VEHICLE OCCUPANT POSITION DETECTION SYSTEM

Abstract

System, comprising: a plurality of wireless transmitters (207, 209, 211) deployed in a vehicle (31); and a processor (3) configured to: Receiving, by a mobile device (203, 205), signal strengths of signals (213, 215, 217) from the wireless transmitters (207, 209, 211) as detected by the mobile device (203, 205); Determining a position of the mobile device (203, 205) in the vehicle (31) based on an actual distance from the mobile device (203, 205) to each of the respective transmitters (207, 209, 211) as determined by the received signal strengths, wherein the processor (3) is configured to delay the position determination of the mobile device (203, 205) until the processor (3) determines that all vehicle doors are in the closed state; and Confirming that a position of an occupant corresponds to the position of the mobile device (203, 205) using at least one secondary physical vehicle system change indicator of a physical vehicle system having a particular connection to a seat position corresponding to the particular position of the mobile device (203, 205) before storing the position of the occupant; in response to the confirmation being successful, storing the position of the mobile device (203, 205) as the position of the occupant.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a system comprising a plurality of wireless transmitters used in a vehicle for vehicle occupant position detection. GENERAL STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are very interested in the ability to determine the positions of occupants within a vehicle cabin. Using such information, advanced vehicle systems (such as airbags) can be turned on / off. In addition, the vehicle can provide control functionality over certain vehicle features for rear seat occupants if the vehicle knows that those occupants are present. The vehicle can monitor seat belts and indicate to the driver when a seating position is occupied and the seat belt in that position is not fastened. Additionally, the vehicle can adjust climate control output for the number and position of passengers, as well as audio / entertainment system settings. In autonomous vehicles, the vehicle can change seating configurations while driving, particularly to account for the seats for which the vehicle determines occupancy.

[0003] Sensors exist that can be integrated into the seats to detect the presence of occupants by measuring the force on the seat caused by the occupant's weight. From an automotive design perspective, these systems pose some potential difficulties, although they are capable of their intended function. The force on the seat bottom for a given occupant varies considerably depending on the occupant's seating position, which may require the integration of software algorithms to detect the presence of an occupant (as opposed to simply detecting a force threshold). Cargo positioned on the seat can also lead to false positive occupancy identifications.

[0004] These systems also often operate with reduced capability in an environment that includes a typical rear seat bench, where the various seating positions are not structurally isolated, but all utilize a single seat structure (or sometimes no seat frame at all).

[0005] This makes it particularly difficult to detect the center position on a three-seat bench seat, which may be smaller than the outer positions and may be tightly coupled to the outer positions by the seat cushion and foam. It may also require OEMs to duplicate force sensors for each seating position, increasing the system cost as each additional seating position is added to the vehicle.

[0006] An alternative solution utilizes video systems to detect occupants and their seating positions. These systems may require only a single camera, regardless of the number of seating positions, but the processing required to achieve occupant detection can involve complex video processing. This processing can be error-prone and require an expensive, powerful microprocessor to operate. All of these systems were considered, and some were used. The drawbacks of a particular implementation were simply accepted as necessary, with the understanding that some detection, even if error-prone, may be more useful than no detection at all.

[0007] US 2015 / 0148989 A1 discloses a system with a plurality of wireless transmitters deployed in a vehicle. Their signals are evaluated by a processor to determine vehicle occupants, with the signal strengths of the received signals being determined. Another system for determining vehicle occupants is known from DE 10 2014 225 855 A1. SUMMARY

[0008] To mitigate the aforementioned problem, the present invention proposes a system according to claim 1, with preferred embodiments of the invention being subject to the dependent claims. Accordingly, the system includes a plurality of wireless transmitters deployed by the vehicle and a processor. The processor is configured to receive signal strengths of signals from the wireless transmitters of a mobile device, as detected by the mobile device. The processor is further configured to determine a position of the mobile device in a vehicle based on the distance from the mobile device to each of the corresponding transmitters, as indicated by the received signal strengths, and to determine the position of the mobile device as an occupant position.

[0009] The system may also include a mobile device processor configured to detect signals from a plurality of antennas deployed by the vehicle. The processor is also configured to determine corresponding signal strengths for each detected signal. The processor is further configured to determine a distance from each antenna based on the signal strength of the signal received from each corresponding antenna. The processor is additionally configured to determine a device position within a vehicle cabin based on the distance from each antenna and transmit the device position to a vehicle computing system.

