System and method for impeding shifting from a park gear in a vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure provides "Systems and methods for preventing shifting out of a park gear in a vehicle". A vehicle is disclosed that includes a sensor unit and a processor. The sensor unit can detect presence of a user and predetermined items in the vehicle. The processor can determine that the user has entered the vehicle based on inputs obtained from the sensor unit. In response to determining that the user has entered the vehicle, the processor can determine that a predefined condition is satisfied based on the inputs obtained from the sensor unit. The processor can determine that the predefined condition is satisfied when one or more first items present in the vehicle do not match a predefined authorized item list of the user or one or more second items preferred by the user are not present on the vehicle. The processor can also inhibit shifting the vehicle out of a park mode in response to determining that the predefined condition is satisfied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to systems and methods for preventing a vehicle from shifting gears from a parking mode when one or more predefined conditions are met. Background Technology

[0002] For most people, electronic devices such as phones, laptops, tablets, and smartwatches are essential items for their daily personal and / or work-related activities. People may face inconvenience when leaving their homes or offices via their vehicles and forgetting to bring one or more of these devices. Similarly, people may face inconvenience when driving their vehicles without checking their key parameters and / or operating conditions.

[0003] Furthermore, with the increasing prevalence of autonomous vehicles (AVs), many users prefer to commute via AVs. AV users may experience inconvenience when the AV (e.g., an autonomous taxi) moves automatically and none of the expected passengers are present in the AV. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure describes a vehicle that can prevent shifting gears from parking mode when the vehicle user may have forgotten to bring one or more predefined items into the vehicle, or when one or more predefined items should not be present in the vehicle, or when one or more key vehicle parameters may not be in optimal condition. For example, the vehicle can prevent shifting gears from parking mode when a user forgets to bring their phone, smartwatch, lunch, gym bag, etc., into the vehicle and attempts to drive it. As another example, the vehicle can prevent shifting gears from parking mode when a vehicle door may be open, one or more vehicle occupants may not have fastened their seatbelts to their respective seating areas, the vehicle tire pressure may be below a predefined threshold, etc., and the user attempts to drive it. As yet another example, the vehicle can prevent shifting gears from parking mode when there may be items belonging to someone else (e.g., a gun or medication) in the vehicle that do not belong to the user and the user attempts to drive it.

[0005] In some ways, users or fleet managers can configure or "define" different types of items that the vehicle should check for each time a user enters the vehicle and attempts to drive it. For example, a user or fleet manager can define that the vehicle should check for the absence of the user's phone and smartwatch whenever a user enters the vehicle and attempts to drive it. In this case, the vehicle can check for the absence of the user's phone and smartwatch whenever a user enters the vehicle and attempts to drive it, and if the vehicle cannot detect these devices, it can prevent the user from shifting the vehicle out of parking mode. In other ways, the vehicle can detect the presence of such devices in the vehicle based on input from the vehicle's sensor units. Whenever the vehicle cannot detect the presence of such devices in the vehicle based on the input from the sensor units, the vehicle can determine that the user may have forgotten to bring these devices with them.

[0006] In another aspect, users or fleet managers can configure or define the types of items a vehicle should check for only when the user is driving (or expects to drive) to a specific predefined location. For example, a user or fleet manager can define that the vehicle should check for the absence of a user's gym bag when the user is expected to drive to a gym (rather than otherwise). In this case, whenever the vehicle determines that the user is expected to drive to a gym (e.g., based on the user's historical driving patterns or a programmed navigation route), the vehicle can check for the presence of the gym bag when the user enters the vehicle and attempts to drive it. In this case, if the vehicle cannot detect the presence of the gym bag, it can prevent the vehicle from shifting out of parking mode.

[0007] In addition, users or fleet managers can configure or define in the vehicle that the vehicle should check for different types of items each time a user enters the vehicle and attempts to drive it. For example, a user or fleet manager can define that whenever a user enters the vehicle and attempts to drive it, the vehicle should check for the presence of other people's items (e.g., other people's medicine, guns, etc.). In this case, whenever a user enters the vehicle and attempts to drive it, the vehicle can check for the presence of other people's items in the vehicle, and if the vehicle detects such items, it can prevent the user from shifting the vehicle out of parking mode.

[0008] In another respect, a vehicle can prevent shifting from park when one or more items that should not be in the vehicle for a portion of the journey (e.g., items the user has "approved") are present in the vehicle. For example, if a user stops the vehicle to drop off their child at daycare but the diaper bag is still in the vehicle, the vehicle can prevent shifting from park when the user tries to drive the vehicle again. As another example, if a user stops the vehicle to drop off their child at school but the schoolbag is still in the vehicle, the vehicle can prevent shifting from park when the user tries to drive the vehicle again. As yet another example, if a user tries to drive the vehicle from school to their office and their briefcase is not in the vehicle, the vehicle can prevent shifting from park.

[0009] In another respect, a vehicle may prevent shifting from park when one or more conditions associated with vehicle parameters or operation are met. For example, a vehicle may prevent shifting from park when the vehicle's tire pressure is below a predefined threshold, one or more doors are open, one or more vehicle occupants are not wearing seat belts, one or more predefined lights are off, one or more objects are not securely mounted on the vehicle's roof, one or more objects are located near the front or rear of the vehicle, the user is not wearing a predefined uniform, or a predefined object is placed on the vehicle's dashboard.

[0010] Additionally, the vehicle may prevent shifting from park if the user attempts to drive it before the vehicle inspection is completed. In some aspects, a vehicle inspection may include inspection of the vehicle's exterior, interior, vehicle-trailer connections, and occupants.

[0011] Furthermore, the vehicle allows users or fleet managers to define one or more override actions that the user can perform to override the aforementioned "prevent leaving park" feature of the vehicle. For example, the user can define that the vehicle should enable shifting from park mode when the user attempts to shift the vehicle from park mode on a second attempt. As another example, the user can define that the vehicle should enable shifting from park mode when the user provides override input to the vehicle (such as a predefined gesture, audio command, confirmation via the vehicle's human-machine interface, etc.).

[0012] This disclosure discloses a vehicle that can prevent shifting out of parking gear when a user may have forgotten to bring one or more predefined items into the vehicle or when one or more key vehicle parameters may not be in optimal condition. In this way, the vehicle ensures that the user does not leave important items at their home, office, etc., while driving the vehicle. The vehicle also ensures that the vehicle is not in a suboptimal state while the user is driving it. Furthermore, the vehicle allows the user to override the "preventing shifting out of parking gear" feature, enabling the user to drive the vehicle even when predefined items may not be present (e.g., when the user may be leaving their home, office, etc. without these items and / or when the user may be in a hurry).

