Wearable computer in an autonomous vehicle

• US 10,088,844 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Attard, Christopher, Elwart, Shane, Greenberg, Jeff Allen, Johri, Rajit, Joyce, John P., Kochhar, Devinder Singh, Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Rhode, Douglas Scott, Rupp, Matt Y., Shutko, John, Trombley, Roger Arnold, Tseng, Hongtei Eric, Waldis, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinle, Courtney D
• Application Number:
  US14/088,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0064 using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit, e.g. remote keypad or mobile phone
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

A wearable computing device in a vehicle is identified by a computer in a vehicle. Collected data is received relating to autonomous operation of the vehicle. A message is sent to the wearable computing device based at least in part on the collected data.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computer in a vehicle, the computer comprising a processor and a memory, and configured to:

identify a wearable computing device in the vehicle;

receive data collected from a vehicle network during autonomous operation of the vehicle; and

send a message to the wearable computing device during the autonomous operation based at least in part on the collected data; and

receive a response to the message from the wearable device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein attribute data associated with the wearable device includes at least one of a user identity, a user age, and a user health condition.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the collected data includes at least one of data relating to a road condition, a weather condition, and a route of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the message includes a haptic output.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to autonomously operate the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further configured to modify autonomous operation of the vehicle based at least in part on the response to the message from the wearable device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes at least one second wearable device in addition to the wearable device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to:

store attribute data related to the wearable computing device; and

determine, based at least in part on the attribute data, that a wearer of the wearable device is authorized to operate the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to:

retrieve attribute data related to the wearable computing device from a remote server; and

determine, based at least in part on the attribute data, that a wearer of the wearable device is authorized to operate the vehicle.

10. A method, comprising:

identifying a wearable computing device in the vehicle;

receiving data collected from a vehicle network during autonomous operation of the vehicle;

sending a message to the wearable computing device during the autonomous operation based at least in part on the collected data; and

receiving a response to the message from the wearable device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein attribute data associated with the wearable device includes at least one of a user identity, a user age, and a user health condition.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the collected data includes at least one of data relating to a road condition, a weather condition, and a route of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the message includes a haptic output.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising autonomously operating the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying autonomous operation of the vehicle based at least in part on the response to the message from the wearable device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle includes at least one second wearable device in addition to the wearable device.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing attribute data related to the wearable computing device; and

determining, based at least in part on the attribute data, that a wearer of the wearable device is authorized to operate the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

retrieving attribute data related to the wearable computing device from a remote server; and

determining, based at least in part on the attribute data, that a wearer of the wearable device is authorized to operate the vehicle.

19. A system, comprising:

a wearable computing device;

means for receiving data collected from a vehicle network during autonomous operation of the vehicle;

means for sending a message to the wearable computing device during the autonomous operation based at least in part on the collected data; and

means for receiving a response to the message from the wearable device.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for modifying autonomous operation of the vehicle based at least in part on the response to the message from the wearable device.