Battery-powered vehicle sensors
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsStuart C. Salter, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Donald Paul Bilger, Tarik Safir, Sam Harris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to select a scanning rate for a first sensor of a vehicle based on at least one of data related to a current time or data related to a location of the vehicle; instruct the first sensor to run at the selected scanning rate; in response to receiving data from the first sensor indicating a newly present object, turn on a second sensor; and then record data from the second sensor. The second sensor has a higher power draw than the first sensor.
Claims20
A computer comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
- select a scanning rate for a first sensor of a vehicle based on at least one of data related to a current time or data related to a location of the vehicle, wherein selecting the scanning rate for the first sensor includes selecting the scanning rate based on a duration since the vehicle turned off;
- instruct the first sensor to run at the selected scanning rate;
- in response to receiving data from the first sensor indicating a newly present object, turn on a second sensor, wherein the second sensor has a higher power draw than the first sensor;
- and
- then record data from the second sensor.
A system for a vehicle comprising:
- a first sensor;
- a second sensor having a higher power draw than the first sensor;
- and
- a computer communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor;
- wherein the computer is programmed to:
- select a scanning rate for the first sensor based on at least one of data related to a current time or data related to a location of the vehicle, wherein selecting the scanning rate for the first sensor includes selecting the scanning rate based on a duration since the vehicle turned off;
- instruct the first sensor to run at the selected scanning rate;
- in response to receiving data from the first sensor indicating a newly present object, turn on the second sensor, wherein the second sensor has a higher power draw than the first sensor;
- and
- then record data from the second sensor.
A method comprising:
- selecting a scanning rate for a first sensor of a vehicle based on at least one of data related to a current time or data related to a location of the vehicle, wherein selecting the scanning rate for the first sensor includes selecting the scanning rate based on a duration since the vehicle turned off;
- instructing the first sensor to run at the selected scanning rate;
- in response to receiving data from the first sensor indicating a newly present object, turning on a second sensor, wherein the second sensor has a higher power draw than the first sensor;
- and
- then recording data from the second sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.