US 12,371,185 B2
Vehicle operator monitoring system with smart active engagement and disengagement
Christopher L George, Winchester, VA (US); Arjun Harsha Rao, Marion, IA (US); Timothy J. Wittkop, Marion, IA (US); Wade T. Johnson, Cedar Rapids, IA (US); Peggy Wu, Ellicott City, MD (US); and Michael P. Matessa, Ben Lomond, CA (US)
Assigned to Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA (US)
Filed by Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA (US)
Filed on May 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/734,710.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/196,854, filed on Jun. 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0388677 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 45/00 (2006.01); B64D 43/00 (2006.01); G08G 5/21 (2025.01)
CPC B64D 45/00 (2013.01) [B64D 43/00 (2013.01); G08G 5/21 (2025.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An operator safety system (OSS) for a vehicle, comprising:
one or more presence sensors configured for installation in a control area of a vehicle, the one or more presence sensors configured to determine a presence or non-presence of the operator in the control area;
and
an operator interface comprising:
at least one display surface configured to present information to the operator;
and
at least one input device configured to accept manual control input from the operator, wherein the manual control input includes a command to manually engage and disengage the OSS;
the OSS having an operational state selected from engaged or disengaged, the operator capable of manually transitioning the OSS between the engaged and disengaged states via the input device;
the OSS configured:
when the one or more presence sensors determine the operator is not present in the control area and the OSS state is engaged, to prompt the operator to manually disengage the OSS via the input device;
and
when the one or more presence sensors determine the operator is present in the control area and the OSS state is disengaged, to prompt the operator to manually engage the OSS via the input device.