VEHICLE CUSTOMIZATION AND PERSONALIZATION ACTIVITIES

• US 20140249714A1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Gormley
• Original Assignee: Joseph Gormley
• Inventors: Gormley, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,734,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A vehicle control and interconnection system comprises a vehicle interconnection component and a software component. The vehicle interconnection component communicably couples to a corresponding portable electronic processing device when the portable electronic processing device is suitably positioned within a corresponding vehicle. The vehicle interconnection component further couples to a vehicle subsystem within the vehicle. The software component is downloaded into the corresponding portable electronic processing device, and implements a supervisory controller, a vehicle interface and a user interface. The supervisory controller provides control information that is utilized by the vehicle subsystem connected through the vehicle interconnection component to implement a customized vehicle configuration. The vehicle interface communicates the control information from the supervisory controller to the vehicle subsystem component through the vehicle interconnection component. The user interface couples to an input device and a display to provide a common interface for the device coupled to the vehicle interconnection component.

Claims

1. A vehicle control and interconnection system, comprising:

a vehicle interconnection component that communicably couples to a corresponding portable electronic processing device when the portable electronic processing device is suitably positioned within a corresponding vehicle, the vehicle interconnection component further couples to a vehicle subsystem within the vehicle; and

a software component for downloading into the corresponding portable electronic processing device, the software component having computer code that is operatively configured to be executed by a processor of the portable electronic processing device to implement;

a supervisory controller that provides control information that is utilized by the vehicle subsystem connected through the vehicle interconnection component to implement a customized vehicle configuration;

a vehicle interface that communicates the control information from the supervisory controller to the vehicle subsystem component through the vehicle interconnection component, and that communicates information received through the vehicle interconnection component to the software component for making vehicle decisions; and

a user interface that couples to an input device and a display to provide a common interface for the device coupled to the vehicle interconnection component.

2. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic processing device comprises at least one of a cellular wireless phone, a hand-held pervasive computing device, and a GPS device, wherein the portable electronic processing device includes a display and processing capability, and can be carried in and out of the vehicle by a vehicle operator.

3. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle interconnection component communicably couples to a plurality of additional vehicle devices via at least one of a bus or port of the vehicle; and

the plurality of additional vehicle devices comprises a combination of vehicle installed sensors, actuators, displays, input/output (I/O) devices, controllers, native vehicle devices or third-party peripheral devices.

4. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle subsystem comprises a vehicle component controller;

there is at least one additional vehicle component controller that communicably couples to the vehicle interconnection component; and

the supervisory controller provides control information by programming vehicle component controllers within the vehicle with at least one of modified parameters, modified set points, and modified operating modes.

5. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle subsystem comprises a peripheral device;

there is at least one additional peripheral device that communicably couples to the vehicle interconnection component such that there are at least two unrelated vehicle peripheral devices; and

the supervisory controller provides control information to at least one peripheral device associated with the control and interconnection system to coordinate performance characteristics of the unrelated vehicle peripheral devices, based upon at least one determined operating condition.

6. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle interconnection component communicably couples to a third-party aftermarket peripheral device within the vehicle; and

the software component further includes computer code that is operatively configured to implement a peripheral interface that exchanges information with the peripheral device.

7. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a voice recognition device that integrates with the user interface to translate voice commands into commands to navigate menu options of the control and interconnection system.

8. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein:

there is at least one additional vehicle device that communicably couples to the vehicle interconnection component so as to define at least two independent devices coupled to the vehicle interconnection component; and

the supervisory controller controls a common set of programmable controls that are programmable to switch between control of the independent vehicle devices.

9. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle interconnection component is provided with electronic processing capabilities such that the function of at least part of the user interface, the vehicle interface, or the system controller are offloaded to the vehicle interconnection component so that processing is shared between the portable electronic device and the vehicle interconnection component.

10. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the user interface provide modes of display information, depending upon the task of the vehicle operator, including at least;

a driving mode that reduces the number of menu options available to the vehicle operator or makes the controls larger, and sets the menu options to those capabilities relevant to driving.

11. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a system security and diagnostics process that verifies that a specific configuration requested by or required by the vehicle subsystem is authorized and configured to execute properly within the control and interconnection system.

12. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the system controller selectively customizes a vehicle based upon a combination of an identified mission defining the nature of anticipated application of the vehicle, and operator preference.

13. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mode control monitor that is operatively configured to dynamically modify control information based upon at least one of sensed operational conditions, inferred operational conditions, sensed environmental conditions and inferred environmental conditions.

14. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a system gateway that serves as an operational access port for signals entering and exiting to the vehicle system supervisor from the other logic of the control and interconnection system by providing necessary communication protocol conversion and message priority implementation.

15. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle supervisor maintains appropriate flow, permissions, security and access to the common components;

further comprising;

a system security and diagnostics process that examines available data to attempt to determine whether a new configuration that may be established by the system controller operates within some predefined bounds, rules or other suitable operating characteristics.

16. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the software component further includes computer code that is operatively configured to implement a mission configuration control that provides configuration data to peripherals communicably connected to the vehicle interconnection component to coordinate performance characteristics of various peripherals based upon a defined vehicle mission, wherein the defined vehicle mission includes at least one of off-road travel, towing, industrial work, vacation travel, and commuter travel.

17. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein the software component is utilized to communicate a navigation component to an existing vehicle display.

18. A vehicle control and interconnection system, comprising:

a vehicle interconnection component that communicably couples to a corresponding portable electronic processing device when the portable electronic processing device is suitably positioned within a corresponding vehicle, the vehicle interconnection component further couples to a vehicle subsystem within the vehicle; and

a software component that is downloaded into the corresponding portable electronic processing device, the software component having computer code that is operatively configured to be executed by a processor of the portable electronic processing device to implement;

a supervisory controller that provides control information that is utilized by the vehicle subsystem connected through the vehicle interconnection component to implement a customized vehicle configuration;

a vehicle interface that communicates the control information from the supervisory controller to the vehicle subsystem component through the vehicle interconnection component, and that communicates information received through the vehicle interconnection component to the software component for making vehicle decisions;

a user interface that couples to an input device and a display to provide a common interface for the device coupled to the vehicle interconnection component, the user interface providing modes of display information, depending upon the task of the vehicle operator, including at least;

a driving mode that reduces the number of menu options available to the vehicle operator or makes the controls larger, and sets the menu options to those capabilities relevant to driving;

a peripheral interface that exchanges information with a peripheral device communicably connected to the vehicle interconnection component;

a system security and diagnostics process that verifies that a specific configuration requested by or required by the vehicle subsystem is authorized and configured to execute properly within the control and interconnection system; and

a mode control monitor that is operatively configured to dynamically modify control information based upon at least one of sensed operational conditions, inferred operational conditions, sensed environmental conditions and inferred environmental conditions.

19. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 18, wherein the portable electronic processing device comprises at least one of a cellular wireless phone, a hand-held pervasive computing device, and a GPS device, wherein the portable electronic processing device includes a display and processing capability, and can be carried in and out of the vehicle by a vehicle operator.

20. The vehicle control and interconnection system according to claim 18, wherein:

the vehicle interconnection component is provided with electronic processing capabilities such that the function of at least part of the user interface, the vehicle interface, the peripheral interface or the system controller are offloaded to the vehicle interconnection component so that processing is shared between the portable electronic device and the vehicle interconnection component.