[0010] The processor may also be configured to receive signals from a plurality of antennas deployed by the vehicle, including antenna identification such that each signal identifies a source antenna. The processor is also configured to determine a signal strength of each received signal. The processor is further configured to determine a device position relative to each antenna based on the determined signal strength of the signal received from each corresponding antenna and store the device position as a user position relative to each antenna. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 illustrates an illustrative vehicle computer system; Fig. 2 illustrates an illustrative detection system interacting with the illustrative rear seat mobile devices; Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of supplemental signal delivery systems for occupant position detection; Fig. 4 shows an illustrative method for position determination; The Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B illustrate illustrative device-based procedures for self-determination and reporting of device position; and The Fig. 5C and Fig. 5D illustrate examples of vehicle networks with varied seating positions and antenna deployment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Detailed embodiments are disclosed herein as appropriate; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative in nature and may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or reduced to show details of particular components. Accordingly, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously implement the claimed subject matter.

[0012] Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary block structure for a vehicle-based computing system 1 (VCS) for a vehicle 31. An example of such a vehicle-based computing system 1 is the SYNC system manufactured by THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. A vehicle equipped with a vehicle-based computing system may include a visual front-end interface 4 located within the vehicle. The user may also be able to interact with the interface, if provided, for example, via a touch-sensitive screen. In another illustrative embodiment, the interaction occurs through button presses, a voice dialog system with automatic speech recognition, and speech synthesis.

[0013] At the Fig. In the illustrative embodiment shown in Figure 1, a processor 3 controls at least a portion of the operation of the vehicle-based computing system. The processor, located in the vehicle, enables the processing of instructions and routines within the vehicle. Further, the processor is connected to both non-persistent memory 5 and persistent memory 7. In this illustrative embodiment, the non-persistent memory is random access memory (RAM) and the persistent memory is hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. In general, persistent (non-volatile) memory can include any form of storage that retains data when a computer or other device is turned off. These include, but are not limited to, HDDs, CDs, DVDs, magnetic tapes, solid-state drives, portable USB drives, and any other suitable form of persistent storage.

[0014] The processor is also equipped with a number of different inputs through which the user can connect to the processor. In this illustrative embodiment, a microphone 29, an auxiliary input 25 (for input 33), a USB input 23, a GPS input 24, screen 4, which may be a touchscreen display, and a BLUETOOTH input 15 are all provided. An input selector 51 is also provided to allow a user to switch between different inputs. Inputs via both the microphone and the auxiliary port are converted from analog to digital by a converter 27 before being passed to the processor. Although not shown, many of the vehicle components and auxiliary components connected to the VCS may utilize a vehicle network (such as, among others, a CAN bus) to pass data to and from the VCS (or components thereof).

[0015] Outputs on the system may include, among others, a visual display 4 and a speaker 13 or a stereo system output. The speaker is connected to an amplifier 11 and receives its signal from the processor 3 through a digital-to-analog converter 9. Output may also be provided to a remote BLUETOOTH device, such as PND 54, or a USB device, such as the vehicle navigation device 60, along the bidirectional data streams shown at 19 and 21, respectively.

[0016] In one illustrative embodiment, system 1 uses BLUETOOTH transceiver 15 to communicate 17 with a user's mobile device 53 (e.g., cell phone, smartphone, PDA, or any other device with a remote wireless network connection). The mobile device can then be used to communicate 59 with a network 61 external to vehicle 31, for example, through communication 55 with a cellular tower 57. In some embodiments, tower 57 may be a wireless access point.

[0017] An example of communication between the mobile device and the BLUETOOTH transceiver is represented by signal 14.

[0018] Pairing a mobile device 53 with the BLUETOOTH transceiver 15 can be initiated by a button 52 or a similar input. Accordingly, the CPU is instructed to pair the vehicle's integrated BLUETOOTH transceiver with a BLUETOOTH transceiver of the mobile device.

[0019] Data may be communicated between the CPU 3 and the network 61, for example, using a data plan, data over voice, or DTMF tones associated with the mobile device 53. Alternatively, it may be desirable to provide an on-board modem 63 having an antenna 18 to communicate 16 data between the CPU 3 and the network 61 over the voice band. The mobile device 53 may then be used to communicate 59 with a network 61 external to the vehicle 31, for example, through communication 55 with a cellular tower 57. In some embodiments, the modem 63 may establish a connection 20 with the tower 57 to communicate with the network 61. As a non-limiting example, the modem 63 may be a USB cellular modem and the communication 20 may be a cellular communication.

