Maintenance assistance for a vehicle

• US 20050149250A1
• Filed: 01/07/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Temic Automotive of North America, Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Isaac, Emad S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,412,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A system and method to provide navigational maintenance assistance for a vehicle includes a first step of estimating when the vehicle will require maintenance. A next step includes establishing a location and direction of travel of the vehicle. A next step includes searching a database for any service stations within a range of the vehicle and ahead of the location of the vehicle in the direction of travel of the vehicle before the vehicle becomes disabled. This step can be provided by a remote service provider. A next step includes presenting the found service stations from the searching step to a driver of the vehicle via a user interface.

Claims

1. A method to provide navigational maintenance assistance for a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

estimating a range a vehicle can travel before a required maintenance will disable the vehicle;

establishing a location and direction of travel of the vehicle;

searching a database for any service stations within the range of the estimating step and ahead of the location of the vehicle in the direction of travel of the vehicle; and

presenting the found service stations from the searching step to a driver of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the required maintenance is a refueling of the vehicle, and wherein estimating step includes estimating an amount of fuel available in the vehicle and estimating a mileage rate of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein estimating step includes estimating a time of fuel remaining using a speed of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the required maintenance is a refueling of the vehicle, and further comprising a preliminary step of triggering a low fuel warning depending upon a predetermined fuel volume, wherein the subsequent steps will only occur upon triggering of the low fuel warning.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the required maintenance is a refueling of the vehicle, and further comprising the steps of:

defining refueling preferences of the driver, and

filtering the found service stations in the searching step with the refueling preferences.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching step includes searching a generally pie-shaped area ahead of the vehicle along a direction thereof at a predetermined angle to either side of the direction and limited by the range from the estimating step.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating step includes receiving input on traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle on the route being traveled to estimate the range.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein if the estimating step estimates that the vehicle is disabled, and the searching step will include those service stations nearest to the location of the vehicle.

9. A method to provide navigational refueling assistance for a vehicle with a communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

triggering a low fuel warning;

estimating a remaining-fuel range of the vehicle using an existing amount of fuel and a mileage rate of the vehicle;

establishing a location and direction of travel of the vehicle;

contacting a service provider for refueling assistance and sending the location and direction of the vehicle to the service provider;

searching a refueling station database, by the service provider, for any refueling stations within a fuel range of the vehicle in a generally pie-shaped area ahead of the vehicle along a direction thereof at a predetermined angle to either side of the direction and limited by the range from the estimating step;

downloading the found content from the service provider to the communication device; and

presenting the downloaded content to a driver of the vehicle via a user interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein estimating step includes estimating a time of fuel remaining using a speed of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

defining refueling preferences of the driver including a search area, and

filtering the downloaded found content with the refueling preferences.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the estimating step includes receiving input from the service provider on traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle on the route being traveled.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein, if the estimating step estimates that there is no remaining fuel, the searching step will include those refueling stations nearest to the location of the vehicle.

14. A system to provide navigational refueling assistance for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a fuel sensor in the vehicle;

a positioning device that can determine a location and direction of travel of the vehicle;

a database of refueling stations;

a processor coupled to the fuel sensor and in communication with the positioning device and database, the processor operable to estimate a remaining-fuel range of the vehicle, establish a location and direction of travel of the vehicle, and find from the database any refueling stations within a fuel range of the vehicle and ahead of the location of the vehicle in the direction of travel of the vehicle; and

a user interface coupled to the processor, the user interface accepts information on the found refueling stations from the processor and presents the information to a driver of the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is operable to estimate the remaining-fuel range of the vehicle using an amount of remaining fuel as indicated by the fuel sensor and a mileage rate of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is operable to estimate a time of fuel remaining using a speed of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the user interface is operable to enter refueling preferences of the driver, and the processor is operable to filter the found refueling stations with the refueling preferences.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the refueling preferences include a user configurable search area.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor can include input on traffic conditions ahead of the vehicle on the route being traveled to estimate the remaining-fuel range of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein if the processor estimates that there is no remaining fuel, the processor will find those refueling stations nearest to the location of the vehicle.