In-vehicle smoke detection and reporting system and method for car sharing and ride sharing vehicles

A smoke detection system for an interior of a vehicle is provided. The smoke detection system includes a detection module and a reporting module. The detection module, while the vehicle is being used as part of a car sharing or ride sharing service: receives a sensor signal from a smoke detector; compares data included in the sensor signal to smoke characteristic or smoke pattern data; based on the comparison, determines whether an occupant of the vehicle is smoking; and generates an alert signal if the occupant is smoking. The reporting module at least one of: based on the alert signal, visually or audibly provides a warning to the occupant to stop smoking; transmits the alert signal to a mobile device of the occupant to indicate that a smoking event has been detected; or transmits the alert signal to a network device of a service provider to report the smoking event.

INTRODUCTION

The present disclosure relates to car sharing and ride sharing services and corresponding vehicles.

Mobility of people is ever changing. More and more people prefer to have reserved access to a vehicle rather than own a vehicle. A person may reserve a vehicle through car sharing services or ride sharing services. Car sharing refers to rental or lease of vehicles for typically short durations of time. A customer contacts a car sharing office to schedule pickup of a vehicle on a selected date and for use of the vehicle for a selected period of time. This may be done directly, via a network device and/or via a mobile device. The car sharing office reserves the vehicle for the selected date and period of time for the customer. The car sharing office provides location information informing the customer where to pick up the vehicle and access data to access the vehicle. The location information and access data are downloaded to the mobile device of the customer. This allows the customer to, on the selected date, arrive at the vehicle location and access the vehicle via the mobile device.

On the pickup date, the customer may start a car sharing application on the mobile device The mobile device may then communicate with a car sharing module located on the vehicle to permit unlocking and starting of the vehicle. The car sharing application can provide buttons to lock/unlock the doors of the vehicle, to start electronic operations on the vehicle, and/or to start an engine and/or electric motor on the vehicle. The mobile device may provide, for example, one or more passcodes, previously received from the car sharing office, to the car sharing module. The car sharing module verifies the passcodes and then allows the customer to access and operate the vehicle. A same vehicle may be reserved and shared by more than one customers for a same period of time, for example, when carpooling. A vehicle may be assigned to a first customer and shared with other customers, such that the first customer is permitted to operate the vehicle and the other customers are permitted to be passengers in the vehicle. As an alternative, a vehicle may be assigned to multiple customers, where each customer has permission to operate the vehicle.

Ride sharing refers to a vehicle transportation service that allows a customer of a service provider to schedule a location, date and time to have the customer picked up. On the selected date, a driver of the vehicle transportation service arrives with a vehicle at a pre-specified location and drives the customer to a selected destination.

SUMMARY

A smoke detection system for an interior of a vehicle is provided. The smoke detection system includes a memory, a detection module and a reporting module. The memory is configured to store at least one of smoke characteristic data and smoke pattern data. The detection module is configured to, while the vehicle is being used as part of a car sharing or ride sharing service: receive a sensor signal from a smoke detector; compare data included in the sensor signal to the at least one of the smoke characteristic data and the smoke pattern data; based on the comparison, determine whether an occupant of the vehicle is smoking; and generate an alert signal if the occupant is smoking, wherein the alert signal indicates that a smoking event has occurred. The reporting module is configured to at least one of (i) based on the alert signal, visually or audibly provide a warning to the occupant to stop smoking, (ii) transmit the alert signal to a mobile device of the occupant to indicate to the occupant that the smoking event has been detected, or (iii) transmit the alert signal to a network device of a service provider to report the smoking event, wherein the vehicle is reserved by the service provider for the occupant as part of the car sharing or ride sharing service.

In other features, the smoke detection system further includes the smoke detector, where: the smoke detector includes a camera; the camera is configured to view the interior of the vehicle and generate the sensor signal, wherein the data included in the sensor signal includes image data; and the detection module is configured to compare the image data to the at least one of the smoke characteristic data and the smoke pattern data, and based on the comparison between the image data and the at least one of the smoke characteristic data and the smoke pattern data, determine whether the occupant of the vehicle is smoking. In other features, the detection module is configured to: via the camera, monitor air within the interior of the vehicle; detect at least one of an image pattern or an air movement pattern that matches a smoke pattern stored in the memory, where the at least one of the smoke characteristic data and the smoke pattern data includes the smoke pattern; and generate the alert signal based on the matching of the smoke pattern.

