Vehicle occupant detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345353-B2
Application number	US-201716500831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2017
Priority date	Apr 5, 2017
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A computer in a vehicle that includes a processor and memory storing instructions executable by the processor. The instruction may include: receive an indication that the vehicle door is ajar; receive sensor data from a rotational-rate sensor in a vehicle; and based on the indication and sensor data, determine a traversal event.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer, programmed to:
receive an indication that a vehicle door is ajar;
receive sensor data from a rotational-rate sensor in a vehicle;
based on the indication that the vehicle door is ajar, determine a window of interest with respect to the sensor data, wherein the window of interest is defined by a time interval associated with when the vehicle door is ajar; and
determine a traversal event based on the rotational-rate sensor data received within the window of interest, wherein the traversal event includes one of an occupant ingress event or an occupant egress event.

2. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises sensor data received via another sensor located at the door.

3. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the indication is received from a body control module coupled to a plurality of door-ajar sensors, wherein each door-ajar sensor is associated with one of a plurality of vehicle doors.

4. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data is received by the computer in response to the indication.

5. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer further is programmed to determine a rotational indicator from the sensor data, wherein the rotational indicator is indicative of the traversal event.

6. The computer of claim 5 , wherein the computer further is programmed to determine the traversal event based on the rotational indicator being greater than a first threshold or less than a second threshold.

7. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer further is programmed to ignore a rotational indicator from the rotational-rate sensor data that is indicative of the traversal event when the rotational indicator is coincident with a terminal point of the window of interest or when the rotational indicator is within a threshold time interval of the terminal point.

8. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the rotational-rate sensor is positioned and oriented in the vehicle to measure roll-rate of the vehicle with respect to a longitudinal axis thereof.

9. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer further is programmed to: receive sensor data from a second rotational-rate sensor and an accelerometer; and execute dynamic vehicle model instructions using sensor data from the first rotational-rate sensor, the second rotational-rate sensor, and the accelerometer.

10. The computer of claim 9 , wherein the computer further is programmed to: determine a weight indicator using the model instructions; determine whether the weight indicator is greater than a threshold; and determine the traversal event when the weight indicator is greater than the threshold.

11. The computer of claim 9 , wherein the first rotational-rate sensor is positioned and oriented in the vehicle to measure roll-rate of the vehicle with respect to a longitudinal axis thereof, wherein the second rotational-rate sensor is positioned and oriented in the vehicle to measure pitch-rate of the vehicle with respect to a lateral axis thereof, wherein the accelerometer is positioned and oriented in the vehicle to measure movement along a vertical axis of the vehicle.

12. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the computer further is programmed to increment or decrement a counter based on determining the traversal event, wherein, when the computer determines the occupant ingress event, the computer is programmed to increment the counter, and wherein, when the computer determines the occupant egress event, the computer is programmed to decrement the counter.

13. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is part of a roll stability control system in the vehicle.

14. A system, comprising:
a first rotational-rate sensor, wherein the first rotational-rate sensor is associated with a motion sensing system in a vehicle; and
a computer, programmed to:
receive an indication that a vehicle door is ajar;
receive sensor data from the first rotational-rate sensor;
based on the indication that the vehicle door is ajar, determine a window of interest with respect to the sensor data, wherein the window of interest is defined by a time interval associated with when the vehicle door is ajar; and
determine a traversal event based on the rotational-rate sensor data received within the window of interest, wherein the traversal event includes one of an occupant ingress event or an occupant egress event.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a door-ajar sensor associated with one of a plurality of vehicle doors, wherein the indication is received by the computer via the door-ajar sensor.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the computer further is programmed to determine a rotational indicator from the rotational-rate sensor data, wherein the rotational indicator is indicative of the traversal event.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the computer further is programmed to determine the traversal event based on the rotational indicator being greater than a first threshold or less than a second threshold.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first rotational-rate sensor is positioned and oriented in the vehicle to measure roll-rate of the vehicle with respect to a longitudinal axis thereof, wherein the motion sensing system further comprises a second rotational-rate sensor and an accelerometer, wherein the second rotational-rate sensor is positioned and oriented in the vehicle to measure pitch-rate of the vehicle with respect to a lateral axis thereof, wherein the accelerometer is positioned and oriented in the vehicle to measure movement along a vertical axis of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the computer further is programmed to: receive sensor data from the second rotational-rate sensor and the accelerometer; and execute dynamic vehicle model instructions using sensor data from the first rotational-rate sensor, the second rotational-rate sensor, and the accelerometer, wherein the computer further is programmed to: determine a weight indicator using the model instructions; determine whether the weight indicator is greater than a threshold; and determine the traversal event when the weight indicator is greater than the threshold.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the computer further is programmed to ignore a rotational indicator from the sensor data that is indicative of the traversal event when the rotational indicator is coincident with a terminal point of the window of interest or when the rotational indicator is within a threshold time interval of the terminal point.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Luo Dawei
• Lu Jianbo

Classifications

• B60N2/002 Primary

  Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon (detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266) · CPC title

• B60N2210/24

  Cameras · CPC title

• B60R21/01

  Electrical circuits for triggering {passive} safety arrangements, {e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners,} in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents {(electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343)} · CPC title

• B60W2040/0881

  Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence · CPC title

• B60W40/08 Primary

  related to drivers or passengers · CPC title