Radio frequency sensing in vehicle environments

Abstract

The embodiments described herein address these and other problems by providing radio frequency (RF) sensing to determine the status of a vehicle's driver or other occupants. The RF sensing can be provided by the vehicle's existing radios, such as a Wi-Fi transceiver, thus providing the vehicle with RF sensing capabilities at little additional cost. RF sensing can be leveraged to implement safety features such as detecting unattended children or pets in the vehicle, detecting driver attentiveness, and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the detection of objects or motion, and more particularly to the use of radio frequency (RF) sensing of objects or motion.

Background Art

[0002] As vehicle safety systems become more advanced, vehicle owners today enjoy levels of safety and automation that were not available in past vehicles. Vehicles can use a network of sensors to provide autonomous or semi-autonomous driving (e.g., driver monitoring functions such as self-parking, lane assist, adaptive cruise control) and / or other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). However, these new safety systems often use cameras and corresponding image processing, which can increase the cost of these systems (and may become unaffordable for many consumers), and can also raise privacy concerns for consumers.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Embodiments described herein address these and other problems by providing RF sensing to determine the state of a vehicle driver or other occupants. RF sensing can be provided by existing vehicle radios, such as Wi-Fi transceivers, and thus can provide an RF sensing function to a vehicle at a minimal additional cost. RF sensing can be utilized to implement safety functions such as detecting an unattended child or pet inside the vehicle, detecting the driver's attention, and the like.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] An exemplary method of RF sensing in a vehicle as disclosed herein includes the step of transmitting a first set of RF signals using one or more wireless transceivers in the vehicle. The method includes the steps of receiving a first set of reflected RF signals, which include reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects, using one or more wireless transceivers in the vehicle; determining a first channel state information (CSI) for one or more wireless channels in the vehicle from the received first set of reflected RF signals; determining status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information relating to the status of an object in the vehicle, an area in the vehicle, or both; and providing a response based on the status information.

[0005] An exemplary device for providing RF sensing in a vehicle according to this disclosure comprises one or more wireless transceivers, a memory, and one or more processors communicably coupled to one or more wireless transceivers and the memory. One or more processors are configured to transmit a first set of RF signals via one or more wireless transceivers. One or more processors are further configured to receive a first set of reflected RF signals via one or more wireless transceivers, including reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects, determine a first CSI of one or more wireless channels in the vehicle from the received first set of reflected RF signals, determine status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information about objects in the vehicle, areas in the vehicle, or both, and provide a response based on the status information.

[0006] An exemplary RF sensing device for a vehicle according to this disclosure comprises means for transmitting a first set of RF signals and means for receiving a first set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects. The RF sensing device further comprises means for determining a first CSI of one or more wireless channels in a vehicle from the received first set of reflected RF signals, means for determining status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information relating to an object in a vehicle, an area in a vehicle, or both, and means for providing a response based on the status information.

[0007] An exemplary non-temporary computer-readable recording medium provided herein has instructions stored thereby for RF sensing in a vehicle. When executed by one or more processors, the instructions cause one or more processors to perform the function of transmitting a first set of RF signals using one or more wireless transceivers in the vehicle. When executed by one or more processors, the instructions cause one or more processors to perform the function of receiving a first set of reflected RF signals using one or more wireless transceivers in the vehicle, including reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects; determining a first CSI of one or more wireless channels in the vehicle from the received first set of reflected RF signals; determining status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information about objects in the vehicle, areas in the vehicle, or both; and providing a response based on the status information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of an exemplary RF sensing system capable of performing RF sensing in a vehicle or environment. [Figure 2]This is a top-down cross-sectional view of a vehicle illustrating how RF sensing can be used in a vehicle environment to detect objects or movement inside the vehicle, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3A] This is a simplified diagram of captured channel state information (CSI) showing how thresholds can be used to distinguish reflections from inside the vehicle from those from outside the vehicle. [Figure 3B] This is a simplified diagram of captured channel state information (CSI) showing how thresholds can be used to distinguish reflections from inside the vehicle from those from outside the vehicle. [Figure 4] Similar to Figure 2, this is an overhead section of a vehicle showing how RF sensing can be performed according to another embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows a process for detecting objects and / or movement within a vehicle and providing an alarm, according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows a process for providing an alarm in one embodiment that determines that a child or pet has been left inside a vehicle. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating a method for implementing a driver warning system according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart illustrating a method for RF sensing in a vehicle according to several embodiments. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating a method for RF sensing in a vehicle according to several embodiments. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram of one embodiment of a computer system that can be used in the embodiments described herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] According to several exemplary implementations, similar reference numerals in various drawings indicate similar elements.

[0010] The following description covers several implementations for the purpose of illustrating inventive aspects of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in numerous different ways. Some examples in this disclosure may be based on wireless local area network (WLAN) communication under the IEEE 802.11 wireless standard, including those identified as Wi-Fi technology. However, the implementations described may, for example, be based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, the Bluetooth® standard, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), GSM / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Infrastructure Radio (TETRA), Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA), Evolutionary Data Optimization (EV-DO), 1xEV-DO, EV-DO Rev A, EV-DO Rev B. It can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals in accordance with any communication standard, such as any of the other known signals used to communicate within wireless, cellular, or Internet of Things (IoT) networks, such as systems utilizing technologies like High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Advanced High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA+), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), AMPS, or 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or further implementations thereof.

[0011] As used herein, “RF signal” includes electromagnetic waves that carry information through the space between a transmitter (or transmitting device) and a receiver (or receiving device). As used herein, a transmitter may transmit a single “RF signal” or multiple “RF signals” to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals through multipath channels, a receiver may receive multiple “RF signals” corresponding to each transmitted RF signal. The same transmitted RF signal on different paths between the transmitter and receiver is sometimes called a “multipath” RF signal.

[0012] As described above, RF signals can be used in RF sensing. RF signals with relatively high frequencies such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz are commonly used in WLAN implementations and have wavelengths small enough to provide a resolution capable of detecting the presence of objects, identifying objects, and / or sensing movement within a vehicle. Furthermore, such RF sensing can be implemented using existing Wi-Fi / IEEE 802.11 / WLAN transceivers used for communication. Thus, it is possible to implement RF sensing in vehicles with these types of existing transceivers with little or no additional cost, and furthermore, it can be implemented in vehicles already in the field through firmware updates. Nevertheless, RF sensing can be achieved by additional or alternative transceivers. For example, according to some embodiments, ultra-wideband (UWB) transceivers can be used.

[0013] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary RF sensing system 105 capable of performing RF sensing in a vehicle or environment as described herein. Briefly, the RF sensing system 105 uses an RF signal, including one or more waveforms, sequences, or packets, to determine the presence and / or movement of an object. This can be done by using the RF signal for channel acquisition to obtain a channel impulse response (CIR), a channel frequency response (CFR), and / or other forms of channel state information (CSI) indicating the presence and / or movement of an object. The RF sensing system 105 may consist of a standalone device or may be integrated into a larger electronic device such as a WLAN transceiver, a UWB transceiver, or a vehicle computer (exemplary components of such a vehicle computer are shown in Figure 10 and discussed in detail below). As will be described in more detail below, some embodiments may be implemented such that the RF signal is transmitted by one device and received by another device.

[0014] Generally speaking, with respect to the function of the RF sensing system 105 in Figure 1, the RF sensing system 105 can detect an object 110 by generating an RF signal 112 (including, for example, one or more pulses) transmitted by one or more Tx antennas 115, which is reflected by the object 110 and received by one or more Rx antennas. The received signal can then be processed by the RF sensing system 105 using digital signal processing (DSP) techniques (including leak cancellation) to determine the extent of the object. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the RF sensing system 105 may have multiple Rx antennas 120 (for example, WLAN radios typically have two to four antennas). In such embodiments, CSIs received by different Rx antennas 120 may be used to determine angular information (for example, by using Rx beamforming, determining angular information phase differences, etc.). In some implementations, embodiments with two antennas achieve an angular granularity of, for example, 10° to 15°, and embodiments with four antennas achieve a granularity of 2° to 3°. Furthermore, in some other embodiments, the RF sensing system 105 may have multiple Tx antennas 115 (for example, WLAN radios typically have 2 to 4 antennas). In such embodiments, the phase of the Tx antennas may be configured to transmit the RF signal 112 in a beam pointing in a certain direction. In some implementations, embodiments with two Tx antennas achieve an angular granularity of, for example, 10° to 15°, while embodiments with four Tx antennas achieve a granularity of 2° to 3°. The change in CSI over time indicates the movement of the object 110. Thus, the RF signal can be used to determine the position, volume, and movement of the object.

[0015] This functionality of the RF sensing system 105 is made possible through the use of the processor 125, memory 130, multiplexer (mux) 135, Tx processing circuit 140, and Rx processing circuit 145 (the RF sensing system 105 may include additional components not shown, such as a power supply, user interface, or electronic interface). However, it should be noted that these components of the RF sensing system 105 may be rearranged or otherwise modified in alternative embodiments depending on the desired functionality. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms “transmitting circuit,” “Tx circuit,” or “Tx processing circuit” refer to any circuit used to create and / or transmit the RF signal 112. Similarly, the terms “receiving circuit,” “Rx circuit,” or “Rx processing circuit” refer to any circuit used to detect and / or process the RF signal 112. Thus, the “transmitting circuit” and “receiving circuit” may include not only the Tx processing circuit 140 and the Rx processing circuit 145, but also the mux 135 and the processor 125. In some embodiments, the processor 125 may constitute at least part of a modem and / or wireless communication interface (for example, the wireless communication interface 1033 in Figure 10 described below). In some embodiments, two or more processors may be used to perform the functions of the processor 125 described herein. In addition, although the Tx antenna 115 and Rx antenna 120 are shown as separate antennas, in some embodiments, the same one or more antennas may be used for transmission and reception.

