CN106143368B

CN106143368B - Computer and method for determining the position of a vehicle occupant

Info

Publication number: CN106143368B
Application number: CN201610301974.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 约翰·罗伯特·范·维米尔斯
Original assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date: 2015-05-15
Filing date: 2016-05-09
Publication date: 2021-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 2036-05-09
Also published as: RU2016114454A3; RU2714360C2; DE102016108726A1; CN106143368A; RU2016114454A

Abstract

First and second motion data representing motion of the first and second wearable portable devices during a first time period is provided. The first and second wearable portable devices are associated with first and second users, respectively. The first and second sets of motion data are compared. Based at least in part on the comparison, a position of the first user relative to the second user in the vehicle is determined.

Description

Computer and method for determining the position of a vehicle occupant

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of motor vehicle technology, and more particularly to a computer and method for determining the position of a vehicle occupant.

Background

Current systems and methods for determining a location of a user in a vehicle suffer from various drawbacks. For example, vision systems such as face recognition systems are expensive and often require a dedicated camera. Systems that determine the location of the user based on the location of the mobile phone are inaccurate and unreliable because the user location and the device location may be different, e.g., the user may place the user's mobile phone in another seat. Further, after determining the user's location, the user may move.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a computer comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to:

receiving first motion data from a first wearable portable device associated with a first user representative of motion of the first wearable portable device during a first time period;

receiving second motion data from a second wearable portable device associated with a second user representative of motion of the second wearable device during a first time period;

comparing the respective first and second motion data; and

a position of the first user relative to the second user in the vehicle is determined based at least in part on the comparison.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the computer is further programmed to:

data indicative of motion of the vehicle is received, wherein the vehicle motion data indicates that the vehicle is turning in a first direction during a first time period.

a first acceleration of the first wearable portable device during the first time period is determined to be greater than a second acceleration of the second wearable portable device during the first time period based on the comparison.

determining that the first user is positioned radially outward from the second user based on a determination that the first acceleration is greater than the second acceleration during the first time period.

determining a period of time that the vehicle is turning based on the vehicle motion data; and

the first time period is set to include a turning time period.

a request for motion data associated with the first time period is sent to the one or more wearable portable devices according to the setting of the first time period.

According to an embodiment of the invention, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determining that a first user and a second user are on a first row vehicle seat; and

determining that one of the first user and the second user is in the driver seat and the other of the first user and the second user is in the passenger seat based at least in part on the comparison of the first motion data and the second motion data.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the determination that the first user and the second user are in the front row vehicle seat is based at least in part on the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength from the respective first wearable portable device and second wearable portable device.

receiving third motion data from a third wearable portable device associated with a third user that is representative of motion of the third wearable portable device during the first time period;

receiving fourth motion data from a fourth wearable portable device associated with a fourth user that represents motion of the fourth wearable portable device during the first time period;

determining that a third user and a fourth user are located on a second row of vehicle seats;

comparing the respective third and fourth sets of motion data; and

a position of a third user in the vehicle relative to a fourth user is determined based at least in part on the comparison of the third set of motion data and the fourth set of motion data.

According to an embodiment of the invention, wherein the determination of the third user and the fourth user on the second row of vehicle seats is based at least in part on a third received signal strength and a fourth received signal strength from the respective third wearable portable device and fourth wearable portable device.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method comprising:

comparing the respective first and second motion data; and

According to an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises:

a first acceleration of the first wearable portable device during the first time period is determined from the comparison to be greater than a second acceleration of the second wearable device during the first time period.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises:

the first time period is set to include a turning time period.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises:

the request for motion data associated with the first time period is sent to the one or more wearable portable devices according to the setting of the first time period.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises:

determining which of the first user and the second user is in the driver seat and which of the first user and the second user is in the passenger seat based at least in part on the comparison of the first motion data and the second motion data.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises:

comparing the respective third motion data and fourth motion data; and

a position of a third user in the vehicle relative to a fourth user is determined based at least in part on the comparison.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for determining a position of one or more occupants of a vehicle using a wearable portable device;

FIG. 2 is a top view of an exemplary vehicle including a communication mechanism for communicating with a portable device;

FIG. 3 is another top view of the exemplary vehicle of FIG. 2, including a communication mechanism and illustrating a location area;

FIG. 4 is another top view of the exemplary vehicle of FIG. 2 illustrating a turning event;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an exemplary process for determining the relative positions of first and second vehicle users during a turning event.

Detailed Description

Introduction to the design reside in

Referring to FIG. 1, the computer 100 uses motion data from two or more portable devices 20 respectively associated with two or more users during a vehicle 25 turning event to determine the relative position of the users in the vehicle 25. The two or more portable devices 20 may be wearable portable devices 20 worn by respective users, for example. The computer 100 of the vehicle 25 typically receives vehicle data from the vehicle sensors and

controllers

115, 120, 125, 130, 135 and is programmed to determine from the vehicle data whether a turning event is in progress. Based on the determination that the turning event is in progress, the computer 100 may send a request for motion data to each of the two or more portable devices 20. The computer 100 receives motion data from two or more portable devices 20, respectively.

After receiving the motion data, the computer 100 compares the respective accelerations experienced by each portable device 20. The computer 100 may then determine, for example, that the first portable device 20 is experiencing a higher acceleration than the second portable device 20. The computer 100 may further determine that a first user associated with a first portable device is located radially outward in the vehicle relative to a second user associated with a second portable device. That is, where the vehicle 25 is turning left, the first user is located to the right of the second user, as measured radially from the center of the turning radius.

