Vehicle Occupant Detection via Historical Route Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle notification systems fail to alert drivers of occupants left in the vehicle until they arrive at their destination, leading to wasted time and inefficiencies, particularly in predictable commutes like dropping off children at school or daycare.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-based system that tracks historical routes with and without occupants, using location data and sensors to predict when an occupant may have been forgotten and providing notifications after a predetermined crossroad is passed, allowing for early redirection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If notification is provided only after arrival at destination, then false alarms are reduced, but time loss increases due to unnecessary return trips
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by analyzing historical route data and detecting occupancy status before the vehicle reaches the destination. It identifies when an occupant is left in the vehicle during the journey and triggers notifications at optimized points along the route, rather than waiting until arrival. This preliminary detection and early notification prevents the driver from completing the full unnecessary trip.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification timing is made dynamic rather than static. The system determines optimal notification points based on real-time factors including current location, historical route patterns, and detected occupancy status. The notification is triggered at the most appropriate moment during the journey, balancing early warning with minimizing false alarms, rather than using a fixed notification rule.
2Loss of time
If historical patterns are used to predict occupant presence, then notification timing is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a multi-functional approach where the same data collection infrastructure serves multiple purposes. The location system, occupancy sensors, and route tracking are used both for traditional navigation functions and for predicting occupant presence patterns. This universal use of existing components minimizes additional complexity while enabling sophisticated prediction capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages data that is already being collected by the vehicle's existing systems for navigation and monitoring. Rather than requiring separate dedicated sensors or data sources for occupancy prediction, the system self-serves by analyzing data from the location system, route history, and occupancy detectors that are already part of the vehicle's standard equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
The systems and methods disclosed herein are directed to providing a notification of a presence of an occupant in a vehicle before arriving at a destination. In an illustrative embodiment, the vehicle may include a location system for tracking routes taken or traveled by the vehicle. The vehicle may include a detection system for determining whether the occupant is in the vehicle along those routes traveled by the vehicle. The vehicle may also include a notification system. The notification system may store the routes traveled by the vehicle with and without the occupant in the vehicle. The notification system may provide a notification when a route is taken with the occupant and the route is not associated with the occupant based on the historical patterns of the routes traveled by vehicle with and without the occupant.