System and method to prevent unintended vehicle travel
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorThomas J. Hermann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A movement prevention system preventing undesired travel of a vehicle. A transmission gear sensor senses an out of park position of a vehicle transmission. An occupant detection system senses a presence of a driver in a driver seat of a vehicle in response to the vehicle transmission being out of the park position. A processor determines an imminent movement of a vehicle in response to a determination of the non-presence of the driver. A vehicle movement prevention device prevents movement of the vehicle in response to the processor determining imminent movement of the vehicle. Imminent movement is identified as actual movement of the vehicle or movement of the vehicle likely to occur.
Claims22
A method for deterring undesired movement of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
- sensing whether a vehicle transmission is out of a park position;
- determining a non-presence of a driver in a driver seat of a vehicle by an occupant detection system in response to the vehicle transmission being out of the park position;
- determining imminent movement of a vehicle in response to a determination of the non-presence of the driver;
- and
- actuating a vehicle movement prevention device for preventing movement of the vehicle in response to determining imminent movement of the vehicle.
A movement prevention system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
- a transmission gear sensor sensing an out of park position of a vehicle transmission;
- an occupant detection system sensing a presence of a driver in a driver seat of a vehicle in response to the vehicle transmission being out of the park position;
- a processor determining an imminent movement of a vehicle in response to a determination of the non-presence of the driver;
- and
- a vehicle movement prevention device preventing movement of the vehicle in response to the processor determining imminent movement of the vehicle, wherein imminent movement is identified as actual movement of the vehicle or movement of the vehicle likely to occur.
A method comprising:
- sensing an out of park position of a vehicle transmission;
- determining a non-presence of a driver in a driver seat by an occupant detection system in response to the sensed out of park position;
- determining imminent movement of a vehicle in response to determining a non-presence of the driver;
- actuating a vehicle movement prevention device for preventing movement of the vehicle in response to determining imminent movement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.