In-vehicle particulate sensor data analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688194-B2
Application number	US-201514670129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2015
Priority date	Mar 26, 2015
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle may include particulate sensors configured to generate particulate data indicative of size and quantity of ambient particulates. The vehicle may also include a computing device configured to receive the particulate data from the at least one particulate sensor, compare the particulate data to a signature data identifying a particulate condition, and adjust a vehicle setting to address the particulate condition or alert the user of the particulate condition. A server may receive a route request from a vehicle over a communications network, the route request specifying a destination location for a vehicle and an indication of signature data descriptive of particulate to avoid; construct a route avoiding the particulate according to particulate data received from a plurality of vehicles and including location metadata and time metadata; and send the route to the vehicle responsive to the request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving first particulate data from a first vehicle particulate sensor and second particulate data from a second vehicle particulate sensor;
comparing the first and second particulate data to signature data identifying a particulate condition; and
when only one of the first and second particulate data matches the signature data, one of (i) adjusting a vehicle setting to address the particulate condition and (ii) alerting a vehicle occupant of the particulate condition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first particulate sensor samples an airflow before the airflow passes through a cabin air filter, the second particulate sensor samples the airflow after the airflow passes through a cabin air filter, and the particulate condition is particulates in the airflow below a predetermined threshold quantity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first particulate sensor samples an airflow outside a vehicle, the second particulate sensor samples an airflow inside the vehicle, and the particulate condition is particulates in the airflows above a predetermined threshold quantity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first particulate sensor samples a first airflow in a first vehicle wheel well, the second particulate sensor samples a second airflow in a second vehicle wheel well, and the particulate condition is particulates indicative of brake dust above a predetermined threshold amount.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first particulate sensor samples a first airflow in a first vehicle wheel well, the second particulate sensor samples a second airflow in a second vehicle wheel well, and the particulate condition is particulates indicative of tire dust above a predetermined threshold amount.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the particulate data and a location of the vehicle to a remote telematics server in communication with the vehicle over a communications network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first particulate sensor includes a first micro-electromechanical systems sensor device having progressively finer filters for particulates for generating the first particulate data, and the second particulate sensor includes a second micro-electromechanical systems sensor device having progressively finer filters for particulates for generating the second particulate data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signature data includes information indicative of size and quantity of ambient particulates associated with the particulate condition.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the first and second particulate data and a location of the vehicle to a remote telematics server in communication with the vehicle over a communications network.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Macneille Perry Robinson
• Gusikhin Oleg Yurievitch

Classifications

• B60H1/00

  Heating, cooling or ventilating devices · CPC title

• B60Q9/00 Primary

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title

• B60H1/00771

  the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel · CPC title

• B60H1/008

  the input being air quality · CPC title

• G01C21/3461 Primary

  Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types or segments such as motorways, toll roads or ferries · CPC title