In other features, the detection module is configured to: via the camera, monitor movement of the occupant in the interior of the vehicle; detect a movement pattern of the occupant that matches a movement pattern stored in the memory, wherein the at least one of the smoke characteristic data and the smoke pattern data includes the movement pattern; and generate the alert signal based on the matching of the movement pattern. In other features, the detection module is configured to: via the camera, capture images of the occupant in the interior of the vehicle; compare at least one of portions or characteristics of the captured images to the at least one of the smoke characteristic data and the smoke pattern data; and generate the alert signal based on the comparisons between the at least one of portions or characteristics of the captured images and the at least one of the smoke characteristic data and the smoke pattern data.

In other features, the detection module is configured to: classify the portions of the captured images as being images with smoke or images without smoke; and verify classifications of the portions of the captured images based on sensor data from one or more sensors other than the camera. In other features, the detection module is configured to: via a camera, capture images within the interior of the vehicle; compare the captured images to images stored in the memory; based on the comparisons between the captured images and the images stored in the memory, detect a smoked object; and generate the alert signal based on the detection of the smoked object.

In other features, the smoke detection system further includes a vehicle control module configured to determine a position of a window of the vehicle. The detection module is configured to, based on the position of the window, determine whether the occupant is smoking. In other features, the smoke detection system further includes the smoke detector, where: the smoke detector includes a scent sensor; and the scent sensor is configured to generate the sensor signal.

In other features, the reporting module is configured to receive alert response data from the mobile device or the network device. The alert response data includes at least one of an indication to return the vehicle to the service provider or a fleet office, a fee for having the vehicle cleaned, a command for the vehicle to direct the occupant to return the vehicle to the service provider or the fleet office, or a command for the vehicle to autonomously return the vehicle to the service provider or the fleet office.

In other features, the reporting module is configured to transmit log data corresponding to the smoking event to at least one of the mobile device or the network device. In other features, the detection module is configured to, based on detection of the smoking event, instruct a vehicle control module to prevent or limit operations of the vehicle until smoking within the vehicle has stopped.

In other features, a network device is provided for a service provider providing car sharing or ride sharing services. The network device includes a control module, a transceiver and a memory. The control module is configured to schedule a reservation of a vehicle for a customer. The transceiver is configured to receive an alert signal and report from at least one of the vehicle or a mobile device of the customer. The alert signal indicates that a smoking event has occurred in the vehicle. The report includes data corresponding to the smoking event. The memory configured to store the alert signal and the report. The control module is configured to: remove the vehicle from service; initiate scheduling of cleaning of the vehicle; schedule an alternative vehicle for a future reservation for the vehicle; and generate alert response data. The alert response data includes at least one of (i) an indication to return the vehicle to the service provider or fleet office, (ii) a fee for having the vehicle cleaned, (iii) a command for the vehicle to direct the customer to return the vehicle to the service provider or a fleet office, or (iv) a command for the vehicle to autonomously return the vehicle to the service provider or the fleet office. The control module is further configured to transmit the alert response data to at least one of the vehicle or the mobile device.

In other features, the control module is configured to generate the alert response data to include the indication to return the vehicle to the service provider or fleet office. In other features, the control module is configured to generate the alert response data to include the fee for having the vehicle cleaned. In other features, the control module is configured to generate the alert response data to include the command for the vehicle to direct the customer to return the vehicle to the service provider or the fleet office or the command for the vehicle to autonomously return the vehicle to the service provider or the fleet office.

In other features, a mobile device is provided and includes a display, a first transceiver, a control module, and a second transceiver. The first transceiver is configured to receive a first alert signal from a sharing module of a vehicle while the vehicle is being used as part of a car sharing or ride sharing service. The first alert signal indicates that a smoking event has been detected within the vehicle. The control module is configured to, based on the first alert signal, generate a warning signal and display the warning signal on the display to warn at least one of an owner of the mobile device to have smoking in the vehicle stopped. The control module is configured to generate a second alert signal. The second alert signal indicates that the smoking event has been detected. The second transceiver is configured to transmit the second alert signal to a network device at a service provider office to report the smoking event, wherein the vehicle is reserved by the service provider for the owner of the mobile device as part of the car sharing or ride sharing service.

In other features, the control module is configured to generate a reservation or access request message. The second transceiver is configured to transmit the reservation or access request message to the sharing module, and based on the reservation or access request message, receive access information from the sharing module to unlock doors of the vehicle and start the vehicle.

In other features, the control module is configured to receive vehicle log data corresponding to the smoking event from the sharing module via the first transceiver and forward the vehicle log data to the network device via the second transceiver. In other features, the second transceiver is configured to receive, based on the second alert signal, receive alert response data from the network device. The control module is configured to at least one of display the alert response data or forward the alert response data via the first transceiver to the sharing module of the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A service provider that provides car sharing and ride sharing services can experience considerable expenses when a customer smokes in a car sharing/ride sharing vehicle. There are expenses attributed to scheduling and having the interior of the vehicle cleaned and transportation of the vehicle to and from a cleaning and/or maintenance office. There is also lost revenue due to the vehicle being out-of-service for the period of time during which the vehicle is being cleaned. In addition, if the vehicle is accidentally placed in service without having the interior cleaned after a previous customer smoked in the vehicle, complaints are often received from subsequent customers stating that the interior of the vehicle smells like smoke. This can negatively affect repeat business.