[0020] In one illustrative embodiment, the processor is provided with an operating system, including an API for communicating with modem application software. The modem application software can access an embedded module or firmware on the BLUETOOTH transceiver to complete wireless communication with a remote BLUETOOTH transceiver (such as that in a mobile device). Bluetooth is a subset of the IEEE 802 Personal Area Network (PAN) protocols. IEEE 802 Local Area Network (LAN) protocols include WLAN and have considerable cross-functionality with IEEE 802 PAN. Both are suitable for wireless communication in a vehicle. Other communication means that can be used in this area are free-space optical communication (such as IrDA) and non-standardized consumer IR protocols.

[0021] In another embodiment, mobile device 53 includes a modem for voiceband or broadband data communication. In the data-over-voice embodiment, a technique known as frequency division multiplexing may be implemented when the owner of the mobile device can speak through the device while simultaneously transmitting data. At other times, when the owner is not using the device, the entire bandwidth may be used for data transmission (300 Hz to 3.4 kHz in one example). While frequency division multiplexing may be common and still used in analog cellular communication between the vehicle and the Internet, it has largely been replaced by hybrids using code division multiplexing (CDMA), time division multiplexing (TDMA), and space division multiplexing (SDMA) for digital cellular communication.If the user's mobile device is associated with a data plan, it is possible that the data plan allows for broadband transmission, and the system could utilize a significantly greater bandwidth (thereby increasing the data transmission speed). In yet another embodiment, the mobile device 53 is replaced by a cellular communication device (not shown) installed in the vehicle 31. In yet another embodiment, the ND 53 may be a wireless local area network (LAN) device capable of communicating, for example (and without limitation), over an 802.11g network (i.e., WLAN) or a WiMax network.

[0022] In one embodiment, incoming data from the mobile device can be forwarded via data-over-voice or a data plan through the onboard BLUETOOTH transceiver and into the vehicle's internal processor 3. In the case of certain temporary data, the data can be stored, for example, on the HDD or other storage medium 7 until the data is no longer needed.

[0023] Additional sources that may connect to the vehicle include a personal navigation device 54, such as one with a USB port 56 and / or antenna 58, an in-vehicle navigation device 60 with a USB 62 or other port, an on-board GPS device 24, or a separate navigation system (not shown) with connectivity to the network 61. USB is one of a class of serial network protocols. The serial protocols IEEE 1394 (FireWire™ (Apple), i.LINK™ (Sony), and Lynx™ (Texas Instruments)), EIA (Electronics Industry Association), IEEE 1284 (Centronics Port), S / PDIF (Sony / Philips Digital Interconnect Format), and USB-IF (USB Implementers Forum) form the backbone of serial device-to-device standards. The majority of the protocols can be implemented for either electrical or optical communication.

[0024] In addition, the CPU could be connected to a variety of other auxiliary devices 65. These devices may be connected via a wireless 67 or wired 69 connection. The auxiliary devices 65 may include, but are not limited to, personal media players, wireless health devices, wearable computers, and the like.

[0025] Additionally or alternatively, the CPU could be connected to a vehicle-based wireless router 73, for example, using a WLAN transceiver 71 (IEEE 803.11). This would allow the CPU to connect to remote networks within the range of the local router 73.

[0026] In addition to example methods being performed by a vehicle computing system located in a vehicle, in certain embodiments the example methods may be performed by a computing system connected to the vehicle computing system. Such a system may include, but is not limited to, a wireless device (e.g., a cellular phone, among others) or a remote computing system (e.g., a server, among others) connected via the wireless device. Collectively, such systems may be referred to as vehicle-associated computing systems (VACS). In certain embodiments, certain components of the VACS may perform certain portions of a method, depending on the particular implementation of the system.For example, and not by way of limitation, if a method includes a step of sending or receiving information with a paired wireless device, the wireless device is likely not performing that part of the method because the wireless device would not "send and receive" information to or from itself. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand when it is inappropriate to apply a particular computing system to a particular solution.

[0027] In each illustrative embodiment discussed herein, an exemplary, non-limiting example of a method performable by a computing system is shown. With respect to each method, the computing system executing the method may be configured, for the limited purpose of executing the method, as a special-purpose processor to perform the method. All methods need not be performed in their entirety and are understood as examples of types of methods that may be performed to achieve elements of the invention. Additional steps may be added to or removed from the exemplary methods as desired.

