System and method for monitoring animals in garage

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for monitoring animals in a garage. A vehicle configured to monitor animals in a garage and perform remedial actions is disclosed. The vehicle may include a sensor configured to detect the presence of an animal in the garage interior portion and the garage exterior portion. The vehicle may also include a processor configured to obtain input from the memory. Based on the input obtained from the sensor, the processor may determine that the animal may be approaching the garage interior portion or may be present in the garage interior portion. The processor may also be configured to perform a first action when the animal may be approaching the garage interior portion and a second action when the animal may be present in the garage interior portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicles, and more particularly to vehicles that can monitor animals in a garage. Background Art

[0002] Many users are concerned about the security of garages, such as home garages. Some users use monitoring or security devices to enhance garage security. Such devices typically include cameras that monitor activity in the garage and alert the user when suspicious activity is detected.

[0003] Although conventional safety devices provide many benefits to users, these safety devices may not be effective in certain situations. For example, when an animal may be trapped in a garage, conventional safety devices may not be able to effectively warn the user. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure describes a vehicle that is configured to monitor the entry or presence of animals (or any abnormal activity) in a garage and perform one or more remedial actions. The vehicle can use sensors such as vehicle cameras, radars, lidars, etc. to detect the presence of animals in the interior portion of the garage and the exterior portion of the garage (for example, when the garage door may be open). In some aspects, the vehicle processor can be configured to obtain input from the sensor and determine that the animal may be approaching the interior portion of the garage or that the animal may be present in the interior portion of the garage. In response to determining that the animal may be approaching the interior portion of the garage, the vehicle processor may perform a first remedial action (first action). On the other hand, in response to determining that the animal may be present in the interior portion of the garage, the vehicle processor may be configured to perform a second remedial action (second action).

[0005] The first action may include moving a garage door from an open state to a closed state to ensure that the animal cannot enter the interior portion of the garage. In further aspects, the first action may include controlling one or more vehicle components (such as vehicle speakers, vehicle lights, etc.) or one or more garage components (such as garage lights or sirens) to scare away the animal. In further aspects, the first action may include slightly moving the vehicle in the interior portion of the garage to scare away the animal.

[0006] In some aspects, when the vehicle processor determines that an animal may be present in the interior portion of the garage, the vehicle processor may also determine whether the animal is a household pet or not a household pet (e.g., a stray animal) based on input obtained from a sensor (e.g., a vehicle camera) and an image of a household pet stored in the vehicle memory. In response to determining that the animal may be a stray animal, the vehicle processor may perform a second action, which may include moving the garage door from a closed state to an open state (e.g., when the garage door may be in a closed state and the stray animal may be present in the interior portion of the garage). In other aspects, in this case, the second action may include transmitting a notification to a user device indicating that a stray animal is present in the interior portion of the garage. In other aspects, the second action may include determining a stray animal location in the interior portion of the garage and transmitting the stray animal location to the user device.

[0007] On the other hand, in response to determining that the animal in the interior portion of the garage may be a household pet, the vehicle processor can be configured to perform a second action, which can include maintaining the garage door in a closed state (e.g., when the vehicle processor obtains a request to move the garage door from a closed state to an open state). In further aspects, in this case, the second action can include transmitting a notification to the user device indicating the presence of a household pet in the interior portion of the garage.

[0008] The systems and methods described herein may provide numerous advantages. For example, a system (e.g., a vehicle) may be configured to provide security in a garage using existing vehicle components. Thus, additional components for garage monitoring / security may not be required. Additionally, the vehicle may be configured to automatically perform remedial actions to remove stray animals from the garage, or to ensure that a family pet does not move out of the garage.

[0009] Other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Specific implementations are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those shown in the accompanying drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0011] Figure 1 An exemplary environment is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0012] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary system for monitoring animals in a garage according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 3 A first example for monitoring animals in a garage according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0014] Figure 4 A second example according to the present disclosure for monitoring animals in a garage is depicted.

[0015] Figure 5 A third example according to the present disclosure for monitoring animals in a garage is depicted.

[0016] Figure 6 A flow chart of an exemplary method for monitoring animals in a garage according to the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the disclosure are shown and which are not intended to be limiting.

