METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHANGING EITHER DRIVER BEHAVIOR OR VEHICLE BEHAVIOR BASED ON CURRENT VEHICLE LOCATION AND ZONE DEFINITIONS CREATED BY A REMOTE USER
First Claim
1. A method for controlling at least one of vehicle behavior and driver based on a location of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- (a) enabling a remote user to define a location and a zone based behavior to impose at that location, wherein the zone based behavior comprises at least one of a vehicle behavior and a driver behavior;
(b) automatically collecting vehicle location data during operation of the vehicle;
(c) automatically analyzing the current location of the vehicle to determine if the vehicle is within a predetermined distance from the location for which the zone based behavior has been defined; and
(d) when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance, automatically implementing the steps of;
(i) for zone based behavior comprising vehicle behavior, automatically using a vehicle controller associated with the defined vehicle behavior to impose that behavior so long as the vehicle is within the predetermined distance of the location;
(ii) for zone based behavior comprising driver behavior, automatically using a vehicle controller to present the required driver behavior for that location to a driver of the vehicle, using at least one of a display and an audible announcement.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A remote user can define one or more zone based driver/vehicle behavior definitions. Current vehicle location is analyzed at the vehicle or remotely to determine if the vehicle is approaching or has arrived at a location for which a zone based driver/vehicle behavior has been defined. For zone based driver behavior definitions, a display in the vehicle automatically displays the zone based driver behavior definition to the driver. In some embodiments driver compliance is tracked and non-compliance is reported to the remote user. For zone based vehicle behavior definitions, a vehicle controller at the vehicle responsible for controlling the defined behavior is reprogrammed to impose the defined behavior (no regeneration at location, max speed at location, no idle over 2 minutes at location, etc.). Once the vehicle has left the zone, the controller programming reverts to its prior state, and/or zone based driver behavior definition is no longer displayed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for controlling at least one of vehicle behavior and driver based on a location of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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(a) enabling a remote user to define a location and a zone based behavior to impose at that location, wherein the zone based behavior comprises at least one of a vehicle behavior and a driver behavior; (b) automatically collecting vehicle location data during operation of the vehicle; (c) automatically analyzing the current location of the vehicle to determine if the vehicle is within a predetermined distance from the location for which the zone based behavior has been defined; and (d) when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance, automatically implementing the steps of; (i) for zone based behavior comprising vehicle behavior, automatically using a vehicle controller associated with the defined vehicle behavior to impose that behavior so long as the vehicle is within the predetermined distance of the location; (ii) for zone based behavior comprising driver behavior, automatically using a vehicle controller to present the required driver behavior for that location to a driver of the vehicle, using at least one of a display and an audible announcement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 18)
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11. A method for controlling vehicle behavior based on a location of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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(a) enabling a remote user to define a location and a vehicle behavior to impose at that location; (b) automatically collecting vehicle location data during operation of the vehicle; (c) automatically analyzing the current location of the vehicle to determine if the vehicle is within a predetermined distance from the location for which the vehicle behavior has been defined; and (d) when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance, automatically using a vehicle controller associated with the defined vehicle behavior to impose that behavior so long as the vehicle is within the predetermined distance of the location. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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15. A method for requiring specific driver behavior based on a location of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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(a) enabling a remote user to define a location and a driver behavior to require at that location; (b) automatically collecting vehicle location data during operation of the vehicle; (c) automatically analyzing the current location of the vehicle to determine if the vehicle is within a predetermined distance from the location for which the driver behavior has been defined; and (d) when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance, automatically using a vehicle controller to present the required driver behavior for that location to a driver of the vehicle, using at least one of a display and an audible announcement. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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19. A system for matching the programming of a vehicle controller that controls at least one performance characteristic of a vehicle to current vehicle location;
- the system comprising;
(a) at least one vehicle controller controlling some aspect of vehicle operation; and (b) a vehicle position determining component; (c) a memory for storing location based vehicle behavior definitions; (d) at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to implement the functions of (i) analyzing the vehicle location and the location based vehicle behavior definitions to determine if a change in vehicle behavior is needed; and (ii) if the analysis so indicates, automatically conveying the location based vehicle behavior definitions to the corresponding vehicle controller, to effect the change in vehicle behavior.
- the system comprising;
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20. A system for matching a driver behavior to current vehicle location;
- the system comprising;
(a) a display for communicating zone based driver behavior rules to the driver relating to some aspect of vehicle operation; and (b) a vehicle position determining component; (c) a memory for storing zone based driver behavior rules; (d) at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to implement the functions of (i) analyzing the vehicle location and the zone based driver behavior rules to determine if a current vehicle location corresponds to the location defined in the zone based driver rules; and (ii) if the analysis so indicates, automatically conveying to the display the zone based driver behavior rules, thereby displaying the rules to the driver.
- the system comprising;
Specification