Vehicle Access Notification via Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle drivers often forget to secure their vehicles, leading to open doors, windows, or hoods, which can result in unauthorized vehicle movement or exposure to precipitation, highlighting the need for a system to notify drivers of unsecured access ways.
Innovation Solution
An electronic control module in the vehicle determines if the transmission is in park or neutral, if the ignition key is outside a predetermined distance, and if any access ways are open, generating a notification message to the driver via their personal communication device, incorporating sensors for precipitation detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If drivers rely on memory to secure vehicles, then simplicity is maintained, but drivers forget to close access ways leading to security issues and precipitation exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically monitors vehicle access ways and sends notifications without requiring driver intervention. Sensors detect open doors, windows, or hoods and the ECM automatically communicates status to the driver's mobile device, allowing the system to serve itself rather than relying on driver memory.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to drivers about the status of vehicle access ways through automated notifications. The ECM receives sensor data about open access ways and sends alerts to mobile devices, creating a feedback loop that informs drivers of security issues without requiring them to manually check.
2Loss of information
If the system sends notifications for every open access way, then complete information is provided to drivers, but false alarms and unnecessary concern increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different notification conditions to different situations. Notifications are sent based on specific conditions such as whether the vehicle is in park/neutral with key removed, or whether precipitation is detected, rather than notifying for every possible open access way scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes notification behavior based on detected parameters such as transmission status, key location, and precipitation conditions. Notifications are conditional rather than universal, adjusting the information flow based on the current operational state of the vehicle.
3Reliability
If the system monitors all access ways continuously, then complete security monitoring is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic monitoring rather than continuous monitoring. Sensors check access way status at intervals and the ECM processes data periodically, reducing energy consumption while maintaining security monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary checks of transmission status and key location before initiating full access way monitoring. This preliminary action determines whether detailed monitoring should occur, reducing overall energy consumption by only activating full monitoring when necessary.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus are provided for notifying a driver of an open vehicle access. The apparatus includes an electronic control module for informing a vehicle driver that a vehicle access is not secured, the electronic control module configured to determine if a transmission of the vehicle is in either a park status or a neutral status, determine if all keys for the vehicle are located outside a predetermined distance from the vehicle and determine if a displacement sensor indicates that a vehicle access is not closed. When the vehicle is in the park or neutral status, the key is located at a distance greater than the predetermined distance from the vehicle, and at least one vehicle access is indicated as being not closed, then an access open message is generated and sent to the driver.