[0018] Figure 1 An exemplary environment 100 is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. Environment 100 may include a garage 102 and a vehicle 104. Garage 102 may be a home garage (e.g., Figure 1 The garage 102 may include a garage computing device (not shown) or any other similar enclosed parking space that can accommodate one or more vehicles. The garage 102 may include a garage computing device (not shown) that can be configured to transmit / receive information, data, instructions, etc. to / from the user device 106, the vehicle 104, or any other external device via the network 108. In other words, the garage 102 can be connected to the vehicle 104 via the garage computing device and the network 108. The garage computing device can be a server or indoor parking facility computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, etc. that can be operated by a garage operator (e.g., a garage owner or homeowner, not shown). In another aspect, the user device 106 and the vehicle 104 can be communicatively coupled to each other via the network 108.

[0019] The network 108 illustrates an exemplary communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. The network 108 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Wi-Fi, UWB based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, and cellular technologies such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPDA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and Fifth Generation (5G), to name a few examples.

[0020] The garage 102 may include one or more smart devices, such as a garage door 110, garage lights 112, etc. The smart devices may be communicatively coupled to the vehicle 104 via the garage computing device and the network 108. The smart devices may be configured to receive instructions / notifications / inputs from the vehicle 104 and transmit instructions / notifications / inputs to the vehicle 104. In addition, the vehicle 104 may control the operation of one or more smart devices installed in the garage 102 via the garage computing device.

[0021] The vehicle 104 may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as, for example, an SUV, a car, a crossover, a van, a minivan, a bus, a truck, etc. Furthermore, the vehicle 104 may be a manually driven vehicle and / or may be configured to operate in a partially or fully autonomous mode.

[0022] The vehicle 104 may include a garage security unit (in Figure 2 The garage security unit 210 is shown as a garage security unit 210 in the figure, which can be configured to monitor the presence of animals (e.g., stray animals or household pets) in the interior portion of the garage and the exterior portion of the garage. For example, the garage security unit can monitor whether a stray animal may be approaching the interior portion of the garage (e.g., when the garage door 110 may be in an open state). In addition, the garage security unit can monitor the presence of stray animals or household pets in the interior portion of the garage. In response to the monitoring, the garage security unit can perform one or more remedial actions. For example, when a stray animal may be approaching the interior portion of the garage, the vehicle 104 can move the garage door 110 from an open state to a closed state. In addition, the vehicle 104 can activate one or more vehicle components (e.g., vehicle lights, vehicle speakers, etc.) or one or more garage components (e.g., garage lights 112) to scare away stray animals and keep the stray animals in the exterior portion of the garage. Additional examples of remedial actions performed by the garage security unit are described later in conjunction with the following. Figures 2 to 5 Give a description.

[0023] The vehicle 104 and the garage 102 may implement and / or perform operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the vehicle owner's manual and safety guidelines.

[0024] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary system 200 for monitoring animals in a garage according to the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2When Figures 3 to 5 .

[0025] System 200 may include vehicle 202 and garage 204. Vehicle 202 may be the same as vehicle 104, and garage 204 may be the same as garage 102.

[0026] The vehicle 202 may include a vehicle computer 206 , a vehicle control unit (VCU) 208 , and a garage security unit 210 . The VCU 208 may include a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 212 arranged to communicate with the vehicle computer 206 .

[0027] The system 200 may also include a mobile device 214 (same as the user device 106) that may be connected to the vehicle computer 206 and / or the garage security unit 210 using wired and / or wireless communication protocols and transceivers. In some aspects, the mobile device 214 may communicate with the vehicle user / operator ( Figure 2 In other aspects, the mobile device 214 can be associated with a garage operator or other user ( Figure 2 The mobile device 214 may be communicatively coupled to the vehicle 202 via one or more networks 216 (same as the network 108). In another aspect, the mobile device 214 may be communicatively coupled to the garage 204 via one or more networks 216.

[0028] In some aspects, the vehicle computer 206 and / or the garage security system 210 may be installed in the vehicle engine compartment (or elsewhere in the vehicle 202). The vehicle computer 206 may be or include an electronic vehicle controller having one or more processors 218 and a memory 220. Additionally, the garage security unit 210 may be separate from the vehicle computer 206 (e.g., Figure 2 as shown), or can be integrated as part of the car's computer.

[0029] The processor 218 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (eg, memory 220 and / or memory 220) configured to communicate with a corresponding computing system. Figure 2The processor 218 may utilize the memory 220 to store programs and / or store data in code for performing aspects according to the present disclosure. The memory 220 may be a non-transitory computer-readable memory or a computer-readable storage medium that stores garage security program code. The memory 220 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.). The processor 218 may be configured and / or programmed to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 220 to perform one or more functions according to the present disclosure.

