outside the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a police vehicle, and wherein automatically activating, by the first computer, the one or more controls for securing the at least one of the vehicle or the one or more items in the vehicle comprises at least one of:
locking a door of the police vehicle;
logging out the first computer;
locking a first component inside the police vehicle; and
disabling an operation of at least a second component inside the police vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first component is at least one of a gun vault or a glove compartment, and the second component is at least one of a trunk release, an engine ignition switch, or a gear shifter.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a police vehicle, and wherein automatically activating, by the first computer, the one or more controls for securing the at least one of the vehicle or the one or more items in the vehicle is based in further part on detecting at least one of:
a first driving pattern comprising an acceleration sequence and a braking sequence of the police vehicle;
a gear shifting characteristic of the police vehicle during one of the acceleration sequence or the braking sequence;
an activation of at least one of a siren or a flashing light mounted on the police vehicle; or
that a door of the police vehicle has been opened within a first time period after the police vehicle has been stopped.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first computer is located in the police vehicle and wherein automatically activating, by the first computer, the one or more controls for securing the at least one of the vehicle or the one or more items in the vehicle is in response to one or more signals received from a second computer that is communicatively coupled to the first computer and is located outside the police vehicle.

6. A system for securing a vehicle and/or one or more items in the vehicle after a bailout operation, the system comprising:
a computer processor operable to execute a set of computer-executable instructions; and
a memory operable to store the set of computer-executable instructions operable to:
determine that a driver of the vehicle has bailed out of the vehicle; and
automatically activate, based at least in part on determining that the driver has bailed out of the vehicle and based on one or more cue words uttered by the driver a, one or more controls for securing at least one of the vehicle or one or more items in the vehicle, wherein the one or more cue words are uttered by the driver into a communications apparatus that is operable to provide communications between the driver and an operator located outside the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle is a police vehicle, and wherein automatically activating the one or more controls for securing the at least one of the vehicle or the one or more items in the vehicle comprises at least one of:
locking a door of the police vehicle;
logging out of a computer within the vehicle;
locking a first component inside the police vehicle; and
disabling an operation of at least a second component inside the police vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first component is at least one of a gun vault or a glove compartment, and the second component is at least one of, a trunk release, an engine ignition switch, or a gear shifter.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle is a police vehicle, and wherein automatically activating, the one or more controls for securing the at least one of the vehicle or the one or more items in the vehicle is based in further part on detecting at least one of:
a first driving pattern comprising an acceleration sequence and a braking sequence of the police vehicle;
a gear shifting characteristic of the police vehicle during one of the acceleration sequence or the braking sequence;
an activation of at least one of a siren or a flashing light mounted on the police vehicle; or
that a door of the police vehicle has been opened within a first time period after the police vehicle has been stopped.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more cue words are uttered by the driver into a communications apparatus that is operable to provide communications between the driver and an operator located outside the police vehicle.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein automatically activating, the one or more controls for securing the at least one of the vehicle or the one or more items in the vehicle is in response to one or more signals received from a computer that is located outside the vehicle.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, that when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
determine that a driver of a vehicle has bailed out of the vehicle; and
automatically activate, based at least in part on determining that the driver has bailed out of the vehicle and one or more cue words uttered by the driver, one or more controls for securing at least one of the vehicle or one or more items in the vehicle, wherein the one or more cue words are uttered by the driver into a communications apparatus that is operable to provide communications between the driver and an operator located outside the vehicle.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein automatically activating, the one or more controls for securing the at least one of the vehicle or the one or more items in the vehicle comprises at least one of: l
ogging out of a computer within the vehicle
locking a first component inside the vehicle; and.
disabling an operation of at least a second component inside the vehicle, wherein the first component is at least one of a gun vault or a glove compartment, and the second component is at least one of, a trunk release, an engine ignition switch, or a gear shifter.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle is a police vehicle, and wherein automatically activating the one or more controls for securing the at least one of the vehicle or the one or more items in the vehicle is based in further part on detecting at least one of:
a first driving pattern comprising an acceleration sequence and a braking sequence of the police vehicle;
a gear shifting characteristic of the police vehicle during one of the acceleration sequence or the braking sequence;
an activation of at least one of a siren or a flashing light mounted on the police vehicle; or
that a door of the police vehicle has been opened within a first time period after the police vehicle has been stopped.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the one or more cue words are uttered by the driver into a communications apparatus that is operable to provide commu

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kern robert s
• Rainey Adam
• Skikun Steve
• Groeneveld Arie
• Gubing William
• Ohland Jon
• Ehlert Michael

Classifications

• G07C2209/63

  Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle · CPC title

• B60Y2200/116

  Ambulances · CPC title

• G07C2009/00769

  with data transmission performed by wireless means · CPC title

• B60R25/2036

  by using the door logic and door and engine unlock means · CPC title

• G07C9/00309

  operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks · CPC title