Examples set forth herein include systems and methods for detecting and reporting “smoking events” within vehicles and performing operations to: prevent further smoking events; make customers associated with the smoking events accountable; schedule cleaning of the interiors of the vehicles; and scheduling alternative vehicles for customers scheduled to use the vehicles being taken temporarily out-of-service. A smoking event refers to a period of time during which a customer smokes within a vehicle being used under, for example, a car sharing or ride sharing agreement.

FIG. 1shows a network10including mobile devices12, vehicles14, a base station (identified as evolved Node B (eNodeB)16), a packet data network gateway (PDN-GW)18, the Internet20, a service provider office22, a vehicle monitoring office24, fleet offices26, and maintenance offices28. The mobile devices12include control modules30. The vehicles14include sharing modules32. The offices22,24,26,28include corresponding network devices34,36,38,40. The sharing modules32may be referred to as accessory modules and detect and report smoking events to the control modules30of the mobile devices12and/or to the network devices34,38of the offices22,26. The service provider office22may provide car sharing and/or ride sharing services. The service provider office22may be located separate from the fleet offices26or may be implemented as one of the fleet offices26. The stated reporting may be done via the base station16, the PDN-GW18and the Internet20. The vehicles14may be located at the fleet offices26when not being used for customers and/or out of maintenance.

The network device34of the service provider office22may inform the network devices38of the fleet offices26associated with the vehicles for which a smoking event has occurred to schedule cleaning of the vehicles at the maintenance offices28. The network device34may communicate with the network device36of the vehicle monitoring office24to determine locations of the vehicles and/or other vehicle related information. An example of the vehicle monitoring office24is an OnStar® office of the General Motors Company®. The network device36of the vehicle monitoring office24may provide subscription-based communications, in-vehicle security, hands-free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, and remote diagnostics for the vehicles14.

The sharing modules32of the vehicles14and/or the network device34of the service provider office22can send warnings/alerts to the control modules30of the mobile devices12and/or onboard displays of the vehicles14to instruct vehicle occupant(s) to stop smoking. These warnings/alerts may also include fees being applied to bills/accounts of the customers of the vehicles14due to the smoking behavior. The customers may own the mobile devices12. This may include cleaning fees, vehicle delivery and pickup fees for the cleaning services, loss of revenue due to the vehicle being out-of-service for cleaning purposes, and/or other associated fees.

FIG. 2shows an example of the mobile devices12ofFIG. 1. The mobile device12includes the control module30, a first transceiver50, a second transceiver52, a display54and a memory56. The mobile device12may be a mobile phone, a tablet, a computer (e.g., laptop computer), a wearable device, etc. The first transceiver50may be a short range or wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver (e.g., a Bluetooth® low energy transceiver or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi®) transceiver) that satisfies, for example, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.1 standard or the IEEE 802.11x standard and/or other type of transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with a sharing module of a vehicle. The second transceiver52may be a cellular or broadband network transceiver, a wide area network (WAN) transceiver, a transceiver that satisfies, for example, the long-term evolution (LTE) standard and/or the IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, and/or IEEE 802.16 standards, and/or other type of transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the service provider office22via the Internet20as shown inFIG. 1. The display54may be a touchscreen that is used as a user interface to receive inputs from a user.

The control module30may store vehicle log data60, smoke alert data62, vehicle access data64, reservation schedule data66, and/or other data in the memory56. The vehicle log data may include: timestamps including dates and times of use of vehicles; timestamps and durations of smoking events; smoke detector data; vehicle location data; customer/user/driver/passenger (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle occupant) identifiers (e.g., names, driver license numbers, credit card numbers, social security numbers, phone numbers, etc.); reservation numbers; passcodes to access vehicles; location(s) of smoker(s) in vehicle; a vehicle identifier (e.g., a vehicle identification number (VIN) and/or a license plate number); etc. The smoke alert data may include data indicating smoking events that have occurred, timestamps, warnings to vehicle occupant(s) that are smoking and/or customer responsible for vehicle, and alerts to the service provider office (also referred to as a back office). This may include warning a driver when a passenger is smoking. The driver (or customer) for which the vehicle is assigned to may be held accountable for a smoking event committed by the driver (or customer) and/or a smoking event committed by a passenger. In one embodiment, the smoke alert data includes the vehicle log data. The vehicle access data may include the passcodes, the vehicle occupant identifiers, a mobile device identifier, the vehicle identifier. The reservation schedule data may include dates and durations of reservations, vehicle identifiers, vehicle occupant identifiers, etc.

