Convenience apparatus for vehicle and vehicle

• US 10,196,068 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoo, Wonseok
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/288,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20170101110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system

Abstract

A convenience apparatus for a vehicle includes a user sensing unit configured to sense a user located outside the vehicle; an object sensing unit configured to sense an object other than the user located outside the vehicle; and a processor. The processor is configured to determine at least one geo-fence established around the vehicle; determine, based on the user sensing unit sensing the user outside the vehicle, whether an entrance event or an exit event of the user has occurred based on the at least one geo-fence; determine that the object sensing unit has sensed an object outside the vehicle; and based on determining that the object sensing unit has sensed the object outside the vehicle and that the entrance or exit event of the user has occurred, provide a signal that controls an operation of the vehicle according to the entrance or exit event of the user.

Claims

1. A convenience apparatus for a vehicle, the convenience apparatus comprising:

a user sensing unit configured to sense a user located outside the vehicle;

an object sensing unit configured to sense an object other than the user located outside the vehicle; and

at least one processor configured to;

determine at least one geo-fence established around the vehicle;

determine, based on the user sensing unit sensing the user outside the vehicle, whether an entrance event or an exit event of the user has occurred based on the at least one geo-fence around the vehicle;

determine that the object sensing unit has sensed an object outside the vehicle; and

based on the determination that the object sensing unit has sensed the object outside the vehicle and based on the determination that the entrance event or the exit event of the user has occurred, provide a signal that controls at least one operation of the vehicle according to the entrance event or the exit event of the user,

wherein the at least one geo-fence comprises a virtual perimeter around the vehicle corresponding to a real-world geographic area, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

determine, through the user sensing unit, that the user enters the at least one geo-fence;

provide, based on the determination that the user enters the at least one geo-fence, a first signal for controlling operations of the vehicle corresponding to the entering user;

determine, through the user sensing unit, that the user exits the at least one geo-fence; and

provide, based on the determination that the user exits the at least one geo-fence, a second signal for controlling operations of the vehicle corresponding to the exiting user,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

determine, through the user sensing unit, that the entrance event of the user has occurred in a state in which the vehicle is parked; and

based on the determination that the entrance event of the user has occurred in the state in which the vehicle is parked, provide a signal that controls the vehicle to secure an exterior space around the vehicle that allows the user to enter the vehicle, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

determine, through the user sensing unit, that an entrance event of the user has occurred in a state in which the vehicle is parallel-parked; and

based on the determination that the entrance event of the user has occurred in the state in which the vehicle is parallel-parked, provide a signal that controls a steering wheel of the vehicle to rotate in a direction corresponding to an expected driving direction.

2. The convenience apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one geo-fence comprises a first geo-fence and a second geo-fence, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the entrance event or the exit event of the user has occurred based on the at least one geo-fence around the vehicle by:

determining that the entrance event of the user has occurred based on detecting that the user has crossed the first geo-fence; and

determining that the exit event of the user has occurred based on detecting that the user has crossed the second geo-fence, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide the signal that controls the at least one operation of the vehicle according to the entrance event or the exit event of the user by;

providing the first signal that controls a first operation of the vehicle based on a determination that the entrance event of the user has occurred as a result of the user having crossed the first geo-fence; and

providing the second signal that controls a second operation of the vehicle based on a determination that the exit event of the user has occurred as a result of the user having crossed the second geo-fence.

3. The convenience apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user input unit configured to receive a user input,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust a range or a shape of the at least one geo-fence according to the user input received through the user input unit.

4. The convenience apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, based on the user input received through the user input unit, set a first function of the vehicle that is to be controlled based on detecting the entrance event of the user, and set a second function of the vehicle that is to be controlled based on detecting the exit event of the user.

5. The convenience apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the user input unit comprises a touchscreen, and

the at least one processor is further configured to indicate, through the touchscreen and based on an accessory component being provided in the vehicle that performs a predetermined function;

whether the predetermined function of the accessory component is controllable according to a detection of the entrance event or the exit event of the user.

6. The convenience apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the user input unit comprises a touchscreen, and

the at least one processor is further configured to adjust a range or a shape of the at least one geo-fence according to a text input, a scroll input, a button input, or a touch-and-drag input received through the touchscreen.

7. The convenience apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the at least one geo-fence comprises a first geo-fence and a second geo-fence, and

the at least one processor is further configured to set, according to the received user input, the entrance event of the user to correspond to the first geo-fence, and set the exit event of the user to correspond to the second geo-fence.

8. The convenience apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a touchscreen, wherein:

the at least one geo-fence comprises a first geo-fence and a second geo-fence, and

the at least one processor is further configured to;

display, on the touchscreen, a vehicle image corresponding to the vehicle;

based on detecting an entrance event of the user for the first geo-fence, control a first geo-fence image corresponding to the first geo-fence to be displayed around the vehicle image; and

based on detecting an exit event of the user for the second geo-fence, control a second geo-fence image corresponding to the second geo-fence to be displayed around the vehicle image.

9. The convenience apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the first geo-fence image to be displayed in a first color and the second geo-fence image to be displayed in a second color.

10. The convenience apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine, through the user sensing unit, that the entrance event of the user has occurred in the state in which the vehicle is vertically-parked; and

based on the determination that the entrance event of the user has occurred in the state in which the vehicle is vertically-parked, provide the signal that controls an opening operation of a door of the vehicle.

11. The convenience apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine, through the object sensing unit, that an object is within a first distance from a driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle; and

based on the determination that the object is within the first distance from the driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle, provide the at least one signal that controls the vehicle to provide the exterior space around the vehicle by controlling the vehicle to move in a forward direction or a backward direction, and that controls an opening operation of a door of the vehicle after the vehicle has been moved in the forward direction or the backward direction.

12. The convenience apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine, through the user sensing unit, that the user is carrying luggage; and

based on the determination that the user is carrying luggage, provide a signal that controls an opening operation of a trunk of the vehicle.

13. The convenience apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine, through the user sensing unit, that the entrance event of the user has occurred in the state in which the vehicle is parked; and

based on the determination that the entrance event of the user has occurred in the state in which the vehicle is parked, provide a signal that controls at least one of a lamp provided in the vehicle, a black box provided in the vehicle, a sunroof of the vehicle, or a window of the vehicle.

14. The convenience apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an output unit;

wherein the user sensing unit comprises;

a camera module configured to sense the entrance event or the exit event of the user based on a captured image of the user; and

a smart key communication module configured to sense the entrance event or the exit event of the user based on communication with a smart key carried by the user,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

determine, based on the image of the user captured by the camera module, that the entrance event of the user has occurred;

determine, through the smart key communication module, that a radio signal has not been received from a smart key carried by the user; and

based on the determination that the entrance event of the user has occurred and that a radio signal has not been received from a smart key carried by the user, output an alarm signal through the output unit.

15. The convenience apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine, through the user sensing unit, that an exit event of the user has occurred in a state in which a parking operation of the vehicle has not yet completed; and

based on the determination that the exit event of the user has occurred in the state in which the parking operation of the vehicle has not yet completed, provide a signal that controls the vehicle to complete the parking operation.

16. The convenience apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine, through the object sensing unit, that an object is located along a parking path of the parking operation of the vehicle; and

based on the determination that an object is located along the parking path of the parking operation of the vehicle, provide a signal for performing a braking operation of the vehicle.

17. A vehicle comprising the convenience apparatus according to claim 1.