[0030] In some aspects, the vehicle computer 206 can be configured to communicate with one or more servers 222 and the mobile device 214. The server 222 can be part of a cloud-based computing infrastructure and can be associated with and / or include a telematics service delivery network (SDN) that provides services to the vehicle 202 and other vehicles that may be part of a vehicle fleet ( Figure 2 214 or garage 204). In some aspects, server 222 may include information associated with one or more household pets. For example, server 222 may store a count of household pets that a vehicle owner or garage owner may have, the type of household pets (such as dogs, cats, etc.), an image of each household pet, etc. Server 222 may receive such information from mobile device 214 or garage 204. In addition, server 222 may transmit this information to vehicle 202 at a predefined frequency or when vehicle 202 transmits a request to server 222 seeking household pet information.

[0031] According to some aspects, the VCU 208 can share a power bus with the vehicle computer 206 and can be configured and / or programmed to coordinate systems of the vehicle 202, a connected server (e.g., server 222), and other vehicles operating as part of a vehicle platoon (e.g., Figure 2214). The VCU 208 may include or communicate with any combination of ECUs 212, such as, for example, a body control module (BCM) 224, an engine control module (ECM) 226, a transmission control module (TCM) 228, a telematics control unit (TCU) 230, a driver assistance technology (DAT) controller 232, etc. The VCU 208 may also include and / or communicate with a vehicle perception system (VPS) 234, which connects and / or controls one or more vehicle sensing systems 236. In some aspects, the VCU 208 may control aspects of the operation of the vehicle and implement one or more instruction sets received from the mobile device 214, implement one or more instruction sets stored in the memory 220, and / or implement instruction sets stored in the garage security unit 210.

[0032] The vehicle sensing system 236 may include one or more vehicle sensors, including but not limited to radio detection and ranging (RADAR or "radar") sensors configured to detect and locate objects inside and outside the vehicle 202 using radio waves, seating area lock sensors, seating area sensors, light detection and ranging (LiDAR or "laser radar") sensors, door sensors, proximity sensors, temperature sensors, wheel sensors, vehicle interior and exterior cameras, etc. In some aspects, the vehicle sensing system 236 may be configured to detect the presence of animals in the interior portion of the garage and the exterior portion of the garage. The animals may include stray animals (such as raccoons, squirrels, mice, etc.) or household pets (such as dogs, cats, etc.). In other aspects, the vehicle sensing system 236 may be configured to monitor other activities in the garage 204 (or any other location), and is not limited to monitoring animals in the garage 204. For example, the vehicle sensing system 236 may also monitor the presence of children in the garage 204.

[0033] The TCU 230 may be configured and / or programmed to provide vehicle connectivity to wireless computing systems on and off the vehicle 202 and may include a navigation (NAV) receiver 238 for receiving and processing GPS signals, module (BLEM) 240, Wi-Fi transceiver, UWB transceiver, and / or other wireless transceiver ( Figure 2 (not shown). The TCU 230 may be configured to communicate with the ECU 212 via a bus.

[0034] In some aspects, ECU 212 may use input from a human driver, input from an autonomous vehicle controller, garage security unit 210, and / or other connected devices (such as mobile device 214, server 222, garage 204 (e.g., a garage computing device associated with garage 204, as described above) via a wireless connection. Figure 1 The wireless signal input received by the said) etc. is used to control various aspects of vehicle operation and communication.

[0035] BCM 224 generally includes an integration of sensors, vehicle performance indicators, and varactors associated with vehicle systems, and may include processor-based power distribution circuits that can control functions associated with the vehicle body (such as lights, windows, security devices, cameras, audio systems, vehicle speakers, display systems, door locks and access control, vehicle energy management, and various comfort controls). BCM 224 can also operate as a gateway for bus and network interfaces to communicate with remote ECUs ( Figure 2 (not shown) to interact.

[0036] In some aspects, the DAT controller 232 may provide Level 1 to Level 3 autonomous driving and driver assistance functionality, which may include features such as active parking assist, trailer reverse assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, and / or driver state monitoring. The DAT controller 232 may also provide aspects of user and environmental input that may be used for user authentication.

[0037] The DAT controller 232 may also obtain input information via a vehicle sensing system 236, which may include sensors disposed inside and / or outside the vehicle. Figure 2 The DAT controller 232 may receive sensor information associated with driver functions, vehicle functions, environmental inputs, and other information.

