System and method to reduce vehicle resource depletion risk

• US 10,185,323 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Stefan, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US15/611,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20180348772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A system to reduce vehicle resource depletion risk which includes a memory, controller, efficiency module, mobile computing device, and fleet vehicle. The memory includes executable instructions. The controller executes the instructions. The controller communicates with an efficiency module. The efficiency module causes a fleet vehicle to optimally perform a rideshare task. The mobile computing device generates first location data and communicates the first location data to the controller. The fleet vehicle includes a vehicle system and a vehicle controls device and can communicate with the controller. The vehicle system generates second location data. The vehicle controls device commands the fleet vehicle to perform a rideshare task. The instructions enable the controller to: receive the first and second location data; perform the efficiency module to produce an output being partially based on the first and second location data and instructs the vehicle to perform a rideshare task; and communicate the output.

Claims

1. A system to reduce vehicle resource depletion risk, the system comprises:

a memory configured to comprise one or more executable instructions;

a controller configured to execute the executable instructions, the controller further configured to communicate with an efficiency module;

the efficiency module configured to enable at least one fleet vehicle to optimally perform a rideshare system task, wherein the rideshare system task is optimally performed when the fleet vehicle traverses to a first location via a route that depletes less vehicle resources than would be depleted when the fleet vehicle traverses one or more alternative routes to the first location;

a mobile computing device configured to generate first location data, the mobile computing device further configured to communicate the first location data to the controller;

the fleet vehicle comprises a vehicle system and a vehicle controls device, the fleet vehicle configured to communicate with the controller, the vehicle system configured to generate second location data, the vehicle controls device configured to command the fleet vehicle to autonomously perform one or more rideshare system tasks; and

wherein the executable instructions enable the controller to;

receive the first location data transmitted from the mobile computing device;

receive the second location data transmitted from the fleet vehicle;

produce mapping data using an efficiency module which results in the form of a geosector divided geosurface map that comprises one or more geosectors;

calculate dynamic content for each geosector data using the efficiency module;

apply a statistical/probabilistic technique to the dynamic content data using the efficiency module so as to produce a dynamic status indicator for each geosector; and

produce an output, the output being partially based on the first location data and the second location data, the output configured to instruct the vehicle controls device to command the fleet vehicle to optimally perform the one or more rideshare system tasks; and

communicate the output to the fleet vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprises:

the vehicle controls device further configured to review and analyze the output and resultantly instruct the fleet vehicle so as to autonomously perform the one or more rideshare system tasks in conformity with the output.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein optimal performance of the one or more rideshare system tasks comprises the fleet vehicle making an autonomous traversal from the second location to the first location so as to retrieve a rideshare system user for the purpose of taxiing the rideshare system user from the first location to a subsequent third location selected by the rideshare system user.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprises:

a plurality of the fleet vehicles each of which comprises a vehicle system and a vehicle controls device, each fleet vehicle configured to communicate with the controller, each vehicle system configured to generate second location data, each vehicle controls device configured to command the matching fleet vehicle to autonomously perform one or more rideshare system tasks; and

wherein the executable instructions further enable the controller to perform the efficiency module to;

receive second location data transmitted from each of the plurality of fleet vehicles; and

select one fleet vehicle from the plurality of fleet vehicles based, at least in part, on the availability of the selected fleet vehicle as well as on the second location data of the selected fleet vehicle in relation to the first location data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the fleet vehicle further comprises a power source configured to provide State of Charge information; and

the efficiency module calculates the dynamic content data of each geosector based, at least in part, on the State of Charge information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein, after the output is reviewed and analyzed via the vehicle controls device, the vehicle controls device instructs the fleet vehicle to traverse from the second location to the first location in such a manner that corresponds to one or more selected geosectors of the geosurface map, wherein the one or more geosectors are each selected based, at least in part, on their correspondent dynamic status indicator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the fleet vehicle further comprises a power source configured to provide State of Charge information; and

the efficiency module calculates the dynamic content data of each geosector based, at least in part, on the State of Charge information.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

receiving, via the vehicle controls device, the output;

reviewing and analyzing, via the vehicle controls device, the output; and

instructing, via the vehicle controls device, the fleet vehicle to traverse from the vehicle location to the user location in such a manner that corresponds to one or more selected geosectors of the geosurface map, wherein the one or more geosectors are each selected based, at least in part, on their correspondent dynamic status indicator.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic status indicator for each geosector can be used to help determine how the fleet vehicle can optimally perform the rideshare system task.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the statistical/probabilistic technique comprises the use of the dynamic content data to derive one or more weighted scores, wherein an aggregation of the one or more weighted scores produces the dynamic status indicator for each geosector.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the dynamic status indicator for each geosector is configured to have a first status, second status, or third status;

wherein the first status corresponds to the weighted score of the geosector and is deemed to deplete minimal vehicle resources of the fleet vehicle;

wherein the second status corresponds to the weighted score of the geosector and is deemed to deplete a safe amount of vehicle resources of the fleet vehicle; and

wherein the third status corresponds to the weighted score of the geosector and is deemed to deplete a maximum amount of vehicle resources of the fleet vehicle.