[0016] The Tx processing circuit 140 and the Rx processing circuit 145 may comprise subcomponents for generating and detecting RF signals, respectively. As those skilled in the art will understand, the Tx processing circuit 140 may therefore include a pulse generator, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a mixer (for upmixing the signal to the transmission frequency), one or more amplifiers (for feeding power to the transmission via the Tx antenna 115), and the like. The Rx processing circuit 145 may have similar hardware for processing the detected RF signal. In particular, the Rx processing circuit 145 may comprise an amplifier (for amplifying the signal received via the Rx antenna 120), a mixer for downconverting the received signal from the transmission frequency, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for digitizing the received signal, and a pulse correlator that provides a matching filter for the pulses generated by the Tx processing circuit 140. Thus, the Rx processing circuit 145 can use the correlator output as a CIR, which can be processed by a processor 125 (or other circuit) for, for example, leak cancellation. Other processing of the CSI obtained from the RF signal 112 may also be performed, such as object detection, range, motion, and estimation of the direction of departure (DoD) or direction of arrival (DoA).

[0017] It should be noted that the characteristics of the transmitted RF signal 112 may vary depending on the technology used. As described above, the techniques provided herein can be applied to WLAN technologies that typically operate at 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz, but may include frequencies in the range from 900 MHz to 60 GHz. This includes, for example, the frequencies used by the 802.11ad Wi-Fi standard (which operates at 60 GHz). Nevertheless, some embodiments may utilize RF frequencies outside this range. Since RF sensing can be performed in the same frequency band as communication, hardware may be used for both communication and RF sensing. For example, one or more components of the RF sensing system 105 shown in Figure 1 may be included in a vehicle's wireless modem (e.g., a Wi-Fi or 5G modem). Nevertheless, embodiments may utilize the RF sensing system 105 independently of any such communication means. As described above, for example, some embodiments may utilize a UWB transceiver. The RF sensing techniques described may utilize various types of RF signals 112, such as Zadoff sequences, symbols like the Long Training Field (LTF) of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), for channel acquisition to determine the presence and / or movement of object 110. Since the RF sensing system may be capable of transmitting RF signals for communication (e.g., using 802.11 communication techniques), embodiments may leverage channel estimation used in communication for performing RF sensing, as provided herein. Thus, the RF signals 112 may include the same wireless pulses and / or packets used for channel estimation in communication.

[0018] Figure 2 is a top cross-sectional view of vehicle 200 showing how RF sensing can be used in a vehicle environment to detect objects or movement inside vehicle 200. Here, a first transceiver 210 (which may comprise RF sensing system 105) can transmit RF signals received by a second transceiver 220. A processor or computer communicatively coupled to the first transceiver 210 and the second transceiver 220 can adjust the timing of the transmission and reception of RF signals (the first transceiver 210 and the second transceiver 220 can be communicatively linked to and / or incorporated into a vehicle computer, such as those shown in FIG. 10 and described in more detail below). A portion of the RF signal traveling along the first RF signal path 230 reflects off a first object 240. As described above, these reflections are identified in the captured CSI and can be used to determine the position of the first object 240 and / or larger movements of the first object 240 (e.g., a person moving their head / arms or changing their sitting position). Further, CSI of RF signals having multiple spatial streams and / or a relatively high bandwidth can be used to determine finer details indicating additional details such as smaller movements (e.g., breathing) and / or the state of object 240 (e.g., alarms, breathing, etc., as discussed in more detail below).

[0019] Determining the presence of the first object 240 within vehicle 200 and distinguishing the first object 240 from objects outside vehicle 200 (such as object 250) can be accomplished, in part, by calibration and filtering. For example, the manufacturer of vehicle 200 may calibrate the first transceiver 210 and the second transceiver 220 such that reflections of RF signals from vehicle parts (e.g., seats, steering wheels, etc.) are ignored. Then, in the field, the difference in reflections of RF signals can be compared to those in the initial calibration to identify the presence of an object.

[0020] Furthermore, reflections from objects outside the vehicle 200 can be filtered using a time threshold and / or an amplitude threshold. For example, the reflection from a second object 250 from the RF signal travels along a second RF signal path 260 that is longer than the first RF signal path 230. Therefore, the reflection from the second object 250 is received by the second transceiver 220 after the reflection from the first object 240. This generally applies to all objects inside the vehicle from objects outside the vehicle. In addition, since the first transceiver 210 and the second transceiver 220 can be disposed inside the vehicle, the reflection received by the second transceiver 220 moving along the second RF signal path 260 may have a reduced amplitude due to passing through windows for entering and exiting the vehicle 200 as well as / or other vehicle components and materials. This may result in a lower received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement for reflections from objects outside the vehicle 200. FIGS. 3A and 3B further illustrate this point.

[0021] FIGS. 3A and 3B are simplified diagrams of captured CSI showing how thresholds can be used to distinguish reflections from inside the vehicle from those from outside the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 3A, the amplitude of the received RF signal (e.g., from the first transceiver 210 to the second transceiver 220) can be extracted from the CSI (e.g., channel impulse response) and plotted over time. Further, as described above, calibration and leakage reduction techniques can account for leakage (direct, non-reflected signal) as well as reflections from seats and other vehicle parts. Therefore, the reflections shown in FIG. 3A can represent one or more objects inside the vehicle, such as cargo and vehicle users (e.g., drivers and / or passengers), and / or one or more objects outside the vehicle. As described above, the in-vehicle reflection 310 (shown as a spike in amplitude) from an object inside the vehicle is received earlier than the out-of-vehicle reflection 320 from an object outside the vehicle. In addition, the amplitude of the out-of-vehicle reflection 320 is smaller than the amplitude of the in-vehicle reflection 310.

[0022] This can provide a relatively simple method by which the RF signal can be processed to remove or ignore external reflections 320. Time thresholds 330 and / or amplitude thresholds 340 can be implemented to distinguish external reflections 320 from internal reflections 310, as shown in Figure 3B, which replicates the graph of Figure 3A with additional thresholds. These thresholds may vary based on the vehicle type, transceiver power, and other such factors. Furthermore, since there may not be a single amplitude value and / or time value that the amplitude threshold 340 and time threshold 330 can each be set to ensure that all external reflections 320 are filtered, these thresholds may be set to add values ​​to filter out most external reflections 320. Thus, according to some embodiments, a vehicle manufacturer may set one or both of the time threshold 330 and amplitude threshold 340 to a value for a certain vehicle or vehicle type that helps to maximize the capture of internal reflections 310 and further maximize the filtering of external reflections 320.

[0023] Some embodiments may use a single threshold to make distinctions, but the use of both thresholds may be complementary. That is, reflections from some objects inside the vehicle may have reduced amplitude (for example, due to the composition of the object) and therefore may not meet the amplitude threshold 340 set to filter out most external reflections 320. Similarly, reflections from some objects that are close to the vehicle but outside the vehicle may meet the time threshold 330 set to filter out most external reflections 320. Thus, some embodiments may filter out only reflections that do not meet both the amplitude threshold 340 and the time threshold 330. Additional or alternative thresholds may be used. For example, an additional time threshold may be used so that if a reflection falls after the time threshold 330 but before the additional time threshold, the reflection may not be filtered if it meets the amplitude threshold 340. However, all reflections that fall after the additional threshold may be filtered. Other embodiments may employ additional or alternative thresholds to perform this additional type of filtering.

[0024] It should be noted that some embodiments may utilize machine learning to perform RF signal processing as described herein. For example, machine learning algorithms may be used to determine optimal values ​​for the time threshold 330 and / or amplitude threshold 340, or to perform the filtering described in Figures 3A and 3B equivalently. Furthermore, as will be shown in more detail below, machine learning may be used to process in-vehicle reflections 310 to detect, identify, and / or identify objects.

[0025] Figure 4 is an overhead section of vehicle 400, similar to Figure 2, showing how RF sensing may be performed according to another embodiment. Here, vehicle 400 has a single transceiver 410 rather than separate transceivers. In this embodiment, transceiver 410 comprises an RF sensing system 105 and may perform both the functions of the first transceiver 210 and the second transceiver 220 in Figure 2, transmitting and receiving RF signals and processing RF signals reflected from objects 420 in vehicle 400 moving along an RF signal path 430. As those skilled in the art will understand, since transceiver 410 may perform both transmitting and receiving functions simultaneously, transceiver 410 may have to implement leakage mitigation and / or similar algorithms to help minimize interference between the transmitting and receiving functions.

[0026] As mentioned above, the ability to perform RF sensing in the manner shown in Figures 1 to 4 may enable a vehicle to provide functions related to object detection and / or motion detection within the vehicle, which would otherwise require cameras that are not only more expensive but could also compromise the privacy of vehicle users.

[0027] One such function is vehicle occupant detection. If a child or pet is left in a vehicle, intentionally or unintentionally, the temperature conditions inside the vehicle can compromise the health and safety of the child or pet. However, RF sensing can be used to detect and optionally identify vehicle occupants, allowing for measures to be taken to help ensure occupant safety. More broadly, RF sensing can be used to detect objects and / or motion within a vehicle and provide alerts regarding detected objects / motions.

