Patent ID: 11967219
Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B | IPC B  G

Claim 18:
19. A method of notifying an owner of a lost item in a vehicle during a trip, the vehicle having a vehicle compartment, the method comprising:
providing at least one sensor to sense the lost item in the vehicle compartment;
sensing, at an end of the trip when an occupant of the vehicle has left the vehicle, the lost item on a point relative to a spherical coordinate system to define a sensed item data, the point being defined by a distance r, a first angle (θ), and a second angle (φ), wherein the lost item has cartesian coordinates having an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis derived as,

x=r sin θ cos φ

y=r sin θ sin φ

z=r cos θ;

determining a position of the lost item in cartesian coordinates based on the sensed item data to define a position data, wherein the sensor is arranged to have two of roll, pitch, and yaw rotational movements when the sensor senses in a fixed location in the vehicle compartment, wherein the sensor is arranged to have one of roll, pitch, and yaw rotational movements when the sensor senses in movement along the x-axis such that the first angle θ is calculated as:, θ
   =
   
    
     sin
     
      -
      1
     
    
    ⁢
    
     x
     
      
       r
       ·
       cos
      
      ⁢
      φ
     
    
   
  
  ,
 

wherein the sensor is arranged to have one of roll, pitch, and yaw rotational movements when the sensor senses in movement along the x-axis and y-axis such that the second angle φ is calculated as:, φ
  =
  
   
    
     tan
     
      -
      1
     
    
    (
    
     y
     x
    
    )
   
   .
  
 

translating the sensed item data and the position data for visualization of the lost item to define an item image of the lost item relative to the vehicle compartment;
updating an inventory list of lost objects to include the lost item with the item image;
tagging the lost item in the inventory list with a trip identifier that is unique to the trip;
matching the trip identifier with a user identifier that is unique to the last occupant of the vehicle during the trip associated with the trip identifier;
identifying the owner of the lost item by matching the trip identifier with the user identifier;
providing notification to the owner of the lost item; and
providing viewable access of the item image such that the image is viewed by the owner of the lost item.