The control module30may execute and/or be instructed by a user to execute a service application68. The service application68may be executed to reserve a vehicle, receive access information (e.g., the vehicle access data64), receive and provide smoking event alert messages, receive and forward the vehicle log data60, and/or to perform other operations described herein.

FIG. 3shows an example of the vehicle14ofFIG. 1. The vehicle14includes a smoke detection system100that includes the sharing module32, one or more smoke detectors (a single smoke detector101is shown), transceivers102,104, a display106, a vehicle communication (or telematics) module108, a security system module110, and other vehicle control modules112. The sharing module32detects smoking events via the smoke detectors and generates alert signals indicating the vehicle log data60, the smoke alert data62, alert response data120, smoke pattern data122, and/or other data, which may be stored in a memory124. Examples of the vehicle log data60and the smoke alert data62are described above.

The alert response data120may be received from the network device34of the service provider office22and includes: warnings to the vehicle occupant that is smoking in the vehicle, other vehicle occupants and/or customer responsible for the vehicle; additional fees due to the detected smoking; indicators that the vehicle needs to be returned; warnings that the vehicle is being directed and/or autonomously driven back to a fleet office; warnings that the vehicle occupant responsible for the vehicle is no longer permitted to rent and/or lease a vehicle from the service provider; and/or other information pertaining to a detected smoking event.

The smoke detector101may include sensors130, such as a gas detector, one or more cameras, one or more infrared sensors, and/or other sensors used to detect that a vehicle occupant is smoking. The sensors130may be located anywhere in the vehicle14. The smoke detector101, unlike smoke detectors used in residential homes, detects whether a person is smoking.

The smoke detector101may also include one or more motors132for moving and/or directing the sensors130. In one embodiment, one or more cameras are used to monitor an interior of the vehicle14and generate sensor data, which is stored in the memory124as part of the vehicle log data60. The sharing module32may compare the sensor data received from the cameras to the smoke pattern data122, which may include smoke characteristic data134. The smoke characteristic data134may include pixel colors, pixel brightness levels, pixel contrast ratios, variations between pixels, etc. The smoke pattern data122may include the smoke characteristic data134and historical data and/or patterns, such as patterns in the smoke characteristic data134, facial patterns, facial movement patterns, occupant movement patterns typical for a smoker (e.g., hand and/or arm gestures and/or movement patterns), patterns of smoking objects (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarettes, joints, spliffs, blunts, etc.), smoke/puff patterns, thermal image patterns, and/or changes in pixel characteristic patterns. The patterns of smoking objects may include smoking object images, outlines, corresponding typical movements while being smoked, changes in color, etc. The smoke characteristic and/or smoke pattern data may also include a parameter associated with when a window position is in a certain operating range. For example, a smoker often has a window “cracked” or slightly open to allow smoke to leave the interior of the vehicle. The smoke pattern data may include air patterns within the vehicle corresponding to movement of smoke. The sensor data may include images and/or video of vehicle occupants, smoked objects, and air/smoke in the vehicle.

The sensors130and/or cameras may be used to monitor regions-of-interest, such as a region including a lower portion of a face of a vehicle occupant, such as the nose, mouth and jaw of the vehicle occupant. Facial movement patterns may be monitored. Also, air patterns near the face of the vehicle occupant may be monitored.

The sharing module32may include a detection module136with a classification module137and a reporting module138. Although the detection module136and the classification module137are shown as being part of the sharing module32, the modules136,137may be located in the smoke detector101and/or the smoke detector101may also include modules similar to the modules136,137. The detection module136may control positioning of the sensors130via the motors132and compare data received from the sensors130to the smoke pattern data122and detect smoking events based on the comparisons. The classification module137may perform pattern recognition and machine visioning to detect and/or classify the stated patterns.

As an example, the detection module136may compare a selected set of pixel data to a stored set of pixel data and if a sum of differences between pixels in the selected set of pixel data and pixels in the stored set of pixel data is within a predetermined range, then a match is found. As another example, changes in a selected set of pixels of images captured by the smoke detector101may be compared to changes associated with a set of pixels stored in the memory124. If the selected set of pixels changes are similar to (e.g., within predetermined ranges of) changes of the stored set, then a match is found. If a match is found, then a vehicle occupant is determined to have smoked in the vehicle14.

In another embodiment, the sensors130include a scent sensor (or electronic nose) that is used to detect odors within the vehicle. The sensors130may include a sensor array, metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOSFET) devices, conducting polymers, polymer composites, a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor, a surface acoustic wave sensor or other microelectromechanical system (MEMs) device, a polymer coated QCM sensor, a mass spectrometry device, or ultra-fast gas chromatography device, and/or other types of scent sensors and/or components and materials.

