Vehicle driver locator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018134212-A1
Application number	US-201715421154-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 31, 2017
Priority date	Nov 15, 2016
Publication date	May 17, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle may include: a motor, nodes, sensors, puddle lights, and processor(s) configured to: command the nodes to produce high power signal patterns to link with a mobile device; command at least some of the nodes to produce low power signal patterns to link with the mobile device based detecting the high power link; activate at least some of the puddle lights based on the low power link. The vehicle may activate at least some of the puddle lights based on the low power link by running processing software on measurements captured by the nodes based on the low power link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a motor, nodes, sensors, puddle lights, and processor(s) configured to: command the nodes to produce signal patterns to link with a mobile device; select some of the sensors based on a detected link; determine one or more properties of an object based on data captured by the selected sensors; select some of the puddle lights based on at least some of the determined properties; activate the selected puddle lights.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the signal patterns include a request for the mobile device to reply with the identifier.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to select the some sensors based on which node receives the reply from the mobile device.

4 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the properties include height and the processor(s) are configured to select none of the puddle lights when the height is less than a prestored height.

5 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the properties include position and processor(s) are configured to determine a position of the object when the height is greater than the prestored height.

6 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the processors are configured to select the some puddle lights based on the determined position.

7 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the properties include heading and the processor(s) are configured to select the some puddle lights based on the determined heading.

8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle includes a driver door, the puddle lights include first and second puddle lights, and the processor(s) are configured to select first puddle lights, but not second puddle lights, when the determined heading intersects the driver door.

9 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle includes a driver door and a trunk, the puddle lights include first and second puddle lights, and the processor(s) are configured to select first and second puddle lights when the determined heading intersects the driver door and to select second puddle lights, but not first puddle lights, when the determined heading intersects the trunk.

10 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the sensors include ultrasonic sensors and cameras.

11 . A method of controlling a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a motor, nodes, sensors, puddle lights, and processor(s), the method comprising, via the processor(s):
commanding the nodes to produce signal patterns to link with a mobile device; selecting some of the sensors based on a detected link; determining one or more properties of an object based on data captured by the selected sensors; selecting some of the puddle lights based on at least some of the determined properties; activating the selected puddle lights.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the signal patterns include a request for the mobile device to reply with the identifier.

13 . The method of claim 12 , comprising: selecting the some sensors based on which node receives the reply from the mobile device.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the properties include height and the method comprises selecting none of the puddle lights when the height is less than a prestored height.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the properties include position and the method comprises determining a position of the object when the height is greater than the prestored height.

16 . The method of claim 15 , comprising selecting the some puddle lights based on the determined position.

17 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the properties include heading and the method comprises selecting the some puddle lights based on the determined heading.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle includes a driver door, the puddle lights include first and second puddle lights, and the method comprises selecting first puddle lights, but not second puddle lights, when the determined heading intersects the driver door.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle includes a driver door and a trunk, the puddle lights include first and second puddle lights, and the method comprises selecting first and second puddle lights when the determined heading intersects the driver door and selecting second puddle lights, but not first puddle lights, when the determined heading intersects the trunk.

20 . The vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the sensors include ultrasonic sensors and cameras.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Mcnabb David
• Elangovan Vivekanandh
• Lavoie Erick Michael
• Van Wiemeersch John Robert

Classifications

• H05B47/19 Primary

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• B60Q2400/40

  Welcome lights, i.e. specific or existing exterior lamps to assist leaving or approaching the vehicle · CPC title