METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING VEHICLE INFORMATION

• US 20100299017A1
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: KLOSE, DEBORAH LUCIA, NEAL, MARK O., SALA, DOREL M., GELLATLY, ANDREW W., HANSEN, CODY R., HIGHSTROM, MATTHEW M., WEISS, JOHN P., MATHUR, BHAVNA
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment a system provides vehicle information to an operator of a vehicle having a plurality of components. The system comprises an onboard database configured to store vehicle-specific data and behavior-specific data and an operator interface. The system includes an onboard processor coupled to the onboard database, the plurality of components, and the operator interface. The onboard processor is configured to provide requested vehicle-specific data to the operator in response to an operator request via the operator interface. The onboard processor is also configured to receive operator-behavioral data from the plurality of components, recognize patterns of operation from the operator-behavioral data, and provide the behavior-specific data to the operator in response to the recognized patterns in the operator-behavioral data.

Claims

1. A system for providing vehicle information to an operator of a vehicle having a plurality of components, the system comprising:

an onboard database configured to store vehicle-specific data and behavior-specific data;

an operator interface;

an onboard processor coupled to the onboard database, the plurality of components, and the operator interface, the onboard processor configured to;

(a) provide requested vehicle-specific data to the operator in response to an operator request via the operator interface,

(b) receive operator-behavioral data from the plurality of components,

(c) recognize patterns of operation from the operator-behavioral data, and

(d) provide the behavior-specific data to the operator in response to the recognized patterns in the operator-behavioral data.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a remote database configured to store vehicle identification data, and to store the vehicle-specific data associated with the vehicle identification data.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a vehicle communication module coupled to the onboard processor and configured to receive the vehicle-specific data from the remote database in response to a request therefore.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-specific data includes user operational preferences.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the user operational preferences include physical attributes of the operator.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the user operational preferences include the operator'"'"'s intended uses for the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the information includes messages for instructing the operator regarding use of the plurality of components.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the recognized patterns of operation include patterns of operator inputs to at least one of the plurality of components.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of components is selected from the group consisting of:

an entertainment system;

a navigation system;

a communication system;

a vehicle control system;

a safety system;

an information system; and

a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of components includes a system for propelling the vehicle, wherein the recognized patterns of operation includes data related to efficiency of the system for propelling the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of components includes a navigation system.

12. A method of providing information to an operator of a vehicle having a plurality of components, the method comprising:

receiving operator-behavioral data from the plurality of components;

recognizing patterns in the operator-behavioral data; and

providing information to the operator based on the recognized patterns.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving vehicle-specific data.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the vehicle-specific data includes user operational preferences.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein providing the information to the operator includes presenting a plurality of messages to the operator at predetermined intervals.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined intervals correspond to each time the vehicle is activated.

17. A system for providing information for a plurality of vehicles each having different features, the system comprising:

a remote database configured to store vehicle-specific data related to the features installed on each of the plurality of vehicles;

a communication system coupled to the remote database;

a processor coupled to the remote database and to the communication system, the processor configured to receive vehicle identification data for each of the plurality of vehicles and to assemble the vehicle-specific data for each of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the assembled vehicle-specific data includes information regarding use of the features.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the vehicle-specific data contains user related data, wherein the processor receives user operational preferences and modifies the user related data based on the user operational preferences.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the processor is a processor onboard one of the plurality of vehicles.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the processor is remote from the plurality of vehicles.