Systems and Methods for Monitoring Vehicle Health With Connected Applications

• US 20150268059A1
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Borghesani, Linda Irene
• Granted Patent: US 9,541,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Systems and methods that allow a user to enhance the experience on their mobile device and provide better information to make decisions based on sharing vehicle health information received from diagnostic systems on the car with applications on their mobile device. The system may receive trip information from a user device and vehicle health information from the vehicle and the user device. The system may generate an interactive map based on the trip information and the vehicle health information. The system may provide one or more notifications for the user based on the trip information and the vehicle health information. The system may receive calendar information and generate interactive maps and notifications based on the vehicle health information and the calendar information.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a mapping module to receive a starting location and an ending location, determine the total distance between the starting location and the ending location, generate an interactive map of at least one route between the starting location and the ending location, and provide the interactive map to a recipient device;

a vehicle diagnostics module to receive vehicle health information associated with a vehicle, compare the vehicle health information with the interactive map, and generate one or more diagnostic alerts based on the comparison; and

a notification module to provide one or more notifications to the recipient device based on the one or more diagnostic alerts, wherein the mapping module updates the interactive map with additional content based on the one or more diagnostic alerts.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mapping module also receives at least one of a starting time, and ending time, a starting date, and ending date, and at least one limitation on the route.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle health information comprises at least one of the vehicle'"'"'s current location, the vehicle'"'"'s current odometer reading, the vehicle'"'"'s gas tank level, the vehicle'"'"'s oil level, the vehicle'"'"'s tire pressure, the vehicle'"'"'s engine temperature, the vehicle'"'"'s coolant level, the vehicle'"'"'s transmission fluid level, the vehicle'"'"'s battery health, the vehicle'"'"'s odometer reading at the time the vehicle'"'"'s oil filter was last replaced, the vehicle'"'"'s odometer reading at the time when the vehicle'"'"'s timing belt was last replaced, the vehicle'"'"'s odometer reading at the time the vehicle'"'"'s tires were last replaced, the vehicle'"'"'s make and model, the vehicle'"'"'s VIN, and the vehicle'"'"'s license plate number, and the vehicle'"'"'s estimated odometer reading for an upcoming scheduled maintenance.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein comparing the vehicle health information with the interactive map comprises at least one of comparing the total trip distance with an amount of mileage remaining on at least one of the vehicle'"'"'s tires, comparing the total trip distance with an amount of miles remaining before the vehicle'"'"'s oil filter should be replaced, comparing the total trip distance with an amount of miles the vehicle can drive on its current tank of gas, comparing the vehicle'"'"'s current battery level with an amount required for the total trip distance, and comparing the vehicle'"'"'s current oil level with an amount of oil needed for the vehicle to travel the total trip distance.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the additional content comprises one or more of at least one service station located within a first distance of the at least one route, at least one mechanic located within a first distance of the at least one route, at least one restaurant located within a first distance of the at least one route, and at least one lodging business located within a first distance of the at least one route.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more notifications provide content informing the recipient device of at least one of a need to change the vehicle'"'"'s tires, a need to replace the vehicle'"'"'s oil filter, a need to replace the vehicle'"'"'s battery, a need to take the vehicle to a mechanic, a need to fill the vehicle'"'"'s gas tank, and a need to refill the vehicle'"'"'s transmission fluid.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the notification is interactive, wherein the notification module transmits a second notification if it receives a response.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a personal information module to receive calendar information, wherein the vehicle diagnostics module compares the vehicle health information with the calendar information, and generates one or more second diagnostic alerts based on the comparison, wherein the notification module provides one or more second notifications to the recipient device based on the one or more second diagnostic alerts, wherein the mapping module updates the interactive map with second additional content based on the one or more second diagnostic alerts.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a starting location and an ending location from a recipient device;

determining the total distance between the starting location and the ending location;

generating an interactive map of at least one route between the starting location and the ending location;

receiving vehicle health information associated with a vehicle;

generating one or more diagnostic alerts based on one or more comparisons between the vehicle health information and at least one of the starting location, the ending location, the total distance, and the interactive map;

providing one or more notifications to the recipient device based on the one or more diagnostic alerts; and

updating the interactive map with additional content based on the one or more diagnostic alerts.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the recipient device is associated with the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle health information comprises at least one of the vehicle'"'"'s current location, the vehicle'"'"'s current odometer reading, the vehicle'"'"'s gas tank level, the vehicle'"'"'s oil level, the vehicle'"'"'s tire pressure, the vehicle'"'"'s engine temperature, the vehicle'"'"'s coolant level, the vehicle'"'"'s transmission fluid level, the vehicle'"'"'s battery health, the vehicle'"'"'s odometer reading at the time the vehicle'"'"'s oil filter was last replaced, the vehicle'"'"'s odometer reading at the time the vehicle'"'"'s tires were last replaced, the vehicle'"'"'s make and model, the vehicle'"'"'s VIN, and the vehicle'"'"'s license plate number.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more diagnostic alerts are generated based on at least one of comparing the total trip distance with an amount of mileage remaining on the vehicle'"'"'s tires, comparing the total trip distance with an amount of miles remaining before the vehicle'"'"'s oil filter should be replaced, comparing the total trip distance with an amount of miles the vehicle can drive on its current tank of gas, comparing the vehicle'"'"'s current battery level with an amount required for the total trip distance, and comparing the vehicle'"'"'s current oil level with an amount of oil needed for the vehicle to travel the total trip distance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the additional content comprises one or more of at least one service station located within a first distance of the at least one route, at least one mechanic located within a first distance of the at least one route, at least one restaurant located within a first distance of the at least one route, and at least one lodging business located within a first distance of the at least one route.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more notifications provide content informing the recipient device of at least one of a need to change the vehicle'"'"'s tires, a need to replace the vehicle'"'"'s oil filter, a need to replace the vehicle'"'"'s battery, a need to take the vehicle to a mechanic, a need to fill the vehicle'"'"'s gas tank, and a need to refill the vehicle'"'"'s transmission fluid, wherein the one or more notifications are interactive.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a response to the one or more notifications; and

transmitting a second notification based on the response.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising code to perform the acts of the method of claim 9.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving calendar information from a recipient device;

receiving vehicle health information associated with a vehicle;

generating one or more diagnostic alerts based on one or more comparisons between the vehicle health information and the calendar information;

providing one or more notifications to the recipient device based on the one or more diagnostic alerts; and

generating an interactive map based on the one or more diagnostic alerts.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the calendar information comprises information about at least one upcoming appointment, including at least one of a start time, end time, date, appointment location, total distance to the appointment location, and meeting description.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more diagnostic alerts are generated based on at least one of comparing the total distance to the appointment with an amount of mileage remaining on the vehicle'"'"'s tires, comparing the total distance to the appointment with an amount of miles remaining before the vehicle'"'"'s oil filter should be replaced, comparing the total distance to the appointment with an amount of miles the vehicle can drive on its current tank of gas, comparing the vehicle'"'"'s current battery level with an amount required for the total trip distance, and comparing the vehicle'"'"'s current oil level with an amount of oil needed for the vehicle to travel the total distance to the appointment.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising code to perform the acts of the method of claim 16.