Securing the driver's seat of a motor vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported in the vehicle's passenger compartment

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for securing the driver's compartment of a motor vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported inside the vehicle's passenger compartment. The invention also relates to a device (100) implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a device. Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: Securing the driving position of a motor vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported into the passenger compartment of the vehicle Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of computer devices on board motor vehicles to ensure driving safety. The invention relates in particular to a method for securing, by a computer device on board a motor vehicle, the driver's seat of the vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method, as well as to a motor vehicle carrying such a device. The invention applies to motor vehicles such as land motor vehicles, in particular cars. State of the prior art

[0002] It is known that motor vehicle owners occasionally or periodically transport their pets in the passenger compartment of their vehicle, particularly when going on holiday. During such transport, some owners prefer to leave their pets free to move around in the passenger compartment, particularly to minimise the stress that such transport causes for the animals. However, animals do not understand the danger of their movements in the passenger compartment, particularly if they move towards the driving position, risking distracting the driver or entering places that could hinder his movements when driving. However, to date, no solution has been found to minimise the risk of an animal entering the driving position of a motor vehicle while driving.From this point of view, known motor vehicles suffer from a failure in terms of driving safety in connection with the transport of pets. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention aims to overcome this drawback. The invention aims in particular to provide a solution to minimize the risk that an animal left free to move in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle will hinder the driver of the vehicle while driving. In this way, the invention aims to make driving safer when transporting pets left free in the passenger compartment of vehicles.

[0004] In order to achieve these aims, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method of securing, by a computer device on board a vehicle at car, from the driver's seat of the vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: i. determining whether the animal is at a distance less than a pre-established threshold value from the driving position; and, when it is established that this is the case, ii. causing the diffusion of ultrasound by means of at least one loudspeaker arranged at the driving position.

[0005] According to a variant, the threshold value can be between fifty centimeters and one meter.

[0006] According to another variant, step i) can be carried out by interacting with at least one detection device arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

[0007] According to yet another variant, said detection device may be a camera, a microphone, a radar or an Ultra Wide Band receiver.

[0008] According to yet another variant, step i) can be carried out using data characterizing previously established animal identification elements.

[0009] According to yet another variant, the ultrasounds can have a frequency between 18kHz and 30kHz.

[0010] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for securing the driver's seat of a motor vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the device comprising at least one information processing unit, comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium configured to implement a method as described above.

[0011] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a medium usable in a computer on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle which has a device as described above. Brief description of the figures

[0014] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawings, in which:

[0015] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates a motor vehicle according to the invention;

[0016] [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention; and

[0017] [Fig.3] is a diagram of the steps of a method according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0018] [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. This conventionally comprises at least one loudspeaker 2 arranged at the driving position (e.g. tweeter in the dashboard or wideband loudspeaker in the driver's door), which is for example part of a human-machine interface of the vehicle and which advantageously allows the diffusion of ultrasounds, as well as at least one detection device 3 (e.g. camera, microphone, radar, Ultra Wideband receiver), which is for example part of a driving assistance system of the vehicle in order to allow the implementation of driving assistance functions.Advantageously, the vehicle 1 according to the invention also has a device 100 for securing the driving position of a motor vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported into the passenger compartment of the vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as described below, which implements a method for securing the driving position of a motor vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported into the passenger compartment of the vehicle within the meaning of the present invention, as described below.

[0019] When implementing the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention uses the detection apparatus 3 to determine whether an animal transported in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 is close to the driving position. And when it establishes that this is the case, the device 100 according to the invention causes the diffusion of ultrasounds, which are inaudible to a human but which act as a repellent on the animals, by means of the loudspeaker 2. The risk of the animal progressing to the driving position is thus minimized, and it is in this way that the device 100 according to the invention makes it possible to make driving safer when transporting animals left free in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 according to the invention.

