METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A VEHICLE WITH A SMARTPHONE

• US 20140172197A1
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Let's Go Robotics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Benjamin Mike Liedblad, Brian L. Ganz, Henry Thiemann
• Inventors: Ganz, Brian L., Liedblad, Benjamin Mike, Thiemann, Henry
• Granted Patent: US 9,569,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/046 involving vehicles, e.g. floating traffic data [FTD] or vehicle traffic prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A remote control system for controlling a vehicle with a smart phone. The system includes the smart phone programmed with an application that can be installed in the phone via a computer or downloaded from the Internet. The system also includes the vehicle that has been equipped with a radio antenna adapted for communication with the smart phone, an electric power source, servo controller drive motor and a programmable microcontroller (including sensors) and a servo controller steering motor.

Claims

1. A remote control system for controlling a vehicle with a smart phone comprising:

A) a smart phone programmed with an application adapted to communicate with a programmable microcontroller located on the vehicle to;

1) receive sensor data from the programmable microcontroller defining speed and steering direction of the vehicle and

2) transmit control signals to the programmable microcontroller for controlling the speed and steering direction of the vehicle,

B) a vehicle comprising;

1) a radio antenna adapted for communication with the smart phone,

2) compass unit

3) a GPS unit

4) an electric power source,

5) a drive motor and

6) a programmable microcontroller (including sensors) and

7) a steering motor.

2. The remote control system as in claim 1 wherein the compass unit is a compass/accelerometer unit.

3. The remote control system as in claim 1 as in claim 1 wherein the smartphone and the vehicle are adapted for WiFi communication.

4. The remote control system as in claim 1 as in claim 1 wherein the smartphone and the vehicle are adapted for GSM network communication.

5. The remote control system as in claim 1 wherein the smart phone is an iPhone.

6. The remote control system as in claim 1 wherein the smartphone is programmed with an application:

A) using the iOS SDK (iPhone Operating System Software Development Kit).

B) using the built-in iOS SDK tools for capturing accelerometer data, GPS coordinates as well as the SDK'"'"'s WiFi communication libraries.

C) using tilt detection from the accelerometer data to determine if the user is tilting the iPhone for steering purposes.

D) using the GPS data from the iPhone in conjunction with the data coming from the micro-controller and associated sensors (i.e. compass, accelerometers, GPS) to calculate a trajectory (direction and distance) between the micro-controller and the iPhone.

7. The remote control system as in claim 1 application can be used to control a vehicle in multiple ways.

A) manual steering by slider-bar control (touch activated),

B) manual steering by iPhone tilt (accelerometer activated), and

C) automatic steering by GPS and compass guided path.

8. The remote control system as in claim 1 wherein the remote control system is adapted to control a golf cart.

9. The remote control system as in claim 1 wherein the remote control system is adapted to control a tractor.

10. The remote control system as in claim 9 wherein the tractor is comprised of sensors for monitoring field conditions.

11. The remote control system as in claim 1 wherein the remote control system is adapted to control a ship automated navigation system.

12. The remote control system as in claim 1 wherein the remote control system is used to control boat steering to maintain the boat on a desired path.

13. The remote control system as in claim 12 where the boat is a ski boat.

14. The remote control system as in claim 1 wherein the remote control system is adapted to control a toy vehicle.

15. The remote control system as in claim 1 wherein the steering motor and the drive motor are servocontrolled motors

16. The remote control system as in claim 1 wherein the steering motor and the drive motor are microcontroller controlled motors.