[0028] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process for detecting objects and / or movement within a vehicle and providing an alert, according to one embodiment. As with other figures provided herein, Figure 5 is provided as a non-limiting example. Alternative embodiments may add, omit, rearrange, and / or otherwise modify the operations shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, while the process shown in Figure 5 is described below with respect to the detection of occupants left inside the vehicle (e.g., children or pets), alternative embodiments may employ a similar process to detect other things, including packages or other cargo, occupied or unoccupied seats (e.g., inside a bus, train, or passenger car). Furthermore, embodiments are not limited to detecting a single occupant. Multiple occupants may be detected, and (optionally) the number of occupants may be determined. The RF sensing provided in the process shown in Figure 5 may be provided by an RF sensing system, such as the one shown in Figure 1, which can be used in one or more wireless transceivers, such as those shown in Figures 2 and 4. Implementation of the process shown in Figure 5 may be performed by a vehicle computer, such as the computer system shown in Figure 10 and described below. In addition, while the description herein describes the detection of “objects,” it should be noted that embodiments are not limited in this respect. According to some embodiments, multiple objects and / or object types may be detected and / or identified using the techniques provided herein.

[0029] It should also be noted that the embodiments are not necessarily limited to detecting children, pets, or inanimate objects (e.g., cargo). Some embodiments may also be able to detect adult vehicle occupants. Embodiments may further distinguish between children and adults (e.g., based on differences in size, person identification, etc.) and respond differently. A detected adult may not trigger a message / alarm, for example, or may simply trigger a message without further warning / alarm, as described below. In some embodiments, the type of messaging / alarm may be configurable so that the vehicle user can select the type of alarm / message to receive based on the detected object type (e.g., child, adult, pet) or the identification of the detected person / pet.

[0030] The process may begin in block 505, where a decision is made as to whether a trigger condition has been detected. Depending on the application, the trigger condition may include any of a variety of conditions. For example, in an embodiment involving the detection of whether a child or pet has been left in the vehicle, the trigger condition may be the determination that the vehicle has been turned off, the key has been removed from the vehicle, the fob is no longer detected inside the vehicle, and / or the driver or other vehicle user has left the vehicle.

[0031] According to some embodiments, trigger conditions may include the driver and / or other vehicle users leaving or entering an area within the vehicle's threshold distance. According to some embodiments, this distance may be defined as the distance over which the vehicle can perform peer-to-peer (P2P) communication with a user device (e.g., the user's mobile phone). In various 5G and legacy cellular standards, these P2P communications may be referred to as device-to-device (D2D) communication, side-link communication, and / or communication via a Uu interface. For example, a vehicle can determine whether a user is within the vehicle's threshold distance by determining whether the vehicle can perform P2P communication with the user's mobile device. Thus, one such trigger event may be the determination that the user is no longer within the vehicle's threshold distance by determining that the vehicle can no longer communicate with the user's mobile device via a P2P connection.

[0032] Other embodiments may have other trigger conditions that may vary depending on the vehicle type. A passenger car, for example, may have different trigger conditions than a transport or other commercial vehicle. An embodiment of a passenger car may involve using RF sensing to detect cargo in a cargo area (e.g., a trunk, the bed of a pickup truck, etc.), in which case the trigger condition may include detecting that a driver or other vehicle user has entered and / or left the vehicle. Another embodiment may simply involve detecting passengers inside the vehicle, in which case the trigger condition may include detecting the opening and closing of a vehicle door or window.

[0033] In commercial vehicles, RF sensing can be used to detect cargo or available space within a cargo area (including specific locations within the cargo area), where trigger conditions may include detecting that a driver or other vehicle user has entered and / or left the vehicle, detecting that the vehicle has arrived at a delivery location, detecting that the vehicle is within a threshold time or distance from the delivery location, or receiving a cargo status request (e.g., from a remote device). For example, determining available space within a delivery truck could allow consumers to communicate with the vehicle using a mobile phone application to change their order from in-store pickup to delivery, based on trunk availability determined by RF sensing. Alternatively, the vehicle could notify the customer when cargo space becomes available for the desired items for delivery. In transport vehicles, including ride-sharing vehicles, RF sensing can be used to determine occupied / unoccupied seats, etc. Trigger conditions in these embodiments may include detecting the opening or closing of a vehicle door or window, arriving at a point of interest (POI) (e.g., a bus stop, a train station), passing within a threshold distance of a POI, passing within a threshold time after arriving at a POI, or receiving a pickup request (e.g., from a consumer's mobile device application). Trigger conditions from consumer requests can not only trigger an RF sensing scan to determine whether a rideshare or other transport vehicle is available based on a request from the consumer (e.g., using a mobile device application), but can also trigger an RF sensing scan for a lost item if the consumer believes they have left an item on the vehicle.

[0034] Implementing the operation in block 505 may involve the use of one or more vehicle sensors and / or systems other than the RF sensing system. These may include, for example, sensors for detecting the presence of a key in the vehicle's ignition or a fob inside the vehicle, and seat and / or door sensors for detecting the opening and closing of doors and / or the presence of a vehicle user in the seats. Additional or alternative vehicle sensors may be used.

[0035] In block 510, the process involves waiting for a threshold time period. For example, an embodiment involving detecting whether a child or pet is left in the vehicle may wait for a threshold time period before using RF sensing to determine whether a pet or child is left in the vehicle. This could, for example, describe a case where the driver leaves the vehicle and opens the passenger door to help the child or pet leave the vehicle. A longer time period could describe a case where the driver leaves the vehicle momentarily. Thus, according to some embodiments, this threshold can range from less than one minute to several minutes. Other embodiments may have a threshold outside this range. Depending on the desired function, some embodiments allow adjustment of this threshold time period so that the automaker or even the consumer can adjust the threshold. As an addition or alternative, embodiments may adjust this threshold based on sensor and / or other information regarding vehicle and / or environmental factors (for example, using a shorter threshold time period when the temperature is outside a safe temperature range for human or pet occupants, and using a longer threshold time period when the temperature is within a safe range).

[0036] In block 515, the function includes performing low-resolution ("low-res") object / motion detection. This low-resolution form of detection may involve capturing CSI at relatively low frequencies (e.g., periodicity such as 100ms, 500ms, 1s), relatively low bandwidth (e.g., 20MHz or 40MHz), and / or relatively few spatial streams (e.g., a single spatial stream). For example, in an embodiment involving detecting that a child or pet has been left in a vehicle, where the process in Figure 5 may occur when the vehicle is powered off, such preliminary use of low resolution can help ensure low power, which is used to help meet the automotive manufacturer's stringent power consumption requirements when the vehicle is turned off. This low-resolution detection can be used in advance to detect objects or motion within the vehicle. Additional information about motion and / or objects can be obtained using subsequent high-resolution ("hi-res") object / motion detection, as described below.

[0037] The function in block 525 includes determining whether the low-resolution scanning period is complete. If not, the process may involve continuing low-resolution object / motion detection until the low-resolution scanning period is complete or until an object or motion is detected. The length of the low-resolution scanning period may vary depending on the desired function. According to some embodiments, this period may last from 2 to 5 minutes, while other embodiments may use a period outside this range. According to some embodiments, this time period may be configurable by the automotive manufacturer or even the consumer. Embodiments may also adjust this time period based on sensed temperature and / or other environmental factors.

[0038] If an object or motion is detected, the process moves to block 530, where high-resolution object / motion detection is performed. In high-resolution detection, the CSI may capture with relatively high frequencies (e.g., periodicity such as 1ms, 2ms), relatively high bandwidth (e.g., 80 or 160MHz), and / or an increased number of spatial streams (e.g., two or more) compared to the number used in low-resolution detection. As mentioned above, this increased capability (compared to low-resolution detection) can increase the spatial and / or temporal resolution of the RF sensing, allowing the vehicle to acquire additional information about objects and / or motion, as shown in block 535.

[0039] Depending on the desired functionality, this additional information may vary. It could include, for example, determining the location of movement and / or objects, identifying the type of movement (e.g., breathing, arm movements, movement to different locations within a vehicle), identifying the type of object (e.g., adult, child, or pet), identifying a specific object (e.g., a specific person or pet), and identifying the object's orientation / position (e.g., sitting, lying down).

[0040] Identifying a specific object may involve comparing detected aspects of the object with aspects stored in memory. For example, according to some embodiments, a vehicle may create and store a user profile containing data on the user's dimensions, breathing patterns, and / or other detectable user aspects, which can later be used to determine the identification of the vehicle user. Such embodiments may involve a training process in which a new user profile can be added via the vehicle's user interface, initiated by an authorized user and / or prompted by the vehicle (e.g., upon detection of a new, unrecognized vehicle user via RF sensing). A training mode can then be performed, in which RF sensing can be used to scan for the new user at one or more locations within the vehicle, determine the new user's dimensions and / or breathing patterns, and store them in the new user's user profile. As described above, when RF sensing is subsequently performed (e.g., high-resolution object / motion detection in block 530), any detected motion and / or object may be compared to the user's dimensions and / or breathing patterns to identify the vehicle user.

[0041] Returning to the process shown in Figure 5, an alarm may then be provided, as shown in block 540. Depending on the desired functionality, the type of alarm provided, as well as the method of providing the alarm, may vary. Furthermore, the type of alarm may vary based on other factors (e.g., temperature conditions), as will be described in more detail below.

