US 12,033,489 B1
Systems and methods for detecting water events in vehicles
Stefanie Jean Acosta, San Antonio, TX (US); Carlos J P Chavez, San Antonio, TX (US); Janelle Denice Dziuk, Falls City, TX (US); Michael Joseph Gaeta, San Anotnio, TX (US); Stacy Callaway Huggar, San Antonio, TX (US); Emily Kathleen Krebs, San Antonio, TX (US); Jeffrey Neal Pollack, San Antonio, TX (US); and Mitzi Ruiz, San Antonio, TX (US)
Assigned to United Services Automobile Association (USAA), San Antonio, TX (US)
Filed by United Services Automobile Association (USAA), San Antonio, TX (US)
Filed on Apr. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/306,789.
Application 18/306,789 is a continuation of application No. 17/736,761, filed on May 4, 2022, granted, now 11,670,155.
Application 17/736,761 is a continuation of application No. 16/749,649, filed on Jan. 22, 2020, granted, now 11,348,440, issued on May 31, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/796,413, filed on Jan. 24, 2019.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G08B 21/20 (2006.01); B60R 21/00 (2006.01); G01F 23/18 (2006.01)
CPC G08B 21/20 (2013.01) [B60R 21/00 (2013.01); G01F 23/185 (2013.01); B60R 2021/0016 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle water detection system, comprising:
a water-activated battery configured to produce an electrical voltage upon contact with water;
one or more sensors configured to detect one or more vehicle condition parameters relating to one or more conditions within a vehicle; and
circuitry configured to detect a water event occurring in the vehicle based at least in part on the electrical voltage, to at least partially power the circuitry and the one or more sensors using the electrical voltage, to receive data relating to the one or more vehicle condition parameters from the one or more sensors, and to transmit an alert that the water event has occurred to one or more devices external to the vehicle based at least in part on the data relating to the one or more vehicle condition parameters.