[0013] These and other advantages of this disclosure are provided in detail herein. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Specific embodiments are illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may be used to indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those shown in the drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. Elements and / or components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0015] Figure 1 The environment in which the techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein can be implemented is described.

[0016] Figure 2 A block diagram of a system for preventing a vehicle from shifting gears from parking mode, according to this disclosure, is depicted.

[0017] Figure 3 An example view depicting a user inspecting a vehicle according to this disclosure is provided.

[0018] Figure 4 An example view of a vehicle with its rear door open, according to this disclosure, is depicted.

[0019] Figure 5 A flowchart is depicted for an example method for preventing a vehicle from shifting gears from parking mode, according to this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to be limiting.

[0021] Figure 1An environment 100 is depicted in which the techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein can be implemented. Environment 100 may include a vehicle 102, which may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as a car, work vehicle, crossover, truck, van, minivan, taxi, bus, etc. Vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle or may be configured to operate in a partially / fully autonomous mode. Furthermore, vehicle 102 may include any powertrain system, such as a gasoline engine or a hybrid system.

[0022] In some aspects, vehicle 102 may prevent the vehicle from shifting gears from parking mode or prevent the vehicle driver (e.g., user 104) from shifting the vehicle's gear selector out of parking mode when one or more predefined conditions can be met. For example, vehicle 102 may prevent the vehicle from shifting gears from parking mode when user 104 attempts to drive vehicle 102 if one or more first items present in vehicle 102 do not match the user's predefined list of authorized items or if one or more second items preferred by user 104 are not present in vehicle 102. In one exemplary aspect, vehicle 102 may prevent the vehicle from shifting gears from parking mode when user 104 attempts to drive vehicle 102 if user 104 has not brought user device 106 associated with user 104 (as an example of the aforementioned "second item"). For example, vehicle 102 may prevent the vehicle from shifting gears from parking mode when user 104 has left user device 106 on bench 108 (or in the user's home, office, etc.) and attempts to drive vehicle 102. In this scenario, user device 106 can be pre-synchronized with or registered to vehicle 102, and when user 104 enters vehicle 102 and the vehicle's Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transceiver or phone-as-a-key transceiver is not communicatively coupled to user device 106 (indicating user device 106 is not within the predefined range of vehicle 102), vehicle 102 can determine that user 104 may have forgotten user device 106. In response to this determination, vehicle 102 can disable or prevent user 104 from shifting vehicle 102 out of parking mode, and thus prevent user 104 from driving vehicle 102. In this case, vehicle 102 can additionally output visual and / or audible notifications via vehicle human-machine interface (HMI) indicating that user 104 may have forgotten user device 106. In this way, vehicle 102 can prevent user 104 from driving vehicle 102 without carrying their essential items (e.g., user device 106).

[0023] User device 106 may be, for example, a mobile phone, laptop computer, computer, tablet computer, smartwatch, device with an ultra-wideband (UWB) or near-field communication (NFC) tag, or any other communication device that user 104 may have pre-synchronized with or registered with vehicle 102. In some aspects, user 104 (or a vehicle fleet manager, if vehicle 102 is part of a vehicle fleet) may pre-configure one or more user devices in vehicle 102, and vehicle 102 should check for the absence of one or more user devices before enabling the vehicle to shift gears from parking mode. For example, user 104 may be configured so that vehicle 102 checks for the absence of the user's mobile phone and smartwatch when user 104 enters vehicle 102, but does not need to check for the absence of the user's laptop computer. In this case, vehicle 102 may disable shifting from parking mode when user 104 enters vehicle 102 without the user's mobile phone and / or smartwatch; however, vehicle 102 may enable shifting from parking mode when user 104 enters vehicle 102 without the user's laptop computer.

[0024] This disclosure is not limited to the vehicle 102 merely checking for the absence of user devices pre-synchronized with the vehicle 102 as described above. In an additional aspect, the user 104 can be configured to check the absence of other predefined possessions of the user (as an additional example of the aforementioned "second items"), such as lunch, jacket, gym bag, and / or other items, when the user 104 enters the vehicle 102, and to prevent the vehicle from shifting out of parking mode when the user 104 enters the vehicle 102 without any of these items. In this case, when the user 104 enters the vehicle 102, the vehicle 102 can check for the absence of these items in the vehicle 102 via one or more of the vehicle's internal cameras, sensors, etc. Specifically, when the vehicle's internal cameras, sensors, etc., cannot detect the presence of these items in the vehicle 102 when the user 104 enters the vehicle 102, the vehicle 102 can determine that the user 104 may have forgotten to bring these items, and therefore, in such cases, can prevent the vehicle from shifting out of parking mode.

[0025] It is understandable that the following scenario may exist: even if user 104 enters vehicle 102 without the aforementioned devices / items, user 104 may still expect to drive vehicle 102. To enable user 104 to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode in such scenarios, vehicle 102 can provide one or more override features. In this case, user 104 can "define" or configure different types of override features for different types of devices / items that vehicle 102 needs to check for when they are not present.

[0026] For example, user 104 can configure vehicle 102 such that if user 104 forgets to bring an item of a first predefined type into vehicle 102, when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode on a second attempt, user 104 can override the vehicle's "prevent leaving parking gear" feature. Examples of such a first predefined type of item could include the user's lunch, jacket, gym bag, etc. In this case, when user 104 forgets to bring an item of the first predefined type into vehicle 102 and attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode on the first attempt, vehicle 102 can prevent shifting out of parking gear. Furthermore, in this case, when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode on a second attempt, vehicle 102 can enable user 104 to shift vehicle 102 out of parking gear.

[0027] As another example, user 104 can configure vehicle 102 such that if user 104 forgets to bring a second predefined type of item into vehicle 102, when user 104 provides overriding input to the vehicle via the vehicle's HMI, voice command, gesture command, and / or similar means, user 104 can override the vehicle's "prevent leaving parking gear" feature. Examples of such a second predefined type of item could include the user's mobile phone, smartwatch, etc. In this case, when user 104 forgets to bring the second type of item into vehicle 102, vehicle 102 can prevent shifting from parking gear, and when user 104 provides overriding input to vehicle 102, the vehicle can enable user 104 to shift vehicle 102 from parking mode.

