Vehicle Statistical Measurement Game

• US 20100214089A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Giuli, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/459
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• 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: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A vehicle communication system is operable to calculate and compare vehicle statistics based on information received from a vehicle sensor. This statistic information can be used by the vehicle communication system to execute a plurality of statistic based games. Additionally, relevant statistic information may be transmitted to a remote network for the purpose of playing games against other drivers. The vehicle communication system can report statistical changes to a driver, thus appraising the driver of the driver'"'"'s success in achieving statistical game goals. Network rankings may also be provided to the driver in a real-time basis by the vehicle communication system.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication system comprising:

a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory;

a local wireless transceiver in communication with the computer processor and configured to communicate wirelessly with a wireless device located at the vehicle;

at least one output device controllable by the processor;

wherein the processor is operable to communicate with at least one vehicle sensor;

wherein the processor is operable to store a first vehicle statistic value, based at least in part on information provided by the at least one vehicle sensor, in at least one of persistent and non-persistent memory;

wherein the processor is operable to calculate a second vehicle statistic value, based at least in part on information provided by the at least one vehicle sensor;

wherein the processor is further operable to compare the second vehicle statistic value to the first vehicle statistic value; and

wherein the processor is operable to report the second vehicle statistic value to a driver through the output device if a game being run by the processor instructs the processor to report the second vehicle statistic value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to calculate a second vehicle statistic value continually.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to calculate a second vehicle statistic value periodically.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to compare the second statistic value to the first statistic value after each time the second statistic value is calculated.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to report the second statistic value to a remote network through the wireless device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further operable to receive ranking information from the remote network through the wireless device and is operable to report ranking information to the driver through the output device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to overwrite the first statistical value with the second statistical value if the second statistical value is different from the first statistical value.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the game being run by the processor instructs the processor to report the second vehicle statistic value if second vehicle statistic value is different from the first vehicle statistic value.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the game being run by the processor instructs the processor to report the second vehicle statistic value if second vehicle statistic value is different from the first vehicle statistic value by more than a predetermined amount.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second statistical value is a trip average MPG.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second statistical value is a daily average MPG.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the second statistical value is a peak of average MPG over the length of a trip.

13. A vehicle communication system comprising:

a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory;

a local wireless transceiver in communication with the computer processor and configured to communicate wirelessly with a wireless device located at the vehicle;

at least one output device controllable by the processor; and

a vehicle statistic game stored in at least one of the persistent and non-persistent memory, executable by the processor;

wherein execution of the vehicle statistic game causes the processor to;

prepare a first statistic value, based at least in part on information receive from a vehicle sensor;

calculate a second statistic value for comparison to the first statistic value, based at least in part on information receive from the vehicle sensor

report at least the second statistic value to a driver, if there is a difference between the first statistic value and the second statistic value.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor preparing a first statistic value for comparison includes retrieving a stored statistic value.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor preparing a first statistic value for comparison includes calculating an initial statistic value.

16. A vehicle communication system comprising:

a processor in communication with memory;

wherein the processor is operable to communicate with a vehicle sensor;

wherein the processor is operable to store a first sensor value in memory;

wherein the processor is operable to determine a second sensor value and compare the first and second sensor values; and

wherein the processor is operable to report the second sensor value to a driver upon a difference between the first and second sensor values.