Detect driver persona in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9085269-B2
Application number	US-201313895835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2013
Priority date	May 16, 2013
Publication date	Jul 21, 2015
Grant date	Jul 21, 2015

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a method and system for detecting driver persona in a vehicle wherein an attribute of a user is identified via at least one sensor in the interior of the vehicle. The attribute of the user can include the body weight of the user and/or a sequence of activities performed by the user when entering the vehicle. An electronic storage device is queried with the attribute of the user to determine whether the attribute of the user matches a stored driver attribute. The electronic storage device includes one or more driver profiles that include one or more driver attributes and stored driver settings. Driver settings are set in the vehicle with a processor based on the stored driver settings when the attribute of the user matches a stored driver attribute in the electronic storage device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying an attribute of a user via at least one sensor in an interior of a vehicle, the attribute of the user including a body weight of the user;
creating an electronic log of the driver's weight over time;
calculating an average weight of the driver over a predetermined time interval;
comparing the average weight of the driver to a near match weight threshold to determine whether the average weight of the driver is within the near match weight threshold;
identifying the user as the driver when the average weight of the driver is within the near match weight threshold;
querying an electronic storage device with the attribute of the user to determine whether the attribute of the user matches at least one stored driver attribute, the electronic storage device including at least one driver profile including at least one driver attribute and stored driver settings; and
setting driver settings in the vehicle with a processor based on the stored driver settings when the attribute of the user matches a stored driver attribute in the electronic storage device.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored driver settings include at least one of a seat position, a rear view mirror position, a side mirror position, a steering wheel position, a temperature setting, a defroster setting, a radio setting, navigation settings, wireless connectivity settings, and airbag settings.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored driver settings include a seat position, a rear view mirror position, a side mirror position, a steering wheel position, a temperature setting, a radio setting, navigation settings, and wireless connectivity settings.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored driver attribute includes a driver's sitting bones print.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the user further includes a sequence of activities performed by the user when entering the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sequence of activities includes a sequence in which the user adjusts at least two of a horizontal seat position, a vertical seat position, a rear view mirror position, a driver-side mirror position, a passenger-side mirror position, a steering wheel position, a climate control mode setting, a temperature setting, a fan setting, a seat warmer setting, a seat cooler setting, a windshield defroster setting, a rear window defroster setting, a radio volume setting, a radio station setting, a radio mode, navigation settings, and wireless connectivity settings.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sequence of activities includes a sequence in which the user adjusts at least five of a horizontal seat position, a vertical seat position, a rear view mirror position, a driver-side mirror position, a passenger-side mirror position, a steering wheel position, a climate control mode setting, a temperature setting, a fan setting, a seat warmer setting, a seat cooler setting, a windshield defroster setting, a rear window defroster setting, a radio volume setting, a radio station setting, a radio mode setting, navigation settings, and wireless connectivity settings.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored driver attribute includes at least one of steering wheel grip force, foot placement, weight of keys, and interior climate settings.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the attribute of the user further includes steering wheel hand placement, steering wheel grip force, foot placement, weight of keys, and interior climate settings.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored driver settings include at least one of:
pre-programmed driver setting preferences selected by a driver,
driver settings that were employed the last time the vehicle was operated by the driver, and
driver settings that were employed the last time the driver changed a driver setting.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored driver settings include navigation settings and wireless connectivity settings, wherein the navigation settings include home, recent destinations, display settings, and route preferences, and wherein the wireless connectivity settings include Bluetooth settings.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the driver's sitting bones print include a distance between sitting bones on the driver's seat.

13. A system comprising:
a sensor in an interior of a vehicle, said sensor identifies an attribute of the user, the attribute of the user including a sequence of activities performed by the user when entering the vehicle;
an electronic storage device connected to said sensor, said electronic storage device including at least one driver profile including at least one driver attribute and stored driver settings; and
a processor connected to said electronic storage device, said processor queries said electronic storage device with the attribute of the user to determine whether the attribute of the user matches at least one stored driver attribute, said processor sets driver settings in the vehicle based on the stored driver settings when the attribute of the user matches a stored driver attribute in said electronic storage device, said processor:
creates an electronic log of the driver's weight over time;
calculates an average weight of the driver over a predetermined time interval:
compares the average weight of the driver to a near match weight threshold to determine whether the average weight of the driver is within the near match weight threshold; and
identifies the user as the driver when the average weight of the driver is within the near match weight threshold.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the stored driver settings include at least one of a seat position, a rear view mirror position, a side mirror position, a steering wheel position, a temperature setting, a defrost setting, a radio setting, navigation settings, wireless connectivity settings, and airbag settings.

15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the stored driver attribute includes a driver's body weight.

16. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the stored driver attribute includes a driver's sitting bones print.

17. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the sequence of activities includes a sequence in which the user adjusts at least two of a horizontal seat position, a vertical seat position, a rear view mirror position, a driver-side mirror position, a passenger-side mirror position, a steering wheel position, a climate control mode setting, a temperature setting, a fan setting, a seat warmer setting, a seat cooler setting, a windshield defroster setting, a rear window defroster setting, a radio volume setting, a radio station setting, a radio mode setting, navigation settings, and wireless connectivity settings.

18. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the stored driver attribute includes at least one of steering wheel grip force, foot placement, weight of keys, interior climate settings, and interaction with storage compartments.

19. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the stored driver settings include at least one of:
pre-programmed driver setting preferences selected by a driver,
driver settings that were employed the last time the vehicle was operated by the driver,

and
driver settings that were employed the last time the driver changed a driver setting.

20. A computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable st

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Abuelsaad Tamer E
• Harrison David
• Hodges Brent
• Moore Jr John Elbert

Classifications

• B60R16/037 Primary

  for occupant comfort {, e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel} · CPC title

• B60R21/01516

  using force or pressure sensing means · CPC title