METHOD FOR DETECTING ONE OR MORE PROPERTIES OF AN OBJECT WITHIN A MOTOR VEHICLE AND FOR PREDICTING THE SEVERITY OF INJURY AFTER A VEHICLE IMPACT EVENT

Abstract

Method for detecting one or more properties of an object (11) within a motor vehicle (10), the method comprising: Determining one or more of the location, orientation, size, and type of the object (11) within the vehicle (10) using one or more sensors (42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70), each of the one or more sensors (42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70) being located inside an interior of the vehicle (10) or on an exterior of the vehicle (10); and Assess whether the object (11) is arranged in a given, cautionable arrangement, characterized by the fact that the procedure also includes: Detect whether a vehicle impact event has occurred; when a vehicle impact event is detected, wireless broadcasting of the specific location, orientation, size and / or type of the object (11); Determining an extended injury severity prediction based on the location, orientation, size and / or object type of the object (11) being broadcast; and Sending the extended injury severity prediction to one or more first responders.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for detecting one or more properties of an object within a motor vehicle. Comparable systems and methods can be found, for example, in DE 10 2017 211 243 A1, DE 10 2020 102 053 A1, DE 10 2020 119 872 A1, DE 10 2021 102 814 B4 and EP 1 497 160 B1.

[0002] Some motor vehicles may be equipped with one or more cameras or other sensors for driver safety or comfort. For example, some vehicles have sensors or cameras mounted on the exterior to assist with parking, reversing, lane changes, and similar maneuvers. Additionally, cameras or sensors may be installed inside the vehicle to monitor the driver's eyes, alerting them if the system detects that the driver's eyes have been closed for longer than usual or that the driver's head is nodding, which could indicate that the driver is falling asleep. SUMMARY

[0003] According to the invention, a method for detecting one or more properties of an object inside a motor vehicle comprises: determining one or more of the location, orientation, size, and type of the object inside the vehicle using one or more sensors, wherein each of the one or more sensors is located inside an interior space of the vehicle or on an exterior surface of the vehicle; and assessing whether the object is arranged in a predetermined, warning-worthy configuration.

[0004] If the object is assessed as being arranged in a predefined, potentially hazardous configuration, a visual or audible warning about this configuration can be issued inside the vehicle. Additionally, a visual or audible suggestion for a corrective action to mitigate the hazardous configuration can be provided inside the vehicle.

[0005] The one or more sensors can be at least one of an interior camera mounted inside the interior of the vehicle, an exterior camera mounted on the outside of the vehicle, a radar device mounted inside the interior of the vehicle, a LiDAR device mounted inside the interior of the vehicle, an ultrasonic device mounted inside the interior of the vehicle, a seat occupancy sensor mounted in a seat inside the interior of the vehicle, and a seat position sensor mounted in the seat inside the interior of the vehicle.

[0006] The specified warning arrangement may include: (i) if the object is not a human occupant, then one or more of: (a) it is positioned in such a way as to obstruct a driver's view of the front, rear, or side of the vehicle, and (b) it is positioned in such a way as to present a substantial probability of causing bodily injury to an occupant inside the vehicle in the event of a collision; or (ii) if the object is a human occupant, then one or more of: (w) at least one foot of the occupant rests on an instrument panel of the vehicle, (x) a body of the occupant is less than a specified minimum distance from a steering wheel of the vehicle, (y) the body of the occupant is not facing forward, and (z) the occupant is positioned in an orientation and / or location which, respectively,which represents a potential to cause or worsen injury to the occupant in the event of an impact, where the potential is greater than a specified permissible potential.

[0007] The object type can include one or more non-human physical objects, an infant in a forward-facing car seat, an infant in a rear-facing car seat, a human occupant sitting on a booster seat, a human occupant wearing a helmet, and a human occupant not sitting on a booster seat and not wearing a helmet. Additionally, the object's location can be its center of gravity.

[0008] According to the invention, the method comprises detecting whether a vehicle impact event has occurred, wherein, if a vehicle impact is detected, the specific location, orientation, size, and / or type of the object can be wirelessly transmitted. The method according to the invention further comprises determining an enhanced injury severity prediction based on the location, orientation, size, and / or type of the object that has been wirelessly transmitted, and sending the enhanced injury severity prediction to one or more first responders.

[0009] The method can also include both the storage of object information specifying the object's location, orientation, size and / or type, and the wireless transmission of object information specifying the object's location, orientation, size and / or type.