[0028] With respect to the illustrative embodiments shown in the figures depicting illustrative method flows, it should be noted that a general-purpose processor may be temporarily activated as a special-purpose processor for the purpose of performing some or all of the exemplary methods depicted by those figures. When code providing instructions for performing some or all of the steps of the method is executed, the processor may temporarily be reinstated as a special-purpose processor until the method is completed. In another example, to a reasonable extent, firmware acting in accordance with a preconfigured processor may cause the processor to act as a special-purpose processor dedicated for the purpose of performing the method or a reasonable variation thereof.

[0029] The illustrated embodiments utilize signal strength determination based on communication between fixed transmitters (or transceivers) in the vehicle and wireless occupant devices. The vehicle or devices can determine the relative position of each device to fixed transmitters. The devices can report either their respective positions or received signal strengths, the latter being useful when the vehicle determines device positions. These relative positions, in turn, provide the vehicle with knowledge of which devices are located at each seating position, which can be particularly useful with respect to rear seat occupant positions, which have previously presented difficulties in detection.Although the illustrative embodiments may be used to determine any seating position, examples are provided with respect to rear seats for illustrative purposes.

[0030] Additionally, the illustrative embodiment shows examples of determining device position based on the signals received at the devices. An alternative to this could involve multiple receiving antennas in the vehicle to detect signals from the wireless devices simultaneously. Similar methodologies could be used to determine the relative position of the devices based on the signal strength received at the corresponding receiving antennas.

[0031] Wireless signals used in the illustrative embodiment may include any digital communication protocol, such as, but not limited to, Bluetooth, 802.11x, etc. Software in the vehicle determines the relative strength of the signals to triangulate a position within the vehicle. The signals provide the ability to locate portable devices and cellular phones (and other wireless devices) with sufficient precision to determine seat position, without the addition of physical sensors and without the need for pairing or special setup by the owner.

[0032] Fig. Figure 2 illustrates an illustrative detection system interacting with illustrative mobile rear-seat devices. This is an example of a phone-centric architecture that uses multiple fixed transmitters to transmit signals for reception by wireless devices in the vehicle cabin. In a vehicle-centric architecture model, the devices transmit signals to multiple fixed receivers.

[0033] In the Fig. 2, the vehicle cabin 201 includes three antennas 207, 209, 211 (with transmitting capability) at fixed positions. Each antenna transmits a signal 213, 215, 217 for reception by user devices 203, 205 within the cabin. The received signal strength varies based on the device position, so, for example, device 203 is likely to receive a stronger signal 215 from antenna 211 than the signal 217 from antenna 209. The device receives an even stronger signal 213 from antenna 207. Because the signal from 207 is the strongest, the device (or the vehicle) knows that the device is closest to antenna 207. This allows the determination that the device is in a rear seat position.Because the signal from antenna 211 is stronger than the signal from 209, the device (or the vehicle) determines that the device is in a right rear seat position. If the signals from antennas 211 and 209 are relatively similar, the device can determine that it is in a central seat position. If the signal from antenna 209 is stronger than the signal from antenna 211, the device can determine that it is in a left rear seat position.

[0034] The selection of the antenna position can play an important role in the effectiveness of the system. The displayed configuration may lead to difficulties in determining the difference between a device in the left pocket of a rear right seat occupant and the right pocket of a rear center seat occupant. If antennas 209 and 211 are deployed in more rearward positions along exterior vehicle cabin walls, the difference between the two pocket positions may be more noticeable. Different seating arrangements may benefit from different antenna deployments (and different numbers of antennas). In general, the deployment should allow a certain degree of discrimination, which is required for tight scenarios.As seen herein, the devices may utilize additional information to supplement the determination of signal strength, which may also assist in distinguishing between two device locations physically separated by only a few centimeters. Although in some embodiments, the devices are described as self-determining their own locations, the devices may also simply report received signal strengths, and the vehicle may use this information to determine device locations.

[0035] In this example, each device receives signals from multiple antennas, and applications running on the corresponding devices use this information to determine the device position themselves. The devices then report their corresponding location to the vehicle electrical system 223, with device 203 reporting position 221 and device 205 reporting position 219. Although device positions are not necessarily the corresponding positions of the device owners (a device may simply be determined to be in an unoccupied seat), reasonable assumptions can be made about a correlation between device and owner positions. In most examples, if a device owner is not a driver, that person does not position the device in an alternative seating position.This assumption may be even more valid with regard to portable devices, which would actually have to be removed in order to be positioned in an alternative position.