The classification module137may perform pattern recognition of odors associated with smoking based on the data collected from the scent sensor. Odor pattern data may be stored in the memory124and compared to data collected by the scent sensor. If there is a match in the pattern, a vehicle occupant has and/or is determined to be smoking in the vehicle. Threshold levels may be checked to prevent false alarms. For example, if the interior of the vehicle smells like smoke, however the current occupant is not smoking, then the odor is due to a smoking behavior of a previous occupant. In addition or as an alternative to checking threshold levels, other collected data, such as image data may be analyzed to confirm when the vehicle occupant is smoking.

In another embodiment, the sensors130include vehicle operation sensors, which are used to monitor driving patterns of a driver of the vehicle. Driving pattern data139is stored in the memory124. For example, acceleration, braking, and steering patterns may be monitored via an accelerometer, an accelerator position sensor, a brake pedal position sensor, a steering position sensor, etc. In one embodiment, driving pattern data is obtained from a global positioning system141. As an example, a driver that is smoking may be distracted due to smoking and swerve or steer the vehicle differently, brake differently, and/or accelerate differently than a typical driver that is not smoking. This pattern may be detected by the detection module136and as a result the detection module136determines that a smoking event has occurred.

The detection module136may record timestamps of smoking events including smoking start times, duration and/or end times. This data may be included in the vehicle log data60. In addition to the data collected from the sensors130, the vehicle log data60may include any patterns detected, results of pattern recognition, positions of the sensors130, location of smoker in vehicle, images of smoker, identifiers of smoker and/or mobile device of smoker, and/or other smoke event related information.

The transceivers102may include may be a short range or WLAN transceiver (e.g., a Bluetooth® low energy transceiver or a Wi-Fi® transceiver) that satisfies, for example, the IEEE 802.15.1 standard or the IEEE 802.11x standard and/or other type of transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with mobile devices within the vehicle. The transceiver104may be a cellular or broadband network transceiver, a WAN transceiver, a transceiver that satisfies, for example, the LTE standard and/or the IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, and/or IEEE 802.16 standards, and/or other type of transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the network devices34,36ofFIG. 1. In one embodiment, the first transceiver102is a short range transceiver and the second transceiver104is a WLAN transceiver. Although the second transceiver104is shown as being connected to the vehicle communication module108, the second transceiver104may be connected to and/or shared with the sharing module32and/or included as part of the vehicle communication module108. In one embodiment, another WLAN transceiver is connected to the sharing module32.

The vehicle communication module108communicates with the network device36at the vehicle monitoring office24ofFIG. 1. As an example, the vehicle communication module108may be an OnStar module mounted in a rear-view mirror of the vehicle14. The rear-view mirror may have buttons for activation and operation of the vehicle communication module and a microphone to receive verbal messages from vehicle occupants. The sharing module32may communicate with the vehicle communication module108to obtain vehicle information. The vehicle information may be reported, as a result of a smoking event, to a control module of a mobile device and/or the network device34of the service provider office22ofFIG. 1. In one embodiment, the smoke detector101and/or the detection module136detects a smoking event and signals the communication module108, which reports the smoking event to the control module30, the network device34and/or the network device36ofFIG. 1. The smoke detector101may detect and generate alerts and be connected to, for example, an in-vehicle hotspot (e.g., an OnStar® in-vehicle hotspot) provided by the communication module108, which may operate according to Wi-Fi protocols and/or transmit and receive Wi-Fi® signals. The smoke detector101may wirelessly communicate with the communication module108. The detection and reporting may be implemented by detection and reporting modules of the smoke detector101.

As another example, the smoke detector101may detect smoke events and generate alerts and transmit the alerts to the sharing module32via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals. The detection and reporting may be implemented by detection and reporting modules of the smoke detector101. The BLE signals may be transmitted directly from the smoke detector101to the sharing module32. The sharing module32then transmits alert signals to a user's mobile device (e.g., one of the control modules30). This may also be accomplished by transmitting BLE signals between the sharing module32and the user's mobile device via, for example the first transceiver102.

A yet another example, the smoke detector101may detect smoke events and generate alerts and transmit the alerts to the sharing module32via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals. The detection and reporting may be implemented by detection and reporting modules of the smoke detector101. The BLE signals may be transmitted directly from the smoke detector101to the sharing module32. The sharing module32may then directly transmit alert signals to the network device34and/or the network device36ofFIG. 1. Although not shown, the sharing module32may be cellular connectivity enabled and include the transceiver104and/or other transceiver and communicate directly with the network device34and/or the network device36ofFIG. 1. In one embodiment, the sharing module32includes a global positioning system (GPS), such as the GPS141, and facilitates a remote vehicle disable operation, for example, when a smoking event occurs. One of the network devices34,36may signal the sharing module32based on an alert signal received from the sharing module32to limit and/or disable certain vehicle operations, as disclosed herein.