[0028] While the above description describes an aspect where vehicle 102 prevents shifting from parking mode when one or more devices / items are not present in vehicle 102 when user 104 enters vehicle 102, this disclosure is not limited to such aspects. In an additional aspect, vehicle 102 may prevent shifting from parking mode when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode when one or more other types of items (e.g., the "first item" mentioned above) are present in vehicle 102. For example, vehicle 102 may prevent shifting from parking mode when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode when one or more items not belonging to user 104 (e.g., other people's medicine, guns, etc. (i.e., those items not part of the user's predefined authorized item list)) are present in vehicle 102. In this case, vehicle 102 could be a fleet vehicle, taxi, public transport vehicle, police car, ambulance, etc., where the probability of the user leaving their items is high. Furthermore, in this scenario, user 104 (or fleet manager) can configure vehicle 102 to check the type of item present in vehicle 102 (e.g., a third predefined type of item) and its corresponding override feature when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode. For example, user 104 can configure vehicle 102 such that when user 104 enters vehicle 102, vehicle 102 should prevent shifting out of parking mode whenever someone else's gun or ammunition is present in vehicle 102 (in this case, vehicle 102 could be a police car). As another example, vehicle 102 can prevent shifting out of parking mode when the user's gun may be present in vehicle 102 and when user 104 is not present in vehicle 102 and someone else (e.g., a family member of the user) attempts to drive vehicle 102. Additionally, user 104 can configure vehicle 102 such that user 104 can override the "prevent leaving parking" feature in such situations by providing a predefined gesture or wave toward the vehicle's HMI. In an exemplary aspect, in this case, vehicle 102 can determine the presence of another person's gun or weapons in vehicle 102 based on input obtained from the vehicle's internal cameras, sensors, etc.

[0029] In another aspect, vehicle 102 can enable user 104 to extend the "prevent leaving parking gear" feature beyond checking the presence or absence of predefined items as described above. For example, in some aspects, user 104 can configure vehicle 102 such that vehicle 102 can prevent shifting from parking mode when one or more conditions associated with vehicle parameters are met. In this context, in exemplary aspects, vehicle 102 may obstruct shifting from parking mode when vehicle tire pressure is below a predefined threshold, when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode, when one or more doors are open, when one or more vehicle occupants and / or user 104 are not fastening their seatbelts in their respective seating areas, when one or more predefined lights are off (e.g., when user 104 or a fleet manager requires one or more lights to be on while the vehicle is in motion), when one or more objects are not securely mounted on the top portion of the vehicle, when one or more objects are located near the front or rear portion of the vehicle, when user 104 is not wearing a predefined uniform (e.g., when user 104 is required to wear a predefined uniform while driving vehicle 102), or when a predefined object (e.g., sunglasses or a reflective object) is placed on the vehicle dashboard, etc.

[0030] In a similar manner to the above, user 104 may additionally configure user 104 to override the "blocking leaving parking gear" feature in such cases by providing a predefined override input to vehicle 102 and / or attempting to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode on a second or third attempt.

[0031] As another example, user 104 can configure vehicle 102 to prevent shifting out of parking mode if user 104 has not completed an internal and / or external inspection of the vehicle before attempting to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode. In this case, vehicle 102 could be a fleet vehicle, taxi, public transport vehicle, police car, etc., which may require user 104 to inspect vehicle 102 before driving it. Vehicle 102 can determine whether user 104 has completed the vehicle inspection based on input obtained from internal and / or external cameras, sensors, etc. Furthermore, in a similar manner to the above, user 104 can additionally configure itself to override the "prevent leaving parking mode" feature by providing one or more predefined override inputs to vehicle 102 if user 104 has not yet completed the vehicle inspection.

[0032] The following is combined Figure 2 Describe the details of another vehicle, 102.

[0033] Vehicle 102 shall implement and / or perform the operations described herein in accordance with the owner's manual and safety guidelines. Furthermore, any actions taken by user 104 based on notifications provided by vehicle 102 shall comply with all rules specific to the location and operation of vehicle 102 (e.g., federal, state, national, city, etc.). Notifications provided by vehicle 102 shall be considered advice and shall be followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of vehicle 102.

[0034] Figure 2 A block diagram of a system 200 for preventing a vehicle from shifting gears from parking mode, according to this disclosure, is depicted. In the description... Figure 2 At that time, will refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 .

[0035] System 200 may include vehicles 102 and one or more servers 202 (or servers 202) that can be communicatively coupled to each other via one or more networks 204. Servers 202 may be part of a cloud-based computing infrastructure and may be associated with and / or include a Telematics Service Delivery Network (SDN), which delivers services to vehicles 102 and other vehicles that may be part of a vehicle fleet. Figure 2 (Not shown) provides digital data services. In another aspect, server 202 may store information associated with historical vehicle driving patterns and / or user 104's driving patterns (or the user's historical driving patterns). When vehicle 102 transmits a request to server 202 to receive such information, server 202 may transmit to vehicle 102 the information associated with historical vehicle driving patterns and / or the user's historical driving patterns.

[0036] Network 204 illustrates example communication infrastructure in which connected devices discussed in various embodiments of this disclosure may communicate. Network 204 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 Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Bluetooth, etc. ® Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi based on the IEEE standard 802.11, Ultra Wideband (UWB), 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 5G, to name just a few.

[0037] Vehicle 102 may include multiple units, including but not limited to vehicle computer 206, vehicle control unit (VCU) 208, and parking mode control unit 210 (or unit 210). VCU 208 may include multiple electronic control units (ECUs) 212 that communicate with vehicle computer 206.

[0038] In some respects, according to this disclosure, the vehicle computer 206 and / or unit 210 can be installed anywhere within the vehicle 102. Furthermore, the vehicle computer 206 can operate as a functional part of unit 210. The vehicle computer 206 can be or include an electronic vehicle controller having one or more processors 214 and memory 216. Additionally, unit 210 can be separate from the vehicle computer 206 (e.g., Figure 2 (as shown in the diagram), or it can be integrated as part of the vehicle computer 206.

[0039] Processor 214 can communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 216 and / or memory) of a corresponding computing system. Figure 2 The processor 214 may communicate with one or more external databases (not shown). The processor 214 may utilize the memory 216 to store programs and / or data in code form to execute aspects of this disclosure. The memory 216 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium or memory storing parking mode control program code. The memory 216 may include any or a 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, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0040] According to some aspects, VCU 208 can share a power bus with vehicle computer 206 and can be configured and / or programmed to coordinate the systems of vehicle 102, connected servers (e.g., server 202), and other vehicles operating as part of a vehicle fleet. Figure 2 Data between (not shown in the image). VCU 208 may include or communicate with any combination of ECUs 212, such as Body Control Module (BCM) 218, Engine Control Module (ECM) 220, Transmission Control Module (TCM) 222, Telematics Control Unit (TCU) 224, Driver Assist Technology (DAT) Controller 226, etc.

