Vehicle assistance apparatus and vehicle comprising same

• US 10,434,987 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoo, Wonseok, Park, Jongoh
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Abby Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US16/067,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20190023223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2, 701 20, 701 314, 701 70, 717168, 340901, 1231792
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/016 comprising means for shuttering the windscreen or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/043 by blocking the exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/045 by limiting or cutting the electrical supply to the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2081 combined with personal settings of other vehicle devices, e.g. mirrors, seats, steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

According to an embodiment, there is provided A vehicle assistance apparatus including: a communication unit for receiving a remote start request; a sensor unit for sensing an object around the vehicle; and a processor for detecting a remote start restriction element among the objects around the vehicle, and controlling the remote start request to be restricted and performed according to the detected remote start restriction element.

Claims

1. A vehicle assistance apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for receiving a remote start request;

a sensor unit for sensing an object around a vehicle; and

a processor for detecting a remote start restriction element among the objects around the vehicle, setting a restriction level with respect to the remote start restriction element, determining a level of the detected remote start restriction element, and controlling a remote start according to the remote start request to be restricted and performed according to the determined level,

wherein the restriction level comprises at least one of;

a first restriction level at which the vehicle is positioned in a remote start unavailable area by regulation,

a second restriction level at which the exhaust gas emission of the vehicle is harmful, or

a third restriction level at which a person other than the driver is positioned within a predetermined distance of the vehicle, and

wherein the processor is configured to;

based on setting the restriction level to the second restriction level, determine a power source of the vehicle, and activate a start of the vehicle according to the determined power source of the vehicle,

based on determining that the vehicle corresponds to a hybrid vehicle, activate the start of the vehicle using electric power, and

based on determining that the vehicle corresponds to an internal combustion engine vehicle or an external combustion engine vehicle, activate the start of the vehicle at an RPM that is lower than a preset RPM.

2. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor maintains a start off state and transmits a remote start unavailable situation to a user through the communication unit when determining the detected remote start restriction element as the first restriction level.

3. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

the remote start restriction element which is determined as the second restriction level is at least one of:

a case where a flower bed is detected on the exhaust unit side, or

a case where the vehicle is disposed in an indoor space.

4. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor maintains a start off state when the detected remote start restriction element is determined to be the second restriction level and turns on the start when the position of the user enters a predetermined distance of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor turns on the start and controls the exhaust gas emission of the exhaust unit when the processor determines the detected remote start restriction element as the second restriction level.

6. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the control of the exhaust gas emission of the exhaust unit includes:

a direction control for changing the exhaust gas emission direction, or

a time control for changing the exhaust gas emission time.

7. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor controls to turn on the start and to block the entry of the outside air of the vehicle when determining the detected remote start restriction element as the second restriction level.

8. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor detects whether or not a window of the vehicle is open, and controls the window to be closed when the window is open.

9. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor turns on the start after detecting that the person is out of the predetermined distance of the vehicle in a start off state when determining the detected remote start restriction element as the third restriction level.

10. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor turns off the start while the person is detected within a predetermined distance of the vehicle in a start on state when determining the detected remote start restriction element as the third restriction level.

11. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor controls the exhaust gas emission of the exhaust unit in a start on state when determining the detected remote start restriction element as the third restriction level.

12. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor turns on at a predetermined rpm or less when determining the detected remote start restriction element as the third restriction level.

13. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor detects an idling restriction time by the regulation when determining the detected remote start restriction element as the first restriction level.

14. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor transmits the remote start restriction information to the user'"'"'s terminal through the communication unit.

15. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the processor transmits the remote start restriction information to the terminal when the remote start restriction element is detected after the vehicle is parked.

16. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor turns off the start and performs a restriction function in a start off state when the remote start restriction element is detected.

17. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the processor turns on a hot wire in the start off state when the user requests heating.

18. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the processor opens the window of the vehicle in the start off state when a user requests cooling.

19. The vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the processor detects a frost on a window of the vehicle and turns on a defrost function in the start off state.

20. A vehicle comprising:

the vehicle assistance apparatus according to claim 1.