[0036] The most common example of a device being in a different position than its owner is when the device is charging, but the positioning algorithm can also pick up charging. For example, if a device is charging, the algorithm can wait until charging ends before reporting a position. The device can report a charging state by reporting a charging signal or other indication that the device is charging. In another example, the charging device can determine that it is charging in the rear of a vehicle. While the device cannot attempt to determine a specific rear seat position when the device is charging, the device can still report that it is in the rear of the vehicle, likely indicating at least one rear seat occupant.The vehicle may store the determined position of a device as a position of an occupant, which may or may not explicitly identify the occupant depending on whether a predetermined relationship has been established between a person and the mobile device.

[0037] Fig. Figure 3 illustrates an example block diagram of supplemental signal delivery systems for occupant position detection. To enhance robustness, the system may also incorporate inputs from other pre-existing sources, such as the operation of the rear doors, rear locks, power windows, or other position-related vehicle systems. Occupants typically utilize the controls closest to their position, so there is a reasonable probability that opening a right rear door indicates an intention to enter and sit in a right or central rear position.Different recording may occur in vehicles equipped with multiple rows of rear seats, and the examples provided herein are demonstrative in nature to show how the vehicle or device may utilize supplemental information to improve the accuracy of determining occupant position.

[0038] Some of the signals from the vehicle systems may be known only to the vehicle (e.g., a phone may not know that a door has been opened or that a lock has been activated) and can be used to verify a reported position. Other verification signals include, for example, sound-based position verification using acoustic signals from the occupants, which can be picked up by the vehicle's microphones.

[0039] In the Fig. 3, the vehicle electronic control unit (ECU) 303 receives signals from the right rear door 307, the left rear door 309, the right rear power window switch 311, the left rear power window switch 313, and the central locking system 315. The ECU also receives audio signals 317 from vehicle microphones included in a vehicle audio system 301.

[0040] In this example, the devices within the vehicle report their own positions 305, so the ECU takes the reported position information and performs a post-processing check using the received secondary position indicators (the received signals). This helps finalize the likely seat positions and can prove useful when a device position may be unclear due to the previously described pocket position scenario.

[0041] A typical vehicle module (such as the body control) may receive all or various position indicator signals via wireless or wired means. In the example provided, the vehicle ECU receives the phone positions via a wireless signal. The vehicle ECU receives the door open signals and the power window safety switch activation signals via individual wires. The ECU may receive the central locking activation via a data bus, such as CAN or LIN. Acoustic position signals may require processing to determine positions. In this example, a separate module connected directly to the acoustic sensors may perform this processing and communicate the relevant information to the vehicle ECU via a data bus.The ECU logically combines the signals in a software algorithm to determine the most likely seat position based on the combination of signals. The ECU can also weight the sensor signal significance based on the known strengths and weaknesses of a particular signal.

[0042] Fig. 4 illustrates an illustrative method for determining position. In this example, the method begins when the vehicle ignition occurs 401. While the method could begin at any time, people are less likely to be moving when the ignition occurs. The vehicle could also wait for additional signals, such as all doors being closed and / or driver seat occupancy. In another example, the method begins when the vehicle begins to move.

[0043] Initially, the vehicle instructs the antenna to transmit signals or powers the antenna for signal transmission 403. The vehicle (which in this example may also perform position determination) then waits for the signal or position report 405. In this illustrative example, the devices receive the signals from the various in-vehicle antennas and report the signal strength of the received signals. Applications running on the devices handle device processing, and it is not necessary to pair the vehicle with the devices for communication to occur. If necessary, reporting can be done wirelessly using standards that do not require pairing with the devices (such as devices that register on a vehicle's Wi-Fi network and report the information over the network to a known vehicle module).Once a particular device has received the corresponding signals and requests the reporting of the signals 407, the method can communicate with the particular device 409.

[0044] In one example, the device itself determines a position and reports the determined position 411a. In another example, the vehicle may determine the position, and the device may report the signal strengths 411b. In the latter example, the vehicle uses the reported signal strengths to determine the device position 413.