[0041] VCU 208 may also include and / or communicate with a vehicle perception system (VPS) 228, which has connectivity with and / or controls one or more vehicle sensing systems 230 (or “sensor units”). The vehicle sensing system 230 may include one or more vehicle sensors, including but not limited to: radio detection and ranging (radar) sensors configured to use radio waves to detect and locate objects inside and outside the vehicle 102; seating area latch sensors; seating area sensors; light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors; door sensors; proximity sensors; temperature sensors; wheel sensors; ambient weather sensors; ambient light sensors; vehicle interior and exterior cameras; one or more rain sensors; humidity sensors; tire pressure sensors; ultrasonic sensors; etc. In some aspects, the vehicle sensing system 230 may detect the presence of one or more users / occupants (e.g., user 104) and one or more pre-determined items (e.g., lunch, jacket, gym bag, gun, medicine, sunglasses, etc.) in the vehicle 102 based on input captured by the aforementioned sensors. For example, vehicle sensing system 230 can detect the presence of user 104 in vehicle 102 based on data captured by in-vehicle and / or external cameras, radar and / or lidar sensors, seating area sensors, etc. Similarly, vehicle sensing system 230 can detect the presence of a predetermined item in vehicle 102 based on data captured by in-vehicle and / or external cameras, radar and / or lidar sensors, etc.

[0042] In some respects, VCU 208 can control vehicle operation aspects and implement one or more sets of instructions received from user equipment associated with user 104, one or more sets of instructions stored in memory 216, including instructions that operate as part of unit 210.

[0043] TCU 224 can be configured and / or programmed to provide vehicle connectivity to wireless computing systems on and outside the vehicle 102, and may include a navigation (NAV) receiver 232 for receiving and processing GPS signals, a BLE module (BLEM) 234, a Wi-Fi transceiver, a UWB transceiver, and / or other wireless transceivers that can be configured for wireless communication (including cellular communication) between the vehicle 102 and other systems (e.g., user device 106, key fob, NFC device, etc.), computers, and modules. Figure 2 (Not shown in the image). NAV receiver 232 can be configured to determine the real-time geographical location of the vehicle. TCU 224 can communicate with ECU 212 via bus.

[0044] In some aspects, vehicle 102 may also include one or more BLE transceivers, telephone-as-a-key transceivers, and / or other similar transceivers, which may be part of the vehicle's sensor unit and enable vehicle 102 to determine whether one or more user devices pre-synchronized with or registered with vehicle 102 are within a predefined range of vehicle 102. Specifically, when a user device may be within a predefined range of vehicle 102, the aforementioned transceivers may automatically couple with the pre-synchronized user device via BLE, UWB, NFC, etc., thereby indicating to vehicle 102 that these user devices are near vehicle 102 or in a portion of the vehicle's interior. Thus, when user 104 enters vehicle 102, vehicle 102 may check inputs from these transceivers to determine whether the pre-synchronized user devices are with user 104 or whether user 104 may have forgotten to bring these user devices. In some aspects, when inputs from the transceivers indicate that the transceiver is not communicatively coupled to the pre-synchronized user device, vehicle 102 may determine that the pre-synchronized user device is not with user 104. As described above, when vehicle 102 determines that user 104 has entered vehicle 102 without carrying one or more pre-synchronized user devices, vehicle 102 can prevent user 104 from shifting vehicle 102 out of parking mode. Similarly, when an input from the transceiver indicates that the transceiver is communicatively coupled to a pre-synchronized user device, vehicle 102 can determine that the pre-synchronized user device is with user 104. In this case, vehicle 102 can proceed without preventing user 104 from shifting vehicle 102 out of parking mode.

[0045] ECU 212 can control various aspects of vehicle operation and communication using inputs from the human driver, inputs from the autonomous vehicle controller, unit 210, and / or wireless signal inputs received via wireless connection from other connected devices (such as user devices associated with user 104, server 202, etc.).

[0046] The BCM 218 typically integrates sensors, vehicle performance indicators, and variable reactors associated with vehicle systems. It may also include processor-based power distribution circuitry that controls functions associated with the vehicle body, such as lights, windows, safety devices, cameras, fans, headlights, audio systems, gear selectors, speakers, wipers, door locks and entry controls, mirrors, various comfort controls, housings, etc. The BCM 218 can also operate as a gateway for bus and network interfaces to communicate with remote ECUs ( Figure 2 Interact with (not shown in the image).

[0047] The DAT controller 226 can provide Level 1 to Level 3 automated driving and driver assistance functionality, which may include features such as active parking assist, vehicle reversing assist, and adaptive cruise control. The DAT controller 226 can also provide various aspects of user and environmental inputs that can be used for user authentication.

[0048] In some respects, the vehicle computer 206 may connect to the infotainment system 236 (or the vehicle human-machine interface (HMI) 236). The infotainment system 236 may include a touchscreen interface portion and may include voice recognition features, and the ability to identify users based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric methods. In other respects, the infotainment system 236 may also receive user commands / inputs via the touchscreen interface portion, and / or display notifications / recommendations, navigation maps, etc., on the touchscreen interface portion.

[0049] The computing system architecture of the automotive computer 206, VCU 208, and / or unit 210 may omit certain computing modules. This should be easily understood. Figure 2 The computing environment depicted herein is an example of possible implementations according to this disclosure and should therefore not be considered limiting or exclusive.

[0050] Depending on some aspects, unit 210 may be integrated with and / or performed as part of ECU 212. Unit 210 may include transceiver 238, processor 240, and computer-readable storage 242, whether it is integrated with vehicle computer 206 or ECU 212, or whether it operates as a stand-alone computing system in vehicle 102.

[0051] Transceiver 238 can receive information / input from one or more external devices or systems (e.g., user device 106 or other user devices associated with user 104, server 202, etc.) via network 204. For example, transceiver 238 can receive information associated with historical vehicle driving patterns and / or the user's historical driving patterns from server 202 via network 204. Furthermore, transceiver 238 can transmit notifications to external devices or systems. Additionally, transceiver 238 can receive information / input from vehicle 102 components (such as infotainment system 236, VCU 208, etc.). Furthermore, transceiver 238 can transmit notification / command signals to vehicle 102 components (such as VCU 208, infotainment system 236, BCM 218, etc.).