[0010] According to a further embodiment, a method for detecting one or more characteristics of an occupant within a motor vehicle comprises: (i) determining one or more of the occupant's location, orientation, size, and type using one or more sensors, wherein each of the one or more sensors is an interior camera mounted within the interior of the vehicle, an exterior camera mounted on the outside of the vehicle, a radar device mounted within the interior of the vehicle, a LiDAR device mounted within the interior of the vehicle, or an ultrasonic device mounted within the interior of the vehicle; (ii) assessing whether the occupant is positioned in a predetermined, warning-worthy arrangement;and (iii) if the occupant is judged to be in a predefined, cautionable position, then provide a visual or audible warning inside the vehicle of the cautionable position of the occupant.

[0011] According to this procedure, the occupant type may include one or more infants in a forward-facing car seat, infants in a rear-facing car seat, human occupants seated on a booster seat, human occupants wearing a helmet, and human occupants not seated on a booster seat and not wearing a helmet. Additionally, the specified warning arrangement may include at least one occupant's foot resting on the vehicle's instrument panel, the occupant's body being less than a specified minimum distance from the vehicle's steering wheel, the occupant's body not facing forward, and the occupant being in an orientation and / or location that...which contains a potential to cause or worsen injury to the occupant in the event of an impact, where the potential is greater than a specified permissible potential.

[0012] According to a further embodiment, a system for detecting one or more properties of an object inside a motor vehicle comprises one or more sensors, each located inside or on the exterior of the vehicle, and a controller operationally connected to the one or more sensors. Each of the one or more sensors is configured to detect one or more of the object's location, orientation, size, and type within the vehicle, with the controller being configured to assess whether the object is arranged in a predefined, warning-worthy configuration.

[0013] According to this system, the one or more sensors can be at least one interior camera mounted inside the interior of the vehicle, one exterior camera mounted on the outside of the vehicle, one radar device mounted inside the interior of the vehicle, one LiDAR device mounted inside the interior of the vehicle, one ultrasonic device mounted inside the interior of the vehicle, one seat occupancy sensor mounted in a seat mounted inside the interior of the vehicle, and one seat position sensor mounted in the seat mounted inside the interior of the vehicle.

[0014] Additionally, the specified warning arrangement in this system may include: (i) if the object is not a human occupant, then one or more of: (a) it is positioned in such a way as to obstruct a driver's view of the front, rear, or side of the vehicle, and (b) it is positioned in such a way as to present a substantial probability of causing bodily injury to an occupant inside the vehicle in the event of a collision; or (ii) if the object is a human occupant, then one or more of: (w) at least one foot of the occupant is resting on an instrument panel of the vehicle, (x) a body of the occupant is less than a specified minimum distance from a steering wheel of the vehicle, (y) the body of the occupant is not facing forward, and (z) the occupant is positioned in an orientation and / or location which, respectively,which represents a potential to cause or worsen injury to the occupant in the event of an impact, where the potential is greater than a specified permissible potential.

[0015] The system can further include both a memory unit, operationally connected to the controller and configured to store object information specifying the object's location, orientation, size, and / or type, and a transmitter, operationally connected to the controller and configured to wirelessly transmit object information specifying the object's location, orientation, size, and / or type. The system can also include a warning device, operationally connected to the controller and configured to provide visual or audible warnings within the vehicle regarding the object's potentially dangerous position.

[0016] The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present teachings are readily apparent from the following detailed description of some of the best types and other embodiments for carrying out the present teaching as defined in the attached claims, when considered in conjunction with the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a flowchart of a procedure for detecting one or more properties of an object inside a motor vehicle. Fig. Figure 2 is a schematic top view of a motor vehicle and a system for detecting one or more properties of an object within the motor vehicle. Fig. 3 is an alternative schematic top view of the motor vehicle and the system according to Fig. 2, showing the beam patterns of various sensors or cameras mounted inside or outside the motor vehicle. Fig. 4 is a block diagram of various sensors that can be used in the present system and procedure. Fig. 5 is a block diagram of various object types that may be encountered in the present system and procedure. Fig. Figure 6 is a block diagram of various orientations or predefined warning arrangements that can be encountered in the present system and procedure. Fig. Figure 7 is a block diagram with various event data that can be used in the present system and procedure. Fig. Figure 8 is a flowchart of an alternative procedure for detecting one or more properties of an object within a motor vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Now, with regard to the drawings in which the same reference numerals indicate the same parts in the multiple views, a system 20 and a method 100 for detecting one or more properties of an object 11 within a motor vehicle 10 are shown and described here.

