System for detecting vehicle fuel door status

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017161902-A1
Application number	US-201514956568-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2015
Priority date	Dec 2, 2015
Publication date	Jun 8, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system to detect a vehicle fuel door alert condition and a method using the system is described. The system includes an optical sensor having a field of view (FOV) which includes a vehicle fuel door region, the optical sensor providing an output including image data from the fuel door region; and a controller in communication with the optical sensor to receive the output, the controller including at least one processor adapted to analyze the optical sensor output and provide an alert output at least when the optical sensor output is indicative that a fuel door in the vehicle fuel door region is at least partially open.

First claim

1 . A system to detect a vehicle fuel door alert condition, comprising:
an optical sensor having a field of view (FOV) which includes a vehicle fuel door region, the optical sensor providing an output including image data associated with the fuel door region; and a controller in communication with the optical sensor to receive the output, the controller including at least one processor adapted to analyze the optical sensor output and provide an alert output at least when the optical sensor output is indicative that a fuel door in the vehicle fuel door region is at least partially open.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor is a camera.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises a non-transitory computer readable memory having instructions stored thereon for determining the vehicle fuel door alert condition and, when the alert condition is determined, providing the alert output from the controller to vehicle electronics, wherein the instructions comprise:
receiving an image from the optical sensor comprising a region of interest that includes the fuel door region; using the image and a pattern recognition technique to determine whether the fuel door is at least partially open; and when an image processing result using the pattern recognition technique indicates that the fuel door is at least partially open, then providing the alert output.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is adapted to analyze the optical sensor output and provide the alert output at least when the optical sensor output is indicative of a vehicle fuel cap not being secured to a vehicle fuel fill port or a filling station fuel nozzle being within the fuel fill port.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein, prior to providing the alert output, the controller is adapted to determine multiple criteria indicating that the fuel door is at least partially open.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to provide the alert output without image processing of additional image data, when the controller: analyzes the optical sensor output, determines that the optical sensor output is indicative of a filling station nozzle being located within a fuel fill port of a vehicle, and receives an indication from vehicle electronics that a transmission of the vehicle is not in PARK.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical sensors in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is adapted to provide advance driver assistance services using sensor output from the plurality of optical sensors.

8 . A system to detect a vehicle fuel door alert condition, comprising:
an optical sensor adapted to monitor an area that includes a vehicle fuel door region; and a controller that is couplable to the optical sensor, the controller comprising memory and at least one processor, wherein the memory is a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for determining the vehicle fuel door alert condition, wherein the instructions comprise:
receiving an image from the optical sensor comprising a region of interest that includes the fuel door region;
analyzing the image using image processing techniques to determine at least one criteria associated with the alert condition; and
when the at least one criteria is determined, then providing the alert signal.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further comprise: analyzing the image using image processing techniques to determine two or more criteria associated with the alert condition, and providing the alert signal when the two or more criteria are determined.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the alert condition is associated with: an indication that a vehicle fuel door is at least partially open, an indication that a vehicle fuel cap is not secured, an indication that a filling station fuel nozzle is located within a fuel port of the vehicle, or a combination thereof.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the optical sensor is a camera.

12 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of optical sensors in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is adapted to provide advance driver assistance services using sensor output from the plurality of optical sensors.

13 . A method of detecting a vehicle fuel door alert condition using a controller in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
receiving at the controller at least one image from an optical sensor, wherein the at least one image comprises a region of interest associated with a vehicle fuel door region; using the at least one image, determining at the controller whether the vehicle fuel door alert condition exists, wherein the alert condition is associated with a fuel door in the vehicle fuel door region being at least partially open; and when the alert condition is determined to exist, then providing an alert signal from the controller.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the alert condition exists comprises at least one of the following:
determining an indication that a vehicle fuel door is at least partially open using the at least one image, determining an indication that a vehicle fuel cap is not secured using the at least one image, or determining an indication that a filling station fuel nozzle is located within a fuel port of the vehicle using the at least one image.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the alert condition exists further comprises determining multiple criteria indicative of the alert condition using the at least one image.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the alert condition exists further comprises using a pattern recognition technique, a feature extraction technique, or both to determine a criteria indicative of the alert condition.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the alert condition exists further comprises: comparing a stored image to the at least one image, using an edge detection image processing technique on the at least one image, or both.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the alert condition exists further comprises:
using the at least one image, determining that a filling station fuel nozzle is located within a fuel port of the vehicle; receiving an indication from a vehicle control module (VCM) that the vehicle transmission is no longer in PARK; and based on the received indication and the determination that the fuel nozzle is located in within the fuel port, providing the alert signal.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the alert condition exists is initiated when the vehicle is stationary.

Assignees

• Dura Operating Llc

Inventors

• Patil Rajashekhar
• Thomas Gordon M

Classifications

• G06V10/44

  Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components · CPC title

• G06T2207/30252

  Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle · CPC title

• B60Q9/00

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• G06T7/0044 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic