International Business Machines Corporation

William A Grimes

Rhonda L Childress

Rudolph C Baron

Christopher W Ecks

A vehicle occupant safety method involves receiving data from multiple sensors including at least one carbon monoxide (CO) sensor and GPS sensor; wherein, when a specified danger condition relating to CO level alone, or in combination with vehicle interior temperature, exists, and based upon the sensor data, causing the vehicle component controls to modify operation of at least one vehicle component; d) determining i) based upon further sensor data, that the specified danger condition either: A) is persisting, or B) has exceeded at least one specified severity threshold; and ii) using GPS location information from the GPS sensor, whether or not the vehicle is in an unsafe location, whether the vehicle is occupied, and where any occupants are located; continuing to make determinations regarding the specified danger condition; and, based upon a result of the determinations in taking further control actions until the specified danger condition no longer exists.

Intelligent vehicular occupant safety method

A vehicle occupant safety system involves multiple sensors within a vehicle, a monitor aggregator, a processor, a vehicle electronic control system, and a decision engine which will compare sensor data against a set of sensor parameters to determine whether any of multiple potential danger conditions exists within the vehicle, and determine which of multiple control actions are to be automatically taken and modify operation of at least one vehicle component. If a further determination is made that either the specified danger condition is persisting or has exceeded at least one specified severity threshold, the decision engine will determine whether to further modify operation of any vehicle component or take a specified escalation action. The decision engine will continue to make determinations regarding the specified danger condition and decide whether to take further control actions until the specified danger condition no longer exists.

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Fishers, IN, United States of America

William A Grimes