INTERACTIVE ACCESS TO VEHICLE INFORMATION

• US 20160163129A1
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Elnajjar, Hassan
• Granted Patent: US 9,466,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/12 in graphical form

Abstract

Implementations of the present invention contemplate utilizing the communicative connections between a telematics service provider (TSP), a communication device, and a telematics unit in a vehicle to interactively provide information pertaining to various components of a vehicle. Implementations contemplate that an image capture device is communicatively connected to the telematics unit in a vehicle and an operations control center of the TSP. Image data pertaining to an image captured by the image capture device is analyzed and vehicle components included in the image are identified. Once vehicle components in the image have been identified, information pertaining to the identified components is presented as an overlay of the originally captured image.

Claims

1. A method, using a computerized communication device having a processor, processor readable electronic storage media and a graphical display interface, for on-demand rendering and displaying, via the graphical display interface, information corresponding to a component of a vehicle as an overlay in an image including both the component and the corresponding information, the method comprising:

acquiring, using an image capture device, a current view image corresponding to a current view of a portion of the vehicle collected by the image capture device;

identifying the component of the vehicle depicted within the current view image;

requesting, using identification information resulting from identifying the component, the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle;

receiving, in response to the requesting, the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle;

rendering, using the information corresponding to the component, a combined image including both the current view image and an overlay image element corresponding to the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle; and

displaying, via the gaphical display intertlice. the combined image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the component of the vehicle in the current view image comprises:

transmitting the image data corresponding to the current view image and a request to identify vehicle components included in the current view image to an operations control center (OCC) of a telematics service provider (TSP),

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the component of the vehicle in the collected image further comprises:

identifying one or more portions of the current view image that are candidates for including a vehicle component; and

assigning a class to each of the one or more portions of the current view image that are candidates tbr including a vehicle component,

wherein each assigned class corresponds to a set of identifiable vehicle components.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting the image data corresponding to the current view image consists of transmitting only image data corresponding to the one or more portions of the collected image that are candidates for including a vehicle component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the component of the vehicle in the current view image comprises:

identifying a category of vehicle components to which the identified component of the vehicle belongs.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image comprises one of the group consisting of:

requesting information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image from an operations control center OCC) of a telematics service provider (TSP), and

requesting information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image from a telematics unit of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the collected image comprises one of the group consisting of:

receiving information comprising instructions for using the component of the vehicle from an operations control center (OCC) of a. telematics service provider (TSP), and

receiving diagnostics information pertaining to the current condition of the component of the vehicle from a telematics unit of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlay including the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image includes one or more widgets that can be selected to provide additional information pertaining to the component of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlay including the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image includes a widget that allows a user to toggle between display of only information received from a telematics unit of the vehicle pertaining to the current condition of the component of the vehicle and display of only information received from an operations control center (OCC) of a telematics service provider (ISP) comprising instructions for using the component of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the component of the vehicle in the current view image comprises requesting information pertaining to a subscriber associated with the computerized communication device from an operations control center (OCC) of the telematics service provider (TSP).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information pertaining to a subscriber associated with the computerized communication device comprises a make and model of a vehicle associated with the subscriber.

12. A computerized communication device having a processor, processor readable electronic storage media and a graphical display interface, the electronic storage media having stored thereon instructions providing for performing a method on-demand rendering and displaying, via the graphical display interface, information corresponding to a component of a vehicle as an overlay in an image including both the component and the corresponding information, the method comprising:

acquiring, using an image capture device, a current view image corresponding to a current view of a portion of the vehicle collected by the image capture device;

identifying the component of the vehicle depicted within the current view image;

requesting, using identification information resulting from identifying the component, the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle;

receiving, in response to the requesting, the infbnnation corresponding to the component of the vehicle; and

rendering, using the information corresponding to the component. a combined image includingboth the current view image and an overlay image element corresponding to the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle; and

displaying via the graphical display interface the combined image.

13. The computerized communication device of claim 12, wherein identifying the component of the vehicle in the current view image comprises:

transmitting the image data corresponding to the collected image and a request to identify vehicle components included in the current view image to an operations control center (OCC) of a telematics service provider (TSP).

14. The computerized communication device of claim 13, wherein identifying the component of the vehicle in the current view image further comprises:

identifying one or more portions of the collected image that are candidates for including a vehicle component; and

assigning a class to each of the one or more portions of the current view image that are candidates for including a vehicle component,

wherein each assigned class corresponds to a set of identifiable vehicle components.

15. The computerized communication device of claim 14, wherein transmitting the image data corresponding to the current view image consists of transmitting only image data corresponding to the one or more portions of the collected image that are candidates for including a vehicle component.

16. The computerized communication device of claim 12, wherein identifying the component of the vehicle in the current view image comprises:

identifying a category of vehicle components to which the identified component of the vehicle belongs.

17. The computerized communication device of claim 12, wherein requesting information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image comprises one of the group consisting of:

requesting information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image from an operations control center (DCC) of a telematics service provider (TSP), and

requesting information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image from a telematics unit of the vehicle.

18. The computerized communication device of claim 12, wherein receiving information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image comprises one of the group consisting of:

receiving information comprising instructions for using the component of the vehicle from an operations control center (OCC) of a telematics service provider (TSP), and

receiving diagnostics information pertaining to the current condition of the component of the vehicle from a telematics unit of the vehicle.

19. The computerized communication device of claim 12, wherein the overlay including the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image includes ore or more widgets that can be selected to provide additional information pertaining to the component of the vehicle.

20. A system for providing information about a component of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a computerized communication device having a processor, processor readable electronic storage media having stored thereon instructions providing tbr performing a method on-demand rendering and displaying, via the graphical display interface. information corresponding to a component of a vehicle as an overlay in an image including both the component and the corresponding information, the method comprising;

acquiring image data corresponding to an image of a portion of the vehicle collected by an image capture device,

identifying the component of the vehicle in the collected image,

requesting information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the collected image,

receiving information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the collected image, and

providing for display image data corresponding to the image collected by the image capture device and an overlay including the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the collected image;

acquiring, using an image capture devicea current view image corresponding to a current view of a portion of the vehicle collected by the image capture device;

identifying the component of the vehicle depicted within the current view image;

requesting, using identification information resulting from identifying the component, the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle;

receiving, in response to the requesting, the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle;

rendering, using the information corresponding to the component, a combined image including both the current view image and overlay image elements corresponding to the information corresponding to the component of the vehicle; and

displaying, via the graphical display interface, the combined image;

a telematics unit of the vehicle having a processor and processor readable electronic storage media having stored thereon instructions providing for;

receiving a request for information corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image, and

providing diagnostics infonnation pertaining to a current condition of the component of the vehicle;

a server having a processor and processor readable electronic storage media having stored thereon instructions providing for;

receiving a request for intbrmation corresponding to the component of the vehicle identified in the current view image, and providing information comprising instructions for using the component of the vehicle.