The relative location data may be combined with other location data about the user to further determine the location of each user in the vehicle 25. For example, according to the above example, the first and second users each being in a front seat may further be stored in the memory of the computer 100, e.g., as described in detail below. From identifying the rows of seats occupied by the first and second users and the relative radial positions of the first and second users, the computer 100 may determine that, in a left turn situation, the first user is located on a front passenger seat of the vehicle 25 and the second user is located on a driver seat of the vehicle 25.

Determining, for example, a particular location of a particular seat occupied by a user in the vehicle 25 may allow the computer 100 of the vehicle 25 to personalize the user experience by, for example, adjusting climate control, adjusting seat position, adjusting mirror position, and so forth. Additionally, safety systems such as seat belt systems and airbag systems may be adjusted based on the respective positions of one or more users in the vehicle 25.

Elements of the system

As shown in fig. 1, the system 10 includes a remote keyless entry device, which may be a conventional key fob (fob), such as a phone-based remote entry telematics application (hereinafter referred to as a key fob) 15, one or more portable devices 20, a vehicle 25, a server 30, and a network 35. As described below, the key fob 15 and the portable device 20 may be communicatively connected with the vehicle 25. As further described below, the portable device 20 may be, for example, a wearable device, a mobile phone, a tablet, etc., with or without cellular communication functionality, and may be directly communicatively connected with the vehicle 25, or indirectly connected with the vehicle 25, such as through another portable device 20. The vehicle 25 may further be communicatively connected with the server 30 via a network 35.

The key fob 15 is configured to send messages to the vehicle 25, i.e., including known mechanisms programmed, for example, in the computer 60 and hardware (e.g., transceiver (XCVR)65) for wireless communication, e.g., commands or instructions that control the operation of the vehicle 25. For example, the key fob 15 may send a command to the vehicle 25 instructing the vehicle 25 to lock or unlock doors, unlock a trunk lid or other latch, activate an ignition, and so forth. Key fob 15 further generally includes a user interface 70. The key fob 15 may be an application on the portable device 20 that may send these same commands to the remote server 30 or the network 35, which the remote server 30 or the network 35 may then send commands to the vehicle 25 to instruct the vehicle 25 to lock or unlock doors, open a trunk lid or other latch, activate an ignition, etc.

One or more key fob 15 may be paired with the vehicle 25. For example, as is known, the key fob 15 may be programmed with a particular identification code and the vehicle 25 may include a list of identification codes authorized to send commands to the vehicle 25. Upon receiving the message, the vehicle 25 may look for one or more identification codes and determine whether the key fob 15 is authorized.

Computer 60 of key fob 15 includes a processor and memory. The processor is programmed to execute a program stored in the memory, for example, to send commands to the vehicle 25. The transceiver 65 is configured to transmit Radio Frequency (RF) signals to the vehicle 25 and, optionally, receive RF signals from the vehicle 25. As is known, a typical key fob 15 operates at 315 megahertz (MHz) or 433MHz for one-way communications and 902MHz or 868MHz for two-way communications. For Passive Entry and Passive Start systems, the vehicle 25 may send commands to the key fob 15 using Low Frequency (LF) transmissions at frequencies of 125 kilohertz (kHz) or 135 kHz.

User interface 70 of key fob 15 includes one or more input mechanisms and may include a display. The input mechanism may be a button for receiving input from a user, a touch screen display, a gesture sensing device, or the like. The display may include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, buzzer speaker, tactile feedback, etc. for providing information to the user.

Additionally or alternatively, other systems may also be used to command the vehicle 25 to unlock, start, etc. For example, the vehicle 25 may be equipped with a passive entry system, e.g., the passive entry system sends a message to the key fob 15 that is near the vehicle 25 and looks for a response from the paired key fob 15. Other possible systems of the vehicle 25 to unlock/start, etc., include a keypad, a remote entry mechanical key, a telematics unlock system, etc.

The portable device 20 may be, for example, a wearable portable device 20 or a mobile portable device 20. The wearable portable device 20 may include connection products such as "smart" watches, health rings (fitness bands), smart apparel, accessories, and the like. The mobile portable device 20 may include, for example, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, etc. Some wearable portable devices 20 may include built-in modems or full cellular communication functionality. Other wearable portable devices 20 may need to connect or pair with, for example, a mobile portable device 20, such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, etc., in order to establish communication with the vehicle 25. Each portable device 20 generally includes a computer 75, a transceiver (XCVR)80, and an interface 85. The portable device 20 may further include one or more sensors 90, discussed further below.

Each portable device 20 may be associated with a user. For example, the portable device 20 may include the user profile 101 and transmit the user profile 101 to the vehicle 25 when the portable device 20 initiates communication with the vehicle 25. Alternatively, the portable device 20 may have been paired with the vehicle 25, for example via a synchronization system in the vehicle 25. In this case, the vehicle 25 may maintain a user profile 101 associated with the paired (synchronized) portable device 20.

User profile 101 may be a set of data associated with a user. The user profile 101 may include data such as user preferred vehicle settings (e.g., seat settings, mirror settings, temperature settings, radio station), user characteristics (e.g., height, weight, age, health), routine (typically driving to work on weekdays in the morning), and so forth. The user profile 101 may be maintained by a computer 100 on the vehicle 25. Additionally or alternatively, one or more portable devices 20 may maintain a user profile 101 consistent with the user. The user profile 101 maintained on the portable device 20 is accessible by the vehicle 25 and is integrated with the user profile 101 in the vehicle 25. The data in the user profile 101 may be entered by a user via an interface on the vehicle 25 or one of the portable devices 20 associated with the user, may be determined by the computer 100 in the vehicle 25, may be downloaded from other computing devices, e.g., the server 30, etc.

