Methods and system for adjusting vehicle operation based on a predicted state of a vehicle occupant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11447143-B2
Application number	US-201916657176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2019
Priority date	Oct 18, 2019
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A method for operating a vehicle that includes a passenger is described. In one example, the method adjusts vehicle suspension and exhaust system sound in response to characteristics of the passenger that are monitored via a camera and a microphone. The method may operate the vehicle suspension and exhaust system in a way that sooths the passenger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle operating method, comprising:
monitoring facial expressions of a vehicle occupant via a camera;
monitoring sounds of the vehicle occupant via a microphone; and
adjusting a position of an exhaust valve of an engine in response to the monitored facial expressions and the monitored sounds of the vehicle occupant via a controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the position of the exhaust valve to memory of the controller in response to the monitored facial expressions indicating that the vehicle occupant is sleeping; and
fully closing the exhaust valve to reduce engine noise via the controller in response to a passenger minder mode being activated, where monitoring facial expressions of the vehicle occupant and monitoring sounds of the vehicle occupant are activated in the passenger minder mode.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the position of the exhaust valve to memory of the controller in response to the monitored facial expressions indicating that the vehicle occupant has changed from a first emotional state to a second emotional state.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting output of an engine sound enhancement system in response to the monitored facial expressions.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising estimating an amount of eye lid droop via the controller.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining that the vehicle occupant is yawning via the controller.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dadam Sumanth Reddy
• Ravi Vinod
• Ayesh Hani Mohammad

Classifications

• B60G2400/39

  Brake pedal position · CPC title

• B60G17/0195

  characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems {(conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22)} · CPC title

• B60G2400/30

  Propulsion unit conditions · CPC title

• G06V40/176

  Dynamic expression · CPC title

• B60W10/30

  including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps · CPC title