Systems and methods for driver presence and position detection

1. A method, comprising:

determining a presence and a position of a driver in a sensing zone of a vehicle using a sensor platform integrated into the vehicle, wherein the presence and the position of the driver are associated with off-road or non-seated operation of the vehicle;

determining, responsive to determining the presence and the position of the driver using the sensor platform, when the position of the driver indicates that the driver is operating the vehicle from an operating position other than not in a fully-seated position relative to a driver's seat of the vehicle; and

selectively adjusting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle based on the driver operating the vehicle from the operating position other than the fully-seated position, wherein selectively adjusting the vehicle parameter comprises any one or more of:

damping a braking response of the vehicle;

damping a throttle response of the vehicle; and

slowing the vehicle when the vehicle is in descent.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor platform comprises a macro-capacitive sensor integrated into any one or more of the driver's seat or a vehicle structural component, the macro-capacitive sensor being configured to detect changes in capacitive fields to determine the presence and the position of the driver in the sensing zone, and combinations thereof.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein one or more additional macro-capacitive sensors are associated with the driver.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selectively adjusting which of a plurality of macro-capacitive sensors of the sensor platform are being used based on the position of the driver.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising verifying the presence and the position of the driver using an optical sensor within the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the presence and the position of the driver occurs after activating a presence and position feature of the vehicle, the presence and position feature being activated based on any one or more of:

sensing when the driver enters the vehicle;

determining when the vehicle is in an off-road mode;

determining when a roof or a door of the vehicle has been removed; and

determining when an actuator for a non-seated drive mode has been activated.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining when the position of the driver indicates that the driver is not in the fully-seated position comprises:

determining a baseline seating profile of the driver in the driver's seat using output of the sensor platform;

comparing a current position of the driver to the baseline seating profile of the driver in the driver's seat; and

determining that the driver is not in the fully-seated position when the comparison indicates that the driver is any one or more of leaning, kneeling, lifted up off of the driver's seat, and standing.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle parameter can be further selectively adjusted based on determining a predictive trigger.

9. A method, comprising:

activating a presence and position mode of a vehicle when a driver enters the vehicle;

determining a presence and a position of the driver in a sensing zone of the vehicle using output of a sensor platform integrated into the vehicle, the sensor platform comprising a macro-capacitive sensor integrated into a driver's seat or a vehicle structural component of the vehicle, wherein the presence and the position of the driver are associated with off-road or non-seated operation of the vehicle;

determining, responsive to determining the presence and the position of the driver using the output of the sensor platform, a baseline seating profile of the driver when the driver is in a fully-seated position in the driver's seat;

determining, responsive to determining the presence and the position of the driver using the output of the sensor platform, when the position of the driver indicates that the driver is operating the vehicle from an operating position other than not in the fully-seated position; and

selectively adjusting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle based on the driver operating the vehicle from the operating position other than the fully-seated position, wherein selectively adjusting the vehicle parameter comprises any one or more of:

damping a braking response of the vehicle;

damping a throttle response of the vehicle; and

slowing the vehicle when the vehicle is in descent.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising selectively adjusting which of a plurality of macro-capacitive sensors of the sensor platform are being used based on the position of the driver, the macro-capacitive sensor being one of the plurality of macro-capacitive sensors.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising verifying the presence and the position of the driver using an optical sensor within the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein determining the presence and the position of the driver occurs after activating the presence and position feature of the vehicle, the presence and position feature being activated based on any one or more of:

sensing when the driver enters the vehicle;

determining when the vehicle is in an off-road mode;

determining when a roof or a door of the vehicle has been removed; and

determining when an actuator for a non-seated drive mode has been activated.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein determining when the position of the driver indicates that the driver is not in the fully-seated position comprises:

determining the baseline seating profile of the driver in the driver's seat using the output of the sensor platform;

comparing a current position of the driver to the baseline seating profile of the driver in the driver's seat; and

determining that the driver is not in the fully-seated position when the comparison indicates that the driver is any one or more of leaning, kneeling, lifted up off of the driver's seat, and standing.

14. A system, comprising:

a sensor platform of a vehicle; and

a controller comprising:

a processor; and

a memory for storing instructions, the processor executing instructions to:

determine a presence and a position of a driver in a sensing zone of a vehicle using output of the sensor platform integrated into the vehicle, wherein the presence and the position of the driver are associated with off-road or non-seated operation of the vehicle;

determine, responsive to determining the presence and the position of the driver using the output of the sensor platform, when the position of the driver indicates that the driver is operating the vehicle from an operating position other than a fully-seated position relative to a driver's seat of the vehicle; and

selectively adjust a vehicle parameter of the vehicle based on the driver operating the vehicle from the operating position other than the fully-seated position,

wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a baseline seating profile of the driver in the driver's seat using the output of the sensor platform;

compare a current position of the driver to the baseline seating profile of the driver in the driver's seat, wherein the current position of the driver is at least partially in or on the vehicle; and

determine that the driver is operating the vehicle from the operating position other than the fully-seated position when the comparison indicates that the driver is any one or more of leaning, kneeling, lifted off of the driver's seat, and standing, and

wherein the controller selectively adjusts the vehicle parameter by:

adjusting a braking response of the vehicle;

adjusting a throttle response of the vehicle; and

slowing the vehicle when the vehicle is in descent.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the sensor platform comprises one or more macro capacitive sensors being integrated into any one or more of the driver's seat or a vehicle structural component, the one or more macro capacitive sensors being configured to detect changes in capacitive fields to determine the presence and the position of the driver in the sensing zone, and combinations thereof.

16. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate a presence and position feature of the vehicle based on the output from the sensor platform, the presence and position feature being activated based on any one or more of:

sensing when the driver enters the vehicle;

determining when the vehicle is in an off-road mode;

determining when a roof or a door of the vehicle has been removed; and

determining when an actuator for a non-seated drive mode has been activated.