The portable device 20 may be configured for short-range wireless communication with the vehicle 25. For example, the transceiver 80 of the portable device 20 may be a Bluetooth transceiver capable of forming a connection with other Bluetooth transceivers

A transceiver. One or more bowlsThe portable device 20 and the vehicle 25 may exchange messages accordingly. The portable device 20 may transmit signals to the vehicle 25 including, for example, identification data (identifying the type of user device, the identity of the user, etc.), motion data, etc. In addition to or in lieu of bluetooth, other suitable wireless communication protocols, such as Near Field Communication (NFC), institute of electrical and electronics engineers 802.11(IEEE 802.11), or other protocols known, may be used for communication between the portable device 20 and the vehicle 25.

Further, the portable device 20 may be configured to connect with other portable devices 20. For example, the first portable device 20 may be a smart watch and the second portable device 20 may be a mobile phone. The first portable device 20 can connect with the second portable device 20 and exchange data with the second portable device 20; the first and second portable devices 20 may be associated with the same user. As one example, the first portable device 20 may include a biometric sensor 90 that measures a heart rate of the user and communicates the heart rate to the second portable device 20. The second portable device 20 may output the heart rate data to the user via the interface 85 of the second portable device 20. The bluetooth communication connection typically operates at the frequency 2402 + 2480 MHz. As above, alternatively or additionally, other suitable wireless communication protocols (e.g., known) may be used to form communication connections with other portable devices 20.

In addition to the biometric sensor 90, the sensor 90 of the portable device 20 may include an accelerometer, a gravity sensor (g-sensor), a gyroscope, a compass, a light sensor, a camera, and the like. The sensor 90 may measure the motion of the portable device 20 and output motion data, which the portable device 20 may then communicate to the vehicle 25. As described below, the vehicle 25 may determine from the motion data that, for example, a user of the portable device 20 has opened a door of the vehicle 25.

The vehicle 25 is typically a land-based vehicle having three or more wheels, such as a passenger car, a light truck, or the like. The vehicle 25 accordingly generally has a front, a rear, a left side, and a right side, wherein the terms front, rear, left, and right are understood from the perspective of a user of the vehicle 25 seated in the driver's seat in a standard working position, i.e., facing the steering wheel 160 (fig. 2). The vehicle 25 includes a computer 100, the computer 100 including a processor and a memory. The memory includes one or more forms of computer-readable media and stores instructions executable by the processor for performing various operations, including those disclosed herein. Further, the computer 100 may include and/or be communicatively connected to one or more other computers, such as, for example, a steering sensor 115, a door sensor 120, a seat sensor 125, other sensors 130, and a controller 135. The computer 100 of the vehicle 25 is further typically communicatively connected with a communication mechanism 145, the communication mechanism 145 being configured to wirelessly communicate with onboard and external wireless devices, including the key fob 15, the portable device 20, the remote server 30, and the network 35.

Computer 100 is typically programmed and configured to communicate over a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus or the like. Computing device 100 may also be connected to an on-board diagnostic connector (OBD-II), for example, according to the J1962 standard. Via the CAN bus, OBD-II connector port, and/or other wired or wireless mechanisms, the computer 100 may transmit and/or receive messages to and/or from various devices in the vehicle, such as controllers, actuators, sensors, and the like. Further, computer 100 may be configured to communicate with, for example, one or more remote servers 30, with one or more key remotes 15, with one or more portable devices 20, and/or with network 35.

The steering sensor 115 may be a steering angle sensor, a steering torque sensor, a motor sensor associated with power steering assist, or the like, as is known for providing relevant data directly or indirectly to steering operations. For example, the steering sensor 115 may be a steering angle sensor that senses rotation of a steering wheel 160 of the vehicle 25 and communicates rotation data of the steering wheel 160 to the computing device 100. As another example, the steering sensor 115 may sense rotation of the motor to provide power assistance for steering operations and provide motor rotation data to the computer 100.

The door sensor 120 may be a mechanical switch activated by the door, a proximity sensor, a hall effect sensor, or the like, for example, the door sensor 120 indicating whether the door is open or closed and providing vehicle door status data to the computing device 100 as is known. For example, there may be one door sensor 120 associated with each door of the vehicle 25, including a rear hatch or lift gate.

The seat sensors 125 may include various sensors, including occupancy sensors and seat position sensors, such as are known. The seat sensor 125 may, for example, determine whether the user is occupying a seat, determine the weight of the user, and communicate the determined weight to the computer 100. Further, the seat sensor 125 may directly or indirectly detect the position of the seat, the angle of the seat back, the height of the headrest, etc., and provide data regarding one or more of these settings to the computer 100. Still further, computer 100 may adjust the settings to a user profile associated with the user, for example, upon identifying the seat user.

The vehicle 25 may include one or more other sensors 130. Other sensors 130 may include, by way of non-limiting example only, cameras, optical sensors, radar, microphones, proximity sensors, ultrasonic sensors, pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, temperature sensors, current sensors, voltage sensors, infrared sensors, capacitive sensors, and the like. The sensor may include a processor and memory, and may be configured to communicate with the computer 100 and send data to the computer 100, e.g., via a CAN bus or the like.