[0052] Processor 240 and memory 242 may be the same as or similar to processor 214 and memory 216, respectively. In some aspects, processor 240 may utilize memory 242 to store programs in code form and / or store data for execution of aspects according to this disclosure. Memory 242 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium or memory storing parking mode control program code. In some aspects, server 242 may store information associated with the aforementioned historical vehicle driving patterns and / or user's historical driving patterns.

[0053] In another aspect, memory 242 may store data structures including information associated with different types of items / devices that, when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 from parking mode, vehicle 102 should check the presence or absence of the item / device and accordingly disable or enable the vehicle from parking mode. The data structure may also include information associated with one or more overriding actions that user 104 may need to perform to override the vehicle's "prevent leaving parking gear" feature. The data structure may also include information associated with one or more vehicle parameters that vehicle 102 should check before enabling the vehicle to shift from parking mode, and whether vehicle 102 should check the completion of vehicle inspections before enabling the vehicle to shift from parking mode. In some aspects, user 104 and / or fleet manager may configure / set and / or adjust the information included in the data structure via infotainment system 236, user devices associated with user 104, etc. Examples of information included in the data structure are described below and should not be construed as limiting.

[0054] In one exemplary aspect, user 104 can configure / define in a data structure that when user 104 enters vehicle 102 and attempts to drive the vehicle, vehicle 102 should prevent shifting out of parking mode if no first type of item (or an item preferred by user 104) is present on vehicle 102. In some aspects, the first type of item may be, for example, the user's phone (e.g., user device 106), the user's laptop computer, the user's tablet computer, and / or one or more tagged devices of the user (e.g., devices with UWB or NFC tags) that may be pre-synchronized with or registered to vehicle 102. User 104 can also define in a data structure that, in the absence of such a device, when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode on a second attempt, user 104 can override the vehicle's "prevent leaving parking gear" feature. Alternatively or additionally, user 104 can define in a data structure that, in the absence of such a device, when user 104 provides user override input to vehicle 102, user 104 can override the vehicle's "prevent leaving parking gear" feature.

[0055] In a second exemplary aspect, user 104 can configure / define in a data structure that when user 104 enters vehicle 102 and attempts to drive the vehicle, vehicle 102 should not obstruct shifting from parking mode if there are no items of the second type on vehicle 102 (which may differ from items preferred by user 104 or items of the first type mentioned above). In some aspects, the second type of item could be, for example, the user's lunch, computer bag, gym bag, etc. In this case, when user 104 enters vehicle 102 without these items, vehicle 102 may not obstruct shifting from parking mode. In an additional aspect, in this case, user 104 can also define that vehicle 102 may obstruct shifting from parking mode if there are no items of the second type on vehicle 102 and when user 104 / vehicle 102 is expected to drive to a predefined location (as determined via the historical vehicle / user driving pattern). For example, user 104 can define that vehicle 102 may obstruct shifting from parking mode if there is no gym bag on vehicle 102 and user 104 is expected to drive to a gym (rather than otherwise). As another example, user 104 can define that vehicle 102 can prevent shifting out of parking mode when there is no lunch or computer bag on vehicle 102 and user 104 is expected to drive to the user's office (not otherwise). In this case, user 104 can further define in the data structure that, in the absence of such a device, when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode on a second attempt, user 104 can override the vehicle's "prevent leaving parking mode" feature.

[0056] In a third exemplary aspect, user 104 may define in a data structure that when user 104 enters vehicle 102 and attempts to drive the vehicle, vehicle 102 should prevent shifting from parking mode if a third type of item is present in vehicle 102. In some aspects, the third type of item may be those items that differ from the user's predefined list of authorized items. In this case, user 104 may provide vehicle 102 with the user's predefined list of authorized items, and all items not included in that list may be interpreted by vehicle 102 as "third type items." In some aspects, the third type of item may be an item that does not belong to user 104 or an item that user 104 is not authorized to have in vehicle 102 with user 104 (e.g., someone else's gun, medicine, etc.). User 104 may also define in a data structure that, in this case, when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode on a second attempt and / or when user 104 provides user overriding input to vehicle 102, user 104 may override the vehicle's "prevent leaving parking mode" feature.

[0057] In a fourth exemplary aspect, user 104 may define in a data structure that vehicle 102 should prevent shifting from parking mode when user 104 attempts to drive vehicle 102 without completing an internal and / or external inspection. In this case, in some aspects, user 104 may also define that vehicle 102 should prevent shifting from parking mode when user 104 attempts to drive vehicle 102 without completing a vehicle inspection only at certain predefined times of day (e.g., at 7 or 8 a.m. or at the start of the day), when vehicle 102 is expected to travel a distance (or duration) greater than a predefined distance threshold (e.g., greater than 100 miles), when the vehicle occupants or driver have changed relative to previous vehicle trips (e.g., when vehicle 102 is a public transport vehicle), etc. Similar to the example above, user 104 can also define in the data structure that, in this case, when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode on a second attempt and / or when user 104 provides user override input to vehicle 102, user 104 can override the vehicle's "obstruction from leaving parking gear" feature.

[0058] In a fifth exemplary aspect, user 104 may define in a data structure that vehicle 102 should prevent shifting from parking mode when user 104 attempts to drive vehicle 102 and when one or more conditions associated with vehicle parameters are met. For example, user 104 may define in the data structure that vehicle 102 should prevent shifting from parking mode when: vehicle tire pressure is less than a predefined threshold; one or more doors are open when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode; one or more vehicle occupants and / or user 104 are not wearing seat belts in their respective seating areas; one or more predefined lights are off (e.g., when user 104 or a fleet manager requires one or more lights to be on during vehicle movement); one or more objects are not securely mounted on the top portion of the vehicle; one or more objects are located near the front or rear portion of the vehicle; user 104 is not wearing a predefined uniform (e.g., when user 104 is required to wear a predefined uniform while driving vehicle 102); or a predefined object (e.g., sunglasses or a reflective object) is placed on the vehicle dashboard. Similar to the example above, user 104 can also define in the data structure that, in this case, when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode on a second attempt and / or when user 104 provides user override input to vehicle 102, user 104 can override the vehicle's "obstruction from leaving parking gear" feature.

[0059] In operation, processor 240 may receive input from vehicle sensing system 230 and / or the transceiver at a predefined frequency. Processor 240 may determine, based on the input received from vehicle sensing system 230, that user 104 may have entered vehicle 102. For example, processor 240 may determine that user 104 may have entered vehicle 102 based on input received from in-vehicle cameras, radar sensors, seating area sensors, etc.

