# US 12,602,932 B2 · Systems and methods for monitoring users exiting a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,602,932 B2 - Document ID: US12602932B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/461,675 - Filed: 2023-09-06 - Published: 2025-03-06 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2023-09-06 - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Somak Datta Gupta; Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam; Oliver Lei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12602932B2 ## CPC - G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads - B60W 40/02: related to ambient conditions - G06V 40/10: Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - 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 ## Abstract A vehicle including a detection unit and a processor is disclosed. The detection unit may be configured to detect a presence of a user in the vehicle and in proximity to the vehicle. The processor may be configured to obtain inputs from the detection unit and determine that a predefined condition may be met based on the inputs. The processor may be further configured to generate a virtual zone around the vehicle responsive to determining that the predefined condition may be met. The processor may additionally transmit information associated with the virtual zone to another vehicle responsive to generating the virtual zone. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A first vehicle comprising: a detection unit configured to detect a presence of a user in the first vehicle and in proximity to the first vehicle; and a processor communicatively coupled with the detection unit, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain inputs from the detection unit; determine that a predefined condition is met based on the inputs; obtain a digital map of an area around and including the first vehicle; generate, using the digital map, a virtual zone around the first vehicle responsive to determining that the predefined condition is met; and transmit information associated with the virtual zone to a second vehicle responsive to generating the virtual zone, wherein the information associated with the virtual zone includes a shape and dimension of the virtual zone and an expiration time duration associated with the virtual zone, which causes the second vehicle to alter its operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises interior and exterior vehicle cameras. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The first vehicle of claim 2, wherein the inputs comprise user images captured by the interior and exterior vehicle cameras. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the predefined condition is met when the user exits the first vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine that the user has travelled a predefined distance away from the first vehicle based on the inputs; and deactivate transmission of the information associated with the virtual zone to the second vehicle responsive to determining that the user has travelled the predefined distance away from the first vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The first vehicle of claim 5, wherein the processor determines that the user has travelled the predefined distance away from the first vehicle by determining that the user has exited the virtual zone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a user location relative to the first vehicle based on the inputs when the predefined condition is met; and transmit the user location to the second vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the detection unit is further configured to determine location of a user device associated with the user relative to the first vehicle, and wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a user location in a geographical area comprising the first vehicle based on the location of the user device associated with the user relative to the vehicle when the predefined condition is met; and transmit the user location to a plurality of vehicles located in the geographical area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The first vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the user location to a server. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a count of additional users exiting the first vehicle based on the inputs obtained from the detection unit; determine that each additional user has exited the virtual zone based on the inputs obtained from the detection unit and the count; and deactivate transmission of the information associated with the virtual zone to the second vehicle responsive to determining that each additional user has exited the virtual zone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the virtual zone further comprises the digital map. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The first vehicle of claim 11, wherein the information associated with the virtual zone causes the second vehicle to display the digital map overlaid with a representation of the virtual zone. ### Claim 13 A method for monitoring a user associated with a first vehicle, the method comprising: obtaining, by a processor, inputs from a detection unit, wherein the detection unit is configured to detect a presence of the user in the first vehicle and in proximity to the first vehicle; determining, by the processor, that a predefined condition is met based on the inputs; obtaining a digital map of an area around and including the vehicle; generating, by the processor based on the digital map, a virtual zone around the first vehicle responsive to determining that the predefined condition is met; and transmitting, by the processor, information associated with the virtual zone to a second vehicle responsive to generating the virtual zone, wherein the information associated with the virtual zone includes a shape and dimension of the virtual zone and an expiration time duration associated with the virtual zone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the detection unit comprises interior and exterior vehicle cameras. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the inputs comprise user images captured by the interior and exterior vehicle cameras. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the predefined condition is met when the user exits the first vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising: determining that the user has travelled a predefined distance away from the first vehicle based on the inputs; and deactivating transmission of the information associated with the virtual zone to the second vehicle responsive to determining that the user has travelled the predefined distance away from the first vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein determining that the user has travelled the predefined distance away from the first vehicle comprises determining that the user has exited the virtual zone. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising sending the digital map to the second vehicle. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtain inputs from a detection unit of a first vehicle, wherein the detection unit is configured to detect a presence of a user in the first vehicle and in proximity to the first vehicle; determine that a predefined condition is met based on the inputs; obtain a digital map of an area around and including the vehicle; generate, based on the digital map, a virtual zone around the first vehicle responsive to determining that the predefined condition is met; and transmit information associated with the virtual zone to a second vehicle responsive to generating the virtual zone, wherein the information associated with the virtual zone includes a shape and dimension of the virtual zone and an expiration time duration associated with the virtual zone.