[0018] System 20 and method 100 of the present disclosure provide features, benefits, and technical advantages not provided by previous or currently available systems and methods. For example, System 20 and method 100 can use cameras and sensors 56, mounted inside or outside the vehicle 10, to detect any number of predetermined warning-worthy arrangements 89 of objects 11 inside the vehicle. These objects 11 may be human occupants or physical objects that pose a threat or could endanger the safety of the occupants. The cameras or sensors 56 may be devices already installed inside 16 or outside 18 of the vehicle 10 for other purposes (e.g., parking, proximity detection, etc.).) are installed and are also used for the system 20 and procedure 100 described here, or they may be cameras or sensors 56 that are added to the vehicle 10 specifically for the system 20 and procedure 100 described here.

[0019] Fig. Figure 1 shows a flowchart of a procedure 100 for detecting one or more properties of an object 11 within a motor vehicle 10, and Fig. Figure 2 shows a schematic top view of a corresponding system 20 for detecting one or more properties of the object 11. Fig. Figure 2 first shows the vehicle 10 with a front 12 defining a forward direction, a rear 13 defining a reverse direction, and left and right sides 14 defining left and right lateral directions. A dashed line is shown forming a generally rounded rectangle 15 that surrounds the front instrument panel 26 and the rear parcel shelf 30, the rounded rectangle 15 bounding the inside of the front windscreen 34 in the forward direction and the inside of the rear windscreen 36 in the reverse direction. This dashed rounded rectangle 15 defines an interior 16, or cabin compartment, within the rounded rectangle 15, in which occupants (i.e., a driver and one or more passengers) can sit, and an exterior 18 outside the cabin compartment.

[0020] The vehicle 10 also contains a left front seat 22, a right front seat 24, and one or more rear seats 28. The in the Fig. The configuration shown in Figures 2-3 is that of a left-hand drive vehicle 10, in which the driver sits in the front left seat 22 behind a steering wheel 38 or other steering device (e.g., a joystick). However, the teachings of this disclosure apply equally to right-hand drive configurations and so-called autonomous configurations, in which no special front seat 22, 24 is designated as a driver's seat. The interior 16 also includes a display screen 40 integrated into the front instrument panel 26 and a rearview mirror or display 42 (which may include a reflective mirror or a display screen showing the view of a rear-facing camera, or both). Normally, the display screen 42 can be used to visually display information to the driver and passengers, such as vehicle speed, gear selection, fuel level, audio entertainment information, camera views, etc.However, the display screen 42 may also be configured to display information relating to the system 20 and the method 100 of the present disclosure, as will be discussed further below. The display screen 40 and optionally also the rearview mirror / display 42 may additionally include a buzzer, a beeper, a loudspeaker or other device capable of producing sounds to serve as acoustic warnings for the occupants.

[0021] The rearview mirror / display 42 may also include a camera or sensor integrated into it that monitors the interior 16 of the cabin. The interior 16 may also include one or more footwell cameras or sensors 46, which may be installed within or adjacent to one or both of the front footwells between the front seats 22, 24 and within or adjacent to the front instrument panel 26, and which may optionally be installed below the front instrument panel 26 in the front footwell areas. Additionally, the interior 16 may include one or more loudspeakers 32, which are installed on, within, or below the rear parcel shelf 30 (and / or at other locations in the vehicle 10, such as on or in the front instrument panel 26, the (not shown) side doors, the trunk, etc.).Each of the front seats 22, 24 can have both a seat position sensor 48, which detects how far forward each seat is positioned on its seat rails, and a set of seat occupancy sensors 50, which are arranged above the upper surface of each seat 22, 24. The seat occupancy sensors 50 can be weight sensors, or they can comprise an arrangement capable of detecting localized vertical displacements of the seat surface, or they can be any other suitable sensors configured to detect the presence of an occupant within the seat 22, 24. As for the exterior 18 of the vehicle 10, each of the side mirrors 44 can contain one or more rearward-facing cameras.Each of the various cameras / sensors 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 and each of the various displays 40, 42 can be operationally connected directly or indirectly to a controller 52 and a "black box" recorder 54. The controller 52 can be configured to send and receive inputs, outputs, and / or commands to and from each of the cameras / sensors 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 and each of the displays 40, 42, while the recorder 54 can be configured to record the data received from the cameras / sensors 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 and / or the controller 52. A wireless transmitter 55 can be operationally connected to the controller 52 for wirelessly transmitting or broadcasting specific information, such as... B. the status of vehicle 10 and its various systems, as well as other information which will be discussed further below.