[0042] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a process for providing an alarm in one embodiment where it is determined that a child or pet has been left inside a vehicle. Here, the process can begin in block 610, where a message is sent to the user device. The message may include, for example, a text message sent to the user's mobile phone. Additionally or alternatively, the message may be sent to the user's mobile phone via an application on the mobile phone (for example, a vehicle-related application for the vehicle owner). This message may be transmitted via any combination of public and / or private communication networks, including the Internet. Such an application may enable additional functions, such as displaying an emergency message on the user's mobile phone screen and / or playing an audio message and / or sounding an audio alarm.

[0043] The content of the message may vary depending on the desired function. In some embodiments, for example, it may simply indicate the presence of a detected object inside the vehicle. In other embodiments, the message may further convey information about the status of the vehicle (e.g., whether the doors are locked, the internal temperature, etc.), the type of detected object (e.g., a child or a pet), and / or the identification of the detected object (e.g., the name of the child or pet).

[0044] The functions in blocks 620 and 630 provide a way to determine whether a user acknowledgment was received within the response time. The response time can be balanced to give the user sufficient time to provide an acknowledgment (e.g., by sending a response text or pressing a button on a mobile device's touchscreen) while taking into consideration the safety of children or pets in the vehicle. As with other time thresholds, this time may be set by the automotive manufacturer or the consumer.

[0045] Additionally or alternatively, this time may depend, at least in part, on the conditions in the vehicle. For example, if a thermometer or other temperature sensor in the vehicle indicates that the temperature inside the vehicle is at an unsafe level (e.g., outside the temperature range considered safe for children and / or pets), this time may be shortened. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the length of the response time may be proportional to some extent to the extent that the measured temperature is outside the safe level, and as a result, temperatures far outside the safe temperature range will result in a much shorter response time.

[0046] Depending on the desired functionality, additional messages may be provided to further prompt a response from the user. Thus, the functionality in block 640 indicates that additional messages may be sent to the user at the user's discretion. Follow-up messages may be sent in different ways and / or with different urgency / priority. The initial message may be sent, for example, as plain text, while any follow-up messages may be sent with additional urgency (e.g., a phone call, sound or other voice notification), which may depend on whether the user has an application installed on their mobile phone (or other device configured to receive messages sent from the vehicle).

[0047] If no acknowledgment is received within the response time, additional safety measures may be taken, as shown in block 650. These safety measures may include, for example, lowering the vehicle windows, activating the vehicle's heating or cooling system, unlocking the vehicle's doors, and / or activating alarms in the vehicle. In some cases, this may involve starting the vehicle and activating one or more of the vehicle's systems. The type of safety measures may depend on the vehicle's circumstances to help resolve or mitigate any safety issues of a child or pet left inside the vehicle. The vehicle's heating system may be activated, for example, if the vehicle's internal temperature is measured to be below a certain threshold, while the vehicle's air conditioning system may be activated if the internal temperature is above a certain threshold. One or more windows may be rolled down based on the difference between the internal and external temperatures in the vehicle. Panic alarms (e.g., with flashing lights, honking the horn, and / or sounding and voice alarms) may be activated in some cases, such as in situations where urgent attention may be needed to help ensure the safety of a child or pet left inside the vehicle. In some embodiments and / or scenarios, a panic alarm may be activated in addition to other safety measures. As an addition or alternative, in some embodiments, the vehicle may be capable of contacting emergency services.

[0048] As shown in Figure 6, the process may terminate when a user acknowledgment is received. In some embodiments, the user may be able to provide the vehicle with additional instructions for safety measures to be taken. That is, the user may be able to indicate one or more safety measures that the vehicle should take (for example, by responding to a text message or interacting with the user interface of a mobile phone application) to help ensure the safety of the vehicle occupants.

[0049] Returning to Figure 5, if no motion is detected within the low-resolution scanning period (the behavior in blocks 520 and 525), high-resolution object / motion detection can still be performed, as shown in block 545. This can be done to help ensure the accuracy of object / motion detection by detecting certain motions, such as breathing, which may not be detectable using low-resolution detection.

[0050] As demonstrated by the operation in blocks 550 and 555, high-resolution object / motion detection can be performed during the high-resolution scanning period. Similar to the low-resolution scanning period, this time period may be configurable. In this case, power consumption may also be a concern, so this time period may be limited to less than one minute, for example, to help ensure limited power consumption. If no object is detected, the process can proceed as shown in Figure 5. If, however, an object or motion is detected, the process can proceed to the function in block 535 and continue as described above.

[0051] As mentioned above, to help identify vehicle users, a vehicle may implement a profile system in which user data is stored by the vehicle. This data may be stored, for example, in the memory of the vehicle computer, an example of which is shown in Figure 10 and described below. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the vehicle user profile may be updated over time to ensure accurate user detection and to help account for changes in the user (e.g., children or pets growing over time). Such updates may be performed automatically and / or manually by an authorized user (e.g., the vehicle owner).

[0052] According to some embodiments, a user profile system may be utilized to implement driver-specific settings and / or customizations within a vehicle. For example, when the vehicle senses that a driver has entered the vehicle (e.g., based on fob position and / or driver's seat sensors, or when a key is inserted into the vehicle), the vehicle may use RF sensing as described herein to detect user dimensions and / or breathing patterns, which can be compared to the user dimensions and / or breathing patterns of a stored vehicle user profile to identify the user. Once identified, the vehicle may restore stored user settings for the identified driver (e.g., seat position, mirror alignment, pedal position, wireless presets, and / or other user interface customizations).

[0053] According to embodiments, the RF sensing in the method described herein may be used, either additionally or as an alternative, to implement a driver warning system. Figure 7 is a flowchart of a method for implementing a driver warning system according to one embodiment. Alternative embodiments may add, omit, rearrange, and / or otherwise modify the operations shown in Figure 7. This method may be performed by a vehicle computer as shown in Figure 10 and described below, and the RF sensing may be performed using an RF sensing system (e.g., RF sensing system 105).

[0054] The process can be initiated in block 705, where a determination is made, in part, using RF sensing in the manner described herein, as to whether the vehicle driver is alert. As described above, RF sensing may be capable of determining not only the user's dimensions but also the user's position or posture (e.g., sitting, leaning forward), head orientation, breathing pattern, and eye position. The determination of whether the driver is alert is made based on this acquired RF sensing data.

[0055] According to some embodiments, these decisions may be based on comparing RF sensing data with stored information for the driver (e.g., a user profile for the driver). This stored information may include RF sensing data acquired during a previous calibration in which the driver provided appropriate user position, head orientation, breathing, and eye position for the reference, and RF sensing was performed to collect reference RF sensing data. Thus, in embodiments in which this reference data is used, a discrepancy between RF sensing data acquired during driving and the reference RF sensing data may indicate an inattentive or unvigilant driver.

[0056] According to some embodiments, RF sensing may be used in conjunction with other sensors (e.g., cameras, lane-following systems, steering wheel sensors, etc.) to determine whether the driver is alert. These other sensors may be used to verify user position, head orientation, breathing patterns, and / or eye position, as detected by RF sensing. Additionally or alternatively, sensors may be used to collect additional information indicating whether the driver is alert. In such embodiments, a computer can determine the driver's level of alertness based on both the RF sensing data and the data from these additional sensors.

[0057] If it is not determined that the driver is alert, the process can proceed to block 710, where an alert is provided. Here, since the driver is inside the vehicle, the alert may be provided by the vehicle itself, such as a message on the user interface, a light indicator, an audible message, or a message. In some embodiments, the type or extent of messaging to the driver may vary depending on the degree to which the driver is considered un alert. For example, if the driver's head is not turned in a position indicating an alert driver for a longer period of time than a threshold, a notification may appear on the dashboard with a short sound. However, if it is determined that the driver is hunched over and breathing is elevated (indicating a problematic health condition), a more urgent message may be provided with a louder sound and / or flashing lights.

[0058] As shown in blocks 720 and 730, the process may continue to determine whether the driver is alert over a given response time. This may involve additional RF sensing (sensing of any choice from other sensors). If the driver's attention is restored, the process may be repeated. Otherwise, if the driver does not respond within the response time (and is not determined to be alert in block 720), the process may implement one or more safety measures, as shown in block 740.

[0059] Safety measures may vary depending on the desired function. Furthermore, as with the warnings provided in block 710, the extent to which safety measures are implemented may be based at least in part on the determined state of the driver (for example, RF sensing and / or other data indicating a serious health problem may result in far more safety measures than if it is determined that the driver has simply taken their eyes off the road for an extended period). Such safety measures may include, for example, slowing down or stopping the vehicle, pulling the vehicle to the side of the road, and / or calling emergency services. For example, if, after it is determined in block 720, the driver has not made any movement toward the steering wheel or appeared not to be pressing the brake or accelerator within the response time determined in block 730 (for example, as determined from the driver's posture and / or other characteristics), the vehicle may, in block 740, decide to stop / slow down or implement additional safety measures.

[0060] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method 800 for RF sensing in a vehicle according to one embodiment. The operations shown in the block of Figure 8 may be performed by a vehicle computer using an RF sensing system. An example of such a computer is shown in Figure 10 and described in more detail below. Alternative embodiments may differ from method 800 by adding, omitting, combining, and / or reconfiguring the illustrated operations, and / or performing the operations simultaneously. Method 800 describes a general process of RF sensing in a vehicle, encompassing many of the embodiments described above. Thus, method 800 can be considered a method in which at least some aspects of the processes shown in Figures 5 to 7 and described above may be implemented.

