IP Library Granted Patent US 12713478
Granted Patent B2
US 12713478 · App. 17/898,387 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Vehicle security mode

Inventors: Simon P. Roberts (Celina, TX); Sergei I. Gage (Dallas, TX); Yang Ding (Montreal, CA); Christopher J. Macpherson (Plano, TX); Michael R. Kushnerik (The Colony, TX); Naohiro J. Matsumura (Dallas, TX); Cory M. Frank (Frisco, TX); Jessica May (Danbury, TX); Matthew J. Everett (Norton Shores, MI)
Assignees: TOYOTA CONNECTED NORTH AMERICA, INC.; TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.; TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H04W76/14B60R16/037B60R25/102B60R25/30B60W40/08B60W60/0016G06V20/593H03G3/3089H03G3/32H04M1/6091H04W4/40H04W4/90H04W64/00B60W2040/0881B60W60/0015B60W2540/01B60W2540/221B60W2540/227B60W2554/4041B60W2556/65
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12713478
App. No.
17/898,387
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example operation includes one or more of entering, by a vehicle, a security mode, when sensors on the vehicle detect a movement or an irregular sound, collecting data, by the vehicle, from the sensors to record an area proximate the vehicle, analyzing, by the vehicle, the data to determine a security threat, notifying, by the vehicle, a device associated with the vehicle when the security threat is above a threshold, and performing an action, by the vehicle, based on a message received from the device.

Claims (47)

1 . A method performed by a vehicle, the method comprising:

capturing image data of an object including at least a person, wherein the object is proximate to the vehicle;

based on the image data, identifying a security threat posed by the object;

detecting spoken words by the person being above a level and indicating a threat;

identifying that the level exceeds a threshold;

notifying a device associated with the vehicle of the security threat when the level exceeds the threshold;

receiving a command from the device to perform a vehicle action in response to the security threat; and

autonomously moving the vehicle for a period when the security threat occurs more than once.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to detecting the object from the image data, activating a sensor to record data from an area proximate to the vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a movement of the person based on the image data.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

sending a message to an other vehicle proximate to the vehicle, wherein the message triggers an alarm of the other vehicle.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a current geographic location of the vehicle based on sensor data,

wherein the identifying the level of the security threat further comprises:

identifying the level of the security threat based on a crime rate of the current geographic location.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

autonomously maneuvering the vehicle to a different location in response to receipt of the command.

7 . A vehicle, comprising:

a processor that executes instructions stored in a memory to configure the processor to:

capture image data of an object possessed by a person proximate to the vehicle;

detect spoken words by the person being above a level and indicating a threat;

identify a security threat posed by the object;

identify that the level exceeds a threshold;

notify a device associated with the vehicle of the security threat when the level exceeds the threshold;

receive a command from the device to perform a vehicle action in response to the security threat; and

autonomously maneuver the vehicle for a period when the security threat occurs more than once.

8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to detecting the object from the image data, activate a sensor to record data from an area proximate to the vehicle.

9 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a movement of the person based on the image data.

10 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

send a message to an other vehicle proximate to the vehicle, wherein the message triggers an alarm of the other vehicle.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a vehicle, cause the processor to perform:

capturing image data of an object possessed by a person proximate to the vehicle;

detecting a movement of the person based on the image data and a sound of the person based on sensor data;

based on the image data and the sound including spoken words being above a level and indicating a threat, identifying a security threat posed by the object;

identifying that the level exceeds a threshold;

notifying a device associated with the vehicle of the security threat when the level exceeds the threshold;

receiving a command from the device to perform a vehicle action in response to the security threat; and

autonomously maneuvering the vehicle when the security threat occurs more than a threshold number of times within a certain time period.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to perform:

in response to detecting the object from the image data, activating a sensor to record data from an area proximate to the vehicle.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

sending a message to an other vehicle proximate to the vehicle, wherein the message triggers an alarm of the other vehicle.