The vehicle 25 may also include one or more controllers 135 for controlling components of the vehicle 25. The one or more controllers 135 may include known controllers such as, by way of non-limiting example, seat controllers, power steering controllers, door lock controllers, door latch controllers, climate controllers, mirror adjustment controllers, seat belt controllers, climate controllers, brake controllers, and the like. Each controller 135 may include a respective processor and memory, one or more actuators, and one or more sensors, as is known. The controller 135 may be configured to receive instructions from the computing device 100 and control the actuators according to such instructions. For example, the door lock controller 135 may receive an instruction to unlock the door and may cause an actuator to unlock a latch motor associated with the door. Further, the controller 135 may include a sensor. The sensor may for example detect the action of the actuator. For example, the door lock controller 135 may detect that the lock is in the unlocked state. The controller 135 may provide data regarding the status of the lock to the computer 100.

As described above, the vehicle 25 may further include a communication mechanism 145 for wireless communication with vehicle-mounted and external devices configured for wireless communication. For example, the communication mechanism 145 may include a computer 146 and a measurement unit 147, the computer 146 having a processor and a memory. The communication may be direct, i.e., between a transceiver in the communication mechanism 145 and a transceiver in the wireless device, or indirect, e.g., via a network (e.g., network 35).

The communication module 145 may generally be configured to support communication with: one-way (typically 315MHz or 433MHz) or two-way (typically 902MHz or 868MHz) Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) systems, passive-entry passive-start (PEPS) systems (125kHz Low Frequency (LF) challenge and 315MHz or 433MHz response), Near Field Communication (NFC) (typically 13.56MHz), bluetooth systems (2402 and 2408MHz), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) systems (5.9 gigahertz (GHz)), portable devices in cellular communication bands, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) (typically 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands), Global Positioning (GPS) systems (5.42 MHz and 1227.6MHz), and so forth. Examples of protocols that the communication module 145 may support include bluetooth, NFC, DSRC, a 3G Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocol as defined by the third generation partnership project (3GPP) standards body, a 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol as defined by the third generation partnership project (3GPP) standards body, a Wi-Fi 802.11 protocol as defined by IEEE, a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (W-Max)802.16 protocol as defined by IEEE, or other suitable wireless communication protocols.

As described in more detail below, the communication mechanism 145 may be configured to communicate with the key fob 15, the portable device 20, and with the remote server 30 via the network 35.

The communication mechanism 145 may be configured to establish communication with one or more portable devices 20. Upon receiving an instruction to unlock the vehicle 25 as described above, the computer 100 may instruct the communication mechanism 145 to search for and establish communication with portable devices 20 that are close to the vehicle 25, e.g., within 3 meters. The communication mechanism 145 may search for all portable devices 20 that are close to the vehicle or a particular list of portable devices 20 associated with a known user of the vehicle 25, for example. The portable device 20 may then respond to the communication mechanism 145. In another case, the communication mechanism 145 may, for example, periodically search for and establish communication with portable devices 20 that are in close proximity to the vehicle 25. Once communication is established with device 20, communication module 145 may transmit instructions from portable device 20 requesting user identification data, athletic data, etc. In some cases, computer 100 may specifically establish communication with wearable portable device 20, either directly or indirectly.

In addition to communicating with one or more portable devices 20, the communication mechanism 145 may determine the strength of the signal received from each portable device 20. As shown in fig. 1, the communication mechanism 145 may include a measurement unit 147. The measurement unit 147 may receive signals from the portable device 20 and measure the signal strength in a known manner. When applicable, for example, when attempting to determine the position of the user, the measurement unit 147 should measure the signal strength of the signal transmitted from the wearable portable device 20 instead of the signal transmitted from the supported mobile portable device 20. Measurement unit 147 can provide this information to computer 100. As described below, the strength of the signal received from the portable device 20 may represent the distance (also referred to herein as the range) of the portable device 20 from the communication mechanism 145. This information may be used to determine a boundary or area within the vehicle 25 that the user of the wearable portable device 20 is located, particularly in the case of the wearable portable device 20. The measurement unit 147 may determine these regions by means of a transceiver antenna. Alternatively, two or more antennas may be used if, for example, they present other characteristics.

The communication mechanism 145 of the vehicle 25 may further be configured to communicate with the remote server 30, for example, over the network 35. For example, when the vehicle 25 has an event, the vehicle 25 may be able to transmit a message to the remote server 30 indicating that the vehicle 25 is at the event, and may be able to send additional information, such as the location of the vehicle 25. When the vehicle 25 is connected to one or more portable devices 20, the vehicle 25, via the communication mechanism 145, may additionally or alternatively be able to transmit user status information, such as a user's vital signs, to the remote server 30.

Network 35 represents one or more mechanisms by which vehicle 25 may communicate with remote computing devices, and network 35 may be one or more of a variety of wired or wireless communication mechanisms, including any desired combination of wired (e.g., cable and fiber) and/or wireless (e.g., cellular, wireless, satellite, microwave, and radio frequency) communication mechanisms and any desired network topology (or topologies when multiple communication mechanisms are used). Exemplary communication networks include a wireless communication network, a Local Area Network (LAN), and/or a Wide Area Network (WAN), including the internet, which provides data communication services.

Procedure

Identifying vehicle unlock or other triggering events for user location identification process

The computer 100 of the vehicle 25 may receive a signal from the key fob 15 to unlock the vehicle 25 or to identify another triggering event for initiating the user location identification process. For example, a user of vehicle 25 may activate key fob 15, and key fob 15 may send an unlock command to vehicle 25. The computer 100 of the vehicle 25 may receive the unlock signal and initiate a process to identify the location of one or more users in the vehicle 25.