[0061] In block 805, the method includes detecting a trigger condition. As shown in the embodiments described above, the trigger conditions used to trigger RF sensing may vary depending on the desired function. Such trigger conditions may include, for example, a vehicle being turned on or off, a vehicle fob being detected inside the vehicle, a vehicle user entering or exiting the vehicle, a vehicle arriving at a threshold distance or within a threshold distance of a POI, requesting the status of the vehicle's cargo area, or requesting the status of the vehicle's available seats, or any combination thereof. Different types of vehicles (e.g., passenger, delivery, transport, etc.) may have different trigger conditions. It should be further noted that the functions described herein in response to the detection of a trigger condition may generally include changing from one mode of RF sensing to another. For example, the detection of a trigger condition may cause the vehicle to increase the rate, frequency, or duty cycle at which RF sensing is performed.

[0062] The means for performing the functions of block 805 may include a processor 1010, a bus 1005, a working memory 1035, a communication subsystem 1030, a wireless communication interface 1033, an RF sensing system 105, and / or other components of the computer system shown in Figure 10 and described below.

[0063] In block 810, the method includes the step of transmitting a first set of RF signals using one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle in response to detecting a trigger condition. As described in the embodiments above, the vehicle may have one or more wireless transceivers, each having an RF sensing system 105 (or at least a part thereof). One or more wireless transceivers may comprise one or more wireless radios capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals using a WLAN standard (e.g., IEEE 802.11 / Wi-Fi) and may be used by vehicle or WLAN communications in addition to RF sensing. The RF signals may comprise communication packets utilized by the WLAN standard. As previously stated, embodiments herein may leverage existing techniques for channel estimation to obtain the CSI to be used for RF sensing. Additionally or alternatively, one or more wireless transceivers may comprise UWB transceivers.

[0064] The means for performing the functions of block 810 may include a processor 1010, a bus 1005, a working memory 1035, a communication subsystem 1030, a wireless communication interface 1033, an RF sensing system 105, and / or other components of the computer system shown in Figure 10 and described below. Additional means may include a Tx antenna 115, a Tx processing circuit 140, a Mux 135, a processor 125, a memory 130, and / or other components of the RF sensing system 105 shown in Figure 1 and described above.

[0065] In block 820, the function includes using one or more wireless transceivers in the vehicle to receive a first set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of a first set of RF signals from one or more objects. In the case of a vehicle occupied by one or more occupants, pets, or cargo, the one or more objects may include occupants, pets, or cargo. In the case of an empty vehicle, the one or more objects may simply include the floor or walls of the vehicle, or any other fixed objects in the scanning area, such as seats or a steering wheel. As described in the embodiments above, the transceiver receiving the first set of reflected RF signals may be the same transceiver that transmits the RF signals (for example, as shown in Figure 4), or it may be a different transceiver (for example, as shown in Figure 2). Thus, according to some embodiments of Method 800, the one or more wireless transceivers may comprise a single wireless transceiver located in a single location within the vehicle. Alternatively, a first wireless transceiver among one or more wireless transceivers transmits a first set of RF signals, a second wireless transceiver among one or more wireless transceivers receives the first set of reflected RF signals, and the first wireless transceiver is located in a different location within the vehicle than the second wireless transceiver. In embodiments where two or more transceivers are used, a vehicle computer can coordinate the transmission and reception of RF signals. Additionally or alternatively, transceivers may communicate with each other (for example, according to the wireless standard being managed) to coordinate the transmission and reception of RF signals.

[0066] The means for performing the functions of block 820 may include a processor 1010, a bus 1005, a working memory 1035, a communication subsystem 1030, a wireless communication interface 1033, an RF sensing system 105, and / or other components of the computer system shown in Figure 10 and described below. Additional means may include an Rx antenna 120, an Rx processing circuit 145, a Mux 135, a processor 125, a memory 130, and / or other components of the RF sensing system 105 shown in Figure 1 and described above.

[0067] The function in block 830 includes determining a first CSI of one or more wireless channels within the vehicle from a first set of received reflected RF signals. As described above, this can be determined using channel estimation techniques of the wireless standard being managed for one or more wireless transceivers receiving the reflected RF signals. As described above, the reflected RF signals may be received by multiple antennas and / or multiple times. Thus, in some embodiments, this may also allow for the determination of direction as well as the presence of motion or objects. This may depend on how the RF signals are transmitted and received (e.g., using low-resolution or high-resolution detection).

[0068] The means for performing the functions of block 830 may include a processor 1010, a bus 1005, a working memory 1035, a communication subsystem 1030, a wireless communication interface 1033, an RF sensing system 105, and / or other components of the computer system shown in Figure 10 and described below. Additional means may include a processor 125, a memory 130, and / or other components of the RF sensing system 105 shown in Figure 1 and described above.

[0069] In block 840, the function includes determining status information based on a first CSI, where the status information includes information about the status of objects in the vehicle, areas in the vehicle, or both. As shown in the embodiments described above, such vehicle information may include the presence of children, adults, or pets, the availability / unavailability of seats in the vehicle, the attention of the driver or other occupants, etc. Additional or alternative, the vehicle information may include the presence of objects (e.g., cargo in the cargo area, lost objects in the passenger area, etc.). Thus, objects described in block 840 may include people, pets, cargo, etc. Areas may include cargo areas, seats, trunks, etc. In some embodiments of method 800, the status information may include detected movement or objects inside the vehicle, and the trigger condition may include the determination that the vehicle is turned off and the driver of the vehicle is not inside the vehicle. Other trigger conditions for RF sensing may include the determination of one or more other actions, such as when passengers enter or exit, when the cabin temperature reaches a certain threshold, when the oxygen level and / or other gas level (e.g., CO, CO2, etc.) in the cabin reaches a certain threshold, when a certain amount of time has elapsed since the driver / passenger left, or when the driver / passenger is in the vicinity of a certain part of the vehicle.

[0070] The means for performing the functions of block 840 may include a processor 1010, a bus 1005, a working memory 1035, a communication subsystem 1030, a wireless communication interface 1033, an RF sensing system 105, and / or other components of the computer system shown in Figure 10 and described below. Additional means may include a processor 125, a memory 130, and / or other components of the RF sensing system 105 shown in Figure 1 and described above.

[0071] In block 850, the function includes providing a response based on status information. As shown in the embodiments described above, the response may include a message, a safety alarm, etc., which may be followed by safety measures and / or other actions taken in the vehicle. As shown in the figure of Figure 5, additional high-resolution object / motion detection using RF sensing may be performed after the initial low-resolution object / motion detection has detected an object and / or motion. Thus, some embodiments of Method 800 may further include the steps of transmitting a second set of RF signals using one or more wireless transceivers in the vehicle in response to the detection of motion or an object inside the vehicle, and receiving a second set of reflected RF signals using one or more wireless transceivers in the vehicle, which include reflections of the second set of RF signals from one or more objects inside the vehicle. Method 800 may further include the steps of determining a second CSI from the received second set of reflected RF signals, and determining additional information based on the second CSI, wherein the additional information includes the location of motion inside the vehicle, identification of an object inside the vehicle, or both. In such cases, the step of providing a response may be further based on additional information. As shown in the embodiments described above, profile information may be used to determine the identification of an object (e.g., a child or a pet). Thus, in some embodiments of Method 800, the step of determining the identification of an object inside a vehicle may further include the step of comparing a second CSI with stored profile information for one or more vehicle users. The first and second RF signals may be transmitted according to, for example, first and second transmission modes, low-resolution and high-resolution transmission. Thus, in some embodiments of Method 800, the first set of RF signals may be transmitted according to a first transmission mode, and the second set of RF signals may be transmitted according to a second transmission mode, the second transmission mode having a shorter transmission period than the first transmission mode, a larger transmission bandwidth than the first transmission mode, or a larger number of spatial streams, or any combination thereof.

[0072] The means for performing the functions of block 850 may include a processor 1010, a bus 1005, a working memory 1035, a communication subsystem 1030, a wireless communication interface 1033, an RF sensing system 105, and / or other components of the computer system shown in Figure 10 and described below. Additional means may include a Tx antenna 115, a Tx processing circuit 140, a Mux 135, a processor 125, a memory 130, and / or other components of the RF sensing system 105 shown in Figure 1 and described above.

[0073] As described in the embodiments above, the techniques for RF sensing in a vehicle may include additional modifications depending on the desired function. For example, according to some embodiments, providing a response may include sending a message to a user device. As previously stated, the user device may include a mobile phone, but other user devices such as wearable devices, personal computers, and tablets are also intended. Furthermore, method 800 may further include taking action if an acknowledgment of the message is not received by the user of the user device within a threshold time. Such actions may include, for example, lowering the windows of the vehicle, activating the heating or cooling system of the vehicle, unlocking the doors of the vehicle, activating an alarm in the vehicle, or any combination thereof.

[0074] Other functions may be used to implement the occupant alert system. For example, if the vehicle information includes a detected unwarranted occupant of the vehicle (e.g., the driver), determining the vehicle information may include determining one or more attributes of the vehicle's occupants from a first CSI. Such attributes may include, for example, the occupant's seating position, occupant's posture, occupant's head orientation, occupant's respiratory rate, or occupant's eye position, or any combination thereof. Determining one or more attributes of an occupant may include comparing the first CSI with stored profile information about the occupant. Additional or alternative, providing a response may include providing an alert in the vehicle's user interface. As described, this alert may include text or voice messages, and voice notifications, dashboard instructions, etc. According to some embodiments, method 800 may further include taking action if one or more attributes of the occupants do not change within a threshold time. In such embodiments, the action may include slowing down or stopping the vehicle, or pulling the vehicle to the side of the road, or both.

