METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING A REAR PASSENGER SEATING AREA OF A VEHICLE

摘要

A vehicle including a passenger compartment having a rear seating area is described. A method for monitoring the rear seating area of the passenger compartment includes monitoring a vehicle operating state comprising one of a key-on state and a key-off state and monitoring the rear seating area. A presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area is detected based upon the monitoring, and a control routine is executed based upon the vehicle operating state and the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area.

主权项

1. A method for monitoring a rear seating area of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the method comprising:
monitoring, by an on-vehicle controller, a vehicle operating state comprising one of a key-on state and a key-off state; monitoring the rear seating area to detect presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area, including monitoring input signals associated with a plurality of sensing devices and monitoring actuator commands from control elements associated with the rear seating area, and executing a sensor fusion routine to evaluate the input signals and the actuator commands; and executing a control routine based upon the vehicle operating state and the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area, including executing an audio signal processing routine to detect the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area, including:
dynamically capturing audio signals employing the front and rear microphones;determining differences in times of arrival of the audio signals between the front and rear microphones;determining differences in magnitudes of power of the audio signals between the front and rear microphones; andevaluating the differences in times of arrival of the audio signals and the differences in magnitudes of power of the audio signals to determine the presence of a passenger in the rear seating area.