The security system module110may control and/or enable the locking and unlocking of doors140, the opening and/or closing of windows142via window motors144, the turning on and/or starting of the vehicle14, and/or the setting off of a vehicle alarm and/or reporting of a vehicle break-in event. This may include controlling and/or enabling unlocking and locking of door locks146of the doors140. The turning on and/or starting of the vehicle14may include the powering on of electronic components and/or the starting of a propulsion system150. The starting of the propulsion system150may include the starting of an engine152and/or one or more electric motors154. This may include enabling operation of a throttle system156, an ignition system158, a fuel system160and/or a transmission162.

The other vehicle control modules112may include, for example, an engine control module, a transmission control module, an electric motor (or hybrid) control module, and/or other modules that control operation of vehicle components and/or devices.

The smoke detection system100further includes one or more displays and speakers; a single display170and a single speaker172are shown. Each of the displays may be, for example: in-dash display; a heads up display; a display mounted in a headliner, a headrest, or a seatback; or other vehicular display. The displays and speakers are used to provide warnings and/or other alert messages to vehicle occupants.

FIG. 4shows a network device180, which may be a computer, a terminal, a work station, a tablet, and/or other network device. The network devices34,36,38and40ofFIG. 1may be configured as the network device180. The network device180may include a control module182, a transceiver184, a display186, a user interface188, and a memory190. The control module182may communicate with the control modules30of the mobile devices12and the sharing modules32of the vehicles14via the transceiver184. The transceiver184may be a cellular or broadband network transceiver, a WAN transceiver, a transceiver that satisfies, for example, the LTE standard and/or the IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, and/or IEEE 802.16 standards, and/or other type of transceiver similar to the transceivers52,104ofFIGS. 2-3. The control module182may store and/or have access to the vehicle log data60, the smoke alert data62, the vehicle access data64, the reservation schedule data66, and maintenance schedule data192. The maintenance schedule data may include service schedule dates and times including cleaning schedule dates and times for the vehicles14ofFIG. 1. The maintenance schedule data may include the services and/or types of cleaning being performed and the costs of the services and/or types of cleaning being performed.

The systems disclosed herein may be operated using numerous methods, example methods are illustrated inFIGS. 5-8. InFIG. 5, a method of operating a mobile device is shown. Although the following methods are shown as separate methods, one or more of the methods and/or operations from separate methods may be combined and performed as a single method. For example, the method ofFIG. 8may be performed as part of the method ofFIG. 6. Also, each of the methods ofFIGS. 5-7may be performed while the other ones of the methods ofFIGS. 5-7are performed. Also, although the following operations ofFIGS. 5-8are primarily described with respect to the implementations ofFIGS. 1-4, the operations may be easily modified to apply to other implementations of the present disclosure. The operations ofFIGS. 5-8may be iteratively performed.

The method ofFIG. 5may begin at200. At202, one of the control modules30of the mobile devices12may transmit a reservation and/or access request message to the control module182of the network device34of the service provider office22. The reservation and/or access request message may be sent to one of the network devices38of the fleet offices26, for example, when the service provider office is implemented also as a fleet office. The reservation and/or access request message may request a reservation for a vehicle held at one of the fleet offices26and/or access information for accessing the vehicle.

At204, the control module30receives access information from the control module182. The access information as described above may include passcodes to unlock and enable starting of the vehicle.

At206, the control module30transmits the access information to a sharing module32of the vehicle to have the doors of the vehicle unlocked and to at least one of enable starting of the vehicle or start the vehicle. In one embodiment, the sharing module32receives the passcodes, verifies that the passcodes are correct, and then permits the vehicle to start when the customer presses a start/stop button in the vehicle. If the passcodes are incorrect, the sharing module32may not unlock the doors and/or prevent starting of the vehicle.

At208, the control module30may receive an alert signal as described above from the sharing module32when the sharing module has detected that a smoking event has occurred in the vehicle. At210, the control module30may, based on the alert signal, display a warning, the alert response data120, and/or other information on a display of the mobile device12. Operation210may be performed subsequent to operation214.

At212, the control module30sends the alert signal or another alert signal to the control module182to report the smoking event to the network device34to have the vehicle cleaned and to prevent future smoking events in the vehicle. The control module30may generate a second alert signal, which may include the information in the first alert signal and/or indicate whether the vehicle occupant has been warned via the mobile device12to have the smoking stopped. At214, the control module30may receive the alert response data120from the control module182. Operation214may be performed while operation210is performed. At216, the control module30may transmit the alert response data120to the sharing module32of the vehicle. The method may end at218.