[0038] In some aspects, the vehicle computer 206 may be connected to an infotainment system 242, which may include a touch screen interface portion and may include a voice recognition feature, biometric capabilities that may identify a user based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric means.

[0039] The computing system architecture of the vehicle computer 206, VCU 208 and / or garage security unit 210 may omit certain computing modules. It should be readily understood that Figure 2 The computing environment depicted in is an example of possible implementations according to the present disclosure and, therefore, should not be considered limiting or exclusive.

[0040] According to some aspects, the garage security unit 210 can be implemented as part of the ECU 212 and / or integrated with the ECU 212. The garage security unit 210, whether it is integrated with the car computer 206 or the ECU 212, or whether it operates as an independent computing system in the vehicle 202, can include a vehicle transceiver 244, a vehicle processor 246, and a vehicle computer readable memory 248 that can be communicatively coupled to each other. The vehicle memory 248 can store information associated with a family pet. In some aspects, the vehicle memory 248 can obtain information associated with a family pet from the server 222 or from the mobile device 214. In other aspects, the vehicle memory 248 can store information associated with the garage 204. The information associated with the garage 204 can include, for example, garage boundary details, images of the garage 204 captured by the vehicle's external camera, etc. In addition, the vehicle memory 248 can store user preferences associated with garage monitoring. User preferences can include, for example, settings, sensitivity levels, thresholds, warning mechanisms, etc. for monitoring specific types of entities (e.g., animals) and not monitoring other types of entities (e.g., adults).

[0041] The vehicle transceiver 244 may be configured to receive information / input from one or more external devices or systems (e.g., mobile device 214, server 222, garage 204, etc.) via network 216. The vehicle transceiver 244 may store the received information / input in vehicle memory 248. In addition, the vehicle transceiver 244 may transmit notifications (e.g., warning / alarm signals) to external devices or systems (such as components associated with garage 204). In addition, the vehicle transceiver 244 may be configured to receive information / input from vehicle components (such as infotainment system 242, vehicle sensing system 236, etc.). In addition, the vehicle transceiver 244 may transmit notifications (e.g., warning / alarm / activation signals) to vehicle components (such as infotainment system 242, vehicle speakers, vehicle lights, etc.).

[0042] The garage 204 may include a plurality of components, including but not limited to a garage transceiver 250, a garage processor 252, a garage memory 254, a garage door 110, and a garage light 112, etc., which may be communicatively coupled to each other. In some aspects, the garage transceiver 250, the garage processor 252, and the garage memory 254 may be a combination of the above. Figure 1 A portion of a garage computing device is described.

[0043] The garage memory 254 may store information associated with the garage 204. The information associated with the garage 204 may include, for example, garage boundary details, garage light locations, etc. In addition, the garage memory 254 may store programs in code form and / or store data for performing various garage operations according to the present disclosure. Specifically, the garage processor 252 may be configured and / or programmed to execute computer executable instructions stored in the garage memory 254 for performing various garage security functions according to the present disclosure. Therefore, the garage memory 254 may be used to store code and / or data code and / or data for performing operations according to the present disclosure.

[0044] In some aspects, the garage processor 252 can be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., the garage memory 254 and / or one or more external databases ( Figure 2 Not shown)) for communication.

[0045] In some aspects, the garage transceiver 250 can be configured to receive input / notification / data from the vehicle transceiver 244. The garage transceiver 250 can be configured to store the received input / notification / data in the garage memory 254. For example, the garage transceiver 250 can receive an activation signal from the vehicle transceiver 244 to move the garage door 110 between a closed state and an open state, a request signal to provide a garage door state (e.g., whether the garage door 110 may be in a closed state or an open state), an activation signal to activate the garage light 112, etc.

[0046] In operation, the vehicle processor 246 may determine that the vehicle 202 may be located or parked in the garage 204. In response to determining that the vehicle 202 may be parked in the garage 204, the vehicle processor 246 may determine / identify the garage boundary (or the entrance area of ​​the garage 204). In some aspects, the vehicle processor 246 may receive input from the vehicle sensing system 236, and may identify the garage boundary based on the input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 236. In other aspects, the vehicle processor 246 may obtain boundary details from the vehicle memory 248 (which may pre-store garage boundary details) and identify the garage boundary based on the obtained boundary details. In other aspects, the vehicle processor 246 may obtain boundary details from the server 222 or the garage memory 254.

