ADAPTATION TO VEHICLE ACCESSORIES

• US 20140005887A1
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: TIPPELHOFER, Mario
• Application Number:
  US13/534,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20140005887A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0082 for initialising the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/14 Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and vehicle accessories are provided. A storage unit associated with the accessory may be queried to obtain information about the accessory, and a vehicle function may be modified based on the information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a request for information from at least one storage unit assigned to vehicle accessories,

receiving information from said at least one storage unit, and

modifying vehicle functions based on said information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that no vehicle accessory is present if no information is received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one storage unit comprises an RFID chip.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying vehicle functions comprise outputting information to a driver of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said outputting of information is performed depending on a drive situation of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying vehicle functions comprise modifying one or more functions selected from the group consisting of an engine management, a damper setting, a drive assistance, and a parking assistance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said information comprises at least one information of the group consisting of a physical dimension of the accessory, a weight of the accessory, a drag factor of the accessory, a manufacturer of the accessory and a type of the accessory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying vehicle functions comprises outputting a theft warning if previously received information is not received any longer.

9. An apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a transceiver configured to query information from a storage unit associated with a vehicle, and

a control unit configured to modify at least one vehicle function based on said information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said vehicle function comprises at least one vehicle function selected from the group consisting of a damper, an engine management, a drive assistance and a parking assistance.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said transceiver is configured to read out RFID chips.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said control unit is configured to control an output of the vehicle to output information to a driver of the vehicle based on said information.

13. A vehicle accessory, comprising a storage unit storing information about the accessory, the storage unit being readable by a transceiver.

14. The vehicle accessory of claim 13, wherein said information comprises one or more information selected from the group consisting of a physical dimension of the accessory, a weight of the accessory, a drag factor of the accessory and a manufacturer of the accessory and a type of the accessory.

15. The accessory of claim 13, wherein said storage unit comprises an RFID chip.