[0045] In this example, the vehicle also uses secondary position signals to verify the determined position 415. This may include the signals discussed herein or similar signals useful for distinguishing one seating position from another. The vehicle determines whether the secondary signals correspond to the determined or reported location(s). Because the vehicle receives the device position / signal report separately from the secondary signal, it may be difficult for the secondary signal to correspond to a specific device. In particular, if, for example, more than one device reports a rear seat position, the determination may be limited to whether any device is reported at a position corresponding to a signal, as opposed to a specific device.On the other hand, if an absence of signals indicates that no devices are likely present at a given specific seating position, or if a particular signal or signals indicate that a device is likely present at a given specific seating position, the signals may be useful in determining the accuracy of the occupant position determinations.

[0046] If the vehicle determines that a position is incorrect 417 based on the secondary indicia, the method may attempt to determine an alternative position 421 for a particular device. For example, if a person entered the vehicle at the left rear door and was sitting in the middle rear position, but had a phone in their right pocket, the phone may appear positioned in a right rear seat position. Thus, the device or vehicle may initially determine that the device is located in the right rear seat (based on signal strength). However, once the vehicle considers the secondary indicia of the left door opening, the seating determination may be changed to a middle rear position.This could, for example, be further confirmed by the operation of a left rear window, since it is highly unlikely that a person sitting in the right rear seat would operate the left rear window.

[0047] The position determination can also be adjusted dynamically while the vehicle is moving. Passengers may change seats, and in cases of the above example, window operation may not occur until a certain point in a journey. If a secondary signal is received at any point, it can be compared to previously stored seat positions, and the vehicle can adjust for deviations. The vehicle can either change a determination if the signal indicates a high probability of an incorrect position determination, or, in another example, the vehicle could request a position / signal strength re-report. The second case can be useful if the signal did not serve to clarify a possible incorrect assumption regarding a position, but instead indicated that at least one rear seat occupant likely changed seats completely.For example, opening the right rear door and using the switch may support an initial determination that an occupant is in the right rear seat. In this example, only one occupant is detected in the rear seat. At a later point in the trip, a rear left power window switch may be used. This could indicate that: a) the person reached across the vehicle to operate the switch; b) the person moved toward the center of the vehicle; c) the person moved toward the rear left of the vehicle; or d) someone else entirely operated the switch (either a front seat occupant or another rear seat occupant whose position was not detected). By retransmitting the signal or requesting the updated message, the vehicle can quickly determine whether the previously determined occupant position has changed based on the newly reported position or signal strength.

[0048] If the occupant position appears to have changed based on the updated message, the vehicle may assume that a second person may be present in the rear seat. While it may still be possible for the driver to operate the window using the rear window switches, such an occurrence may be less likely than the likelihood of a second person being in the left rear seat without a device or without a reporting device. While the illustrative embodiments still include some degree of possible false alarms or misidentifications of seat occupancy, the accuracy of determining rear seat (and general seat) occupancy may be significantly improved.

[0049] The Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B illustrate device-based methods for self-determination and reporting of device position. Fig. Figure 5A illustrates a device-based positioning method. This may be enabled by an application / method installed on a device, and the application may also communicate the determined position to the vehicle computer. If the application is configured to simply receive and determine signal strengths from transmitters deployed by the vehicle, the application may instead report the signal strengths.

[0050] A user may launch the application, or the application or method may begin when the device detects a vehicle 501. The device may detect the vehicle by detecting a wireless signal transmitted by the vehicle, such as detecting a vehicle Bluetooth signal. In another example, the device may know the vehicle's GPS location and "detect" the vehicle by determining that the device is at a location near the known vehicle's GPS location.

[0051] Since the device is determining its position within the vehicle, in this example, the device does not proceed with the position determination until the device determines that it is inside the vehicle 503. The device may make this determination in a variety of ways. Some examples include, but are not limited to, determining that the device is at the same GPS location as the vehicle and that the device GPS location has not changed for a threshold period of time (indicating that the user is likely seated), receiving a signal at a level known to represent a signal strength that is not attenuated by the vehicle body (indicating that the device is inside rather than outside the vehicle), or receiving other signs indicating that the device is inside the vehicle.

[0052] Once the device is inside the vehicle, the device searches for expected wireless transmission signals 505. It is also possible to skip this step and begin searching based on a determination that the device detects the vehicle. The indications may depend, for example, on when the vehicle begins transmitting signals. If the vehicle continuously transmits signals when powered, the device may wait until it is inside the vehicle to determine the device position. On the other hand, if the vehicle does not transmit signals until the journey is underway, the device may simply wait until the signals are detected, as there is a lower probability of a false alarm if they originate from a user standing outside the moving vehicle.

