Integrated vehicle cabin with driver or passengers' prior conditions and activities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9428034-B2
Application number	US-201414337097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2014
Priority date	Jul 21, 2014
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

Described herein is a system, apparatus, and method for providing an integrated vehicle cabin experience. A wearable device including one or more bio-physical sensors may be configured to sense bio-physical conditions from a wearer of the wearable device and determine a state of the wearer. The state information may then be referenced by a vehicle computing system in order to control one or more vehicle systems and/or components that create a cabin environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle computing system comprising:
a memory that includes cabin settings corresponding to a physical condition of the user; and
a processor in communication with the memory, configured to:
analyze biometric data received from a portable device to determine a user activity level before the user entered the vehicle;
identify the physical condition based on the biometric data and the activity level; and
adjust the cabin settings based on the identified physical condition.

2. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 , wherein the biometric data includes bio-physical condition information sensed from at least one of a moisture sensor, a heartbeat sensor, a breathing sensor, or a body temperature sensor included on a wearable device.

3. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 , wherein the physical condition of the user is determined based on the biometric data sensed from one or more bio-physical sensors on a wearable device and the determined activity level satisfying a set of entry conditions that correspond to the identified physical condition.

4. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust the cabin settings by controlling at least one of a vehicle HVAC system, one or more power windows, interior lighting, or an entertainment system of a vehicle housing the vehicle computing system.

5. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust the cabin settings based on the physical condition of the user and vehicle sensor information.

6. The vehicle computing system of claim 5 , wherein the vehicle sensor information is received from at least one of a heartbeat sensor, or a breathing sensor that are part of a vehicle housing the vehicle computing system.

7. A method for controlling a vehicle cabin environment, comprising:
receiving, by a processor, biometric data from a wearable device;
analyzing, by the processor, the biometric to determine a user activity level before the user entered the vehicle
identifying, by the processor, a physical condition of the user based on current biometric data of the user and the determined activity level; and
controlling, by the processor, cabin settings based on the physical condition of the user.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the biometric data includes bio-physical condition information sensed from at least one of a moisture sensor, a heartbeat sensor, a breathing sensor, or a body temperature sensor included on the wearable device.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein physical condition of the user is determined based on the biometric data sensed from one or more bio-physical sensors on the wearable device and the determined activity level satisfying a set of entry conditions that correspond to the identified physical condition.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the cabin settings comprises the processor controlling at least one of a vehicle HVAC system, one or more power windows, interior lighting, or an entertainment system of a vehicle housing the vehicle computing system.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein adjusting the cabin settings is based on the physical condition of the user and vehicle sensor information.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle sensor information is received from at least one of a heartbeat sensor, or a breathing sensor that are part of a vehicle housing the vehicle computing system.

13. A vehicle cabin control system, comprising:
a wearable device comprising a plurality of sensors configured to obtain biometric data from a user; and
a vehicle computing system configured to:
receive the biometric data from the wearable device;
analyze the biometric data received from the wearable device to determine a user activity level before the user entered the vehicle;
identify a physical condition of the user based on current biometric data of the user and the determined activity level; and
adjust cabin settings based on the physical condition of the user.

14. The vehicle cabin control system of claim 13 , wherein the wearable device includes a processor configured to:
receive an identification signal identifying the vehicle computing system from the vehicle computing system;
recognize the vehicle computing system based on the identification signal; and
in response to recognizing the vehicle computing system, transmit the biometric data to the vehicle computing system.

15. The vehicle cabin control system of claim 13 , wherein the wearable device includes a processor configured to:
receive an identification signal identifying the vehicle computing system from the vehicle computing system;
recognize the vehicle computing system based on the identification signal;
determine whether the wearable device is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle computing system, and
transmit the biometric data to the vehicle computing system when the wearable device is within the predetermined distance from the vehicle.

16. The vehicle cabin control system of claim 13 wherein the vehicle computing system is configured to adjust the cabin settings based on the physical condition of the user and vehicle sensor information, the vehicle sensor information received from at least one of a heartbeat sensor, or a breathing sensor that are part of a vehicle housing the vehicle computing system.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Yang Hsin-Hsiang
• Prakah-Asante Kwaku O
• Strumolo Gary Steven

Classifications

• B60H1/00742 Primary

  by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors · CPC title

• B60R16/037

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

• B60R16/02 Primary

  electric {constitutive elements} · CPC title

• A61B5/00

  Measuring for diagnostic purposes (radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00); Identification of persons · CPC title