FIG. 6shows a method of operating the sharing module32of a vehicle, which may be the vehicle referred to above in the description for the method ofFIG. 5. The method may begin at300. At302, the sharing module32receives the access information to access the vehicle.

At304, the sharing module32determines whether the access information received is correct. If correct, operation308is performed, otherwise the method may end at306. At308, the sharing module32may instruct one of the vehicle control modules112to unlock the door locks146of the doors140. The sharing module32may also instruct one of the vehicle control modules112to permit and/or start the vehicle. The sharing module32may also instruct the security system module to disable a vehicle alarm system.

At310, the sensors130and/or other sensors in the vehicle may generate sensor data, which may be monitored by the sharing module32, the vehicle communication module108and the vehicle control modules112. The other sensors may include vehicle speed, accelerator, brake pedal, steering, engine speed, and/or other vehicle sensors. The sensor data includes sensor data from the smoke detector101.

At312, the detection module136monitors and analyzes the sensor data from the smoke detector and/or the other sensor data. At314, the detection module136, based on the results of the analyzing of the sensor data, determines whether a smoking event has occurred. The method ofFIG. 8may be performed as part of or as an alternative to operations312and314.

At316, based on detection of the smoking event, the reporting module138generates in-vehicle alert data. Operation316may be performed while operations318,320, and322are performed.

At318, the reporting module138may generate an alert signal based on the detected smoking event. The alert signal may include the vehicle log data60. At320, the reporting module138may transmit the alert signal to the control module30of the mobile device12and/or the control module182. The alert signal may be the same alert signal received at operation208ofFIG. 5. At322, in response to the transmitted alert signal, the reporting module138may receive the alert response data120from the control module30of the mobile device12or the control module182of the network device34.

Each of operations324,326,328may be performed while the other ones of the operations324,326,328are performed. One or more of the operations326and328may not be performed. At324, the reporting module138may generate a second alert signal based on the alert response data322. This alert signal may include the alert response data120, which may be displayed on the display170and/or indicated via the speaker172.

At326, the sharing module32, the reporting module138, and/or one or more of the vehicle control modules112may direct the vehicle occupant (or driver) to return the vehicle. As an example, the reporting module138may instruct the one or more of the vehicle control modules112to provide navigation instructions via the display170and the speaker172to direct the vehicle occupant to drive the vehicle back to one of the fleet offices26. At328, the sharing module32and/or the reporting module138may instruct the one or more of the vehicle control modules112to autonomously control operations of the vehicle, such that the vehicle drives back to the one of the fleet offices26. The method may end at336subsequent to operations324,326,328.

Operations330,332,334may be performed while or as an alternative to one or more of operations324,326,328. At330, the sharing module32and/or the reporting module138may signal the vehicle control modules112to prevent and/or limit certain vehicle operations until smoking within the vehicle has stopped. For example, vehicle speed, entertainment system operation, vehicle movement, and/or other aspects may be limited and/or prevented until smoking within the vehicle has stopped.

At332, the sharing module32and/or the reporting module138may receive and analyze sensor data. At334, based on the sensor data, the sharing module32and/or the reporting module138determines whether smoking has stopped. If smoking has stopped, full operations of the vehicle are resumed and the method may end at336, otherwise operation330may be performed.

FIG. 7shows a method of operating the network device34of the service provider office22. The method may begin at400. At401, the control module182of the network device34may receive the reservation and/or access request message from the control module30of the mobile device12. This may be the reservation and/or access request message generated at202ofFIG. 5. At402, the control module182schedules a reservation of a vehicle based on the received reservation and/or access request message. This includes reserving the vehicle for certain dates and/or periods of time for a customer associated with the mobile device12.

At404, the control module182transmits the access information to the control module30. At406, the control module182may receive an alert signal from the control module30or the reporting module138indicating that a smoking event has occurred.

Operations408,410may be performed while operations412,414,416,418and420are performed. At408, the control module182generates the alert response data120based on the received alert signal. At410, the control module182transmits the alert response data120to the control module30and/or the reporting module138. The control module182makes the customer that reserved the vehicle in which a smoking event has occurred accountable by warning the customer not to smoke, by charging the customer additional fees for having the vehicle cleaned and/or by preventing the customer from reserving vehicles in the future. The control module182may cross-reference vehicle log data, sensor data and/or other related data based on corresponding timestamps, vehicle identifiers, customer identifiers, etc. As an example, the customer may be warned a predetermined number of times, and then the customer may be prevented from reserving vehicles in the future. As another example, rates for future car sharing and/or ride sharing services may be adjusted based on a number of smoking events associated with the customer.