[0060] In response to determining that user 104 may have entered vehicle 102, processor 240 can retrieve the aforementioned data structure from memory 242 and can determine whether predefined conditions are met based on input obtained from vehicle sensing system 230 and / or transceiver and the retrieved data structure. In some aspects, processor 240 can determine that predefined conditions may be met when one or more conditions described above in the exemplary aspects are met. For example, processor 240 can determine that predefined conditions may be met when one or more items in vehicle 102 do not match the user's predefined list of authorized items, or when one or more items preferred by user 104 are not present in vehicle 102. Specifically, processor 240 can determine that predefined conditions may be met when one or more first-type items (as described above) may not be present in vehicle 102, when one or more third-type items may be present in vehicle 102, when user 104 attempts to drive vehicle 102 without completing vehicle inspection, and / or when one or more conditions associated with vehicle parameters are met.

[0061] In this scenario, when processor 240 determines that user 104 has entered vehicle 102, processor 240 can first determine, based on input obtained from vehicle sensing system 230 and / or transceiver, a type of item (or a particular item) that may be absent or present in vehicle 102. For example, when user 104 enters vehicle 102, if input obtained from transceiver indicates that one or more of the user's telephone (e.g., user device 106), user's laptop computer, user's tablet computer, and / or one or more of the user's tagged devices are not communicatively coupled to the transceiver, processor 240 can determine that a first type of item may not be present in vehicle 102. When the type (or item) of the item not present in vehicle 102 is the same as the first type of item (or an item preferred by user 104), processor 240 can determine that a predefined condition is met.

[0062] As another example, when user 104 is inside vehicle 102, if input from vehicle sensing system 230 indicates that a second type of item (different from the first type of item described above, such as the user's lunch or gym bag) is not present in vehicle 102, processor 240 can determine that such an item may not be present in vehicle 102. In this case, when the type of item not present in vehicle 102 is a second type of item (unless user 104 / vehicle 102 intends to travel to a predefined location, as described above), processor 240 can determine that the predefined condition is not met. In some aspects, in this case, in response to determining that a second type of item is not present in vehicle 102, processor 240 can determine whether user 104 / vehicle 102 intends to travel to a predefined location as defined in the data structure based on the vehicle's or user's historical driving patterns. When the vehicle's or user's historical driving patterns indicate that user 104 / vehicle 102 intends to travel to a predefined location and when a second type of item is not present in vehicle 102, processor 240 can determine that the predefined condition is met. On the other hand, when the historical driving pattern of the vehicle or user indicates that the user 104 / vehicle 102 is not expected to drive to a predefined location, the processor 240 can determine that the predefined conditions are not met even if there are no second type of items on the vehicle 102.

[0063] In some respects, processor 240 can associate a predefined location with a second type of item not present on vehicle 102 to determine whether a predefined condition is met. For example, if the predefined location is a gym and a gym bag is not present on vehicle 102 when user 104 is inside, processor 240 can determine that the predefined condition is met. On the other hand, if the predefined location is the user's office and a gym bag is not present on vehicle 102 when user 104 is inside, processor 240 can determine that the predefined condition is not met. In this case (i.e., when the predefined location is the user's office), when user 104 is inside vehicle 102, processor 240 can determine that the predefined condition is met if, for example, the user's lunch or computer bag is not present on vehicle 102.

[0064] As another example, when user 104 is inside vehicle 102, if input from vehicle sensing system 230 indicates the presence of a third type of item (different from the first type of item described above, such as an item not belonging to user 104) or an item that does not match the user's predefined list of authorized items, processor 240 can determine that such an item may be present in vehicle 102. For example, when user 104 is inside vehicle 102, if input from vehicle interior cameras, sensors, etc., indicates the presence of someone else's gun, medicine, etc., in vehicle 102, processor 240 can determine that a third type of item may be present in vehicle 102. When a third type of item may be present in vehicle 102, processor 240 can determine that predefined conditions are met.

[0065] In another aspect, when the data structure indicates that vehicle 102 should prevent shifting from parking mode when user 104 attempts to drive vehicle 102 without completing the vehicle's internal and / or external inspections, processor 240 can check whether user 104 has completed the vehicle inspection based on input obtained from vehicle sensing system 230 when user 104 is inside vehicle 102. When processor 240 determines, based on input obtained from vehicle sensing system 230 (e.g., internal and / or external cameras, sensors, user gestures, or audio confirmation signals, etc.), that user 104 has not completed the vehicle inspection while inside vehicle 102, processor 240 can determine that a predefined condition is met.

[0066] In some respects, vehicle inspection may include user 104 walking around vehicle 102, inspecting / testing the exterior of the vehicle for any dents, ensuring that doors are locked, and that items are securely stored, etc. Figure 3 An exemplary view depicting user 104 inspecting vehicle 102 is shown. Figure 3 As shown, user 104 can provide user input for vehicle inspection on a user device (shown as tablet computer 302), which can transmit the input to vehicle 102 / processor 240. When processor 240 receives input from tablet computer 302, processor 240 can determine that user 104 may have completed the vehicle inspection, and when processor 240 does not receive input from tablet computer 302, processor 240 can determine that user 104 may not have completed the vehicle inspection.

[0067] In a similar manner, vehicle inspection may include user 104 inspecting / examining the interior of the vehicle for any trash, waste, etc. Processor 240 may determine, based on input obtained from the vehicle's interior camera, that user 104 may have completed an interior inspection of the vehicle. Vehicle inspection may also include inspection of vehicle-trailer connections, pins, connectors, chains, etc., to ensure that these are securely / correctly attached to vehicle 102 at any time before vehicle 102 is driven. Vehicle inspection may additionally include inspecting vehicle occupants to ensure that passengers are in the correct position within vehicle 102 and ready to drive (this may be helpful for disabled passengers or children).

[0068] In some respects, processor 240 may check vehicle inspection completion when one or more user-defined criteria included in the data structure are met. For example, processor 240 may check vehicle inspection completion when the current time is equal to a user-defined predefined time of day included in the data structure (e.g., 7:00 AM or 8:00 AM or the start of the day), when vehicle 102 is expected to travel a distance greater than a predefined distance threshold (e.g., greater than 100 miles), or when the vehicle occupant or driver has changed relative to a previous vehicle trip (e.g., when vehicle 102 is a public transport vehicle). In other respects, if the data structure instructs user 104 / fleet manager to expect vehicle 102 to check vehicle inspection completion each time a driver begins a trip, processor 240 may check vehicle inspection completion each time user 104 / driver enters vehicle 102 and attempts to drive the vehicle.