[0053] Once the device receives the signals 507, the device determines a signal position for each signal. The device may base this determination on a variety of factors, depending on how the transmitting antennas are to be deployed, as selected by the OEM. For example, if the antennas are always located in the same fixed positions within all vehicles or all vehicles within a known vehicle model (e.g., always center rear, front right, front left), the device may determine the OEM or model and thus know where the antenna is located. In another example, the signals transmitted by the antenna may report the antenna position itself. Rather than "empty" signals transmitted solely for positioning purposes, this means that the antennas may actively transmit data with the signals, including at least one antenna position or relative position within the vehicle.

[0054] The with reference to the Fig. 5A and Fig. The example shown in Figure 5B takes the signal+data concept a step further. Antenna deployment positions may vary from vehicle to vehicle and model year to model year. If the antenna was installed aftermarket, configurations may vary even more dynamically. Adding to the complication is the fact that seating configurations may vary even within specific vehicle models (e.g., a Ford Explorer Sport may have a rear bench seat or two rear seats).

[0055] To address this variation, it is possible to view the vehicle as a small-scale version of a coordinate grid. Certain coordinates indicate the various seat positions associated with a particular vehicle configuration. Other coordinates indicate antenna positions. Knowing the grid assignments for a specific vehicle allows a driver to know both the position (on the grid) and the configuration of the actual seats and the relative position of the deployed antennas. Thus, the device could easily accommodate the changes, even if the seat configuration changes from vehicle to vehicle and / or if the antenna position changes. In the example shown, the antenna signals include grid data (coordinate values / grid size), seat coordinates within the grid, and the antenna position within the grid.If the vehicle can dynamically adjust the signal from the antennas, the vehicle could even adjust the seating configuration to allow stowable seats to be stowed (i.e., identify those positions as non-seats). Among other things, considering stowable seats and identifying a device position as a stowed seat position could alert a driver that a passenger was in a non-seat (and therefore non-seatbelt) position. Fig. 5C and Fig. 5D illustrate examples of vehicle networks with varied seating positions and antenna deployment.

[0056] In Fig. 5B, the device receives signals from the antennas, which in this example include grid definition, seat positions, and antenna positions. The antennas are defined by the nearest corresponding grid coordinates to the deployed position, with the seats being defined by pairs of coordinates denoting the opposite corner of the area of the grid occupied by the seat. The device utilizes the defined grid (which may be much more expensive than the one in the Fig. 5C and Fig. 5D) and assigns seat coordinates for the detected seats as well as any seat state detected by the signal (for example, stowed seat state). The beacon / transmitter positions are also assigned on the grid.

[0057] Based on the received signal strengths from each of the antennas, which in this example are located either at known positions or at assigned positions in the grid, the device analyzes the relative signal strengths 511. Knowing the relative signal strengths, the device can determine an approximate relative position with respect to each antenna 513. The device can use either a known or approximate decay to determine a distance from each antenna, or the device can use relative strengths to determine the relative proximity to each antenna (e.g., the device is closest to antenna 1, and closer to antenna 2 than 3). When the grid is deployed, the device can determine a relatively accurate or approximate (depending on the signal analysis method) position on the grid. The device then selects the nearest corresponding seat as the seating position.

[0058] The Fig. 5C and Fig. 5D shows illustrative vehicle grid coordinate systems. These are examples for illustrative purposes; a much more detailed grid (many more coordinate points) could be used if necessary.

[0059] In the case of Fig. In the example shown in Figure 5C, grid 550 is a 10x9 grid. The lower right corner (front right corner of the vehicle) represents the origin point 563 in this example at coordinates (0,0). A driver's seat 561 is positioned to cover coordinates (3,5) - (5,8). The corner coordinate pairs can define a square object on the grid; however, if a higher resolution of the seat is desired, a more precise range of coordinates can be defined.

[0060] The front passenger seat 559 is defined by (3,1) - (5,4). There are two rear seats, with seat 557 defined by (7,1) - (9,4) and seat 555 defined by (7,5) - (9,8). The antennas on this grid are located at 554 (8,8) - (9,9), 553 (8,0) - (9,1), and 551 (0,4) - (1,5). The outermost grid coordinate in this system is 565 (10,9).