[0047] Additionally, the vehicle processor 246 may determine that the vehicle 202 may be in a key-off mode (e.g., the vehicle ignition may be off), and a garage security mode may be enabled in the vehicle 202. In some aspects, the vehicle user may manually enable the garage security mode by using the infotainment system 242, an actuator, or via the mobile device 214. In other aspects, the garage security mode may be automatically enabled based on user preferences stored in the vehicle memory 248. For example, when the vehicle 202 may be parked in the garage 204, the vehicle 202 may automatically enable the garage security mode.

[0048] In response to determining that the vehicle 202 may be parked in the garage 204, the vehicle 202 may be in the key-off mode, and the garage security mode may be enabled, the vehicle processor 246 may perform garage monitoring. Specifically, the vehicle processor 246 may obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 236 via the vehicle transceiver 244, and may detect the presence of animals (or other things) in the interior portion of the garage and the exterior portion of the garage based on the obtained input. For example, the vehicle processor 246 may obtain input from one or more of radar, lidar, vehicle exterior cameras, etc. (e.g., obtain input from vehicle exterior cameras in response to obtaining input from radar, lidar, etc.) and detect animal presence (or any other activity) based on the obtained input.

[0049] In further aspects, the vehicle processor 246 can determine a state of charge (SoC) level of the vehicle battery and compare the SoC level to a predefined threshold value (which can be pre-stored in the vehicle memory 248). In some aspects, when the SoC level is likely greater than the predefined threshold value, the vehicle processor 246 can obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 236. In other words, the vehicle processor 246 can first determine that the SoC level is likely greater than the threshold value, and then obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 236 in response to determining that the SoC level is greater than the threshold value.

[0050] In response to detecting the presence of an animal in the interior portion of the garage and / or the exterior portion of the garage, the vehicle processor 246 may determine, based on input from the vehicle sensing system 236, that the detected animal may be approaching the interior portion of the garage or that the animal may be present in the interior portion of the garage. The vehicle processor 246 may perform a first action when the detected animal may be approaching the interior portion of the garage and may perform a second action when the animal may be present in the interior portion of the garage. Specifically, the vehicle processor 246 may perform a first action when a stray animal may be approaching the interior portion of the garage and may perform a second action when a stray animal or a household pet may be present in the interior portion of the garage. In some aspects, the vehicle processor 246 may perform the first action or the second action based on user preferences stored in the vehicle memory 248. The details of such determinations and first / second actions may be combined with the description below. Figures 3 to 5 Come to understand.

[0051] Figure 3 A first example according to the present disclosure for monitoring animals in a garage 300 is depicted. The garage 300 may be the same as the garages 102, 204. Figure 3 Also depicted is a vehicle 302 that may be parked within the garage 300. The vehicle 302 may be the same as the vehicles 104, 202. Figure 3 As depicted, garage door 304 (same as garage door 110) may be in an open state, and animal 306 may be approaching an interior portion of the garage (eg, via garage door 304). Animal 306 may be a stray animal (hereinafter referred to as stray animal 306).

[0052] In some aspects, the vehicle processor 246 can determine whether the garage door 304 is likely to be in an open state or a closed state based on input obtained from the garage 300. Specifically, the vehicle processor 246 can transmit a request signal to the garage transceiver 250 (e.g., via the vehicle transceiver 244) seeking a state associated with the garage door 304. In response to transmitting the request signal, the vehicle processor 246 can receive input associated with the state of the garage door from the garage transceiver 250. The vehicle processor 246 can then determine that the garage door 304 is likely to be in an open state based on the input obtained from the garage transceiver 250.

[0053] In response to determining that the garage door 304 may be in an open state (and the garage safety mode may be enabled), the vehicle processor 246 may obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 236 and determine that the stray animal 306 may be approaching the interior portion of the garage. Alternatively, the vehicle processor 246 may obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 236 and determine that the stray animal 306 may be approaching the interior portion of the garage without determining that the garage door 304 may be in an open state.

[0054] In an additional aspect, the vehicle processor 246 can identify a garage boundary (as described above) and determine that the stray animal 306 may have crossed the garage boundary based on input from the vehicle sensing system 236. When the stray animal 306 crosses the garage boundary, the vehicle processor 246 can determine that the stray animal 306 may be approaching an interior portion of the garage.