[0069] In an additional aspect, when the data structure indicates that vehicle 102 should prevent shifting from parking mode when user 104 attempts to drive vehicle 102 and when one or more conditions associated with vehicle parameters are met, processor 240 can check whether the conditions associated with the vehicle parameters are met. When processor 240 determines that one or more conditions associated with vehicle parameters are met, processor 240 can determine that predefined conditions are met.

[0070] As described above, conditions associated with vehicle parameters can be satisfied when: vehicle tire pressure is below a predefined threshold; one or more doors are open when user 104 attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode; one or more vehicle occupants and / or user 104 are not fastening their seatbelts in their respective seating areas; one or more predefined lights are turned off (e.g., when user 104 or a fleet manager requires one or more lights to be on while the vehicle is in motion); one or more objects are not securely mounted on the vehicle's roof; one or more objects are positioned near the front or rear of the vehicle; user 104 is not wearing a predefined uniform (e.g., when user 104 is required to wear a predefined uniform while driving vehicle 102); or a predefined object (e.g., sunglasses or a reflective object) is placed on the vehicle's dashboard. As an example, such as... Figure 4 As shown, when user 104 is inside vehicle 102 and attempts to drive the vehicle, when the rear door 402 of the vehicle is opened, processor 240 can determine that the conditions associated with vehicle parameters are met (and therefore the predefined conditions are met).

[0071] In response to determining that a predefined condition is met in any of the above-described ways, processor 240 may prevent or prohibit shifting vehicle 102 out of parking mode. In other words, in response to determining that a predefined condition is met, processor 240 may prevent user 104 from driving vehicle 102. In another aspect, in addition to preventing shifting from parking gear, processor 240 may also output a notification (e.g., an audible or visual notification) via infotainment system 236 indicating the reason for preventing user 104 from shifting vehicle 102 out of parking mode. For example, processor 240 may output a notification on infotainment system 236 stating "The vehicle's rear door is open," "You may have forgotten your mobile phone," "You may want to carry your gym bag if you are going to the gym," etc. In this way, vehicle 102 / processor 240 can facilitate user 104 to ensure that user 104 carries the necessary items and / or checks the condition of the vehicle before starting the trip.

[0072] In some aspects, in response to the processor 240's obstruction of shifting out of parking mode and / or output notification as described above, if the user 104 still expects to drive the vehicle 102 and / or when there may be no predefined items (of low importance to the user 104) in the vehicle 102, the user 104 may perform one or more override actions. In one exemplary aspect, when the user 104 attempts to drive the vehicle 102 in a second attempt, the processor 240 may enable the user 104 to override the vehicle's "obstruction of leaving parking mode" feature. In this case, when the user 104 attempts to shift the vehicle 102 out of parking mode in the first attempt, the processor 240 may prevent the vehicle 102 from shifting out of parking mode, and when the user 104 attempts to shift the vehicle 102 out of parking mode in a second attempt, the processor may enable the vehicle 102 to shift out of parking mode.

[0073] In another exemplary aspect, when user 104 provides user override input to vehicle 102 / processor 240, processor 240 can enable user 104 to override the vehicle's "preventing exit from parking gear" feature. In this case, processor 240 can obtain user override input from the user via infotainment system 236, user audio commands, user gesture commands, etc. In response to obtaining user override input, processor 240 can enable user 104 to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode.

[0074] On the other hand, when processor 240 determines that none of the aforementioned predefined conditions are met, processor 240 may not prevent or prohibit the vehicle 102 from shifting out of parking mode. In this case, when user 104 enters vehicle 102, processor 240 may enable user 104 to drive vehicle 102.

[0075] The above description describes aspects of how vehicle 102 prevents shifting from parking mode when predefined conditions are met and user 104 attempts to drive vehicle 102. However, this disclosure is not limited to such aspects. It is understood that if vehicle 102 is an autonomous vehicle (AV), and user 104 may not attempt to shift vehicle 102 from parking mode themselves, instead, the vehicle's automatic vehicle controller (AVC) may attempt to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode. In this case, instead of checking that user 104 is attempting to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode, vehicle 102 can check that the AVC is attempting to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode.

[0076] In an exemplary aspect, under the above circumstances, in response to determining that the AVC is attempting to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode, vehicle 102 may check whether all expected occupants (not the aforementioned "items") are present in vehicle 102. For example, if two occupants (e.g., occupants "A" and "B") are expected to be present in vehicle 102 when it is traveling from a pick-up location (in this case, vehicle 102 could be a taxi), vehicle 102 may check whether both occupants "A" and "B" are present in vehicle 102 when the AVC attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode at the pick-up location. When the AVC attempts to shift vehicle 102 out of parking, if either occupant "A" or "B" is not present in vehicle 102, vehicle 102 may prevent shifting from parking.

[0077] As another example, if it is expected that occupant "A" will leave vehicle 102 at the exit position and occupant "B" will remain in vehicle 102, then when vehicle 102 determines that neither occupant "A" nor "B" is present in vehicle 102 at the exit position, vehicle 102 can prevent AVC from shifting vehicle 102 out of parking mode. In this case, when occupant "B" is present (or returns) to vehicle 102, vehicle 102 can enable AVC to shift vehicle 102 out of parking mode.

[0078] Figure 5 A flowchart depicts an example method 500 for preventing a vehicle from shifting gears from parking mode according to this disclosure. Further description can be made with reference to the preceding figures. Figure 5 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 these steps in a different order than that described in the following example embodiments.

[0079] Method 500 begins at step 502. At step 504, method 500 may include the processor 240 determining, based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 230, that user 104 has entered vehicle 102. At step 506, method 500 may include, in response to determining that user 104 has entered vehicle 102, the processor 240 determining, based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 230 and / or TCU 224, that predefined conditions are met. (The above is combined with...) Figure 2 An example of a predefined condition is described. At step 508, method 500 may include, in response to determining that the predefined condition is met, processor 240 preventing vehicle 102 from shifting out of parking mode.

[0080] At step 510, method 500 may include obtaining one or more override actions from user 104 by processor 240, as described above. Figure 2As described. At step 512, method 500 may include enabling vehicle 102 to shift out of parking mode by processor 240 in response to receiving an overdrive action from user 104.

[0081] At step 514, method 500 can stop.

[0082] In the foregoing disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the foregoing disclosure, illustrating specific implementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It should be understood that other implementations and structural changes may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References to “an embodiment,” “embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., in this specification indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but each embodiment may not necessarily include said specific features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when features, structures, or characteristics are described in connection with embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments, whether explicitly described or not.

[0083] Furthermore, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed by 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 those skilled in the art will appreciate, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components with different names but identical functions.