[0022] In addition to the cameras / sensors 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 discussed above, the vehicle 10 may also contain additional sensors 56 and / or additional types of sensors 56. For example, in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, each sensor 56 can be an interior camera 58 and an exterior camera 60, a radar device 62, a LiDAR device 64, an ultrasonic device 66, a seat occupancy sensor 68, a seat position sensor 48, 70, or any other suitable type of sensor 72. (It is stated that "radar" stands for "radio detection and location" and "LiDAR" stands for "light detection and location"). Each of the sensors 56 is configured to scan, observe, or detect one or more properties of an object 11 inside a vehicle 10. These properties include the location, orientation 88, size, and / or object type 74 of the object 11, where the object 11 itself can be a human occupant or a physical object within the interior 16 of the vehicle 10. As shown in Figure 4, each sensor 56 can be an interior camera 58 and an exterior camera 60, a radar device 62, a LiDAR device 64, an ultrasonic device 66, a seat occupancy sensor 68, a seat position sensor 48, 70, or any other suitable type of sensor 72. Fig. As illustrated in Figure 5, object type 74 can be more specifically a non-human physical object 76, an infant 78 in a forward-facing car seat, an infant 80 in a rear-facing car seat, a human occupant 82 sitting on a booster seat (e.g., a toddler or small child sitting on a booster seat), a human occupant 84 wearing a helmet (e.g., a teenager or adult wearing a racing helmet), or a human occupant 86 not sitting on a booster seat and not wearing a helmet (e.g., a ‘normal’ human occupant not sitting on a booster seat and not wearing a helmet).

[0023] Fig. Figure 3 shows an alternative schematic top view of vehicle 10 and system 20. Fig. 2, which shows the beam patterns or fields of view of various sensors or cameras mounted inside or outside the vehicle 10. For example, reference 42' indicates the beam pattern or field of view of the rearview mirror / sensor / rear camera 42, 44' indicates the beam pattern / field of view of the left side mirror / left sensor / left camera 44, and 46' indicates the beam pattern / field of view of the right front footwell sensor / right front camera 46. It is stated that no beam pattern / field of view is shown for the right side mirror / right sensor / right camera 44, but this has only been done to avoid cluttering the drawing; in normal use, the right side mirror / right sensor / right camera 44 would also emit and / or receive signals within its own beam pattern / field of view. It is stated that in Fig. 3 Two different objects 11 are illustrated, i.e., the hatched oval 11 represents a driver sitting in the left front seat 22, while the hatched rectangle 11 represents a physical object lying on the rear shelf 30. It can also be stated that most of the interior 16 of the vehicle 10 is covered by the various sensor beams / fields of view, with some areas of the interior 16 being covered by multiple sensor beams / fields of view.

[0024] Using one or more sensors 56, the location, orientation 88, size and / or object type 74 of an object 11 (or more than one object 11) can be determined, whereby an evaluation (e.g. by the controller 52) can be made as to whether any object 11 is located in one or more predefined warning arrangements 89.These warning arrangements 89 are arrangements, positionings, orientations 88, locations, situations, or the like of one or more objects 11 within the interior 16 of the vehicle 10 in which a human occupant is arranged or positioned in an orientation, posture, or location of their body that presents a probability or potential to cause or aggravate injury to the occupant in the event of a collision, such that this probability or potential is greater than a predetermined permissible probability or potential. In other words, warning situations 89 are situations that, either because of the orientation 88, the location, etc.of the human occupant inside the vehicle 10 or due to objects inside the interior 16 which obstruct the driver's view or which may act like loose projectiles in the event of an impact, present a higher than normal (or a higher than permissible) risk of injury to human occupants.

[0025] The specified warning arrangements 89 may contain orientations of an occupant's body which, in the event of a vehicle collision and airbag deployment, may present a higher probability of injury to the occupant than normal. As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 6, these arrangements 89 include, for example, that the occupant's feet are resting on the front instrument panel 26 (90), that the occupant's body is too close to the steering wheel 38 (i.e., is less than a specified minimum distance 39 from the steering wheel 38) (92), that the occupant is not facing forward (e.g., they are turned around and facing backward) (94), or other situations or arrangements (96) that may be specified. However, it is stated that the situation mentioned in the INTRODUCTION section above—i.e., a detection of a driver's eyes or head indicating that the driver may be falling asleep—would not be considered a warning arrangement 89 according to the present disclosure. This situation (i.e.,(e.g., the driver falling asleep) can indeed lead to a collision, but in the event of a vehicle collision and airbag deployment, it would not necessarily represent a higher probability of injury to the occupants than normal. In other words, if a collision occurs and the airbags deploy, the severity of the injuries caused to the occupants would probably not be slightly higher if the driver were to fall asleep briefly than if the driver were awake, assuming all other factors are equal. The factors influencing whether a warning situation 89 exists may include not only the preceding situations 90, 92, 94, 96, but may also include the extent to which each situation exists; e.g., how much (i.e.,, by how many degrees) a human occupant is turned away from a forward-facing direction (where a backward-facing direction would be turned away by 180 degrees, and a direction turned to the left or right would be turned away by 90 degrees). Furthermore, whether a warningable arrangement 89 exists may depend on both the object type 74 (or the occupant type 75, as introduced below) and other factors.

