Systems and methods for notifying a user about a temperature condition after a lapse of a remote start based on estimated temperature

• US 10,093,253 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Gage, Sergei, Sato, Arata
• Primary Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Application Number:
  US15/424,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20180148008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00778 the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/566 Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A system and method for notifying a user about a temperature condition of a passenger compartment of a vehicle after a lapse of a remote start of a drive system of the vehicle. The system and method include retrieving a weather forecast for an area in which the vehicle is located and estimating a future temperature of the passenger compartment in response to a remote start request. The future temperature of the passenger compartment is a temperature of the passenger compartment after a lapse of a predetermined runtime. In response to determining that the estimated future temperature is outside of the predetermined temperature range a notice is sent to a computing device.

Claims

1. A system for notifying a user about a temperature condition of a passenger compartment of a vehicle after a lapse of a remote start of a drive system of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a computing device that sends a remote start request to the vehicle to start the drive system;

a transceiver that receives the remote start request and retrieves a weather forecast for an area in which the vehicle is located;

a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the vehicle; and

an electronic control unit including a processor and a memory unit that is coupled to the processor, the memory unit stores logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic control unit to;

start the drive system of the vehicle for a predetermined runtime upon receipt of the remote start request from the computing device;

estimate a future temperature of the passenger compartment based on the detected temperature of the vehicle and the retrieved weather forecast for the area in which the vehicle is located, the estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment is a temperature of the passenger compartment after a lapse of the predetermined runtime;

determine whether the estimated future temperature is outside of a predetermined temperature range; and

in response to determining that the estimated future temperature is outside of the predetermined temperature range, send a notice to the computing device, the notice indicating the estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment after the lapse of the predetermined runtime.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the notice to the computing device includes an option to modify the predetermined runtime that the drive system will operate from the receipt of the remote start request.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a global positioning system in communication with the electronic control unit,

wherein the electronic control unit determines the area that the vehicle is located based on an output of the global positioning system and the transceiver retrieves the weather forecast of the area that the vehicle is located from a weather data service in response to the receipt of the remote start request from the computing device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein temperature maps are pre-stored in the memory unit, and wherein the estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment is determined based on the retrieved weather forecast, the detected temperature of the vehicle, and the temperature maps.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature range includes an upper temperature threshold and a lower temperature threshold, and wherein the estimated future temperature is determined to be outside of the predetermined temperature range when the estimated temperature is less than the lower temperature threshold or higher than the upper temperature threshold.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment is estimated after a lapse of a plurality of predetermined runtimes, wherein the notice to the computing device includes the estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment after the lapse of each of the plurality of predetermined runtimes and an option to modify the predetermined runtime to any one of the plurality of predetermined runtimes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to estimate an estimated runtime required for the estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment to be within the predetermined temperature range, wherein the notice includes an option to modify the predetermined runtime to the estimated runtime.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor detects at least one of a temperature of the passenger compartment, an external temperature of the vehicle, and a drive system temperature of the drive system.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a blockage sensor positioned in the passenger compartment adjacent a windshield of the vehicle, the sensor outputs a signal indicating a blockage amount of the windshield,

wherein upon lapse of the predetermined runtime, the electronic control unit compares the output signal of the sensor to a predetermined value to determine a state of blockage of the windshield, when the blockage amount detected the blockage sensor is less than the predetermined value the electronic control unit sends a notice to the computing device indicating the state of blockage of the windshield and provides an option to extend the predetermined runtime.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the blockage sensor is a sun load sensor that detects an amount of light entering the passenger compartment through the windshield.

11. A method for notifying a user about a temperature condition of a passenger compartment of a vehicle after a lapse of a remote start of a drive system of the vehicle, the method comprising:

determining whether a remote start request from a computing device is received;

in response to determining that the remote start request has been received, starting the drive system of the vehicle for a predetermined runtime, retrieving a weather forecast for an area in which the vehicle is located;

estimating a future temperature of the passenger compartment based on a vehicle temperature detected by a temperature sensor and the retrieved weather forecast for the area in which the vehicle is located, the future temperature of the passenger compartment is a temperature of the passenger compartment after a lapse of the predetermined runtime;

determining whether the estimated future temperature is outside of a predetermined temperature range; and

in response to determining that the estimated future temperature is outside of the predetermined temperature range, displaying a notice on the computing device, the notice displaying the estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment after the lapse of the predetermined runtime.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing an electronic control unit including a processor and a memory unit that is coupled to the processor, the memory unit stores logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic control unit to;

estimate the future temperature of the passenger compartment based on the retrieved weather forecast for the area in which the vehicle is located and the vehicle temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and

send the notice to the computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the notice to the computing device includes an option to modify the predetermined runtime that the drive system will operate from the receipt of the remote start request.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising a global positioning system in communication with the electronic control unit,

wherein the electronic control unit determines the area that the vehicle is located based on an output of the global positioning system and the transceiver retrieves the weather forecast of the area that the vehicle is located from a weather data service in response to the receipt of the remote start request from the computing device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to estimate an estimated runtime required for the estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment to be within the predetermined temperature range, wherein the notice includes an option to modify the predetermined runtime to the estimated runtime.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising a blockage sensor positioned in the passenger compartment adjacent a windshield of the vehicle, the sensor outputs a signal indicating a blockage of the windshield,

wherein upon lapse of the predetermined runtime, the electronic control unit compares the output signal of the sensor to a predetermined value and determines a state of blockage of the windshield, when the output signal of the blockage sensor is less than the predetermined value the electronic control unit sends an option to the computing device to extend the predetermined runtime.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the blockage sensor is a sun load sensor that detects an amount of light entering the passenger compartment through the windshield.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the temperature sensor detects at least one of a temperature of the passenger compartment and an external temperature of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined temperature range includes an upper temperature threshold and a lower temperature threshold, and wherein the estimated future temperature is determined to be outside of the predetermined temperature range when the estimated temperature is less than the lower temperature threshold or higher than the upper temperature threshold.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment is estimated after a lapse of a plurality of predetermined runtimes, wherein the notice to the computing device includes the estimated future temperature of the passenger compartment after the lapse of each of the plurality of predetermined runtimes and an option to modify the predetermined runtime to any one of the plurality of predetermined runtimes.