METHODS, SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING WHETHER ANY VEHICLE EVENTS SPECIFIED IN NOTIFICATION PREFERENCES HAVE OCCURRED

• US 20150120083A1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: FRY, KEITH A., GUROVICH, DANILO E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,501,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods, systems and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring and reporting notification preferences. A processor of a vehicle determines whether any vehicle events specified in notification preferences have occurred. The notification preferences can be defined by an owner of the vehicle and specify vehicle events that the owner wants to be monitored and reported. When the processor determines that any vehicle event specified in the notification preferences has occurred, the processor can store a record of the vehicle event (and any other vehicle events that occur) in a vehicle event detection log, and then regularly or periodically generate a notification report that includes records for each of the vehicle events that are stored in the vehicle event detection log. The notification report can then be communicated to a remote computer located outside the vehicle. In addition, some vehicle events can trigger generation and communication of an alert message to the remote computer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, at a processor of a vehicle, whether any vehicle events specified in notification preferences have occurred;

determining, at the processor based on the notification preferences, whether the vehicle event that has occurred is to trigger an alert message;

generating an alert message at the processor when the processor determines that the vehicle event that has occurred is to trigger communication of the alert message; and

communicating the alert message to a remote computer.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

each time the processor determines that a vehicle event specified in the notification preferences has occurred, storing a record of that vehicle event in a vehicle event detection log; and

generating, at the processor, a notification report comprising records for each of the vehicle events that are stored in the vehicle event detection log; and

communicating the notification report to the remote computer.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining, at the processor, whether a trigger event has occurred; and

wherein the step of generating the notification report at the processor, comprises;

generating the notification report at the processor in response to determining at the processor that a trigger event has occurred.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

in response to determining at the processor that a trigger event has not occurred, continuing to determine, at the processor, whether any vehicle events specified in the notification preferences have occurred.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

activating a notification service.

6. A method according to claim 5, comprising:

activating a monitoring service at the processor in response to receiving an indication that the notification service has been activated, wherein, upon activation of the monitoring service, the processor starts monitoring for indications that any of the vehicle events specified in the notification preferences have occurred.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the notification preferences are set by an owner of the vehicle and specify vehicle events that the owner wants to be monitored and reported when a monitoring service is activated, and wherein the remote computer is associated with the owner.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the notification preferences for the notification report further comprise:

types of vehicle events to be logged in a vehicle event detection log and included in the notification report;

trigger conditions/thresholds associated with specific vehicle events which are evaluated to determine whether alert messages should be sent;

parameters for logging information about vehicle events in the notification report;

format of the notification reports;

delivery type of the notification reports;

conditions for delivery of the notification reports to the owner; and

destination address of the remote computer that is to receive the notification report.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the notification preferences for alert messages comprise:

types of vehicle events that are to trigger the alert messages;

trigger conditions/thresholds associated with specific vehicle events which are evaluated to determine whether alert messages should be sent;

parameters for vehicle events that trigger communication of the alert messages;

format of the alert messages;

delivery type of the alert messages;

conditions for delivery of alert messages; and

destination address of the remote computer that is to receive the alert messages.

10. A system, comprising:

a remote computer; and

a vehicle comprising a processor configured to;

determine, based on notification preferences, whether any vehicle events specified in the notification preferences have occurred;

for each vehicle event that is determined to have occurred;

determine whether that vehicle event is to trigger an alert message from the processor; and

generate the alert message when the processor determines that the vehicle event that has occurred that is to trigger communication of the alert message; and

communicate the alert message to the remote computer.

11. A system according to claim 10, the vehicle further comprising:

a memory configured to store a vehicle event detection log; and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

each time the processor determines that a vehicle event specified in the notification preferences has occurred;

store a record for that vehicle event in the vehicle event detection log; and

generate a notification report comprising the records for each of the vehicle events that have occurred and that are stored in the vehicle event detection log; and

communicate the notification report to the remote computer.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a trigger event has occurred; and

generate the notification report when it is determined that the trigger event has occurred, and continue to determine whether any vehicle events specified in the notification preferences have occurred when it is determined that the trigger event has not occurred.

13. A system according to claim 10, wherein the notification preferences are set by an owner of the vehicle and specify vehicle events that the owner wants to be monitored and reported when a monitoring service is activated, and wherein the remote computer is associated with the owner and is not part of the vehicle.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the notification preferences for the notification report further comprise:

types of vehicle events to be logged in a vehicle event detection log and included in the notification report;

trigger conditions/thresholds associated with specific vehicle events which are evaluated to determine whether alert messages should be sent;

parameters for logging information about vehicle events in the notification report;

format of the notification reports;

delivery type of the notification reports;

conditions for delivery of the notification reports to the owner; and

destination address of the remote computer that is to receive the notification report.

15. A system according to claim 10, wherein the notification preferences for alert messages comprise:

types of vehicle events that are to trigger the alert messages;

trigger conditions/thresholds associated with specific vehicle events which are evaluated to determine whether alert messages should be sent;

parameters for vehicle events that trigger communication of the alert messages;

format of the alert messages;

delivery type of the alert messages;

conditions for delivery of alert messages; and

destination address of the remote computer that is to receive the alert messages.

16. A system according to claim 10, wherein the remote computer is a portable consumer electronics device associated with the owner.

17. A vehicle, comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine, when a monitoring service is activated, whether any vehicle events specified in notification preferences have occurred, wherein the notification preferences are set by an owner of the vehicle and specify vehicle events that the owner wants to be monitored and reported when a monitoring service is activated;

when the processor determines that a vehicle event specified in the notification preferences has occurred;

determine, based on the notification preferences, whether the vehicle event that has occurred is to trigger an alert message from the processor;

generate the alert message when the processor determines that the vehicle event is to trigger communication of the alert message; and

communicate the alert message to a remote computer that is not part of the vehicle.

18. A vehicle according to claim 17, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a vehicle event detection log; and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

store in the vehicle event detection log, each time the processor determines that a vehicle event specified in the notification preferences has occurred, a record for that vehicle event; and

generate a notification report comprising the records for each of the vehicle events that are stored in the vehicle event detection log; and

communicate the notification report to the remote computer.

19. A vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a trigger event has occurred; and

continue to determine whether any vehicle events specified in the notification preferences have occurred when it is determined that the trigger event has not occurred; and

generate the notification report when it is determined that the trigger event has occurred.

20. A vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the notification preferences for the notification report further comprise:

types of vehicle events to be logged in a vehicle event detection log and included in the notification report;

trigger conditions/thresholds associated with specific vehicle events which are evaluated to determine whether alert messages should be sent;

parameters for logging information about vehicle events in the notification report;

format of the notification reports;

delivery type of the notification reports;

conditions for delivery of the notification reports; and

destination address of the remote computer that is to receive the notification report; and

wherein the notification preferences for alert messages comprise;

types of vehicle events that are to trigger the alert messages;

trigger conditions/thresholds associated with specific vehicle events which are evaluated to determine whether alert messages should be sent;

parameters for vehicle events that trigger communication of the alert messages;

format of the alert messages;

delivery type of the alert messages;

conditions for delivery of alert messages; and

destination address of the remote computer that is to receive the alert messages.