As another example, sensor 130 may detect that a user is attempting to open a door by grabbing or touching a door handle to pull the door handle, and upon this detection, computer 100 may initiate and establish communication with key fob 15 proximate to vehicle 25 to authorize unlocking the door. The computer 100 may determine that one or more key fob 15 are authorized key fob 15 for the vehicle 25 in the manner described above. Conversely, if the door has been unlocked, the triggering of sensor 130 may still be used to notify computer 100 that the user is about to open the door. The computer 100 may also receive input from a keypad on the vehicle 25, door or full unlock events activated by a mechanical key from a telematics system, ignition activated by a mechanical key, etc., which are recognized as triggering events for initiating the user location identification process. Still further, the computer 100 may periodically initiate the user location identification process based on a timer or the like.

Associating a portable device with a user

The computer 100 is typically programmed to initiate a process of communicating with one or more portable devices 20 in proximity to the vehicle 25. For example, the computer 100 may be triggered to initiate a communication as described above. The computer 100 may send a command to the portable device 20, for example, paired with the vehicle 25 by the vehicle owner, to request that the portable device 20 respond and provide identification. The computer 100 may further listen for other previously unpaired portable devices 20 in proximity to the vehicle 25. Further, the computer 100 may listen for messages between portable devices 20. Based on the data collected from the message, for example, each portable device 20 may communicate an identifier or the like, the computer 100 may identify the portable device 20 or group of portable devices 20 associated with the user, and may further associate the user and group of portable devices 20 with the user profile 101 as maintained by the computer 100. The computer 100 may then wait a predetermined period of time, for example 10 seconds, after the command is transmitted to the portable device 20 and continue to identify one or more groups of portable devices 20 and associate the portable device 20 and/or groups of portable devices 20 with the user. Identifying door opening events from wearable device motion

Upon identifying the triggering event, computer 100 may initiate a process that instructs portable device 20, which may be wearable portable device 20, to: the gravity sensor data is recorded over a specific period of time to identify hand movements and then the door sensors 120 of all vehicles 25 are monitored to determine the location of the user entering the vehicle 25. The computer 100 may monitor the gravity sensor motion of the portable device 20 associated with the user of the vehicle 25 and, from the motion data, identify the device 20 and, thus, the user that may be associated with the device 20 to open the door of a particular vehicle 25. In the case where only one door is open and only one portable device 20 is identified as having a signal motion data type, it may be possible to infer who has entered the door. In the case where multiple doors have been opened and multiple portable devices 20 are detected, additional data is needed to predict the user's location. The computer 100 may further use the movement data as an indication of where the user is located in the vehicle 25 after entering the vehicle 25.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the vehicle 25 may include a steering wheel 160, a left front door 165, a right front door 170, a left rear door 175, a right rear door 180, and a rear hatch 181. The vehicle 25 may further include a communication mechanism 145. The communication mechanism 145 may be located in a front center portion of the vehicle 25. Alternatively, for example, a portion of the communication mechanism 145 used to establish communication with the portable device 20 may be located in a central front portion of the vehicle 25, and other portions of the communication mechanism 145 may be located in one or more other locations in the vehicle 25. A portion of the communication mechanism 145 used to establish communication with the portable devices 20 should be strategically placed so that the strength of the signal received from each portable device 20 represents a definable area within the vehicle 25.

As described above, the communication mechanism 145 may include the measurement unit 147 and may be configured to establish communication with the portable device 20. The measurement unit 147 may be configured to measure the strength of the signals received from the portable devices 20 and report the strength of the signals from the respective portable devices 20 to the computer 100 of the vehicle 25.

Upon identifying a triggering event for initiating the user location identification process as described above, computer 100 may activate communication mechanism 145 in accordance with the triggering event and instruct communication mechanism 145 to search for and establish communication with portable device 20 in proximity to vehicle 25. The computer 100 may limit the search to portable devices 20 that were previously paired. As above, when applicable, for example, when attempting to identify the range of the user from the communication mechanism 145, the measurement unit 147 should measure the signal strength of the signal transmitted from the wearable portable device 20 instead of the signal transmitted from the supported mobile portable device 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, in one example, computer 100 may find and establish communication with portable devices 20a-20h (via communication mechanism 145), portable devices 20a-20h being determined to be wearable portable devices 20. Computer 100 may command each wearable portable device 20a-20h to transmit motion data associated with the respective wearable portable device 20a-20h to computer 100.

By monitoring and evaluating the motion data received from the wearable portable devices 20a-20h, the computer 100 may determine, for example, that the user of the wearable portable device 20a has opened the

left side doors

165, 175. A particular wrist motion, for example, one or more of the following, may indicate opening of the

left side door

165, 175 of the vehicle 25: the grab door handle twists counterclockwise, swings up and to the left to open the door handle, swings to the left in an arc similar to that of the door handle on the left hand door being opened.

In a similar manner, computing device 100 may determine that, for example, the user of wearable portable device 20d has also opened left

side vehicle doors

165, 175, and further, in a similar manner, by recognizing a gesture associated with the right side vehicle doors, may determine that, for example, the user of wearable portable device 20e has opened right

side vehicle doors

170, 180.