[0075] In some embodiments, the initial calibration and / or set may be performed to store user profile information which may be used in subsequent RF sensing to determine user attributes and / or identification. This calibration may be initiated by the vehicle computer or by an authorized vehicle user. With this in mind, some embodiments of Method 800 further include the step of performing a calibration for the vehicle user before transmitting a first set of RF signals, while the vehicle user is inside the vehicle, a second set of RF signals is transmitted by one or more wireless transceivers in the vehicle, a second set of reflected RF signals including reflections of the second set of RF signals from the vehicle user is received by one or more wireless transceivers in the vehicle, a second CSI is determined from the first set of RF signals and the second set of reflected RF signals, one or more user attributes of the vehicle user are determined at least in part based on the second CSI, and one or more user attributes are stored in the user profile. In this case as well, these user attributes may include the user's dimensions, the user's seated position, the user's posture (e.g., the position of the torso and / or legs, arms, hands, feet, etc.), the user's head orientation, the user's respiratory rate, and / or the user's eye position (e.g., including eye / iris tracking output).

[0076] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing a method 900 of RF sensing in a vehicle according to another embodiment. As can be seen, the operation in method 900 is largely the same as the operation in method 800 in Figure 8. Furthermore, operations 910-950 can be performed in a similar manner to those in Figure 8 and the corresponding operations 810-850 described above. However, Figure 9 does not include the detection and response to trigger conditions in order to further emphasize that, according to some embodiments, these operations can be initiated under any of a wide variety of conditions. As with Figure 8, the operations shown in the blocks of Figure 9 can be performed by a vehicle computer using an RF sensing system.

[0077] Figure 10 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a vehicle computer 1000 that can incorporate an RF sensing system 105 which can be operated in the manner described in the embodiments above. As previously stated, the RF sensing system 105 may be included in one or more wireless transceivers which can be incorporated into one or more subsystems of the vehicle computer, such as a wireless communication interface 1033. It should be noted that Figure 10 is intended only to provide a generalized example of various components, and any or all of those components may be used as appropriate. Thus, Figure 10 broadly illustrates how individual system elements may be implemented in a relatively isolated or relatively more integrated manner. In addition, it can be noted that the components shown in Figure 10 may be localized in a single device and / or distributed among various networked devices which may be located in different physical locations of the vehicle.

[0078] A vehicle computer 1000 is shown, comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled (or, as appropriate, communicate) via a bus 1005. The hardware elements may include, but are not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors, one or more dedicated processors (such as DSPs, graphics processing units (GPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), and / or other processing structures, units, or means that can be configured to perform one or more of the methods described herein, including the method described with respect to Figure 8 and / or the process described in Figures 5 to 7. The vehicle computer system 1000 may also include, but are not limited to, one or more input devices 1015, which may include a mouse, keyboard, camera, microphone, touchscreen, sensor, or vehicle electronic subsystem (e.g., control of brakes, steering, navigation, heating, cooling, etc.), and one or more output devices 1020, which may include, but are not limited to, a display device, speaker, or vehicle electronic subsystem.

[0079] The vehicle computer 1000 may further comprise (and / or communicate) one or more non-temporary storage devices 1025, which may include, but are not limited to, local and / or network-accessible storage, and / or may include, but are not limited to, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, programmable, flash-rewritable, solid-state storage devices (such as random-access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM)), and / or similar. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any suitable data store, including, but are not limited to, various file systems, database structures, and the like.

[0080] The vehicle computer 1000 may also include a communications subsystem 1030, which may include support for wireline and / or wireless communications technologies, managed and controlled by a wireless communications interface 1033 (in some embodiments). The communications subsystem 1030 may include a modem, a (wireless or wired) network card, an infrared communications device, a wireless communications device, and / or a chipset, etc. The communications subsystem 1030 may include one or more input and / or output communications interfaces, such as the wireless communications interface 1033, to enable data and signaling to be exchanged with networks, mobile devices, other computer systems, and / or any other electronic devices described herein. As previously stated, the RF sensing system 105 (as shown in Figure 1) may be incorporated into the wireless communications interface 1033 so that the Tx antenna 115 and the Rx antenna 120, as well as circuits connected to the antenna elements (e.g., other components of the RF sensing system 105), can be used for both RF sensing and data communications. For example, in some embodiments, the wireless communication interface 1033 may include an 802.11ad-compatible and / or 802.11ay-compatible modem capable of both RF sensing and data communication. Embodiments of the wireless communication interface 1033 having an RF sensing system 105 are shown in Figures 2 and 4 and may correspond to transceivers described elsewhere in this specification.

[0081] As described above, some embodiments may have an RF sensing system 105 that is not used for wireless communication. In such cases, the RF sensing system 105 may be incorporated elsewhere in the vehicle computer 1000. In some embodiments, for example, the RF sensing system 105 may be incorporated into the vehicle computer 1000 as an input device 1015. Other sensors may also be included as input devices 1015.

[0082] In many embodiments, the vehicle computer 1000 further comprises a working memory 1035 which may include RAM and / or ROM devices. Software elements shown as localized within the working memory 1035 may include other code such as an operating system 1040, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or applications 1045, and such software elements may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments as described herein and / or be designed to perform methods provided by other embodiments and / or constitute a system. As just one example, one or more procedures described with respect to the methods described above, such as the method described with respect to Figures 7 and 10, may be implemented as code and / or instructions that are stored (e.g., temporarily) in the working memory 1035 and are executable by the computer (and / or a processor in the computer such as processor 1010), and in one embodiment, such code and / or instructions can then be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations according to the methods described.

[0083] These instructions and / or sets of code may be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium, such as the storage device 1025 described above. In some cases, the storage medium may be incorporated into a computer system, such as a vehicle computer 1000. In other embodiments, the storage medium may be separate from the computer system (e.g., a removable medium such as an optical disc) and / or provided in an installation package, so that the storage medium may be used to program, configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer using the instructions / code stored thereon. These instructions may take the form of executable code that can be executed by the vehicle computer 1000, and / or in the form of source and / or installable code, which, once compiled and / or installed on the vehicle computer 1000 (e.g., using any of the various commonly available compilers, installers, compression / decompression utilities, etc.), then take the form of executable code.

[0084] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial modifications may be made to suit specific requirements. For example, customized hardware may be used, and / or certain elements may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software such as applets), or both. Furthermore, connections to other computing devices, such as network input / output devices, may be employed.

[0085] Referring to the attached diagram, components that may include memory may also include non-temporary machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable media” and “computer-readable media” refer to any storage medium involved in providing data to a machine to operate in a particular manner. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media may be involved in providing instructions / code to a processor and / or other device for execution. In addition or alternative, machine-readable media may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code. In many implementations, computer-readable media are physical and / or tangible storage media. Such media may take numerous forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile and volatile media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, magnetic media and / or optical media, any other physical media having a pattern of holes, RAM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, carriers as described below, or any other media from which instructions and / or code can be read by a computer.

[0086] The methods, systems, and devices described herein are examples. Various embodiments may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. For example, features described in relation to some embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of these embodiments may be combined in similar ways. Various components of the figures provided herein can be embodied in hardware and / or software. Furthermore, technology evolves, and therefore many of the elements are examples that do not limit the scope of this disclosure to their specific examples.

[0087] For reasons of common usage, it is sometimes convenient to refer to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, terms, numbers, numerical values, etc. However, it should be understood that all of these terms, or similar terms, should be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless otherwise specified, as is evident from the above description, it is understood that throughout this specification, descriptions using terms such as “process,” “calculate,” “compute,” “determine,” “verify,” “identify,” “associate,” “measure,” and “execute” refer to actions or processes of specific devices, such as dedicated computers or similar dedicated electronic computing devices. Thus, in the context of this specification, dedicated computers or similar dedicated electronic computing devices are capable of manipulating or converting signals that are generally represented as electronic, electrical, or magnetic physical quantities within the memory, registers, or other information storage devices, transmitting devices, or display devices of the dedicated computer or similar dedicated electronic computing device.

[0088] As used herein, the terms “and” and “or” may have a variety of meanings, which are also expected to depend at least in part on the context in which such terms are used. In general, when “or” is used to relate a list such as A, B, or C, it is intended to mean A, B, and C as used here in an inclusive sense, as well as A, B, or C as used here in an exclusive sense. In addition, as used herein, the term “one or more” may be used to describe any singular feature, structure, or characteristic, or any combination of features, structures, or characteristics. However, it should be noted that these are illustrative examples and the claimed subject matter is not limited to these examples. Furthermore, when the term “at least one of” is used to relate a list such as A, B, or C, it may be interpreted to mean any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, AB, AA, AAB, AABBCCC, etc.