At412, the control module182may remove the corresponding vehicle from service. This may include instructing the sharing module32to return the vehicle and temporarily preventing car sharing and/or ride sharing use of the vehicle until the vehicle is cleaned.

At414, the control module182schedules cleaning of the vehicle. This may include contacting one of the network devices38of the fleet offices26and/or one of the network devices40of the maintenance offices28to have the vehicle cleaned. In one embodiment, the control module182instructs one of the network devices38that the vehicle needs to be cleaned due to a smoking event. The one of the network devices38then schedules the cleaning of the vehicle and may report back to the network device34when the vehicle is to be cleaned and/or when the vehicle comes back from cleaning and is available for customer service.

At416, the control module182may schedule one or more alternative vehicles for previously scheduled reservations of the vehicle removed from service. At418, the control module182may receive and/or generate a report that the vehicle is cleaned. At420, the control module182returns the cleaned vehicle back to car sharing and/or ride sharing service and schedules customer reservations of the vehicle. The method may end at422subsequent to operations410and420.

FIG. 8shows a method of detecting and recording a smoking event. This is one example method, other methods are disclosed herein. The method may begin at500. At502, the sensors130of the smoke detector101may capture images (or video) of areas within a vehicle as image frames. At504, the detection module136analyzes the image frames and detects a face of a person in at least some of the image frames.

At506, detection module136may extract a portion of one of the image frames having the face to provide an image. The extracted portion (or image) may include a portion of the face. For example, a portion of the image including an area around and including a nose and/or mouth of the face may be extracted. At508, the classification module137may analyze the extracted portion to determine whether there is smoke in the extracted portion. As an example, the classification module137may include a neural network that is trained to detect smoke based on previous analyzed images known to have smoke and other previously analyzed images known not to have smoke. These images and/or corresponding smoking patterns and non-smoking patterns may be stored in the memory124. As another example, the classification module137may implement a decision tree and/or operate as a support vector machine to classify the extracted portion or region-of-interest. When an extracted portion, region-of-interest and/or image frame is determined to have smoke in the image, the extracted portion, region-of-interest and/or image frame may be tagged and/or a corresponding smoke indication bit may be stored. For example, a bit may be set to ‘1’ when the image has smoke and to ‘0’ when the image does not have smoke. The bit may be stored with the image, extracted portion, region-of-interest, and/or image frame.

At510, the detection module136records the timestamp including the date and time of the image frame. This may be the date and time that the image frame was captured. Operation510may be performed when the image frame is captured, in other words, during operation502. At512, the detection module136determines whether there is another extracted portion of an image frame to analyze. If there is another extracted portion to analyze, operation506is performed, otherwise operation514may be performed.

At514, the detection module136and/or the classification module137may perform operations to verify whether the extracted portions, regions-of-interest and/or image frames classified as images having smoke (e.g., a smoke indicator bit or tag set to ‘1’) and images not having smoke (e.g., a smoke indicator bit or tag set to ‘0’) are accurate. An error may occur in classifying an image, such that there is a gap, for example, between consecutive images that are identified as having smoke. An image may incorrectly be classified as a non-smoking image and have a previous image and a subsequent image that are smoking images. To minimize and/or eliminate errors, operations514A-514C may be performed.

At514A, the detection module136and/or the classification module137may review other sensor data and/or parameters to determine whether the images are classified correctly. The sensor data collected for the same timestamps as the images may be analyzed to determine whether the other sensor data and/or parameters indicate a smoking event or a non-smoking event. Other example techniques for detecting smoke and/or likelihood that a smoking event has occurred are described above, such as use of a scent sensor, monitoring occupant movement, position of a window, driving patterns, etc.

At514B, the detection module136and/or the classification module137may review differences between adjacent images to detect motion characteristics of image patterns. Movement of smoke has known patterns. If differences between the images match a movement pattern of smoke, then the images may be identified as being smoking images.

At514C, the detection module136and/or the classification module137may change the tag or smoke indication bit for the images that were incorrectly identified as smoking or non-smoking images based on the analysis performed during operations514A and/or514B.

At516, the detection module136and/or the classification module137may record identifiers of a start image frame and an end image frame for the detected smoking event associated with the images in which smoke is shown. This information may be stored in the memory124and provided to the control module30of the mobile device and/or the network device34of the service provider office22, for example during operation320ofFIG. 6. In one embodiment, if the images are determined to be non-smoking images, then the corresponding image frames (or video) may be removed from the memory124. The method may end at518.

The above-described operations ofFIGS. 5-8are meant to be illustrative examples. The operations may be performed sequentially, synchronously, simultaneously, continuously, during overlapping time periods or in a different order depending upon the application. Also, any of the operations may not be performed or skipped depending on the implementation and/or sequence of events.