[0055] In response to determining that the stray animal 306 may be approaching the interior portion of the garage, the vehicle processor 246 can perform a first action. In some aspects, the first action can include moving the garage door 304 from an open state to a closed state. Specifically, the vehicle processor 246 can transmit a control signal to the garage processor 252 (e.g., via the vehicle transceiver 244 and the garage transceiver 250) and move the garage door 304 from an open state to a closed state.

[0056] In other aspects, the first action may include (via BCM 224) activating one or more vehicle components to scare away stray animals 306 and keep stray animals 306 in the exterior portion of the garage. The vehicle components may include vehicle lights, vehicle speakers, etc. In some aspects, the vehicle processor 246 may cause the vehicle lights to activate in a predetermined manner and may cause the vehicle speakers to emit noise at a predetermined volume, which may be based on user preferences. The vehicle processor 246 may also deactivate vehicle components after a predetermined duration.

[0057] In additional aspects, the first action can include moving the vehicle 302 a predetermined distance or slightly (and remaining in the interior portion of the garage) to scare away the stray animal 306. Specifically, the vehicle transceiver 244 can transmit a control signal to the VCU 208 (e.g., the DAT controller 232) to move the vehicle 302 within the garage 204.

[0058] In other aspects, the first action can include activating one or more garage components to scare away stray animals 306. The garage components can include garage lights 112, garage alarms, etc. Specifically, the vehicle processor 246 can transmit a control signal to the garage processor 252 (via the vehicle transceiver 244 and the garage transceiver 250) to activate the garage components. In some aspects, the vehicle processor 246 can also transmit a control signal to the garage processor 252 to deactivate the garage components after a predetermined duration.

[0059] In further aspects, the first action can include transmitting a notification to the mobile device 214 indicating that the stray animal 306 may be approaching the interior portion of the garage. Specifically, the vehicle processor 246 can transmit the notification to the mobile device 214 via the vehicle transceiver 244.

[0060] In further aspects, the vehicle processor 246 can be configured to characterize the stray animal 306 based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 236. Specifically, the vehicle processor 246 can obtain an image captured by a vehicle exterior camera, perform image processing, and characterize the stray animal 306 based on the image processing. For example, the vehicle processor 246 can characterize whether the stray animal 306 is likely to be large or small. In some aspects, the vehicle processor 246 can also identify the type of stray animal, e.g., a stray dog, a squirrel, a raccoon, etc. The vehicle processor 246 can also transmit information associated with such determination / characterization to the mobile device 214 via the vehicle transceiver 244.

[0061] Figure 4 A second example according to the present disclosure for monitoring animals in a garage 400 is depicted. The garage 400 may be the same as the garages 102, 204, and 300. Figure 4 Depicted is a vehicle 402 that can be parked within a garage 400, and an animal 406 (e.g., a stray animal 406) can be located in an interior portion of the garage. Vehicle 402 can be the same as vehicles 104, 202, and 302, and stray animal 406 can be the same as stray animal 306.

[0062] As described above, the vehicle processor 246 can obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 236 and can determine based on the obtained input that an animal may be present in the interior portion of the garage. In some aspects, the vehicle processor 246 can additionally determine whether the detected animal is a stray animal (e.g., stray animal 406) or a household pet (e.g., household pet 506, such as Figure 5 , and described later). Specifically, the vehicle processor 246 can obtain information associated with household pets from the vehicle memory 248 (or server 222). The information may include a count of household pets owned by a vehicle owner or a garage owner, the type of household pets (such as dogs, cats, etc.), an image of each household pet, and the like. In some aspects, the vehicle processor 246 can obtain an image of the interior portion of the garage from the vehicle sensing system 236 (e.g., from a vehicle exterior camera), and can compare the image of the interior portion of the garage with the image of the household pet. In response to the comparison, the vehicle processor 246 can determine whether a stray animal 406 or a household pet may be present in the interior portion of the garage. In response to determining that the stray animal 406 may be present in the interior portion of the garage (e.g., the stray animal 406 may have crossed the garage boundary), the vehicle processor 246 can perform a second action, as described below.

[0063] The vehicle processor 246 may first determine whether the garage door 404 (same as the garage door 304) may be in an open state or a closed state, as described above. The vehicle processor 246 may perform a second action based on the determination of the state of the garage door. In some aspects, the second action may include moving the garage door 404 from a closed state to an open state in response to determining that the garage door 404 may be in a closed state and that the stray animal 406 may be trapped or present in the interior portion of the garage. On the other hand, if the garage door 404 is already in an open state when the vehicle processor 246 determines that the stray animal 406 may be present in the interior portion of the garage, the vehicle processor 246 may keep or maintain the garage door 404 in an open state.