[0026] As soon as a predefined warning condition 89 (e.g., by the controller 52) is detected, a warning can be issued to alert the occupants to the detected warning condition 89. Such warnings can be visual (e.g., displayed on the screen 40), audible (e.g., via the loudspeakers 32 as a warning tone or as a pre-recorded voice), vibratory (e.g., by vibration of the steering wheel 38 or the seats 22, 24, 28), etc. In addition to such warnings, a suggested corrective action can also be provided. For example, if it is detected that a passenger's feet are resting on the instrument panel 26 in the right front seat 24, the screen 40 and loudspeakers 32 can provide visual and audible messages, respectively, stating: "The front passenger has their feet on the instrument panel. Please remove your feet from the instrument panel."“In this way, the driver and passengers can be made aware of situations that, in the event of a vehicle collision (such as when the airbags are deployed), represent a higher probability of injury, thus giving the occupants the opportunity to make corrections and mitigate or avoid such increased risks.”

[0027] In Fig. Figure 1 illustrates the procedure 100 for detecting one or more properties of an object 11 within a vehicle 10 in the form of a flowchart. The procedure 100 begins in block 110 and includes, in block 130, determining a location, orientation 88, size, and / or object type 74 of the object 11 within the vehicle 10 using one or more sensors 56, and in block 150, assessing whether the object 11 is arranged in a predefined, warning-worthy arrangement 89. As discussed above, each of the sensors 56 can be located inside an interior 16 of the vehicle 10 or on an exterior 18 of the vehicle 10. The procedure 100 can also optionally include in block 120 the determination of whether the vehicle ignition is in an “ON” state and whether the vehicle powertrain is in a “DRIVE” state (e.g. in a forward gear state, not in a park, neutral or reverse gear state).Additionally, the procedure 100 can optionally include in block 140 the storage of object information (e.g. in the controller 52 and / or in the “black box” recorder 54) that specifies the location, orientation 88, size and / or object type 74 of the object 11).

[0028] Block 160 performs a determination as to whether an impact event (e.g., a vehicle collision) has been detected; if "yes", the process continues to the branch beginning with block 170, but if "no", the process continues to the branch beginning with block 200.

[0029] An impact event has been detected in block 170, so information about the object(s) 11 inside the vehicle 10 is being wirelessly transmitted or broadcast, for example, to a "back-office" telemetry and monitoring service such as General Motors Corporation's OnStar® service. This object information specifies the location, orientation 88, size, and / or object type 74 of the object 11. For example, the object information might indicate that a normal human occupant 86 is seated in the front left driver's seat 22 and a rear-facing infant in a car seat is in the front passenger seat 24. Or, as another example, the object information might indicate that a normal human occupant 86 is seated in the front left driver's seat 22 but is too close to the steering wheel 38 (i.e.,, his distance from the steering wheel 38 is less than the specified minimum distance 39), and a normal occupant 86 is sitting in the front passenger seat 24, facing sideways, with his feet resting on the instrument panel 26. Optionally, the wireless transmission or broadcast can also include event data 98, such as information regarding the vehicle 10 and its occupants at the time of the impact event. The event data 98 ​​can, for example, include one or more of the vehicle speed 98. S , the vehicle acceleration / deceleration 98 A , of the vehicle weight 98w, information about the locking status of the seat belts 98 E (which may contain the locking status of each set of seat belts in the vehicle 10) and information on the deployment of the airbags 98 D(which may contain the deployment state of each airbag in the vehicle 10). Other types of impact event-related data may also be included in the event data 98.

