Method and apparatus for scheduling vehicle startup

• US 10,328,873 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2014
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Petersen, Brian, Rork, Joseph Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Vilakazi, Sizo B
• Application Number:
  US14/277,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20150330318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00657 Remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00778 the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/20 characterised by the control method
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A computer implemented method includes logging vehicle startup information. The method also includes determining, via a computer, if timing commonalities exist between logged vehicle startup information instances. Further, the method includes recommending automatic vehicle startup, based on a threshold number of timing commonalities. The method also includes formulating recommended start times based on logged vehicle startup information instances having timing commonalities. The method additionally includes presenting a schedule including recommended start times to a vehicle user and scheduling automatic vehicle startups upon vehicle user acceptance of the presented schedule.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

log vehicle start times;

determine if timing commonalities exist between logged vehicle start time instances;

based on a threshold number of timing commonalities, within a user-defined deviance, recommend automatic start;

formulate recommended start times based on logged start time instances having timing commonalities;

present a schedule including recommended start times; and

schedule automatic vehicle startups upon vehicle user acceptance of the presented schedule.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the commonalities are defined by parameters including at least a threshold number of timing commonalities.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to instruct presentation of the schedule via a vehicle interface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the startup time includes remote start time.

5. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

log vehicle start times;

determine if timing variances greater than a user-defined timing threshold exist between logged start times and scheduled start times;

based on a user-defined threshold number of variances greater than the threshold, formulate new recommended start times based on logged vehicle startup information;

present a new schedule including new recommended start times; and

reschedule automatic vehicle startups upon vehicle user acceptance of the new schedule.