In addition to identifying motion of wearable portable device 20 worn on the arm of a user for opening a vehicle door, other types of motion may be identified as motion indicating that the vehicle door is open. For example, for a user opening the

right door

170, 180 with their right arm and wearing the wearable portable device 20 on their left arm, a particular motion, such as the swinging of the left arm around the body during door opening (or entry into the vehicle 25), may represent a

right door

170, 180 opening event. Other motions of the wearable device 20 may be determined to be characteristic of opening the

doors

165, 170, 175, 180, 181 of the vehicle 25. Further, a motion that is characteristic of closing a

door

165, 170, 175, 180 of the vehicle 25 may indicate that the user has entered either a left door or a right door.

As described above, the determination that the user has opened the

doors

165, 170, 175, 180, 181 of a particular vehicle 25 may be performed by the computer 100. Additionally or alternatively, the determination may be made, for example, by the computer 75 in each wearable portable device 20, and the results communicated to the computer 100. Additionally or alternatively, the determination may be made by another computer communicatively connected to computer 100.

Identifying location areas of a wearable device from received signal strength

Additional information regarding the location of the user within the vehicle 25 may be determined from the received signal strength of the signal received from the portable device 20 through the communication mechanism 145. When applicable, portable device 20 may be a wearable portable device 20, for example, when attempting to determine a user's range from communication mechanism 145.

As shown in fig. 3, the vehicle 25 may be divided into three or more regions according to the distance from the communication mechanism 145: a first region 185, a second region 190, and a third region 195. The

areas

185, 190, 195 may, for example, be radially shaped around a receiver portion, such as an antenna, in the communication mechanism 145. As another example, the receiver portion in the communication mechanism 145 may be directional, i.e., have greater reception sensitivity in some directions than in others, and the

areas

185, 190, 195 may be defined by the directionality of the receiver portion.

Further, the

areas

185, 190, 195 may extend outside of the vehicle 25 and/or the communication mechanism 145 may receive signals from outside the defined

areas

185, 190, 195. For example, the communication mechanism 145 may be capable of receiving signals from portable devices 20 outside of the third region 195. Further, the

regions

185, 190, 195 may form a set of concentric circles around the receiver portion and include regions outside of the vehicle 25. The communication mechanism 145 may determine from the RSSI of the portable device 20 that the portable device 20 is within range of communicating with the communication mechanism 145, but outside the third region 195.

The

portable devices

20a and 20b may be located in the first area 185. The

portable devices

20c, 20d, 20e may be located in the second region 190, and the

portable devices

20f, 20g, 20h may be located in the third region 195. As above, each portable device 20a-20h may be a wearable portable device 20. As also above, the computing device 100 may establish communication with each portable device 20a-20h via the communication mechanism 145.

The communication mechanism 145 may be configured to measure the received signal strength of the signal received from each portable device 20a-20h and provide a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) of each portable device 20a-20h, respectively, to the computer 100, e.g., known.

Based on the respective received signal strengths, the computer 100 may determine the area in which each portable device 20a-20h is located. For example, if the RSSI is greater than or equal to the first predetermined threshold and less than the second predetermined threshold, the computing device may determine that the associated portable device 20 is located in the third region 195. If the RSSI is greater than or equal to the second predetermined threshold and less than the third predetermined threshold, the computer 100 may determine that the associated portable device 20 is located in the second zone 190. If the RSSI is greater than or equal to the third predetermined threshold, the computer 100 may determine that the associated portable device 20 is located in the first area 185. The first, second, and third predetermined thresholds may be empirically determined based on the typical portable device 20, the location of the communication mechanism 145, the type of vehicle 25, and the like. In the example according to FIG. 3, the computer 100 will determine that the portable devices 20a-20b are in the first area 185, the devices 20c-20e are in the second area 190, and the devices 20f-20h are in the third area 195.

Identifying driver and front seat passenger based on door opening and zone data

From the door opening data and zone data collected above, the computer 100 may be programmed to determine the driver and front passenger of the vehicle 25.

For example, if, as described above, the computer 100 determines that the portable device 20a is in the first area 185 based on the RSSI of the portable device 20a, and determines that the user of the portable device 20a is entering the left side door of the vehicle 25 based on the motion data from the portable device 20a, the computer 100 may further determine that the user of the portable device 20a is located in the front left (driver's) seat of the vehicle 25.

Further, in the above example, if the computer 100 determines from the RSSI of the portable device 20b that the portable device 20b is also in the first region 185, the computer 100 may determine that the user of the portable device 20b is in the front passenger seat. The same procedure for locating the driver and front passenger can also be applied to right-handed vehicles by reversing the relationship of the detected door opening events.

Identifying relative position of vehicle user from acceleration data during a turning event

During a turning event, i.e., when the vehicle 25 is turning, the portable device 20 in the vehicle 25 will typically experience acceleration. The acceleration experienced by each portable device 20 will depend on the location of the portable device 20 in the vehicle 25. As described below, the computer 100 may receive motion data from each portable device 20 separately and may determine the relative position of the portable devices 20, e.g., the first portable device 20 and the second portable device 20, from the motion data. Generally, during a turning event, the portable device 20 located on the side of the vehicle 25 corresponding to the direction of the turn, e.g., on the left side of the vehicle during a left turn, will travel at a lower speed and experience less acceleration than the portable device 20 located on the side of the vehicle 25 opposite the direction of the turn. When applicable, the portable device 20 may be a wearable portable device 20, for example, when attempting to determine the position of a first user relative to a second user from acceleration data during a turning event.

