Control module activation to monitor vehicles in a key-off state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018308293-A1
Application number	US-201715491878-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 19, 2017
Priority date	Apr 19, 2017
Publication date	Oct 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for control module activation to monitor vehicles in a key-off state. An example system includes a vehicle at a location in a key-off state that includes a sensor for collecting damage detection data, a camera module including a camera for collecting damage identification data, and a communication module. The example system also includes a remote processor to receive the damage detection data from the communication module and detect damage to the vehicle based upon the damage detection data. The remote processor also is to send, responsive to detecting the damage, an activation signal to activate the camera.

First claim

1 . A system comprising:
a vehicle at a location in a key-off state including:
a sensor for collecting damage detection data;
a camera for collecting damage identification data; and
a communication module; and
a remote processor to:
determine a current charge level of a battery of the vehicle based upon a charge level prior to the vehicle being in the key-off state and a time duration of the vehicle being in the key-off state;
receive the damage detection data from the communication module; and
detect damage to the vehicle based upon the damage detection data; and
send, responsive to detecting the damage, an activation signal to activate the camera.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera collects the damage identification data to facilitate identification of a source of the damage.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor collects the damage detection data when the camera is in a sleep mode, and the camera collects the damage identification data when the camera is in an active mode.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is at least one of a proximity sensor of a body control module, an accelerometer of an inertial measurement unit, and a tilt sensor of the inertial measurement unit.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor further collects the damage identification data.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle includes a telematic control unit including a GPS receiver that determines the location.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle includes a clock of a central timing module that is activated via the activation signal to detect a time at which the damage is caused to the vehicle.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle includes a dedicated short range communication module that is activated via the activation signal, the dedicated short range communication module is to communicate with at least one of a nearby vehicle and nearby infrastructure to collect the damage identification data from the at least one of the nearby vehicle and the nearby infrastructure.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle at least one of stores the damage identification data in a database and sends the damage identification data to the remote processor via the communication module.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module is to send the location and the current charge level of a battery to the remote processor prior to the vehicle being in the key-off state.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle includes a battery and a battery sensor to detect a charge level of the battery.

12 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle includes a battery control module that activates the camera upon the communication module receiving the activation signal from the remote processor.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote processor:
activates the camera in response to determining that the current charge level is greater than a predetermined charge threshold; and determines a data collection duration during which the damage identification data is collected to prevent the battery from draining.

15 . A method for activating vehicle control modules, the method comprising:
collecting prior to activation of a camera of the vehicle, via a sensor, damage detection data of the vehicle at a location in a key-off state; detecting, via a processor, whether there is damage caused to the vehicle based upon the damage detection data; activating the camera responsive to detecting the damage; and after activation of the camera, collecting damage identification data via the camera.

16 . (canceled)

17 . The method of claim 15 , further including:
activating a central timing module and a dedicated short range communication module of the vehicle responsive to detecting the damage; and detecting, via a clock of the central timing module, a time at which the damage is caused to the vehicle.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further including sending, via a communication module, the location and a charge level of a battery of the vehicle to a remote processor prior to the vehicle being in the key-off state.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further including:
determining a current charge level of the battery based upon the charge level received via the communication module and a time duration of the vehicle being in the key-off state; and activating the camera in response to determining that the current charge level is greater than a predetermined threshold.

20 . A tangible computer readable medium including instructions which, when executed, cause a vehicle to:
send, via a communication module, the location and a charge level of a battery of the vehicle to a remote processor prior to the vehicle being in the key-off state; collect, via a sensor, damage detection data of the vehicle at a location in a key-off state; detect, via a processor, whether there is damage caused to the vehicle based upon the damage detection data; activate a camera module of the vehicle responsive to detecting the damage; and collect damage identification data via a camera of the camera module.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Decia Nunzio
• Herman David A
• Dutta Arun
• Dierker Bill
• Cartwright Justin

Classifications

• H04N23/64

  Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image · CPC title

• H04N23/65

  Control of camera operation in relation to power supply · CPC title

• H04N7/188

  Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position (signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253) · CPC title

• G07C5/0808

  Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005) · CPC title

• B60R16/0231 Primary

  Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle (monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P) · CPC title