Activating vehicle functions based on vehicle occupant location

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548517-B2
Application number	US-201916359066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2019
Priority date	Mar 28, 2018
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided and include a communication gateway of a control module. The communication gateway establishes wireless communication connections with a plurality of user devices. A plurality of sensors are configured to, in response to the plurality of user devices being connected to the communication gateway, communicate signal information about the wireless communication connections to the control module. The signal information indicates characteristics of the wireless communication connections. The control module (i) determines a location of each user device of the plurality of user devices based on the signal information and (ii) generates a plurality of entries based on the signal information. Each entry of the plurality of entries corresponds to each of the plurality of user devices. A user settings activation module (i) determines user profiles corresponding to each entry of the plurality of entries and (ii) activates at least one vehicle function based on the user profiles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a communication gateway of a control module of a vehicle, the communication gateway being configured to establish wireless communication connections with a plurality of user devices;
a plurality of sensors that are configured to, in response to the plurality of user devices being connected to the communication gateway, communicate signal information about the wireless communication connections to the control module, wherein the signal information indicates characteristics of the wireless communication connections; and
a plurality of door sensors associated with a plurality of doors of the vehicle, each door sensor generating door sensor data indicating whether an associated door of the vehicle is open or closed, the plurality of doors including a driver door for a driver seat of the vehicle, a front passenger door for a front passenger seat of the vehicle, and at least one rear door for rear seats of the vehicle;
wherein the control module includes at least one processor that is configured to execute instructions stored in a nontransitory memory, and the control module is configured to (i) determine a location and a trajectory of each user device of the plurality of user devices based on the signal information as each user device approaches the vehicle, (ii) determine whether each door of the plurality of doors was opened and subsequently closed, (iii) determine a seat position associated with each user device of the plurality of user devices based on the location and the trajectory of each user device and based on whether each door of the plurality of doors of the vehicle was opened and subsequently closed, the seat position indicating that the associated user device is located in one of: the driver seat, the front passenger seat, or the rear seats, (iv) determine a plurality of user profiles, including a user profile associated with each user device of the plurality of user devices, each user profile having a priority and a preferred temperature associated with the user profile, (v) determine whether multiple user devices are located in the rear seats, (vi) in response to determining that multiple user devices are located in the rear seats, compare the priority associated with each user device of the multiple user devices to determine the user profile having the highest priority of the user profiles associated with the multiple user devices located in the rear seats, and (vii) adjust climate control settings of a climate control system for a rear seating area of the vehicle that includes the rear seats based on the preferred temperature associated with the user profile having the highest priority of the user profiles associated with the multiple user devices located in the rear seats.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein in response to a first user profile of the user profiles being associated with a first user device located in the driver seat of the vehicle, the control module is configured to activate at least one vehicle function by at least one of adjusting a mirror of the vehicle, adjusting a steering wheel of the vehicle, applying speed limits to the vehicle, applying zone limits to the vehicle, and applying acceleration limits to the vehicle based on the first user profile.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication connections are Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication connections.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein in response to a first user profile of the user profiles being associated with a first user device located in the driver seat of the vehicle, the control module is configured to activate at least one vehicle function by at least one of adjusting (i) a seat position, (ii) a seat height, (iii) climate conditions of the vehicle, (iv) media settings, and (v) audio settings based on the first user profile.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal information includes a received signal strength (RSSI) of each of the wireless communication connections.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal information includes at least one of a time difference of arrival of each of the wireless communication connections, a time of arrival of each of the wireless communication connections, an angle of arrival of each of the wireless communication connections, and a round trip time of flight of each of the wireless communication connections.

7. A method comprising:
establishing, using a communication gateway of a control module of a vehicle, wireless communication connections with a plurality of user devices, wherein the control module includes at least one processor that is configured to execute instructions stored in a nontransitory memory;
communicating, in response to the plurality of user devices being connected to the communication gateway and using a plurality of sensors, signal information about the wireless communication connections to the control module, wherein the signal information indicates characteristics of the wireless communication connections;
generating, with each door sensor of a plurality of door sensors associated with a plurality of doors of the vehicle, door sensor data indicating whether an associated door of the vehicle is open or closed, the plurality of doors including a driver door for a driver seat of the vehicle, a front passenger door for a front passenger seat of the vehicle, and at least one rear door for rear seats of the vehicle;
determining, using the control module, a location and a trajectory of each user device of the plurality of user devices based on the signal information as each user device approaches the vehicle;
determining, using the control module, whether each door of the plurality of doors was opened and subsequently closed;
determining, using the control module, whether a seat position associated with each user device of the plurality of user devices based on the location and the trajectory of each user device and based on whether each door of the plurality of doors of the vehicle was opened and subsequently closed, the seat position indicating that the associated user device is located in one of: the driver seat, the front passenger seat, or the rear seats;
determining, using the control module, a plurality of user profiles, including a user profile associated with each user device of the plurality of user devices, each user profile having a priority and a preferred temperature associated with the user profile;
determining, using the control module, whether multiple user devices are located in the rear seats;
comparing, using the control module and in response to determining that multiple user devices are located in the rear seats, the priority associated with each user device of the multiple user devices to determine the user profile having the highest priority of the user profiles associated with the multiple user devices located in the rear seats; and
adjusting, using the control module, climate control settings of a climate control system for a rear seating area of the vehicle that includes the rear seats based on the preferred temperature associated with the user profile having the highest priority of the user profiles associated with the multiple user devices located in the rear seats.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, in response to a first user profile of the user profiles being associated with a first user device located in the driver seat of the vehicle, activating the at least one vehicle function includes at least one of adjusting a mirror of the vehicle, adjusting a steering wheel of the vehicle, applying speed limits to the vehicle, applying zone limits to the vehicle, and applying acceleration limits to the vehicle based on the first user profile.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein th

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Golsch Kyle

Classifications

• B60R25/24

  using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user · CPC title

• H04W4/40

  for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] · CPC title

• B60H1/00964

  Control systems or circuits characterised by including features for automatic and non-automatic control, e.g. for changing from automatic to manual control · CPC title

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• B60W50/0098 Primary

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