IP Library Granted Patent US 12,736,680
Granted Patent B2
US 12,736,680 · App. 18/122,271 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Systems and methods of environmental detection for a vehicle

Inventors: Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam (Canton, MI); John Robert Van Wiemeersch (Novi, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
G01S17/89G01S7/4865
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,736,680
App. No.
18/122,271
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for monitoring an environment of a vehicle. The method includes generating, via at least one time-of-flight sensor, at least one point cloud representing the environment of the vehicle, the at least one point cloud including three-dimensional positional information of the environment. The method also includes detecting, via processing circuitry in communication with the at least one time-of-flight sensor, an aerosol in the environment. The method also includes estimating a quality of the aerosol based on at least one feature of the at least one point cloud. The method also includes determining a response condition based on the estimation of the quality. The method also includes communicating an instruction to execute the response condition.

Claims (41)

1 . A method for monitoring an environment of a vehicle, the method comprising:

generating, via at least one time-of-flight sensor, at least one point cloud representing the environment of the vehicle, the at least one point cloud including three-dimensional positional information of the environment, wherein the at least one time-of-flight sensor includes a first LiDAR module configured to generate a first point cloud of a compartment of the vehicle and a second LiDAR module configured to generate a second point cloud of a region exterior to the vehicle;

detecting, via a processing circuitry in communication with the at least one time-of-flight sensor, an aerosol in the environment;

estimating a quality of the aerosol based on at least one feature of the at least one point cloud;

determining a response condition based on the estimation of the quality;

communicating an instruction to execute the response condition;

identifying the aerosol in the second point cloud;

comparing the second point cloud to the first point cloud; and

determining an efficiency of an air filter of an air circulation system of the vehicle based on the comparison of the second point cloud to the first point cloud.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an indication of the air circulation system being in a recirculation mode; and

determining an efficiency of the recirculation mode based on the comparison.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining an open state of a window of the vehicle based on the efficiency of the recirculation mode.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

communicating, via a window control system of the vehicle, a control signal to close the window based on the response condition.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

adjusting at least one operational parameter of the at least one time-of-flight sensor based on the response condition.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one operational parameter includes at least one of a scanning direction and a scanning frequency, the method further comprising:

controlling at least one of the scanning direction and the scanning frequency.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the quality of the aerosol includes at least one of an identity, a location in the environment, a size of a cloud of the aerosol, a shape of the cloud, a level of light reflectance, a color, a density, a movement, or any combination thereof.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining a source of the aerosol based on the identity of the aerosol.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining the level of light reflectance based on the at least one point cloud; and

determining the identity based on the level of light reflectance.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the location includes an area of a compartment of the vehicle and a region exterior to the vehicle, and further comprising:

identifying the location based on the at least one point cloud; and

determining a source of the aerosol based on the location.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining a source of the aerosol based on the movement.

12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining a source of the aerosol based on the shape.

13 . A system for monitoring an environment of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a first LiDAR module configured to generate a first point cloud of a compartment of the vehicle;

a second LiDAR module configured to generate a second point cloud of a region exterior to the vehicle;

an air circulation system of the vehicle including an air filter and configured to operate in an air recirculation mode;

processing circuitry in communication with the first and second LiDAR modules, the processing circuitry configured to:

identify an aerosol in the region exterior to the vehicle based on the second point cloud;

compare the second point cloud to the first point cloud; and

determine an efficiency of the air filter based on the comparison of the second point cloud to the first point cloud.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2023
From: GHANNAM, MAHMOUD YOUSEF; VAN WIEMEERSCH, JOHN ROBERT
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 063000/0945 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240310522A1 · Sep 19, 2024
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