Dynamic safe storage of vehicle content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11352017-B2
Application number	US-202017095089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2020
Priority date	Jul 13, 2018
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for dynamically protecting transportable articles in vehicles. A system for dynamically protecting a transportable article in a vehicle may include one or more processors and non-volatile memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to access sensed data representative of at least one of a characteristic or a trait of a transportable article in a vehicle, determine based on the data the at least one of the characteristic or the trait of the transportable article, select one or more article protection components based on the determined at least one of the characteristic or the trait of the transportable article, and deploy the selected one or more article protection components to protect the transportable article.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system for dynamically protecting a transportable article in a vehicle, the system comprising:
one or more processors; and
non-volatile memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
access sensed data representative of at least one of a characteristic or a trait of the transportable article in the vehicle;
determine based on the data the at least one of the characteristic or the trait of the transportable article;
select one or more article protection components based on the determined at least one of the characteristic or the trait of the transportable article; and
deploy the selected one or more article protection components to protect the transportable article.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more article protection components include at least one of a latch, locking mechanism, harness, airbag, cushion, pillow, pad, seatbelt, container, strut, temperature control device, humidity control device, or light exposure control component.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more article protection components are configured to counteract at least one of shaking, tipping, sliding, toppling, spilling, cracking, a change in temperature, a change in humidity, a change in light exposure, or a change in chemical exposure.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more actuator components configured to deploy the selected one or more article protection components.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
access interior vehicle environment data representative of a change in condition of an interior space of the vehicle;
detect, by processing the interior vehicle environment data, an emergency condition; and
in response to detecting the emergency condition, cause the one or more actuator components to adjust a state of the one or more article protection components in order to protect the transportable article.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
access driving environment data representative of a driving environment of the vehicle;
detect, by processing the driving environment data, an emergency condition; and
in response to detecting the emergency condition, cause the one or more actuator components to adjust a state of the one or more article protection components in order to protect the transportable article.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
access vehicle operation data, wherein the vehicle operation data includes, or is indicative of, vehicle control data sent to one or more operational subsystems of the vehicle;
detect, by processing the vehicle operation data, a specific action taken by the vehicle; and
in response to detecting the specific action taken by the vehicle, cause the one or more actuator components to adjust a state of the one or more article protection components in order to protect the transportable article.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to, in response to determining the characteristic and/or the trait of the transportable article, modify, via a vehicle operation controller, a manner in which the vehicle takes a specific action to protect the transportable article.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the specific action taken by the vehicle includes at least one of accelerating, decelerating, turning, braking, changing lanes, merging, or moving in reverse.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to, in response to determining the characteristic and/or the trait of the transportable article, cause a vehicle operation controller to restrict the vehicle from taking a specific action in order to protect the transportable article.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein restricting the vehicle from taking the specific action includes restricting the vehicle from at least one of accelerating more than a threshold amount, decelerating more than a threshold amount, generating more than a threshold amount of G-forces, changing lanes, exceeding a threshold speed, or driving on a specific road.

12. A method for dynamically protecting a transportable article in a vehicle, the method comprising:
accessing sensed data representative of at least one of a characteristic or a trait of the transportable article in the vehicle;
determining the at least one of the characteristic or the trait of the transportable article based on the data;
selecting one or more article protection components based on the determined at least one of the characteristic or the trait of the transportable article; and
deploying the selected one or more article protection components to protect the transportable article.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more article protection components include at least one of a latch, locking mechanism, harness, airbag, cushion, pillow, pad, seatbelt, container, strut, temperature control device, humidity control device, or light exposure control component.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more article protection components are configured to counteract at least one of shaking, tipping, sliding, toppling, spilling, cracking, a change in temperature, a change in humidity, a change in light exposure, or a change in chemical exposure.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
access, via the one or more processors, interior vehicle environment data representative of a change in condition of an interior space of the vehicle;
detecting, by processing the interior vehicle environment data using the one or more processors, an emergency condition; and
causing, via one or more actuator components, a state of the one or more article protection components to be adjusted in order to protect the transportable article in response to the one or more processors detecting the emergency condition.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
accessing driving environment data representative of a driving environment of the vehicle;
detecting, by processing the driving environment data using the one or more processors, an emergency condition; and
causing, via one or more actuator components, a state of the one or more article protection components to be adjusted in order to protect the transportable article in response to the one or more processors detecting the emergency condition.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
accessing, via the one or more processors, vehicle operation data generated by a vehicle operation controller to cause the vehicle to take a specific action;
detecting, by processing the vehicle operation data using the one or more processors, the specific action taken by the vehicle; and
causing, via one or more actuator components, a state of the one or more article protection components to be adjusted in order to protect the transportable article in response to the one or more processors detecting the specific action taken by the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising generating, via a vehicle operation controller, vehicle operation data corresponding to the vehicle taking a specific action in order to protect the transportable article in response to the one or more processors determining the characteristic and/or the trait of the transportable article

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Christensen Scott T
• Fields Brian M
• Prevatt Stephen R
• Roberson Steve

Classifications

• B60R21/20

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• B60K28/08 Primary

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• B60W50/0098 Primary

  Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B60R2021/162

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• B60R2021/168

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