US 12,325,370 B2
Determining an identification of an occupant within a vehicle
Seyhan Ucar, Mountain View, CA (US); Takamasa Higuchi, Mountain View, CA (US); and Kentaro Oguchi, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Aug. 26, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/412,506.
Prior Publication US 2023/0066199 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B60R 16/037 (2006.01); B60H 1/00 (2006.01); B60N 2/00 (2006.01); B60N 2/02 (2006.01); B60N 2/16 (2006.01); B60N 2/20 (2006.01); B60R 1/04 (2006.01); B60R 1/062 (2006.01); B62D 1/181 (2006.01); B62D 1/187 (2006.01); G06F 18/214 (2023.01); G06V 20/59 (2022.01)
CPC B60R 16/037 (2013.01) [B60H 1/00828 (2013.01); B60H 1/00835 (2013.01); B60H 1/00878 (2013.01); B60N 2/0024 (2023.08); B60N 2/0035 (2023.08); B60N 2/0248 (2013.01); B60N 2/16 (2013.01); B60N 2/20 (2013.01); B60R 1/04 (2013.01); B60R 1/062 (2013.01); B62D 1/187 (2013.01); G06F 18/214 (2023.01); G06V 20/593 (2022.01); B60N 2210/18 (2023.08); B60N 2210/24 (2023.08); B60N 2210/30 (2023.08); B60N 2210/40 (2023.08); B60N 2220/30 (2023.08); B60N 2230/20 (2023.08); B62D 1/181 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a processor;
a data store;
a communications interface; and
a memory storing:
an information reception module including instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to receive, via the communications interface, from at least one sensor, and at a time when a source of a propulsion force for a vehicle is in an off state, at least one signal having information about at least one detectable characteristic associated with an occupant within the vehicle;
an identification prediction module including instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to produce, based on the information, a prediction of an identification of the occupant by:
recording, to the data store, the information, and
determining an existence of a pattern, within a record of the information, correlated with the occupant,
wherein the pattern includes, at a first time, a first detectable characteristic and, at a second time, a second detectable characteristic, and
wherein an element, of the pattern, is characterized by at least one of:
a measure of a duration of time during which at least one of the at least one sensor was caused to sense at least one of the at least one detectable characteristic,
a count of a number of instances in which the at least one of the at least one sensor was caused to sense before a time when the source of the propulsion force for the vehicle was changed from the off state to an on state, the count being greater than one, or
a characteristic of a time during which the at least one of the at least one sensor was caused to sense the at least one of the at least one detectable characteristic, the characteristic of the time being at least one of a time of a day, a day of a week, or a season; and
an actuation module including instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to cause, in response to a production of the prediction of the identification of the occupant, a setting of a component of the vehicle to have a specific value, wherein the setting of the component comprises at least one of a position of a seat, a height of the seat, a degree to which the seat reclines, a position of a ventilation duct, a direction of the ventilation duct, a temperature of a heating system or an air conditioning system, a speed of a fan of a ventilation system, a position of a rearview mirror, a tilt angle of a steering wheel, a longitudinal position of the steering wheel, a volume of a speaker, a tuner of a radio, a setting of an in-car entertainment system, a setting of a satellite radio, a setting of an Internet radio, or a setting of a media streaming receiver.