IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,325,431
Granted Patent B2
US 12,325,431 · App. 16/808,665 · Granted Jun 10, 2025

Vehicle component identification system

Inventors: Stuart C. Salter (White Lake, MI); Benjamin Solomon Richer (Arlington, VA); Adam Carlson (Ann Arbor, MI); Peter Phung (Windsor, CA); Hussein H. Berry (Dearborn, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60W50/0098B60K35/00B60N2/14B60W40/08G06F3/013G06F3/016G06F3/017G06F3/167G06V20/593B60K35/10B60K35/65B60K2360/149B60N2/0268B60W2040/0881B60W2540/223B60W2540/225
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,325,431
App. No.
16/808,665
Granted
Jun 10, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle component is identified based on a gaze direction of an occupant in a vehicle seat. A first direction of the vehicle seat is determined relative to a forward-facing direction of a vehicle. A second direction is determined from the vehicle seat to the vehicle component. Then, the vehicle seat is rotated based on an angle between the first direction and the second direction.

Claims (18)

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

identify a vehicle component based on a gaze direction of an occupant in a vehicle seat;

determine a first direction of the vehicle seat relative to a forward-facing direction of a vehicle;

determine a second direction from the vehicle seat to the vehicle component, wherein the vehicle component has a fixed position in the vehicle;

then rotate the vehicle seat toward the fixed position of the vehicle component based on identifying the vehicle component and an angle between the first direction and the second direction;

actuate a haptic output device after rotating the seat toward the vehicle component upon detecting a hand of the occupant within a distance threshold of the vehicle component, wherein the haptic output device is on at least one of a portable occupant device and the vehicle seat; and

prevent rotation of the vehicle seat based on the vehicle component being fixed to and moveable with the vehicle seat.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon determining a gaze point based on the gaze direction, determine a third direction from the gaze point to the vehicle component.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate a speaker including an audio cue specifying the third direction.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate the vehicle component towards the gaze point.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate an indicator including a visual cue specifying the third direction.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon identifying the vehicle component, actuate a light on the vehicle component.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify the vehicle component based further on receiving an occupant input specifying the vehicle component.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify the vehicle component based further on detecting an occupant gesture.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate the vehicle component towards the first direction to align the first direction and the second direction.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate at least one of a speaker and an indicator upon detecting a hand of the occupant on the vehicle component via a capacitive sensor, wherein the speaker and the indicator each includes a cue specifying one or more controls of the vehicle component.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate a haptic output device on the vehicle component upon detecting a hand of the occupant on the vehicle component.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to prevent rotation of the vehicle seat based on the angle being less than a threshold.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2020
From: SALTER, STUART C.; RICHER, BENJAMIN SOLOMON; CARLSON, ADAM; PHUNG, PETER; BERRY, HUSSEIN H.
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 052009/0813 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210276575A1 · Sep 9, 2021
References Cited (28)
US 10384600B1 · Lenneman et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 11787671B2 · Hofmeister · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20040220704A1 · Lin · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 20070164592A1 · Gerhardt · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20140350942A1 · Kady · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20150210292A1 · George-Svahn · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150298598A1 · Nussli · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160216830A1 · Olien · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170217445A1 · Tzirkel-Hancock et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180015933A1 · Truong · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180095590A1 · Olien · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190041652A1 · Murayama · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190084447A1 · Lee · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200164270A1 · Lin · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200189418A1 · Sailer · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200298731A1 · Pline · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200379558A1 · Sörner · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210078455A1 · Hwang · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210331587A1 · Kim · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210331605A1 · Lee · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210357669A1 · Kim · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220024491A1 · Lee · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220151844A1 · Shizukuishi · 2022 [cited by examiner]
DE 102017200717A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
EP 3106343A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 20210091394A · 2020 [cited by examiner]
KR 20200084609A · 2020 [cited by examiner]
WO WO2020060884A1 · 2020 [cited by examiner]