[0089] While several embodiments have been described, various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the elements described above may simply be components of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over the applications of the various embodiments, or the applications of the various embodiments may be modified in a different way. Furthermore, several steps may be undertaken before, during, or after the consideration of the elements described above. Therefore, the above description does not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0090] In light of this description, embodiments may include combinations of different features. Examples of implementations are described in the following numbered clauses. Clause 1: A method for RF sensing in a vehicle, The steps include transmitting a first set of RF signals using one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, The steps of receiving a first set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects, using the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, The steps include determining first channel status information (CSI) for one or more wireless channels within the vehicle from the first set of received reflected RF signals, A step of determining status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information regarding the status of an object in the vehicle, an area in the vehicle, or both. A step of providing a response based on the status information mentioned above. A method that includes this. Clause 2: The step of transmitting the first set of RF signals in response to detecting a trigger condition, wherein the status information includes detected movement or object inside the vehicle, and the trigger condition includes a determination that the vehicle is turned off and the driver of the vehicle is not inside the vehicle. The method described in Article 1. Clause 3: In response to detecting the movement or object inside the vehicle, The steps include transmitting a second set of RF signals using one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, The steps of receiving a second set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the second set of RF signals from one or more objects in the vehicle, using the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle; The steps include determining a second CSI from the second set of RF signals received, This is a step in which additional information is determined based on the second CSI, and the additional information is The position of the movement inside the vehicle, Identification of the object inside the vehicle, or Including both, This further includes the steps to make a decision. The step of providing the response is further based on the additional information, The method described in Article 2. Clause 4: The method according to Clause 3, wherein the step of determining the identification of the object inside the vehicle further includes the step of comparing the second CSI with stored profile information for one or more vehicle users. Article 5: The first set of RF signals is transmitted according to the first transmission mode. The second set of RF signals is transmitted according to a second transmission mode, and the second transmission mode is A transmission period shorter than the first transmission mode described above, A transmission bandwidth larger than the first transmission mode, or A large number of spatial streams, or Any combination of them Having, The method described in Article 3 or 4. Clause 6: The method described in any one of Clauses 2 to 5, wherein the step of providing a response includes the step of sending a message to a user device. Clause 7: Further includes the step of taking action if the user of the user device does not receive an acknowledgment of the message within a threshold time, wherein the action is Lowering the windows of the aforementioned vehicle, To activate the heating or cooling system of the aforementioned vehicle, Unlocking the doors of the aforementioned vehicle, or Activating the alarm in the aforementioned vehicle, or Any combination of them The method described in Article 6, including the method described in Article 6. Clause 8: Status information includes detected unguarded occupants of the vehicle, and the step of determining the status information includes the step of determining one or more attributes of the occupants of the vehicle from the first CSI, and the one or more attributes are The seating position of the aforementioned occupant, The posture of the aforementioned crew member, The direction of the head of the aforementioned occupant, The respiratory rate of the aforementioned crew member, or The position of the occupant's eyeballs, or Any combination of them The method described in Clause 1, including the method described in Clause 1. Clause 9: The method of Clause 8, wherein the step of determining the one or more attributes of the occupant includes the step of comparing the first CSI with stored profile information relating to the occupant. Clause 10: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, wherein the step of providing a response includes the step of providing an alarm in the user interface of the vehicle. Clause 11: Further includes taking action if one or more of the occupants' attributes do not change within a threshold time, wherein the action is To slow down or stop the aforementioned vehicle, To move the aforementioned vehicle to the shoulder of the road, or both The method described in any one of the clauses 8 to 10, including the method described in any one of the clauses 8 to 10. Clause 12: The further step includes performing calibration for the vehicle user before transmitting the first set of RF signals, while the vehicle user is inside the vehicle. A second set of RF signals is transmitted by one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle. A second set of reflected RF signals, including the reflection of the second set of RF signals from the vehicle user, is received by the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle. A second CSI is determined from the second set of reflected RF signals received. One or more user attributes of the vehicle user are determined at least in part based on the second CSI, The one or more user attributes mentioned above are stored in the user profile. The method described in any one of the clauses 1 to 11. Clause 13: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, wherein the one or more wire restaurant shivers comprise a single wire restaurant shiver located in a single location within the vehicle. Clause 14: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, wherein a first wireless transceiver of the one or more wireless transceivers transmits the first set of RF signals, a second wireless transceiver of the one or more wireless transceivers receives the first set of reflected RF signals, and the first wireless transceiver is located in a different location within the vehicle from the second wireless transceiver. Clause 15: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 14, wherein the one or more wireless transceivers comprises one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) or Wi-Fi transceivers. Clause 16: The step of transmitting the first set of RF signals in response to detecting a trigger condition, the trigger condition is The vehicle is turned on or off. The vehicle fob is detected inside the vehicle. Vehicle users entering and exiting the vehicle, The vehicle user is no longer within the threshold distance of the vehicle. The vehicle arrives at or within the threshold distance of a point of interest (POI). To request the status of the cargo area of ​​the aforementioned vehicle, or Requesting the status of available seats in the aforementioned vehicle, or Any combination of them The method described in any one of the clauses 1 to 15, including the method described in any one of the clauses 1 to 15. Clause 17: A device for providing RF sensing in a vehicle, 1 Terrace Wire Restaurant Sheba, Memory and One or more wireless transceivers and the memory are communicated together. Transmitting a first set of RF signals via the aforementioned one or more wireless transceivers, Receiving a first set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects, via the one or more wireless transceivers, From the received first set of reflected RF signals, first channel status information (CSI) of one or more wireless channels within the vehicle is determined; The determination of status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information about objects in the vehicle, areas in the vehicle, or both. To provide a response based on the aforementioned status information One or more processors configured to perform the following: A device equipped with the following features. Clause 18: The one or more processors are configured to transmit the first set of RF signals and determine the status information in response to detecting trigger conditions including a determination that the vehicle is turned off and the driver of the vehicle is not inside the vehicle, and the one or more processors are configured to determine detected motion or objects inside the vehicle, Devices as described in Clause 17. Clause 19: In response to one or more processors detecting movement or objects inside the vehicle, Transmitting a second set of RF signals via one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, Receiving a second set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the second set of RF signals from one or more objects within the vehicle, via one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle. The second CSI is determined from the second set of reflected RF signals received, Based on the second CSI described above, additional information is determined, and the additional information is The position of the movement inside the vehicle, Identification of the object inside the vehicle, or Including both, It is further configured to make decisions and to do so. Providing the aforementioned response is based further on the aforementioned additional information, The devices described in Clause 18. Clause 20: The device according to Clause 19, wherein one or more processors are configured to compare the second CSI with stored profile information for one or more vehicle users in order to determine the identification of the object inside the vehicle. Clause 21: The one or more processors provide the one or more wireless transceivers to Transmitting the first set of RF signals according to a first transmission mode, It is configured to transmit the second set of RF signals according to a second transmission mode, and the second transmission mode is A transmission period shorter than the first transmission mode described above, A transmission bandwidth larger than the first transmission mode, or A large number of spatial streams, or Any combination of them Having, The method described in Article 19 or 20. Clause 22: The device according to any one of Clauses 18 to 21, wherein one or more processors are configured to send messages to a user device via one or more wireless transceivers in order to provide a response. Clause 23: The one or more processors are configured to take action if the user of the user device does not receive an acknowledgment of the message within a threshold time, and the action is, Lowering the windows of the aforementioned vehicle, To activate the heating or cooling system of the aforementioned vehicle, Unlocking the doors of the aforementioned vehicle, or Activating the alarm in the aforementioned vehicle, or Any combination of them The devices described in Clause 22, including those mentioned above. Clause 24: The one or more processors are configured to determine the status information, including any detected unguarded occupants, and in order to detect any unguarded occupants, the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more attributes of the occupants of the vehicle from the first CSI, and the one or more attributes are The seating position of the aforementioned occupant, The posture of the aforementioned occupant, the direction of the aforementioned occupant's head, The respiratory rate of the aforementioned crew member, or The position of the occupant's eyeballs, or Any combination of them including, Devices as described in Clause 17. Clause 25: The device according to Clause 24, wherein the one or more processors are configured to compare the first CSI with stored profile information relating to the occupant in order to determine one or more attributes of the occupant. Clause 26: The device according to any one of Clauses 17 to 25, wherein one or more processors are configured to provide an alarm in the user interface of the vehicle in order to provide a response. Clause 27: The one or more processors are configured to take action if the one or more attributes of the occupant do not change within a threshold time, and the action is To slow down or stop the aforementioned vehicle, To move the aforementioned vehicle to the shoulder of the road, or both A device as described in any one of clauses 24 to 26, including the device described in any one of clauses 24 to 26. Clause 28: The one or more processors are configured to perform calibration for the vehicle user before transmitting the first set of RF signals via the one or more wireless transceivers, and while the vehicle user is inside the vehicle, the one or more processors Transmitting a second set of RF signals via the aforementioned one or more wireless transceivers, Receiving a second set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the second set of RF signals from the vehicle user, via the one or more wireless transceivers, The second CSI is determined from the second set of reflected RF signals received, Determining one or more user attributes of the vehicle user based at least in part on the second CSI, The memory stores one or more user attributes of the user profile. A device configured to perform any one of the provisions 17 to 27. Clause 29: The device according to any one of Clauses 17 to 28, wherein the one or more wire transceivers comprises a single wire transceiver located in a single location within the vehicle. Clause 30: The device according to any one of Clauses 17 to 28, wherein a first wireless transceiver among the one or more wireless transceivers is configured to transmit the first set of RF signals, a second wireless transceiver among the one or more wireless transceivers is configured to receive the first set of reflected RF signals, and the first wireless transceiver is located in a different location within the vehicle from the second wireless transceiver. Clause 31: The device described in any one of Clauses 17 to 30, wherein the one or more wireless transceivers comprises one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) or Wi-Fi transceivers. Clause 32: The one or more processors The vehicle is turned on or off. The vehicle fob is detected inside the vehicle. Vehicle users entering and exiting the vehicle, The vehicle user is no longer within the threshold distance of the vehicle. The vehicle arrives at or within the threshold distance of a point of interest (POI). To request the status of the cargo area of ​​the aforementioned vehicle, or Requesting the status of available seats in the aforementioned vehicle, or Any combination of them A device according to any one of the clauses 17 to 31, configured to transmit the first set of RF signals in response to detecting a trigger condition including the above. Clause 33: RF sensing device for vehicles, Means for transmitting a first set of RF signals, Means for receiving a first set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects, Means for determining first channel status information (CSI) of one or more wireless channels within the vehicle from the received first set of reflected RF signals, Means for determining status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information relating to an object in the vehicle, an area in the vehicle, or both. Means for providing a response based on the aforementioned status information An RF sensing device equipped with [a specific feature]. Clause 34: The means for determining status information based on the first CSI comprises means for detecting movement or objects inside the vehicle, and the means for detecting trigger conditions comprises means for determining that the vehicle is turned off and the driver of the vehicle is not inside the vehicle. The devices described in Clause 33. Clause 35: In response to detecting the movement or object inside the vehicle, Transmitting a second set of RF signals, Receiving a second set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the second set of RF signals from one or more objects within the vehicle, The second CSI is determined from the second set of reflected RF signals received, Based on the second CSI described above, additional information is determined, and the additional information is The position of the movement inside the vehicle, Identification of the object inside the vehicle, or Including both, To decide and It further provides means for performing the operation, The means for providing the response is configured to provide the response based further on the additional information, The devices described in Clause 34. Article 36: The means for transmitting the first set of RF signals, Transmitting the first set of RF signals according to a first transmission mode, It is configured to transmit the second set of RF signals according to a second transmission mode, wherein the second transmission mode is A transmission period shorter than the first transmission mode described above, A transmission bandwidth larger than the first transmission mode, or A large number of spatial streams, or Any combination of them Having, The devices described in Clause 35. Clause 37: The means for determining status information based on the first CSI includes means for detecting an unguarded occupant of the vehicle based on determining one or more attributes of the occupant of the vehicle from the first CSI, and the one or more attributes are The seating position of the aforementioned occupant, The posture of the aforementioned crew member, The direction of the head of the aforementioned occupant, The respiratory rate of the aforementioned crew member, or The position of the occupant's eyeballs, or Any combination of them The devices described in Clause 33, including those mentioned above. Clause 38: The system further comprises means for performing a calibration for a vehicle user before transmitting the first set of RF signals, wherein the means for performing the calibration is performed while the vehicle user is inside the vehicle. Transmitting a second set of RF signals, Receiving a second set of reflected RF signals, including the reflection of the second set of RF signals from the vehicle user, The second CSI is determined from the second set of reflected RF signals received, Determining one or more user attributes of the vehicle user based at least in part on the second CSI, The one or more user attributes mentioned above are stored in the user profile. The device described in Clause 33, which is equipped with means for performing the operation of the Clause 39: The device according to any one of Clauses 33 to 38, wherein a single wireless transceiver located in a single location within the vehicle comprises the means for transmitting the first set of RF signals and the means for receiving the first set of reflected RF signals. Clause 40: A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium having instructions stored therein for RF sensing in a vehicle, wherein when the instructions are executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to execute the method described in any one of Clauses 1 to 16. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 105 RF Sensing System 110 objects 112 RF signal 115 Tx antenna 120 Rx antenna 125 processors 130 memory 135 Multiplexer 140 Tx processing circuit 145 Rx processing circuit 200 vehicles 210 First transceiver 220 Second transceiver 230 First RF signal path 240 First object 250 Second object 260 Second RF signal path 310 Reflection inside the car 320 External Reflective 330-hour threshold 340 Amplitude threshold 400 vehicles 410 Transceiver 420 objects 430 RF signal path 800 ways 900 ways 1000 Vehicle Computer 1005 Bus 1010 Processor 1015 Input Devices 1020 Output Device 1025 Non-temporary memory devices 1030 Communication Subsystem 1033 Wireless communication interface 1035 Working memory 1040 Operating Systems 1045 Applications