[0084] It should also be understood that the term "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-restrictive in nature. More specifically, the term "example" as used herein refers to one of several examples, and it should be understood that there is no undue emphasis or preference on the particular example described.

[0085] Computer-readable media (also known as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that contributes to providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by the computer's processor). Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile and volatile media. Computing devices may include computer-executable instructions, wherein the instructions are executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0086] Regarding the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc., described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc., are described as occurring in a certain ordered order, such processes can be practiced by performing the described steps in a different order than that described herein. It should also be understood that some steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or some steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the description of processes herein is provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0087] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Many embodiments and applications beyond the examples provided will become apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should not be determined by reference to the above description, but rather by reference to the appended claims and the full scope of their equivalents. It is anticipated and expected that the techniques discussed herein will evolve in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In conclusion, it should be understood that modifications and changes are possible with this application.

[0088] Unless explicitly indicated otherwise herein, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meaning as understood by one skilled in the art as described herein. Specifically, unless the claims explicitly limit the recitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as “a,” “the,” or “the” should be interpreted as one or more of the elements indicated by the recitation. Unless otherwise specifically stated or otherwise understood in the context of use, conditional language such as, in particular, “can,” “may,” “may,” or “may” is generally intended to express that some 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.

[0089] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes: preventing the vehicle from shifting out of the parking mode when the user attempts to shift the vehicle out of the parking mode in a first attempt and when a predefined item is absent or present in the vehicle; and enabling the vehicle to shift out of the parking mode when the user attempts to shift the vehicle out of the parking mode in a second attempt and when the predefined item is absent or present in the vehicle.

[0090] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes: obtaining user overdrive input from the user in response to determining that the predefined conditions are met; and enabling the vehicle to shift out of the parking mode in response to obtaining the user overdrive input.

[0091] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes: determining, based on the input obtained from the sensor unit, an item that is not present in the vehicle when the user enters the vehicle; determining that the item is the same as one or more second items; and prohibiting the vehicle from shifting out of the parking mode in response to determining that the item is the same as one or more second items.

[0092] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes: determining that the article is not the same as the one or more second articles; and enabling the vehicle to shift out of the parking mode in response to determining that the article is not the same as the one or more second articles.

[0093] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions causing the processor, when executed by a processor, to: determine, based on input obtained from a sensor unit, that a user has entered a vehicle; in response to determining that the user has entered the vehicle, determine, based on the input obtained from the sensor unit, that a predefined condition is met, wherein the predefined condition is met when one or more first items present in the vehicle do not match a user's predefined list of authorized items or when one or more second items preferred by the user are not present in the vehicle; and in response to determining that the predefined condition is met, prohibit shifting the vehicle out of parking mode.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: A sensor unit configured to detect the presence of a user and a predetermined item in the vehicle; as well as Processor, the processor being configured to: The system determines that the user has entered the vehicle based on the input obtained from the sensor unit. In response to determining that the user has entered the vehicle, a predefined condition is determined based on the input obtained from the sensor unit, wherein the predefined condition is met when one or more first items present in the vehicle do not match the user's predefined authorized item list or when one or more second items preferred by the user are not present in the vehicle; as well as In response to determining that the predefined conditions are met, shifting the vehicle out of parking mode is prohibited.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: When the user attempts to shift the vehicle out of parking mode on the first attempt, and when the vehicle is empty or contains predefined items, shifting the vehicle out of parking mode is prohibited; and When the user attempts to shift the vehicle out of the parking mode on a second attempt, and when the predefined item is either absent or present in the vehicle, the vehicle is able to shift out of the parking mode.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: In response to determining that the predefined conditions are met, user overdrive input is obtained from the user; and In response to receiving the user overdrive input, the vehicle is able to shift out of the parking mode.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the processor obtains the user override input via at least one of a human-machine interface (HMI), a user audio command, or a user gesture command.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: Based on the input obtained from the sensor unit, determine the items that are not present in the vehicle when the user enters the vehicle; It is determined that the item is identical to the one or more second items; and In response to determining that the item is the same as the one or more second items, the vehicle is prohibited from shifting out of the parking mode.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to: Determine that the item is not the same as the one or more second items; and In response to determining that the item is not the same as the one or more second items, the vehicle is able to shift out of the parking mode.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: The items present in the vehicle when the user enters the vehicle are determined based on the input obtained from the sensor unit. It is determined that the item is identical to the one or more first items; and In response to determining that the item is the same as one or more first items, the vehicle is prohibited from shifting out of the parking mode.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more second items include at least one of the user's telephone, the user's laptop computer, the user's tablet computer, or the user's tagged device, and wherein the one or more first items include items that do not belong to the user.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the predefined conditions are further satisfied when conditions associated with vehicle parameters are satisfied.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the condition associated with the vehicle parameters is satisfied when at least one of the following occurs: the vehicle tire pressure is less than a predefined threshold, one or more doors are open, one or more vehicle occupants are not wearing seat belts, one or more predefined lights are turned off, one or more objects are not fixedly positioned on the top portion of the vehicle, one or more objects are positioned near the front or rear portion of the vehicle, the user is not wearing a predefined uniform, or a predefined object is placed on the vehicle dashboard.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: In response to determining that the user has entered the vehicle, the system determines, based on the input obtained from the sensor unit, that the user has not yet completed vehicle inspection; and If the user has not yet completed the vehicle inspection, it is determined that the predefined conditions are met.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the vehicle inspection includes at least one of the following: inspection of the exterior parts of the vehicle, inspection of the interior parts of the vehicle, inspection of the vehicle-trailer connection, or inspection of the vehicle occupants.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor determines that the user has not completed the vehicle inspection when at least one of the following occurs: The current time is equal to a predefined time of day. The vehicle is expected to travel a distance greater than a predefined distance threshold, or The occupants or driver of the vehicle have changed their travel distance relative to the previous vehicle journey.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: Determine the expected user's destination from a predefined location based on the user's historical driving patterns; and In response to determining that the user is expected to drive toward the predefined location, the predefined conditions are determined to be met.

15. A method comprising: The processor determines whether a user has entered the vehicle based on input obtained from the sensor unit. In response to determining that the user has entered the vehicle, the processor determines, based on the input obtained from the sensor unit, that a predefined condition is met, wherein the predefined condition is met when one or more first items present in the vehicle do not match the user's predefined list of authorized items or when one or more second items preferred by the user are not present in the vehicle; as well as In response to determining that the predefined conditions are met, the processor prohibits the vehicle from shifting out of parking mode.

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