[0061] Fig.Figure 5D shows an example of a larger grid 570, sized 21x13, for a reconfigurable vehicle (stowable seats) with a center bench. As before, the origin is at (0,0) in the front right corner. Two front seats 571 and 573 are also defined. The antenna position is not shown in this illustration, but a suitable insert to distinguish between possible rear seat positions is considered. Positions behind the rearmost seats 581 and 583, to the left and right of these seats, to the left and right of the center seats 575, 579, or any other arbitrary position are all possible antenna positions. For example, positioning an antenna to the left of seats 581 and 575 and directly between them may not be the best configuration, since a device in the center of each seat could receive approximately the same signal strength.A front-most antenna could be used to distinguish between these positions. However, if the front-most signal is blocked due to interference to both devices, the method may have difficulty distinguishing between seating positions based on the relative signal strength from the designated antenna and a similarly deployed antenna on the opposite side of the vehicle. Thus, the antenna positioning should provide different relative signal strength values detectable at different seating positions.

[0062] Seats 575, 577, and 579 define the seating positions on a bench seat. They are not referred to as an entire block in this example, although the bench may be a single seating element. Detections from devices in the empty spaces between the seats may benefit from subsequent refinement by the vehicle based on the secondary characters already discussed.

[0063] There are also two rear seat positions, 581 and 583. Seat 583 is a stowable seat, which in this example is stowed. While seat position 583 is a candidate position, it thus corresponds to a stowed seat. Detection of a device at this position indicates that a device (and possibly an occupant) is sitting on top of the stowed seat. This could cause the vehicle to issue an alert to a driver.

[0064] As seen in the examples, different vehicles may have different grilles and different seat and antenna positions provided thereon. By informing the device of the particular grille and antenna positioning, the device can easily adapt the seat position determinations to accommodate different seat configurations in different vehicles. This can be done automatically, eliminating the need for a user to enter vehicle configuration details. Using the illustrative embodiments, a device position relative to the vehicle antenna can be determined and used as an approximate occupant position. Secondary seat indicia can supplement this information, and the secondary seat indicia can refine the position determinations, providing an accurate snapshot of the occupant position for use by vehicle systems.

[0065] While exemplary embodiments have been described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. The terms used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be logically combined to form situationally appropriate variations of the embodiments described herein.

Claims

[1] System comprising: a plurality of wireless transmitters (207, 209, 211) deployed in a vehicle (31); and a processor (3) configured to: Receiving, by a mobile device (203, 205), signal strengths of signals (213, 215, 217) from the wireless transmitters (207, 209, 211) as detected by the mobile device (203, 205); Determining a position of the mobile device (203, 205) in the vehicle (31) based on an actual distance from the mobile device (203, 205) to each of the respective transmitters (207, 209, 211) as determined by the received signal strengths, wherein the processor (3) is configured to delay the position determination of the mobile device (203, 205) until the processor (3) determines that all vehicle doors are in the closed state; and Confirming that a position of an occupant corresponds to the position of the mobile device (203, 205) using at least one secondary physical vehicle system change indicator of a physical vehicle system having a particular connection to a seat position corresponding to the particular position of the mobile device (203, 205) before storing the position of the occupant; in response to the confirmation being successful, storing the position of the mobile device (203, 205) as the position of the occupant. [2] The system of claim 1, wherein the processor (3) is further configured to receive a device charging signal from the mobile device (203, 205) and delay the position determination until the device charging signal stops. [3] The system of claim 1, wherein the processor (3) is configured to determine an identity of the occupant based on a predefined relationship between the mobile device (203, 205) and a person. [4] The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary indicia include detecting a door having a predetermined connection to the determined position of the mobile device (203, 205) closing or opening. [5] The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary indicia include activating a door locking device having a predetermined connection to the determined position of the mobile device (203, 205). [6] The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary indicia include activating a window control having a predetermined association with the determined position of the mobile device (203, 205). [7] The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary indicia include activating a weight sensor provided to a seat in association with the determined position of the mobile device (203, 205). [8] The system of claim 1, wherein the processor (3) is configured to delay the position determination of the mobile device (203, 205) until the vehicle (31) has been turned on. [9] The system of claim 1, wherein the processor (3) is in communication with the antennas (207, 209, 211) and the processor (3) is configured to instruct the transmitters (207, 209, 211) to transmit the signals (213, 215, 217) for detection. [10] The system of claim 1, wherein the signals (213, 215, 217) include BLUETOOTH signals. [11] The system of claim 1, wherein the signals (213, 215, 217) include WLAN signals. [12] The system of claim 1, wherein the processor (3) is configured to receive secondary signs indicative of a change in seat position while a vehicle (31) is traveling, and is configured to redetermine the position of the mobile device (203, 205) in response to the received secondary signs.

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