Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US10233679B1/en
Timestamp: 2020-01-29 12:18:58
Document Index: 691491811

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62', '§ 112', '§ 112']

US10233679B1 - Systems and methods for control systems to facilitate situational awareness of a vehicle - Google Patents
US10233679B1
US10233679B1 US15/482,472 US201715482472A US10233679B1 US 10233679 B1 US10233679 B1 US 10233679B1 US 201715482472 A US201715482472 A US 201715482472A US 10233679 B1 US10233679 B1 US 10233679B1
US15/482,472
2016-04-11 Priority to US201662321005P priority Critical
2016-04-11 Priority to US201662321010P priority
2019-03-19 Publication of US10233679B1 publication Critical patent/US10233679B1/en
The present disclosure claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/321,005, entitled “Device for Detecting and Visualizing High-Risk Intersections and Other Areas” filed on Apr. 11, 2016; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/321,010, entitled “Analyzing Auto Claim and Vehicle Collision Data to Identify Hazardous Areas and Reduce Vehicle Collisions” filed on Apr. 11, 2016; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/340,302, entitled “Analyzing Auto Claim and Vehicle Collision Data to Identify Hazardous Areas and Reduce Vehicle Collisions” filed May 23, 2016; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/399,803, entitled “Systems and Methods for Control Systems to Facilitate Situational Awareness of a Vehicle” filed Sep. 26, 2016, the disclosures of each of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The doors 330 are associated with more one or more zones 325. In one example, this association is defined by the movement of the door 330 between an open position and a closed position. In FIG. 3, door 330 a may only be associated with zone 325 c when in the closed position. However, if door 330 a is opened it may also be associated with zone 325 b in addition to zone 325 c. In another example, the zones 325 work to detect the movement of the moving object 315, so that a rear zone (e.g., zone 325 f) activates the door locks 325 for the doors 330 even before the moving object 315 reaches the doors 330. Therefore, in this example, the doors 330 are associated with zone 325 f. In yet another example, the zones 325 work together to detect a moving object 315. The sensor (e.g., sensor 320 g) for a back zone (e.g., zone 325 f) detects the moving object 315 that moments later is detected by an adjacent sensor (e.g., sensor 3200 and zone (e.g., zone 325 e) and so on along the side of the vehicle 310 shown in FIG. 3. Along the path of the moving object 315, the door locks 325 for the doors 330 are activated as the moving object 315 passes through each zone 325 from the rear of the vehicle 310 to the front of the vehicle 310.
If there is a match (block 820) between the patterns of electromagnetic data detected by the electromagnetic radiation sensor 720 and the known patterns of electromagnetic data emitted by emergency vehicles stored in the library then a first signal is sent to activate the alarm (block 822). The speakers 735 will then sound the alarm, any peripheral devices (e.g., AM/FM radio, satellite radio, Bluetooth, WiFi, CD player, cassette player, auxiliary input(s), or USB input(s)) that are on may be turned off, and the vehicle occupants may be prevented from turning on any peripheral devices (block 824). For example, if the vehicle occupants are listening to the AM/FM radio of the vehicle 710 and there is an ambulance in the vicinity and it is deemed that an emergency vehicle has been detected, then the speakers 735 of the vehicle 710 will sound the alarm the AM/FM radio will turn off in order to alert the vehicle occupants that there is an emergency vehicle in the vicinity.
The system may be further configured to: (1) continue to receive data from the sensor; (2) continue to analyze the data from the sensor to determine whether the movement threshold has been reached; (3) send a second signal to at least one zone in order to automatically unlock one or more locked door locks that were originally unlocked prior to when the threshold value was reached if the outcome of the data analysis falls below the movement threshold; (4) enable the use of the switches for the door locks; and/or (5) notify the vehicle occupants via the vehicle speakers and/or other possible forms of notification (e.g., haptic feedback in the seat or steering wheel, flashing light, on screen display notification, heads-up display notification, audible alert or alarm, etc.) that doors are no longer being automatically locked and the switches for the door locks are re-enabled.
In another aspect, a computer system configured for an automatic alarm system for a vehicle may be provided. The computer system may include one or more local or remote processors, servers, sensors, and/or transceivers configured to: (1) receive data from the sensor; (2) analyze the data from the sensor to determine if a pattern from the electromagnetic data has been detected; (3) access a library of known patterns of electromagnetic data emitted by emergency vehicles; (4) compare the pattern of electromagnetic data detected by the sensor with the known patterns of electromagnetic data emitted by emergency vehicles that are stored in the library; and/or (5) activate an automatic alarm mechanism in response to the processor determining that the comparison matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data for an emergency vehicle resulting in the computer processor sending a first signal to activate an alarm. The system may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.
It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘——————’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based upon any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based upon the application of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). The patent claims at the end of this patent application are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless traditional means-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as “means for” or “step for” language being explicitly recited in the claim(s).
a sensor adapted to detect the movement of objects in the immediate vicinity exterior to the vehicle while the vehicle is stationary, wherein the immediate vicinity comprises the area surrounding the vehicle including the width of the doors when the doors are fully opened;
a computer system adapted to receive data from the sensor;
receiving sensor data from a sensor located on the exterior of the vehicle when the vehicle is stationary;
US15/482,472 2016-04-11 2017-04-07 Systems and methods for control systems to facilitate situational awareness of a vehicle Active US10233679B1 (en)
US16/223,819 Continuation US10428559B1 (en) 2016-04-11 2018-12-18 Systems and methods for control systems to facilitate situational awareness of a vehicle
US10233679B1 true US10233679B1 (en) 2019-03-19
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US10428559B1 (en) 2019-10-01
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