Claims

1. A method for radio frequency (RF) sensing in a vehicle, The steps include transmitting a first set of RF signals using one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, The steps of receiving a first set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects, using the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, The steps include determining first channel status information (CSI) for one or more wireless channels within the vehicle from the first set of received reflected RF signals, A step of determining status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information regarding the status of an object in the vehicle, an area in the vehicle, or both, and detected movement or object inside the vehicle. In response to detecting the movement or object inside the vehicle, The steps include transmitting a second set of RF signals using the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, The steps of receiving a second set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the second set of RF signals from one or more objects in the vehicle, using the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle; The steps include determining a second CSI from the second set of reflected RF signals received, This is a step in which additional information is determined based on the second CSI, and the additional information is The position of the movement inside the vehicle, Identification of the object inside the vehicle, or Including both, The decision-making steps, A step of providing a response based on the status information and the additional information. A method that includes this.

2. The step of transmitting the first set of RF signals is in response to detecting a trigger condition, The trigger condition includes the determination that the vehicle is turned off and the driver of the vehicle is not inside the vehicle. The method according to claim 1.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the identification of the object inside the vehicle further includes the step of comparing the second CSI with stored profile information for one or more vehicle users.

4. The first set of RF signals is transmitted according to the first transmission mode. The second set of RF signals is transmitted according to a second transmission mode, and the second transmission mode is A transmission period shorter than the first transmission mode described above, A transmission bandwidth larger than the first transmission mode, or A large number of spatial streams, or Any combination of them Having, The method according to claim 1.

5. A device for providing radio frequency (RF) sensing in a vehicle, 1 Terrace Wire Restaurant Sheba, Memory and One or more wireless transceivers and the memory are communicated together. Transmitting a first set of RF signals via the aforementioned one or more wireless transceivers, Receiving a first set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects, via the one or more wireless transceivers, From the received first set of reflected RF signals, first channel status information (CSI) of one or more wireless channels within the vehicle is determined; Determining status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information about objects in the vehicle, areas in the vehicle, or both, and detected movement or objects inside the vehicle. In response to detecting the movement or object inside the vehicle, Transmitting a second set of RF signals via the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, Receiving a second set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the second set of RF signals from one or more objects within the vehicle, via the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle. The second CSI is determined from the second set of reflected RF signals received, Based on the second CSI described above, additional information is determined, and the additional information is The position of the movement inside the vehicle, Identification of the object inside the vehicle, or Including both, To make a decision, To provide a response based on the status information and the additional information. One or more processors configured to perform the following: A device equipped with the following features.

6. The one or more processors are configured to transmit the first set of RF signals in response to detecting trigger conditions including a determination that the vehicle is turned off and the driver of the vehicle is not inside the vehicle. The device according to claim 5.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein, in order to determine the identification of the object inside the vehicle, one or more processors are configured to compare the second CSI with stored profile information for one or more vehicle users.

8. The one or more processors provide the one or more wireless transceivers to Transmitting the first set of RF signals according to a first transmission mode, It is configured to transmit the second set of RF signals according to a second transmission mode, and the second transmission mode is A transmission period shorter than the first transmission mode described above, A transmission bandwidth larger than the first transmission mode, or A large number of spatial streams, or Any combination of them Having, The device according to claim 5.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein a first wireless transceiver among the one or more wireless transceivers is configured to transmit the first set of RF signals, a second wireless transceiver among the one or more wireless transceivers is configured to receive the first set of reflected RF signals, and the first wireless transceiver is located in a different location within the vehicle from the second wireless transceiver.

10. The device according to claim 5, wherein the one or more wireless transceivers comprises one or more wireless local area network (WLAN) or Wi-Fi transceivers.

11. A radio frequency (RF) sensing device for vehicles, Means for transmitting a first set of RF signals, Means for receiving a first set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects, Means for determining first channel status information (CSI) of one or more wireless channels within the vehicle from the received first set of reflected RF signals, Means for determining status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information about objects in the vehicle, areas in the vehicle, or both, and detected movement or objects inside the vehicle. In response to detecting the movement or object inside the vehicle, Means for transmitting a second set of RF signals using the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, Means for receiving a second set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the second set of RF signals from one or more objects within the vehicle, using one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, Means for determining a second CSI from the second set of reflected RF signals received, A means for determining additional information based on the second CSI, wherein the additional information is The position of the movement inside the vehicle, Identification of the object inside the vehicle, or Including both, Means for making a decision, Means for providing a response based on the status information and the additional information A radio frequency (RF) sensing device equipped with [a specific feature].

12. A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium having instructions stored therein for radio frequency (RF) sensing in a vehicle, wherein when the instructions are executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors are configured to: Using one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, a first set of RF signals is transmitted. Using the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, a first set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the first set of RF signals from one or more objects, From the received first set of reflected RF signals, first channel status information (CSI) of one or more wireless channels within the vehicle is determined; Determining status information based on the first CSI, wherein the status information includes information about objects in the vehicle, areas in the vehicle, or both, and detected movement or objects inside the vehicle. In response to detecting the movement or object inside the vehicle, Transmitting a second set of RF signals via the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle, Receiving a second set of reflected RF signals, including reflections of the second set of RF signals from one or more objects within the vehicle, via the one or more wireless transceivers of the vehicle. The second CSI is determined from the second set of reflected RF signals received, Based on the second CSI described above, additional information is determined, and the additional information is The position of the movement inside the vehicle, Identification of the object inside the vehicle, or Including both, To make a decision, To provide a response based on the status information and the additional information. A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium that enables the execution of functions including [specific functions].

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