As an example, referring to FIG. 4, the vehicle 25 may be in the process ofAnd turning left. The portable devices 20a-20h may each be located at a different location in the vehicle 25, as shown. Due to the different locations, each portable device 20a-20h will travel along a different path during a turning event and, therefore, will typically experience an acceleration that is different from the accelerations experienced by the other devices 20. In this example, the

portable devices

20a and 20c travel approximately along a first path 201 and are subjected to a first acceleration a₁. The

portable devices

20d and 20f travel approximately along the second path 202 and are subjected to approximately the second acceleration a₂. The

portable devices

20b, 20e and 20g travel approximately along the third path 203 and are subjected to approximately a third acceleration a₃. The portable device 20h travels approximately along the fourth path 204 and is subjected to a fourth acceleration a₄. According to the above example, a₄>a₃>a₂>a₁. For example, the acceleration a experienced by the portable device 20e relative to the portable device 20d₂Greater acceleration a₃Indicating that portable device 20e is positioned radially outward from portable device 20 d. Further, the computer 100 may also use acceleration data acquired from vehicle sensors (e.g., crash sensors) as additional reference points. For example, the vehicle sensors are located at known locations, so acceleration values from the portable device 20 may also reference acceleration readings from the vehicle sensors to obtain further data regarding the location.

Still following the example of FIG. 4, the computer 100 may determine from data from the vehicle sensors and

controllers

115, 120, 125, 130, 135 that a turning event is in progress. For example, a turning event may be defined as the vehicle turning at an angle greater than 10 degrees (10 °) for a period of time greater than one second.

After determining that a turn event is in progress, the computer 100 may send a request to the portable devices 20a-20h for motion data from each of the portable devices 20a-20h during the turn event. The computer 100 may define a time period, for example, specifying a start time and a duration for the computer 100 to request the motion data. Upon receiving the request, the portable devices 20a-20h may transmit data indicative of the movement of the respective portable devices 20a-20h during the time period.

From the received motion data, the computer 100 may determine the acceleration experienced by each portable device 20a-20h, respectively. As one example, the computer 100 may select a particular time within a time period and determine the acceleration of each portable device 20a-20h during that time period. Additionally or alternatively, the computer 100 may determine an average acceleration experienced by each portable device 20a-20h during the time period, respectively. As another alternative, the computer 100 may determine the peak acceleration experienced by each portable device 20a-20h during the time period, respectively.

After determining the acceleration of each portable device 20a-20h, respectively, the computer 100 may determine the relative position of one of the portable devices 20a-20h to the other.

For example, still following the example above, the acceleration of the

portable devices

20d and 20f would be about a₂And the acceleration of the

portable devices

20a and 20c will be about a₁. From these acceleration values, the computer 100 may determine that the

portable device

20d, 20f is positioned radially outward from the

portable device

20a, 20c, as measured from the center of the turn c 1. Similarly, having a value of about a₃The

portable device

20b, 20e, 20g of acceleration may be determined radially outward from the

portable device

20d, 20f, and the portable device 20h may be determined radially outward from the

portable device

20b, 20e, 20 g. Using acceleration data to confirm/determine user seat position

As described above, in some instances, the computer 100 of the vehicle 25 may determine the occupants of the driver seat and the front passenger seat based on the door open data and the signal strength data from the portable devices 20a-20 h. The computer 100 may further determine the area, e.g., the first, second and

third areas

185, 190, 195 of fig. 3, in which the user of each respective portable device 20a-20h is located based on the received signal strength indication for each respective portable device 20. However, the user of the vehicle 25 may change seats without leaving the vehicle 25. Further, the zone data representing the zone in which the user is located is often insufficient to determine which seat the user is located in. Accordingly, the acceleration data may advantageously be used to confirm and/or supplement, for example, signal strength data.

For example, the location of the user of the vehicle 25 may be more accurately ascertained or determined by, for example, combining zone data based on the signal strength of the portable device 20 with relative location data based on the acceleration of the portable device 20 during a turn.

Still following the example of FIG. 4, from the received signal strength indication, the computer 100 may determine that the

portable devices

20a and 20b are located in the first area 185. From the comparison of the accelerations of the

portable devices

20a, 20b during a turn event, the computer 100 may determine, for example, that the portable device 20a is radially inward from the portable device 20b during a left turn. By combining the zone data and the relative position data, the computer 100 may determine that the user associated with the portable device 20a is in the driver seat and the user associated with the portable device 20b is in the front passenger seat.

Similarly, for the second zone 190, the computer 100 may determine from the received signal strength indications that the

portable devices

20c, 20d, and 20e are located in the second zone 190. From the comparison of the accelerations of the

portable devices

20c, 20d, and 20e during the turning event, the computer 100 may determine that the user of the portable device 20c is to the left of the user of the portable device 20d and further that the user of the portable device 20d is to the left of the user of the portable device 20 e. Using a similar approach, the location of the respective users of the

portable devices

20f, 20g, 20h may be determined to be in the third region 195.

Procedure for determining the position of a user

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an exemplary process 500 for determining the relative location of two or more users in a vehicle 25 from data from portable devices 20 associated with the users of the vehicle 25. The process 500 begins at block 505.

At block 505, the computer 100 receives data from sensors and

controllers

115, 120, 125, 130, 135, etc. of the vehicle 25. The vehicle data may include, for example, a speed of the vehicle 25, a steering angle of the vehicle 25, an acceleration of the vehicle 25, a wheel angle displacement of the vehicle 25, and the like. Once the data for the vehicle 25 is received, the process 500 continues in block 510.

