Patent Application
20250153648
The present disclosure generally relates to consoles and, more specifically, relates to a console having a moveable cover for transporting items in a vehicle.
Motor vehicles are commonly equipped with storage compartments, such as consoles. For example, a center console is often installed between a driver's seat and a passenger's seat in a front row of seating in a passenger motor vehicle. The center console typically has a main storage compartment with a lid, which also commonly serves as an armrest and may include one or more other storage compartments. It would be desirable to provide for a center console which provides an actuatable cover for covering items in a storage compartment in a motor vehicle.
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle having a console having a base housing having a first compartment having an opening, a powered cover coupled to the base housing and configured to move between an open compartment position exposing the opening of the first compartment, and a closed compartment position covering the opening of the first compartment, at least one sensor including an imaging camera located in the vehicle and orientated to capture images of the first compartment when the cover is in the open compartment position, image processing for processing the captured images and detecting one or more objects determined to be of value located within the first compartment, and a controller controlling the powered cover to move the powered cover from the open compartment position to the closed compartment position when an item of value is detected located within the first compartment.
Embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure can include any one or a combination of the following features:
According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle having a center console having a base housing comprising a first compartment having an open top end, a powered cover coupled to the base housing and having an actuator configured to move the powered cover between an open compartment position exposing the first compartment, and a closed compartment position covering the first compartment, at least one sensor including an imaging camera located in the vehicle and orientated to capture images of the compartment when the cover is in the open compartment position, an image processor for processing the captured images and detecting one or more objects determined to be of value located within the first compartment, and a controller controlling the powered cover to move the powered cover from the open compartment position to the closed compartment position when an item of value is detected located within the first compartment.
Embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure can include any one or a combination of the following features:
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
In the drawings:
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. In the drawings, the depicted structural elements are not to scale and certain components are enlarged relative to the other components for purposes of emphasis and understanding.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to a detailed design; some schematics may be exaggerated or minimized to show function overview. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure.
For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the concepts as oriented in
The present illustrated embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to a vehicle center console having a powered cover and a method of controlling the powered cover. Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented, where appropriate, by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Further, like numerals in the description and drawings represent like elements.
As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items, can be employed. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and/or C, the composition can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.
In this document, relational terms, such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like, are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
As used herein, the term “about” means that amounts, sizes, formulations, parameters, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art. When the term “about” is used in describing a value or an end-point of a range, the disclosure should be understood to include the specific value or end-point referred to. Whether or not a numerical value or end-point of a range in the specification recites “about,” the numerical value or end-point of a range is intended to include two embodiments: one modified by “about,” and one not modified by “about.” It will be further understood that the end-points of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other end-point, and independently of the other end-point.
The terms “substantial,” “substantially,” and variations thereof as used herein are intended to note that a described feature is equal or approximately equal to a value or description. For example, a “substantially planar” surface is intended to denote a surface that is planar or approximately planar. Moreover, “substantially” is intended to denote that two values are equal or approximately equal. In some embodiments, “substantially” may denote values within about 10% of each other, such as within about 5% of each other, or within about 2% of each other.
As used herein the terms “the,” “a,” or “an,” mean “at least one,” and should not be limited to “only one” unless explicitly indicated to the contrary. Thus, for example, reference to “a component” includes embodiments having two or more such components unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Referring to
The motor vehicle 10 is illustrated with the front row of seating having the first seat assembly 20A located on one lateral side (e.g., the left side) of the front row and vehicle rearward of a dashboard 26 and a steering wheel 22 and configured for seating a driver of the motor vehicle 10. The first seat assembly 20A generally includes a seat base and a seat back that may articulate relative to the seat base and may be adjusted in various positions. The second seat assembly 20B is shown positioned in the vehicle rearward of the dashboard 26 on the opposite lateral side (e.g., right side) of the front row of seating and has a seat base and a seat back configured for seating a passenger. The second seat assembly 20B may likewise articulate and adjust amongst a plurality of positions. The vehicle body 12 has a plurality of side doors 16 that allow the driver and passengers to enter and exit the cabin interior 14 to access the seat assemblies 20A-20F. In the example shown, the driver seat assembly 20A is located adjacent to a lateral left side door 16 and the passenger seat assembly 20B is located adjacent to an opposite lateral right side door 16. Passengers may gain access to or exit from the second row of seat assemblies 20C-20D via the rear side doors 16.