[0064] In other aspects, the second action may include activating one or more vehicle components to scare away stray animals 406 and move stray animals 406 from the interior portion of the garage to the exterior portion of the garage. Vehicle components may include vehicle lights, vehicle speakers, etc. The second action may also include moving vehicle 402 slightly (and keeping it in garage 204) to scare away stray animals 406. In other aspects, the second action may include activating one or more garage components to scare away stray animals 406, as described above in conjunction with Figure 3 described.

[0065] In another aspect, the second action may include transmitting a notification to the mobile device 214 indicating that the stray animal 306 may be trapped or present in the interior portion of the garage. Specifically, the vehicle processor 246 may transmit the notification to the mobile device 214 via the vehicle transceiver 244. The notification may also include a representation of the stray animal 406, as described above in conjunction with Figure 3 as described.

[0066] In further aspects, the second action can include determining a stray animal location based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 236 in response to determining that the stray animal 406 may be present in the interior portion of the garage. In response to determining the stray animal location, the vehicle processor 246 can store the stray animal location in the vehicle memory 248 and can track the stray animal location using input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 236. The vehicle processor 246 can also transmit the stray animal location to the mobile device 214 via the vehicle transceiver 244.

[0067] Figure 5 A third example according to the present disclosure for monitoring animals in garage 500 is depicted. Garage 500 may be the same as garages 102, 204, 300, and 400. Figure 5 Depicted is a vehicle 502 that may be parked within a garage 500, and an animal 506 (eg, a household pet 506) may be present in an interior portion of the garage. The vehicle 502 may be the same as the vehicles 104, 202, 302, 402.

[0068] As described above, the vehicle processor 246 can obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 236 and can determine based on the obtained input that an animal may be present in the interior portion of the garage. In some aspects, the vehicle processor 246 can determine whether the animal is a stray animal (e.g., stray animal 406) or a household pet 506 (as described above in conjunction with Figure 4 The vehicle processor 246 may perform a second action in response to determining that the family pet 506 may be present in the interior portion of the garage. The details of the second action in this scenario are described below.

[0069] In operation, when a vehicle user (or any other user) actuates a button to move a garage door (e.g., garage door 504, which is the same as garage door 110) from a closed state to an open state, the vehicle processor 246 may obtain such a user request from the garage transceiver 250. In response to obtaining such a user request, the vehicle processor 246 may obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 236. The vehicle processor 246 may then determine based on the input that the household pet 506 may be present in the interior portion of the garage (e.g., close to the vehicle 502), as described above. In response to determining that the household pet 506 may be present in the interior portion of the garage, the vehicle processor 246 may perform a second action. In some aspects, the second action may include maintaining the garage door 504 in a closed state so that the household pet 506 may remain in the interior portion of the garage. In other aspects, the second action may include transmitting a notification to the mobile device 214 indicating that the household pet 506 may be in the interior portion of the garage (or activating a sound exciter or any other component) before causing the garage door 504 to open. Before the vehicle processor 246 can open the garage door 504, the user can view / hear the notification and move the family pet 506 away from the interior portion of the garage.

[0070] Figure 6 A flow chart of an exemplary method 600 for monitoring animals in a garage according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figures 1 to 5 ) to describe Figure 6 The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than shown or described herein, and may include the steps in an order different from the order described in the following exemplary embodiments.

[0071] refer to Figure 6 At step 602, method 600 may begin. At step 604, method 600 may include obtaining input from vehicle sensing system 236 (or sensors) by vehicle processor 246 to detect the presence of animals in the interior portion of the garage and the exterior portion of the garage.

[0072] At step 606, method 600 may include determining, by vehicle processor 246 based on the input obtained from the sensor, that an animal may be approaching or may be present in the interior portion of the garage. The animal may be a stray animal or a household pet.

[0073] At step 608 , the method 600 may include performing, by the vehicle processor 246 , a first action when the animal may be approaching the interior portion of the garage, and performing a second action when the animal may be present in the interior portion of the garage.

[0074] Method 600 may end at step 610 .

[0075] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present disclosure can be practiced. It should be understood that other implementations can be utilized and structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References to "one embodiment", "embodiment", "example embodiment" and the like in this specification indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures or characteristics, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the specific features, structures or characteristics. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when features, structures or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0076] In addition, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and programs described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that have different names but the same function.