12. A method to reduce vehicle resource depletion risk, the method comprises:

providing a memory configured to comprise one or more executable instructions;

providing a controller configured to execute the executable instructions, the controller further configured to communicate with an efficiency module, wherein the efficiency module is configured to enable at least one fleet vehicle to optimally perform a rideshare system task, wherein the rideshare system task is optimally performed when the fleet vehicle traverses to a user location via a route that depletes less vehicle resources than would be depleted when the fleet vehicle traverses one or more alternative routes to the user location;

providing a mobile computing device configured to generate user location data, the mobile computing device further configured to communicate the user location data to the controller;

providing the fleet vehicle comprises a vehicle system and a vehicle controls device, the fleet vehicle configured to communicate with the controller, the vehicle system configured to generate vehicle location data, the vehicle controls device configured to command the fleet vehicle to autonomously traverse from the vehicle location to the user location;

receiving, via the controller, the user location data transmitted from the mobile computing device;

receiving, via the controller, the vehicle location data transmitted from the fleet vehicle;

causing, via the controller, the efficiency module to produce mapping data which results in the form of a geosector divided geosurface map;

causing, via the controller, the efficiency module to calculate dynamic content data for each geosector;

causing, via the controller, the efficiency module to apply a statistical/probabilistic technique to the dynamic content data so as to produce a dynamic status indicator for each geosector;

causing, via the controller, the efficiency module to produce an output, the output being partially based on the user location data and the vehicle location data, the output configured to instruct the vehicle controls device to command the fleet vehicle to optimally perform an autonomous traversal from the vehicle location to the user location; and

communicating, via the controller, the output to the fleet vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprises:

receiving, via the controller, updated vehicle location data transmitted from the fleet vehicle; and

causing, via the controller, the efficiency module to produce an updated output, the output being partially based on the user location data and the updated vehicle location data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein autonomously traversing from the vehicle location to the user location comprises:

retrieving, via the fleet vehicle, a rideshare system user located at the user location; and

taxiing, via the fleet vehicle, the rideshare system user to a subsequent destination location selected by the rideshare system user.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprises:

providing a plurality of the fleet vehicles each of which comprise a vehicle system and a vehicle controls device, each fleet vehicle configured to communicate with the controller, each vehicle system configured to generate vehicle location data, each vehicle controls device configured to command the matching fleet vehicle to autonomously traverse from its respective vehicle location to the user location;

receiving, via the controller, vehicle location data transmitted from each of the plurality of fleet vehicles; and

selecting, via the controller, one fleet vehicle from the plurality of fleet vehicles based, at least in part, on the availability of the selected fleet vehicle as well as on the vehicle location data of the selected fleet vehicle in relation to the user location data.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the statistical/probabilistic technique comprises:

using the dynamic content data to derive one or more weighted scores; and

aggregating of the one or more weighted scores to produce the dynamic status indicator for each geosector.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprises:

receiving, via the vehicle controls device, the output;

reviewing and analyzing, via the vehicle controls device, the output; and

instructing, via the vehicle controls device, the fleet vehicle to autonomously traverse from the vehicle location to the user location.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprises autonomously traversing, via the fleet vehicle, from the vehicle location to the user location.

19. A non-transitory and machine-readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions adapted to reduce vehicle resource depletion risk, which when provided to a controller and executed thereby, causes the controller to:

perform a destination interface of an efficiency module so as to receive user location data, the user location data being transmitted from a mobile computing device;

perform a transit interface of the efficiency module so as to receive vehicle location data, the vehicle location data being transmitted from a fleet vehicle;

perform a mapping engine and search engine of the efficiency module so as to generate mapping data in the form of a geosector divided geosurface map, the geosector divided geosurface map comprises one or more geosectors with dynamic content data;

perform a route-optimization engine of the efficiency module so as to calculate the dynamic content data of each geosector and apply a statistical/probabilistic technique to the dynamic content data so as to produce a dynamic status indicator for each geosector;

perform an instructions engine of the efficiency module to produce an output based, at least in part, on the dynamic status indicators of each geosector, the output formatted to instruct the vehicle controls device to command the fleet vehicle to optimally perform an autonomous traversal from the vehicle location to the user location, wherein optimal performance of the autonomous traversal occurs when the fleet vehicle traverses to the user location via a route that depletes less vehicle resources than would be depleted when the fleet vehicle traverses one or more alternative traversal routes to the user location; and

communicate the output to the fleet vehicle.

20. The non-transitory and machine-readable memory of claim 19, further comprises the executable instructions causes the controller to:

perform a transit interface of the efficiency module to receive vehicle location data that comprises a plurality of vehicle location coordinates, the vehicle location coordinates being transmitted from a plurality of fleet vehicles; and

select one fleet vehicle from the plurality of fleet vehicles based, at least in part, on the vehicle location coordinates for the selected fleet vehicle in relation to the user location data.