The cabin interior 14 is shown equipped with a center console 30 located in the space between the driver first seat assembly 20A and the passenger second seat assembly 20B in the front first row of seating. It should be appreciated that the center console 30 or additional center consoles may be located at various locations within the motor vehicle 10, such as between other adjacent seat assemblies. For example, a center console may be located in a space between the third and fourth seat assemblies 20C and 20D.
The center console 30 is shown in
The center console 30 has an upper housing 40 located above and operatively coupled to the lower housing 32 which serves as a powered cover or topper that may be power actuated to translate and move forward and rearward relative to the lower housing 32. The upper housing 40 has a bottom wall 41 and sidewalls that define a second storage compartment 43. The second storage compartment 43 may be at least somewhat rearward of the first storage compartment 34. The second storage compartment 43 has an open top end which is covered with a pivoting lid 42 that may be pivoted about the rear end to an open position to allow access to the second storage compartment 43 or to a closed position to close the second storage compartment 43. The lid 42 may also serve as an armrest for an occupant to the vehicle seated in either the driver's seat 20A or passenger seat 20B. The upper housing 40 also includes a plurality of drink holders 44 and 54 and may include other accessories.
The upper housing 40 is coupled to the lower housing 32 and configured to move linearly between a rearward open compartment position as seen in
The motor vehicle 10 is equipped with at least one sensor 62 including an imaging camera 60 located in the motor vehicle 10 and oriented to capture images of the first storage compartment 34 when the upper housing 40 defining the cover is in the open storage compartment position. The imaging camera 60 is shown generally located forward and above the center console 30 generally in a dashboard 26 of the motor vehicle 10 above a touchscreen display 24 according to one example. The imaging camera 60 may include one or more cameras located at various locations such as in the overhead console, the roof, the mirror housing or mount, inside the console compartment 34, or elsewhere with a view of the first storage compartment 34. The imaging camera 60 captures images of the first storage compartment 34 to capture any items 52 contained within the first storage compartment 34. In addition, the sensors 62 may also include a radar sensor 64 for sensing dimensions of an item in the first storage compartment 34, such as whether the item is too large as shown in
The various sensors 62 generate outputs in the form of signals that are input to and processed by a controller 70 as seen in
One example of the routine 100 for controlling the cover of the center console is shown in
Once the topper is in a closed state and is covering the object, the forward and reverse switches may be ignored until the vehicle is unlocked. Users may also configure the system to ignore the forward and reverse switches until a PIN code is entered into the touch screen, exterior keypad, or an authorized phone is detected in the cabin interior. The vehicle using interior cameras may record objects being put in and taken out of the compartment while the owner is away and can play pictures/video clips when the owner returns. The vehicle may also notify the owner when the compartment is accessed or beam video to the owner's phone. Once the vehicle owner/registered occupants come back into the vehicle, the cover will revert back to an unlocked state and into the previous position. The center console locking mechanism can also be employed any time the vehicle is unlocked, when a vehicle is being towed, while at a car wash, while in a valet mode, etc., to ensure the user's belongings stay inaccessible to unauthorized users. In a setting where an occupant uses the lockable center console cover to store an item, the cover may only reopen for that user or for the owner of the vehicle in some embodiments.
Accordingly, the motor vehicle 10 is advantageously equipped with a center console 30 having a powered cover and image processing that identifies items of value and automatically closes a cover on the first storage compartment to cover the determined items of value. This ensures that the items of value are left protected and not easily accessed by unauthorized occupants.
It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present disclosure, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