[0030] In block 180, the object information and / or event data 98 ​​can be used to determine an "extended ISP." ISP here stands for "injury severity prediction," a methodology well-known in the motor vehicle and emergency services field for predicting the severity of injuries that occupants might sustain in a vehicle collision, based on various factors. Furthermore, an "extended" ISP, as used here, is one that incorporates specific factors not currently considered or even normally available for determining an ISP. These specific factors may include the aforementioned object information—that is, the location, orientation 88, size, and / or object type 74 of the object 11 within the vehicle 10.These specific factors may require the determination of an ISP that differs from ISPs determined using currently available protocols (and is consequently "extended" compared to those ISPs).

[0031] In Block 190, the enhanced ISP can be sent to first responders, such as firefighters, paramedics, and other emergency medical personnel. This enhanced ISP can provide additional information and an advance warning to emergency personnel that is not available with currently known ISP determination protocols. For example, an enhanced ISP might indicate that potential injuries could be more or less severe than indicated by currently available ISPs, or that the predicted injuries might be of such a nature that specific procedures should be followed (e.g., the injured occupant should be taken to a specific hospital instead of another, air transport should be arranged, etc.). After Block 190, the process can proceed to Block 320, which concludes the process.

[0032] It should be noted that currently, back-office telemetry and monitoring services are typically the parties involved in determining an ISP and, consequently, can also determine an enhanced ISP using the lessons of this disclosure. Furthermore, it is also conceivable that the vehicle 10 itself can determine an enhanced ISP, for example, using the controller 52 and suitable software or programming with it. In such cases, the vehicle 10 could also perform the transmission of the enhanced ISP to available first responders, for example, by wirelessly transmitting or broadcasting an emergency message containing the enhanced ISP and / or some or all of the object information and event data 98.

[0033] If no impact event is detected in block 160, the process continues to block 200, where it is determined whether object 11 is arranged in a predefined warning arrangement 89. If "yes," the process continues to block 210; if "no," the process returns to block 120 and continues. Block 210 begins a process of determining whether specific warning arrangements 89 are detected sequentially, as represented by the four vertical branches downstream of block 210. If, at each branch, it is determined that object 11 is arranged in a predefined warning arrangement 89, then a visual, audible, or other warning about the object's warning arrangement 89 can be provided inside vehicle 10. Additionally, inside vehicle 10 (e.g.,a visual or acoustic suggestion for a corrective action to mitigate the warning-worthy arrangement 89 will be provided on the display screen 40 or via the loudspeakers 32).

[0034] In block 210, for example, sensors 56 and controller 52 can determine whether an occupant has their feet on the instrument panel 26. If so, a warning can be provided in block 220, and a suggested corrective action can be provided in block 230. However, if it is not detected that an occupant has their feet on the instrument panel 26, block 240 can determine whether an occupant's body is positioned too close to, or is located near, the steering wheel 38; if so, a corresponding warning can be provided in block 250, and a corresponding corrective action can be provided in block 260. A similar process takes place in block 270, where it can be determined whether an occupant's body is shifting sideways or backwards (i.e.,, not forward-facing); if this is the case, then a warning is provided in block 280 and a suggested corrective action may be provided in block 290. Finally, if no warningable arrangements 89 are determined in blocks 210, 240, or 270, then the process continues to the final vertical branch in block 300, which is located in . Fig. 1. A fourth of the four specified warning-worthy arrangements 89 is addressed. Similar to the other three branches, a visual, audible, or other warning is provided in block 300, with a visual or audible corrective action being provided in block 310. At the end of each of the four vertical branches, the process flow returns to block 120, with the procedure 100 continuing through successive cycles until the flow in block 320 ends or power is cut off to the controller 52 or the device executing the procedure 100.

[0035] According to this method 100, the one or more sensors can be at least one interior camera 58 installed inside the interior 16 of the vehicle 10, one exterior camera 60 installed on the outside 18 of the vehicle 10, one radar device 62 installed inside the interior 16 of the vehicle 10, one LiDAR device 64 installed inside the interior 16 of the vehicle 10, one ultrasonic device 66 installed inside the interior 16 of the vehicle 10, one seat occupancy sensor 68 installed in a seat 22, 24, 28 installed inside the interior 16 of the vehicle 10, and one seat position sensor 48, 70 installed in or in conjunction with a seat 22, 24, 28 installed inside the interior 16 of the vehicle 10.