In block 510, the computer 100 determines whether a turn event is in progress. For example, a turning event may be defined as the vehicle turning at an angle greater than or equal to ten degrees (10 °) for a predetermined period of time, e.g., one second. Further, the computer 100 may define the turning event to include turning events that occur at speeds greater than a predetermined speed, e.g., 20 mph. The computer 100 may further determine a time period corresponding to the turning event. The time period may be defined, for example, as three seconds after the identified start time. As described below, this time period may be used to define a time period during which motion data from wearable device 20 should be measured. If the computer 100 determines from the data of the vehicle 25 that a turning event has not occurred, the process 500 continues in block 505. If the computer 100 determines that a turn event is in progress, the process continues in block 515.

In block 515, the computer 100 receives motion data from the first and second

portable devices

20a, 20 b. For example, upon identifying that a turn event is in progress, the computer 100 may send a request to the first and second

portable devices

20a, 20b for motion data representing the motion of the respective first and second

portable devices

20a, 20b during the time period. The first and second

portable devices

20a, 20b may each transmit respective motion data to the computer 100. The process 500 continues in block 520.

In block 520, the computer 100 compares the motion data from the first portable device 20a with the motion data from the second portable device 20 b. For example, as described above, the computer 100 may determine the acceleration of each respective first and second

portable device

20a, 20b and compare the respective accelerations. The process 500 continues in block 525.

At block 525, the computer 100 may determine a location of a first user associated with the first portable device 20a relative to a second user associated with the second portable device 20 b. Generally, as described above, a portable device 20 and its associated user experiencing greater acceleration will be positioned radially outward from a portable device 20 and its associated user experiencing lesser acceleration. For example, from the comparison performed in block 520, the computer 100 may determine that the acceleration of the second portable device 20b is greater than the acceleration of the first portable device 20a during the time period. From the greater acceleration value of the second portable device 20b during the time period, as described above, the computer 100 may determine that the second portable device 20b is positioned radially outward from the first portable device 20a during the turning event. If, for example, the computer 100 knows that each of the first and second

portable devices

20a, 20b are located in the first region 185 of the vehicle 25, the computer 100 may further determine that the user of the first portable device 20a is in the driver's seat and the user of the second portable device 20b is in the passenger seat. Once the best available determination of the locations of the first and second users is provided, the process 500 ends.

To minimize the use of battery power from the portable device 20, under certain conditions, such as time since last request, speed, or other conditions, the computer 100 or vehicle 25 may decide to request only data of the portable device 20. It is not necessary to execute the routine of fig. 5 at every turn.

Conclusion

Computing devices, such as those discussed herein, typically each include instructions executable by one or more computing devices, such as those described above, for implementing the blocks or steps of the processes described above. For example, the process blocks discussed above may be embodied as computer-executable instructions.

The computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted by a computer program created using a variety of programming languages and/or techniques, including but not limited to Java, alone or in combination^TMC, C + +, Visual Basic, Java Script, utility report extraction language (Perl), HyperText markup language (HTML), and the like. Typically, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) such as a slave memory, a computerA machine-readable medium or the like receives the instructions and executes the instructions, thereby implementing one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions and other data may be stored in files and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable media. A file in a computing device is typically a collection of data stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a storage medium, random access memory, or the like.

Computer-readable media includes any medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions), which may be read by a computer. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, and the like. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media include Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a main memory. Conventional forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk (flexible disk), a hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with an arrangement of holes, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), a FLASH electrically erasable programmable read only memory (FLASH-EEPROM), any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their most commonly used meanings as understood by those skilled in the art, unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as "a," "the," "said," etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.

The term "exemplary" as used herein is in a sense representative of an example, e.g., reference to "an exemplary widget" should be understood to refer to an example of a widget only.

The adverb "about" modifying a value or result means that the shape, structure, measured value, determined value, calculated value, etc., may deviate from the accurately described geometry, distance, measured value, determined value, calculated value, etc., due to imperfections in materials, processing, manufacturing, sensor measurements, calculations, processing times, communication times, etc.

In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements. Further, some or all of these elements may vary. With respect to the media, processes, systems, methods, etc., described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc., have been described as occurring in a certain order, such processes may be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It is further understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, that other steps may be added, or that certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the description of the processes herein is provided for purposes of illustrating certain embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the disclosed invention.

Claims

1. A computer comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to:

receiving second motion data from a second wearable portable device associated with a second user representative of motion of the second wearable device during the first time period;

comparing the respective first and second motion data; and

determining a position of the first user relative to the second user in the vehicle based at least in part on the comparison.

2. The computer of claim 1, further programmed to:

receiving data indicative of motion of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle motion data indicates that the vehicle is turning in a first direction during the first time period.

3. The computer of claim 2, further programmed to:

determining from the comparison that a first acceleration of the first wearable portable device during the first period of time is greater than a second acceleration of the second wearable portable device during the first period of time.

4. The computer of claim 3, further programmed to:

determining that the first user is positioned radially outward from the second user in accordance with the determination that the first acceleration is greater than the second acceleration during the first time period.

5. The computer of claim 2, further programmed to:

determining a period of time that the vehicle is turning from the vehicle motion data; and

setting the first time period to include the turning time period.

6. A method for determining a position of an occupant of a vehicle, comprising:

comparing the respective first and second motion data; and

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining from the comparison that a first acceleration of the first wearable portable device during the first period of time is greater than a second acceleration of the second wearable device during the first period of time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

setting the first time period to include the turning time period.