Vehicle user-communication system and method

• US 10,232,856 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Khalifeh, Ahmad, Tellis, Levasseur
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, Jason
• Application Number:
  US15/221,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20180029607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• 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 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/045 Occupant permissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• 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: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A controller includes a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions. The processor is programmed to control steering and at least one of propulsion and braking of a vehicle while following a route segment and, during the route segment, to activate a user interface at a frequency based on at least one of an elapsed duration of the route segment, an age of a user, a time of day, and a route-segment topology.

Claims

1. A controller comprising a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor is programmed to:

receive a command to control steering and at least one of propulsion and braking of a vehicle;

control the steering and at least one of the propulsion and the braking while following a route segment;

calculate a frequency based on at least one of an elapsed duration, a time of day, and a route-segment topology stored in the memory, wherein the elapsed duration is a time interval beginning when the processor began controlling received the command to control the steering and at least one of the propulsion and the braking; and

during the route segment, repeat instruct a user interface to repeatedly generate an output at the calculated frequency.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein calculating the frequency is based on the elapsed duration, an age of the user, the time of day, and the route-segment topology.

3. The controller of claim 2, wherein calculating the frequency weights the elapsed duration more heavily than the age of the user, the age of the user more heavily than the time of day, and the time of day more heavily than the route-segment topology.

4. The controller of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to assess a curviness of the route-segment topology, and the calculated frequency becomes less frequent as the curviness increases.

5. The controller of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to assess a flatness of the route-segment topology, and the calculated frequency becomes more frequent as the flatness increases.

6. The controller of claim 2, wherein the calculated frequency becomes more frequent as the elapsed duration increases.

7. The controller of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to receive input indicating the age of the user.

8. The controller of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to associate a key fob with a user having a known age, and detect a proximity of the key fob.

9. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to receive a route including the route segment, and determine that the route segment is designated for vehicles to control steering and at least one of propulsion and braking while following the route segment.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to receive a destination, and to generate the route from the current location to the destination.

11. A method of driving a vehicle comprising:

receiving, by a controller of a vehicle, a command to control steering and at least one of propulsion and braking of the vehicle;

controlling, by the controller, the steering and at least one of the propulsion and the braking while following a route segment;

calculating, by the controller, a frequency based on at least one of an elapsed duration, a time of day, and a route-segment topology stored in the memory, wherein the elapsed duration is a time interval beginning when the controller received the command to control the steering and at least one of the propulsion and the braking; and

during the route segment, instructing, by the controller, a user interface to repeatedly generate an output at the calculated frequency.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating the frequency is based on the elapsed duration, an age of the user, the time of day, and the route-segment topology.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the calculating frequency weights the elapsed duration more heavily than the age of the user, the age of the user more heavily than the time of day, and the time of day more heavily than the route-segment topology.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising assessing, by the controller, a curviness of the route-segment topology, wherein the calculated frequency becomes less frequent as the curviness increases.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising assessing, by the controller, a flatness of the route-segment topology, wherein the calculated frequency becomes more frequent as the flatness increases.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the calculated frequency becomes more frequent as the elapsed duration increases.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving, by the controller, input indicating the age of the user.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising, by the controller, associating a key fob with a user having a known age, and detecting a proximity of the key fob.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising, by the controller, receiving a route including the route segment, and determining that the route segment is designated for vehicles to control steering and at least one of propulsion and braking while following the route segment.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, by the controller, receiving a destination, and generating the route from the current location to the destination.