[0036] According to the preceding procedure 100, the specified warning arrangement 89 may include: (i) if the object 11 is not a human occupant, then one or more of: (a) the object 11 is arranged to obstruct the driver's view of the front 12, the rear 13, or either of the two sides 14 of the vehicle 10; and (b) the object 11 is arranged in such a way that, in the event of an impact, it has a significant probability of causing bodily injury to an occupant inside the vehicle 10 (the object 11, for example,within the interior 16 of the vehicle 10, as a result of the impact event, may act like a projectile; or (ii) if the object 11 is a human occupant, then one or more of: (w) at least one foot of the occupant rests on the instrument panel 26, (x) a body of the occupant is less than a specified minimum distance from a steering wheel 38, (y) the body of the occupant is not facing forward, and (z) the occupant is in an orientation 88 and / or in a location which presents a potential to cause or aggravate injury to the occupant in the event of an impact event (which may include or trigger the deployment of the airbags), the potential being greater than a specified allowable potential.

[0037] According to Method 100, object type 74 can include one or more non-human physical objects (76), an infant in a forward-facing car seat (78), an infant in a rear-facing car seat (80), a human occupant seated on a booster seat (82), a human occupant wearing a helmet (84), and a human occupant not seated on a booster seat and not wearing a helmet (86). Additionally, the location of object 11 (i.e., the physical object 76 or the human occupant) can be defined such that it is located where the center of gravity of object 11 is situated.

[0038] According to a further configuration or embodiment, as described in Fig. Figure 8 illustrates a method 100 for detecting one or more characteristics of an occupant inside a motor vehicle 10: (i) in block 130, determining one or more of the occupant's location, orientation 88, size, and type 75 using one or more sensors 56, each of which is an interior camera 58 mounted inside an interior space 16 of the vehicle 10, an exterior camera 60 mounted on an exterior surface 18 of the vehicle 10, a radar device 62 mounted inside the interior space 16, a LiDAR device 64 mounted inside the interior space 16, or an ultrasonic device 66 mounted inside the interior space 16; (ii) in block 150, assessing whether the occupant is arranged in a predetermined, warning-worthy arrangement 89;and (iii) if in block 200 it is assessed that the occupant is in a given warning arrangement 89, then in block 201 provide a visual or audible warning inside the vehicle 10 about the occupant's warning arrangement 89 and optionally in block 202 provide a visual or audible suggestion for a corrective action corresponding to the warning arrangement 89.

[0039] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the occupant type 75 may include one or more of the following: an infant in a forward-facing car seat (78), an infant in a rear-facing car seat (80), a human occupant seated on a booster seat (82), a human occupant wearing a helmet (84), and a human occupant not seated on a booster seat and not wearing a helmet (i.e., a “normal”) (86). Additionally, the specified warning arrangement 89 may include one or more of the following: an occupant’s foot rests on an instrument panel 26 of the vehicle 10 (90), an occupant’s body is less than a specified minimum distance 39 from the steering wheel 38 (92), the occupant’s body is not facing forward (94), and the occupant is arranged in an orientation 88 and / or in a location which, respectively,which represents a potential to cause or worsen injury to the occupant in the event of an impact, where the potential is greater than a specified permissible potential, (96).

[0040] According to yet another embodiment, as e.g. in the Fig.As illustrated in Figure 2-3, a system 20 for detecting one or more properties of an object 11 inside a motor vehicle 10 comprises one or more sensors 56, each located inside an interior 16 of the vehicle 10 or on an exterior 18 of the vehicle 10, and a controller 52 operationally connected to the one or more sensors 56. Each of the one or more sensors 56 is configured to detect one or more of the location, orientation 88, size, and object type 74 of the object 11 inside the interior 16 of the vehicle 10, with the controller 52 being configured to assess whether the object 11 is arranged in a predefined warning-worthy arrangement 89.

[0041] In this system 20, the one or more sensors 56 can be at least one interior camera 58 mounted inside the interior 16 of the vehicle 10, one exterior camera 60 mounted on the outside 18 of the vehicle 10, one radar device 62 mounted inside the interior 16, one LiDAR device 64 mounted inside the interior 16, one ultrasonic device 66 mounted inside the interior 16, one seat occupancy sensor 68 mounted in a seat 22, 24, 28 mounted inside the interior 16 of the vehicle 10, and one seat position sensor 48, 70 mounted in or associated with a seat 22, 24, 28 mounted inside the interior 16 of the vehicle 10.