[0020] In [Fig. 2] is illustrated in more detail the device 100 for securing the driver's seat of a motor vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported in the passenger compartment of the vehicle according to the invention. It is fundamentally a computer device, which comprises at least one information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which comprises program code instructions for the execution of the steps of the method according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data. Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention is hosted on an independent computer and it interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired communication network of the vehicle (eg CAN, Ethernet) - materialized in [Fig.l] by the bidirectional arrows - with the loudspeaker 2 and with the detection device 3. As a result, the device 100 according to the invention is advantageously able, in particular, to determine whether the animal is at a distance less than a pre-established threshold value from the driving position, and it can cause the emission of ultrasounds by means of the loudspeaker 2.

[0021] According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the implementation of a method for securing the driving position of a motor vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, as described below in connection with [Fig.3].

[0022] [Fig. 3] illustrates by means of a diagram the steps of the method according to the invention. According to a first step 201 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether the animal is at a distance less than a pre-established threshold value, for example between fifty centimeters and one meter, from the driving position. To do this, the device 100 according to the invention interacts with the detection apparatus 3, which, depending on its nature, makes it possible to detect sounds (e.g. meowing, purring, barking, etc.), shapes or attributes (e.g. type of coat, size, weight, etc.), or vital parameters (e.g. body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, etc.).Then, it proceeds by comparing these detection data which are generated by the detection apparatus 3 with data characterizing animal identification elements which, preferably, are recorded on its data storage medium 102 at the time of the design of the vehicle 1. Finally, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds to locate the animal detected in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, still by interacting with the detection apparatus 3, for example to determine the amplitude of a detected sound, or more simply by using a target positioning capacity provided by the detection apparatus 3. Thus, at the end of this first step 201, the device 100 according to the invention is able to establish whether the animal, identified and located thanks to the detection apparatus 3, is at a shorter distance from the driving position.And when it establishes that this is the case, the device 100 according to the invention then proceeds by carrying out the following step of the method according to the invention described below.

[0023] According to a second step 202 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes the diffusion of ultrasounds by means of the loudspeaker 2. Preferably, these ultrasounds have a frequency of between 18kHz and 30kHz, so that they can be heard by an animal while they are inaudible to a human. In addition, because the loudspeaker 2 by means of which the ultrasounds are diffused is arranged at the level of the driving position, the animal will naturally tend to move away from this area of ​​the passenger compartment. In addition, since the ultrasounds act as a repellent for the animal, it will memorize that it is experiencing discomfort in this area of ​​the passenger compartment of the vehicle and it will therefore gradually learn not to enter it.

[0024] Consequently, thanks to the method and the device according to the invention described above, a solution is provided to minimize the risk that an animal left free to move in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle will come to hinder the driver of the vehicle during driving. By these means, the invention advantageously allows to make driving safer when transporting pets left free in the passenger compartment of vehicles.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for securing, by a computer device (100) on board a motor vehicle (1), the driver's seat of the vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: i. determining whether the animal is at a distance less than a pre-established threshold value from the driver's seat; and, when it is established that this is the case, ii. causing the diffusion of ultrasound by means of at least one loudspeaker (2) arranged at the driver's seat.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the threshold value is between fifty centimeters and one meter.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step i) is carried out by interacting with at least one detection device (3) arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said detection apparatus (3) is a camera, a microphone, a radar or an Ultra Wide Band receiver.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step i) is carried out using data characterizing previously established animal identification elements.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ultrasound has a frequency between 18kHz and 30kHz.

7. Device (100) for securing the driver's seat of a motor vehicle against the intrusion of an animal transported into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, characterized in that the device comprises at least one information processing unit (101), comprising at least one processor, and a data storage medium (102) configured to implement a method according to one of the preceding claims.

8. A computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when said program is executed by at least one processor.

9. Support usable in a computer, characterized in that a program according to claim 8 is recorded therein.

10. Motor vehicle (1), characterized in that said vehicle carries a device (100) according to claim 7.

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