Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-20
2001-08-28
Chin, Gary (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
C701S045000, C318S466000, C296S065160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282475
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for automatically adjusting adjustable devices in an automotive vehicle.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Modern day automotive vehicles contain many powered adjustable devices in order to accommodate different drivers or passengers of different sizes. Such adjustable devices include, for example, an electrically powered car seat, powered external as well as internal mirrors, adjustable vehicle operation pedals and the like.
With these previously known adjustable devices, it has been previously necessary for each different driver to adjust all of the adjustable devices to the position most satisfactory to his or her use. Such adjustment of the adjustable devices not only is time consuming and sometimes confusing, but also difficult to accurately move the adjustable device to the same position with high repeatability. As such, many drivers oftentimes find themselves continually readjusting the adjustable devices during the first thirty or forty minutes of vehicle operation.
Furthermore, in many jurisdictions, student drivers are required to spend a minimum time driving the vehicle with an experienced driver before the licensing agency, typically the state, will issue a permanent driver's license for that individual. Such “practice driving” time is typically spent with the student's parent or guardian.
Previously, there has been no way to confirm with certainty that the student driver has spent the required minimum time in practice sessions driving the vehicle. Rather, it has been the previous practice to merely rely upon an affidavit or other statement by the student driver's parent or guardian that the minimum time in practice driving had been met.
Furthermore, some jurisdictions impose driving curfews for student drivers. Previously, there has been no way of enforcing such curfews.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides a system which overcomes all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known devices.
In brief, the device of the present invention comprises a means for determining a unique physiological characteristic of a person seated in the driver's seat and optionally passenger's seat of the automotive vehicle. Such devices include, for example, retinal scanners, fingerprint readers, thermal scanners and the like, all of which generate an output signal representative of a unique physiological characteristic of the person in the driver or passenger seat.
The output from the physiological characteristic determining means is coupled as an input signal to a processor. The processor also has access to digital memory which contains data of the physiological characteristics of all authorized drivers and/or passengers of the automotive vehicle. Thus, upon receipt of the output signal from the physiological characteristic determining means, the processor identifies the authorized driver or passenger (sometimes collectively referred to as occupant) of the motor vehicle by comparing the output signal with the data contained in the digital memory.
The digital memory also contains data corresponding to the various positions for each of the adjustable devices for each authorized driver and/or passenger of the motor vehicle. Thus, once the driver or passenger is identified, the processor then outputs position signals to the various adjustable devices corresponding to the identified driver or passenger to thereby move the adjustable devices to preset positions to accommodate the driver and/or passenger of the automotive vehicle.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the processor also stores in memory, preferably digital memory, the amount of time that certain drivers, typically student drivers, have spent operating the automotive vehicle with an adult, such as the student's parent or guardian. Any conventional means, such as a computer port, is then used to extract the information stored in memory to verify the amount of time spent by the driver operating the automotive vehicle. As such, the system provides a means for verifying that student drivers, as well as other drivers who must meet minimum periods of supervised driving, satisfy the minimum driving requirements.
In a still further preferred embodiment of the invention, the processor, once a student or other restricted driver has been identified, generates output signals to disable the vehicle ignition system whenever the restricted driver attempts to operate the vehicle outside the prescribed operating hours, at least in the absence of an adult passenger in the passenger seat.
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Chin Gary
Gifford, Krass, Groh Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
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