Vehicle safety arrangement, vehicle and a method for increasing vehicle safety

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9475360-B2
Application number	US-201514967858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle, a method and a vehicle safety arrangement are provided. The vehicle safety arrangement comprises a vehicle propellant amount determination unit, a vehicle passenger compartment, a vehicle motor, a communication unit and a vehicle occupant detection unit, arranged to detect at least one of a presence of at least one vehicle occupant and a vehicle occupant condition. The arrangement is arranged to initiate a communication indicative of the amount of propellant stored in the vehicle to an external recipient if the presence of at least one vehicle occupant is detected within the vehicle passenger compartment and the vehicle motor has been inoperative for a threshold amount of time, or a vehicle occupant condition is detected, which matches at least one predefined vehicle occupant condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle safety arrangement for a vehicle including a vehicle propellant amount determination unit configured to determine an amount of propellant stored in the vehicle, a vehicle passenger compartment, and a vehicle motor, the vehicle safety arrangement comprising:
a communication unit; and
a vehicle occupant detection unit configured to detect at least one of presence of at least one vehicle occupant and a vehicle occupant condition;
wherein the vehicle safety arrangement is configured to initiate a communication indicative of the amount of propellant stored in the vehicle to an external recipient if
the presence of at least one vehicle occupant is detected within the vehicle passenger compartment and the vehicle motor has been inoperative for a threshold amount of time, or
a vehicle occupant condition is detected, which matches at least one predefined vehicle occupant condition.

2. The vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle safety arrangement is configured to initiate the communication indicative of the amount of propellant stored in the vehicle only if the amount is below a predefined threshold amount.

3. The vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle safety arrangement is configured to initiate the communication indicative of the amount of propellant stored in the vehicle if the presence of at least one vehicle occupant is detected within the vehicle passenger compartment when the vehicle motor has been inoperative for the threshold amount of time and temperature within the vehicle passenger compartment, provided by a vehicle temperature sensor, is above a predefined threshold temperature.

4. The vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 3 further comprising a vehicle occupant recognition arrangement that is configured to recognize different kinds of vehicle occupants, wherein the vehicle safety arrangement is configured to initiate the communication indicative of the amount of propellant stored in the vehicle if the presence of at least one vehicle occupant is detected within the vehicle passenger compartment, the at least one vehicle occupant being at least one of an infant, a child and an animal.

5. The vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle safety arrangement is connectable to a vehicle passenger compartment ventilating system and is further configured to initiate an activation command to the vehicle passenger compartment ventilating system if the presence of at least one vehicle occupant is detected within the vehicle passenger compartment and the vehicle motor has been inoperative for the threshold amount of time.

6. The vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 1 further comprising a ventilation system status determination unit, wherein the vehicle safety arrangement is configured to initiate the communication indicative of the amount of propellant stored in the vehicle only if the vehicle passenger compartment ventilating system status is inoperative.

7. The vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle safety arrangement is connectable to a vehicle door control system and is further configured to initiate an activation command to open a vehicle door to the vehicle door control system if the presence of at least one vehicle occupant is detected within the vehicle passenger compartment and the vehicle motor has been inoperative for a threshold amount of time.

8. The vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle propellant amount determination unit is configured to determine a fuel level within a vehicle fuel tank.

9. The vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle propellant amount determination unit is configured to determine a state of charge of a vehicle propellant storage unit.

10. The vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle safety arrangement is connectable to a vehicle velocity determination unit configured to determine a vehicle velocity, and wherein the communication unit is configured to initiate the communication to the external recipient indicative of the amount of propellant stored in the vehicle if it is determined that:
the vehicle is driven with a velocity exceeding a threshold velocity and
a vehicle occupant condition is detected, which matches at least one predefined vehicle occupant condition being at least one of:
i. drowsiness,
ii. a shifting gaze,
iii. decreased steering wheel grip,
iv. unsteady steering wheel handling,
v. an increased heart rate.

11. The vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the communication unit further is configured to, when at least one of the predefined vehicle occupant conditions is detected, initiate a command to perform a controlled stop of the vehicle to a vehicle drive system that is configured to stop the vehicle in a controlled manner in response to the command.

12. A vehicle comprising the vehicle safety arrangement according to claim 1 .

13. A method for increasing safety in a vehicle including a vehicle propellant amount determination unit arranged to determine an amount of propellant stored in the vehicle, a vehicle passenger compartment, a vehicle motor, a communication unit and a vehicle occupant detection unit arranged to detect at least one of: presence of at least one vehicle occupant and a vehicle occupant condition, the method comprising:
initiating via the communication unit, a communication indicative of the amount of propellant stored in the vehicle to an external recipient if
presence of at least one vehicle occupant is detected within the vehicle passenger compartment by the vehicle occupant detection unit and the vehicle motor has been inoperative for a threshold amount of time, or
a vehicle occupant condition is detected, which matches at least one predefined vehicle occupant condition.

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Rolka Lucas

Classifications

• B60W50/04

  Monitoring the functioning of the control system · CPC title

• 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

• B60H1/00828

  Ventilators, e.g. speed control (B60H1/00864 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60W2756/10

  Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title

• B60J5/00

  Doors (B60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00 {; side board or tailgate structures for open load compartments B62D33/023}) · CPC title