[0042] Additionally, in this system 20, the specified warning arrangement 89 may be included: (i) if the object 11 is not a human occupant (e.g.a physical object), then one or more of: (a) it is positioned in such a way as to obstruct a driver's view of a front 12, a rear 13, or a side 14 of the vehicle 10, and (b) it is positioned in such a way as to present a substantial probability of causing bodily injury to an occupant inside the vehicle 10 in the event of an impact; or (ii) if the object is a human occupant, then one or more of: (w) at least one foot of the occupant rests on an instrument panel 26 of the vehicle, (x) a body of the occupant is less than a specified minimum distance 39 from a steering wheel 38 of the vehicle 10, (y) the body of the occupant is not facing forward, and (z) the occupant is positioned in an orientation 88 and / or in a location which, respectively,which represents a potential to cause or worsen injury to the occupant in the event of an impact, where the potential is greater than a specified permissible potential.

[0043] The system 20 may further include both a memory 54 (e.g., a "black box" recorder) that is operationally connected to the controller 52 and configured to store object information specifying the location, orientation 88, size, and / or type 74 of the object 11, and a transmitter 55 that is operationally connected to the controller 52 and configured to wirelessly transmit object information specifying the location, orientation 88, size, and / or type 74 of the object 11. The system 20 may also include a warning device (e.g., a display screen 40 or a loudspeaker 32) that is operationally connected to the controller 52 and configured to provide visual or audible warnings inside the vehicle 10 regarding the warning-worthy arrangement 89 of the object 11.

[0044] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and / or operation of possible implementations of systems, processes, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this respect, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams can represent a module, segment, or section of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It is further stated that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by hardware-based systems performing the specified functions or actions, or by combinations of hardware and computer instructions.These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can instruct a controller or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce a manufactured item containing instructions to implement the functions and / or actions specified in the flowcharts and block diagrams.

Claims

[1] Method for detecting one or more properties of an object (11) within a motor vehicle (10), the method comprising: Determining one or more of the location, orientation, size, and type of the object (11) within the vehicle (10) using one or more sensors (42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70), each of the one or more sensors (42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70) being located inside an interior of the vehicle (10) or on an exterior of the vehicle (10); and Assess whether the object (11) is arranged in a given, cautionable arrangement, characterized by , that the procedure also includes: Detect whether a vehicle impact event has occurred; when a vehicle impact event is detected, wireless broadcasting of the specific location, orientation, size and / or type of the object (11); Determining an extended injury severity prediction based on the location, orientation, size and / or object type of the object (11) being broadcast; and Sending the extended injury severity prediction to one or more first responders. [2] The method of claim 1, further comprising: If it is determined that the object (11) is arranged in a predefined, warning-worthy arrangement, then provide a visual or audible warning inside the vehicle (10) about the warning-worthy arrangement of the object (11). [3] The method of claim 2, further comprising: Providing a visual or audible suggestion for a corrective action inside the vehicle (10) to mitigate the dangerous condition. [4] Method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors (42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70) is at least one of: an interior camera installed inside the vehicle; an external camera mounted on the outside of the vehicle; a radar device installed inside the interior of the vehicle (10); a LiDAR device installed inside the interior of the vehicle (10); an ultrasonic device installed inside the interior of the vehicle (10); a seat occupancy sensor installed in a seat (22, 24, 28) within the interior of the vehicle (10); and a seat position sensor installed in the seat (22, 24, 28) inside the interior of the vehicle (10). [5] Method according to claim 1, wherein the specified warning arrangement includes: (i) if the object (11) is not a human occupant, then one or more of the following: (a) it is positioned in such a way as to obstruct the view of a driver of the vehicle (10) of a front, a rear or a side of the vehicle (10), and (b) it is positioned in such a way as to present a significant probability of causing bodily injury to an occupant inside the vehicle (10) in the event of an impact; or (ii) if the object (11) is a human occupant, then one or more of: (w) at least one foot of the occupant rests on an instrument panel of the vehicle (10), (x) a body of the occupant is less than a specified minimum distance from a steering wheel (38) of the vehicle (10), (y) the body of the occupant is not facing forward, and (z) the occupant is in an orientation and / or location which presents a potential to cause or aggravate injury to the occupant in the event of an impact, the potential being greater than a specified allowable potential. [6] Method according to claim 1, wherein the object type includes one or more of: a non-human physical object (11); an infant in a forward-facing car seat (78); an infant in a rear-facing car seat (80); a human occupant seated on a raised seat (82); a human occupant wearing a helmet (84); and a human occupant who is not seated on a booster seat and is not wearing a helmet (86). [7] The method of claim 1, further comprising: Storing object information that specifies the particular location, orientation, size and / or type of the object (11). [8] The method of claim 1, further comprising: wireless transmission of object information specifying the object's location, orientation, size and / or type (11).

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