Notifications involved with attaching or detaching connectable vehicles

• US 10,202,131 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bresnahan, Gregg, Dougherty, Chris, Gardner, Roland, Mauer, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Testardi, David A
• Application Number:
  US15/190,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20170370731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 1/00 Transferring passengers, articles, or freight to and from moving trains; Slipping or coupling vehicles from or to moving trains
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Navigation devices, systems, and methods for transmitting notifications to and/or receiving notifications from electronic devices associated with passengers of connectable vehicles are described herein. In one example, a method is provided for sending a notification regarding a planned detachment of a designated vehicle from a plurality of connected vehicles. The method includes receiving a navigation destination for a passenger of an initial vehicle, calculating a detachment time or detachment location of the designated vehicle from the plurality of connected vehicles based on the received navigation destination, and transmitting a personalized notification to an electronic device associated with the passenger regarding the detachment time or detachment location of the designated vehicle from the plurality of connected vehicles.

Claims

1. A method for providing a notification regarding a planned vehicle detachment, the method comprising:

connecting at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle as a plurality of connected vehicles;

receiving a navigation destination for a passenger;

receiving a location within the plurality of connected vehicles, from a position sensor, of the passenger associated with the navigation destination;

calculating, by a processor, a detachment time or detachment location of the second vehicle from the plurality of connected vehicles based on the received navigation destination; and

transmitting, by the processor, at a transmission time in response to a distance from the second vehicle to the location of the passenger within the plurality of connected vehicles, a personalized notification to an electronic device associated with the passenger regarding the detachment time or detachment location of the second vehicle from the plurality of connected vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the passenger is based on an electronic device attached to, held by, or worn by the passenger.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, following the transmitting of the personalized notification:

receiving an updated navigation destination of the passenger.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized notification is transmitted to a speaker or display screen adjacent to the passenger.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized notification is transmitted to an electronic device attached to, held by, or worn by the passenger.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone, tablet computer, or watch.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the navigation destination of the passenger comprises a request to connect the first vehicle with at least one additional vehicle to provide the plurality of connected vehicles, and wherein, following the receiving of the navigation destination, the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the processor, to an electronic device associated with each vehicle of the at least one additional vehicle, a notification of the request to connect; and

receiving a transmission from each electronic device of the at least one additional vehicle approving or declining the request to connect.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous or highly-automated driving vehicle.

9. A method for providing a notification regarding a planned vehicle detachment, the method comprising:

connecting at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle as a plurality of connected vehicles, wherein each vehicle of the plurality of connected vehicles is an autonomous or highly-automated driving vehicle;

receiving a navigation destination for a passenger;

receiving a location, from a position sensor, of the passenger associated with the navigation destination;

calculating, by a processor, a detachment time or detachment location of the second vehicle from the plurality of connected vehicles based on the received navigation destination; and

transmitting, by the processor, in response to the location of the passenger, a personalized notification to an electronic device associated with the passenger regarding the detachment time or detachment location of the second vehicle from the plurality of connected vehicles.

10. A method for receiving a notification regarding a planned vehicle detachment, the method comprising:

connecting at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle as a plurality of connected vehicles, wherein each of the first vehicle and the second vehicle is an autonomous or highly-automated driving vehicle;

sending, via an electronic device, a navigation destination of a passenger;

detecting, via a position sensor, a location of the passenger associated with the navigation destination within the plurality of connected vehicles; and

receiving on the electronic device, based on the location of the passenger, a personalized notification regarding a detachment time or detachment location for the second vehicle from the plurality of connected vehicles based on the navigation destination.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the location of the passenger is based on the electronic device attached to, held by, or worn by the passenger.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, following the receiving of the personalized notification:

sending, via the electronic device, an updated navigation destination of the passenger.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone, tablet computer, or watch.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the sending of the navigation destination of the passenger comprises a request to connect the first vehicle with the second vehicle.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that when executed are configured to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request to dock a first vehicle and a second vehicle, wherein each of the first vehicle and the second vehicle is an autonomous or highly-automated driving vehicle;

receiving a navigation destination for a passenger;

docking the first vehicle to the second vehicle in response to the navigation destination;

receiving, from a position sensor, a location of the passenger associated with the navigation destination within the first vehicle;

calculating, by a processor, a detachment time or detachment location of the second vehicle from the first vehicle based on the received navigation destination; and

transmitting, by the processor, in response to the location of the passenger, a personalized notification to an electronic device associated with the passenger regarding the detachment time or detachment location of the second vehicle from the first vehicle.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the location of the passenger is based on the electronic device attached to, held by, or worn by the passenger.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the personalized notification is transmitted to a speaker or display screen adjacent to the passenger.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone, tablet computer, or watch.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second vehicle is a highly-automated vehicle.