[0077] It should also be understood that the word "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the word "example" used herein indicates one of several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the specific example described.

[0078] Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0079] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes may be practiced by performing the described steps in an order different from the order described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0080] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should be determined with reference to the entire scope of the appended claims and equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and change.

[0081] Unless explicitly indicated to the contrary in this article, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless the claims state an explicit limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" and the like should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood in other ways within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "may", "can" or "may" is generally intended to express that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements and / or steps. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require each feature, element and / or step in any way.

[0082] In one aspect of the present invention, the method includes: determining that a garage door is in an open state; and determining that the animal is approaching the interior portion of the garage in response to determining that the garage door is in the open state, wherein the first action includes moving the garage door from the open state to a closed state based on determining that the animal is approaching the interior portion of the garage.

[0083] In one aspect of the present invention, the method includes: obtaining information associated with a household pet, wherein the information includes an image of the household pet; and determining whether the animal is the household pet based on the input obtained from the sensor and the information associated with the household pet.

[0084] In one aspect of the present invention, the method includes: determining that the garage door is in a closed state; and determining that the animal is not the household pet, wherein the second action includes moving the garage door from the closed state to an open state based on determining that the garage door is in a closed state and the animal is not the household pet.

[0085] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes obtaining a request to move a garage door from a closed state to an open state; and determining that the animal is a household pet, wherein the second action includes maintaining the garage door in a closed state based on determining that the animal is a household pet.

[0086] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtain input from a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the presence of an animal in one or more of an interior portion of a garage or an exterior portion of the garage; determine, based on the input obtained from the sensor, that the animal is approaching the interior portion of the garage or is present in the interior portion of the garage; perform a first action when the animal is approaching the interior portion of the garage, and perform a second action when the animal is present in the interior portion of the garage.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a sensor configured to detect the presence of an animal in one or more of an interior portion of the garage or an exterior portion of the garage; and a processor communicatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to: obtaining input from said sensor; determining that the animal is approaching or is present in the interior portion of the garage based on the input obtained from the sensor; as well as A first action is performed when the animal is approaching the interior portion of the garage and a second action is performed when the animal is present in the interior portion of the garage.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: Make sure the garage door is open; and In response to determining that the garage door is in the open state, determining that the animal is approaching the interior portion of the garage, Wherein the first action comprises moving the garage door from the open state to a closed state based on the determination that the animal is approaching the interior portion of the garage.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the first action further comprises activating a vehicle component or a garage component to retain the animal in the exterior portion of the garage.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the vehicle component includes at least one of a vehicle light and a vehicle speaker.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to: identifying boundaries of a garage based on the input obtained from the sensor; and A determination is made based on the identification of the boundary that the animal is approaching an interior portion of the garage.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first action further comprises moving the vehicle a predetermined distance within the interior portion of the garage.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtaining information associated with a household pet, wherein the information includes an image of the household pet; and A determination is made as to whether the animal is the household pet based on the input obtained from the sensor and the information associated with the household pet.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to: Make sure the garage door is closed; and confirming that the animal is not the household pet, Wherein the second action includes moving the garage door from the closed state to an open state based on determining that the garage door is in the closed state and the animal is not the household pet.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the second action further comprises transmitting a notification to a user device indicating that the animal is in the interior portion of the garage.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the second action further comprises activating a vehicle component or a garage component to cause the animal to move to an exterior portion of the garage, and wherein the vehicle component comprises at least one of a vehicle light and a vehicle speaker.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the second action further comprises determining an animal location based on the input obtained from the sensor in response to determining that the animal is present in the interior portion of the garage, and transmitting the animal location to a user device.

12. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to: Obtaining a request to move a garage door from a closed state to an open state; and determining that said animal is said household pet, Wherein the second action includes maintaining the garage door in the closed state based on determining that the animal is the household pet.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the second action further comprises transmitting a notification to a user device indicating the presence of the household animal in the interior portion of the garage.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining that a state of charge (SoC) level of a battery of the vehicle is greater than a threshold; and The input is obtained from the sensor in response to determining that the SoC level is greater than the threshold.

15. A method comprising: obtaining, by a processor, input from a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the presence of an animal in one or more of an interior portion of the garage or an exterior portion of the garage; determining, by the processor based on the input obtained from the sensor, that the animal is approaching or present in the interior portion of the garage; as well as A first action is performed by the processor when the animal is approaching the interior portion of the garage and a second action is performed when the animal is present in the interior portion of the garage.

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