# US 10,870,432 B1 · Systems and methods for assessing vehicle operation in a direction of sunlight > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,870,432 B1 - Document ID: US10870432B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/553,566 - Filed: 2019-08-28 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-18 - Assignees: Blueowl, LLC - Applicants: Blueowl, LLC - Inventors: Aaron Scott Chan; Kenneth J. Sanchez; Harshit Agarwal; Yue Liu; Pravita Tolanavar; Yuhao Zhou; Yuetong Xing; Keely Renwick; Abhinav Rai; Shashwat Gupta; Utku Pamuksuz; Taylor Michael Thiel; Sanjiv Kumar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870432B1 ## CPC - B60W 40/02: related to ambient conditions - B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters} - B60W 50/0098: {Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for} - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle - G06V 20/59: inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions - G06V 20/597: {Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness} - B60W 2050/146: {Display means} - B60W 2520/06: Direction of travel - B60W 2520/14: Yaw - B60W 2540/043: Identity of occupants - B60W 2540/20: Direction indicator values - B60W 2555/20: Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain - B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract Systems and methods for assessing vehicle operation are provided. According to certain aspects, an electronic device may receive and analyze image data depicting an individual located within a vehicle. The electronic device may also access and compile certain data related to an environment of the vehicle, and specifically to the vehicle's position relative to the sun. According to embodiments, the electronic device may determine, based on the accessed data, whether the vehicle is traveling into a direction of the sun, and may generate and record an indication of the same. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method in an electronic device of assessing vehicle operation data, the method comprising: receiving image data from at least one image sensor located within a vehicle, wherein the image data depicts an operator of the vehicle and the sun; analyzing, by a computer processor, the image data to (i) identify the operator of the vehicle, and (ii) determine a position of the sun; identifying a current time corresponding to approximately when the image data is received; detecting a position metric associated with the vehicle; determining, based on the position metric, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into a direction of the sun; and recording an indication that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein detecting the position metric associated with the vehicle comprises reading a bearing from a compass. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein detecting the position metric associated with the vehicle comprises: reading, from a location module, an initial location of the vehicle; reading, from the location module, a subsequent location of the vehicle; and wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises determining, based on the initial location, the subsequent location, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein detecting the position metric associated with the vehicle comprises: reading a bearing from a compass; reading, from a location module, a current location of the vehicle; and wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises determining, based on the bearing, the current location, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises determining, based on the position metric, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of a setting sun or a rising sun. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises: identifying at least one of a sunrise time and a sunset time; and determining, based on the position metric, the current time, the position of the sun, and the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of a setting sun or a rising sun. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein identifying the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time comprises requesting, from a remote server, the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: determining an amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun; and recording the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein determining the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises: identifying a sunset time; at the sunset time: detecting an updated position metric associated with the vehicle, and determining, based on at least the updated position metric, that the vehicle is driving into the direction of the sun; and calculating the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun as a difference between the current time and the sunset time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun comprises determining, based on the position metric, the current time, the position of the sun, and topology information associated with the position metric, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun. ### Claim 11 A system in an electronic device for assessing vehicle operation data, comprising: a memory configured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions; and a processor configured to interface with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to: receive image data from at least one image sensor located within a vehicle, wherein the image data depicts an operator of the vehicle and the sun; analyze the image data to (i) identify the operator of the vehicle, and (ii) determine a position of the sun; identify a current time corresponding to approximately when the image data is received; detect a position metric associated with the vehicle; determine, based on the position metric, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into a direction of the sun; and record an indication that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising: a compass; wherein to detect the position metric associated with the vehicle, the processor is configured to read a bearing from the compass. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising: a location module; wherein to detect the position metric associated with the vehicle, the processor is configured to: read, from the location module, an initial location of the vehicle; read, from the location module, a subsequent location of the vehicle; and wherein to determine that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to determine, based on the initial location, the subsequent location, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising: a compass; and a location module; wherein to detect the position metric associated with the vehicle, the processor is configured to: read a bearing from the compass; read, from the location module, a current location of the vehicle; and wherein to determine that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to determine, based on the bearing, the current location, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein to determine that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to determine, based on the position metric, the current time, and the position of the sun, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of a setting sun or a rising sun. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein to determine that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to: identify at least one of a sunrise time and a sunset time; and determine, based on the position metric, the current time, the position of the sun, and the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of a setting sun or a rising sun. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein to identify the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time, the processor is configured to request, from a remote server, the at least one of the sunrise time and the sunset time. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine an amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun; and record the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein to determine the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to: identify a sunset time; at the sunset time: detect an updated position metric associated with the vehicle, and determine, based on at least the updated position metric, that the vehicle is driving into the direction of the sun; and calculate the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun as a difference between the current time and the sunset time. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein to determine that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun, the processor is configured to determine, based on the position metric, the current time, the position of the sun, and topology information associated with the position metric, that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun. ### Claim 21 A computer-implemented method in an electronic device of assessing vehicle operation data, the method comprising: determining a position of the sun based on image data received from a vehicle; identifying a current time corresponding to when the image data is received; detecting a position metric associated with the vehicle; determining, based on the position metric, the current time, and the position of the sun, an amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into a direction of the sun; and recording the amount of time that the vehicle is traveling into the direction of the sun.