Vehicle customization, restriction, and data logging

• US 6,430,488 B1
• Filed: 04/10/1998
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goldman, Kenneth Alan, Palmer, Charles Campbell, Palmer, Elaine Rivette
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis-Jacques, Jacques H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead, Brian J
• Application Number:
  US09/058,599
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/49, 701/1, 701/45, 340/825.31, 340/825.4, 307/10.1, 307/9.1, 303/57
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2081 combined with personal settings of other vehicle devices, e.g. mirrors, seats, steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/302 using recording means, e.g. black box
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

A method, article of manufacture and computer product is presented for a vehicle customization, restriction, and data logging capability. The invention leverages the increasing electronic content in vehicles by interconnecting these electronic devices with a controller. It further uses a storage device in the vehicle, to store vehicle customizations and/or restrictions, and to provide capability for defining and logging significant vehicle events. Combining the electronic vehicle components with a storage device (sometimes in the form of a smart card or floppy disk, etc.) and a controller in a vehicle network enables providing operator specific settings for each of a set of vehicle operators. These customizations add to operator and passenger comfort and safety. It also enables application of setting restrictions to and logging the vehicles use parameters. These add previously unavailable tools to entities as diverse as a parent monitoring a teen driver, a company or government agency regulating a truck driver, an operator training facility, a vessel captain or pilot, a rental car company setting terms for a car rental and handling returns off line, and a car owner relinquishing the vehicle to a parking lot attendant.

Claims

1. Apparatus for customizing the operation of a land automotive vehicle comprising:

a) at least one entry device for entry of setting information for a plurality of functional devices of the vehicle wherein one of the functional devices is an airbag with an airbag personalization functional device for customized airbag deployment based on user physical characteristic setting information provided by the holders portable storage device;

b) a plurality of portable storage devices for entry by a holder into the entry device to provide setting information to the data entry device, said storage devices having different authority levels, with a first of the storage devices providing broad authority to the holder to provide setting information affecting all the plurality of functional devices and a second of the plurality of storage devices providing the holder of the storage device with limited authority to change a limited number of the settings and to operate the vehicle in accordance with rules restricting its use;

c) a global positioning system for indicating the position of the vehicle;

d) actuation devices for manual setting of the functional devices by the holder in accordance with the holders preferences and authority level;

e) a controller responsive to setting information provided by the entry device, position information provided by the global positioning system, information provided by the functional devices, and setting information provided by the actuation to devices to;

i) control the functional devices of the vehicle;

ii) change the setting information in the holders portable storage device for later use by the holder in accordance with manual settings entered through one or more the actuation devices;

iii) vary setting information in dependence upon the position of the vehicle;

iv) provide data about the operation of the vehicle including vehicle operation outside the rules restricting the vehicles use including time and location restrictions imposed upon the storage device holder'"'"'s use that are detected using the global positioning system; and

v) provide vehicle status data including vehicle location upon detection of an accident by deployment of the airbag;

f) storage means for storing the data provided by the controller.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vehicle is one of a truck or a car status data includes vehicle speed, throttle and brake status, headlight, wiper, and turn signal status and vehicle direction of travel data detected by the global positioning system.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including means limiting access to status data and operational data to the holder of the first portable storage device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said limited number of settings are comfort settings for the driver comprising seat, steering wheel and mirror setup settings.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said restrictions on use includes a time restriction limiting the time of use to a period of time.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said period of time is daylight hours as determined using the global positioning system.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 including a verification device for confirming the authority of the holder of one of the portable storage device to use the vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the restrictions on use include restrictions limiting vehicle use to specific geographical areas as determined by the global positioning system.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 including a radio with means responsive to the global positioning system to change radio stations based on the vehicles geographical area.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 including a destination customizing functional device means responsive to the global positioning system to customize a cruise control setting information and provide warnings based on speed limits in geographical locations of the vehicle as determined by the global positioning system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said destination customizing functional device provides a warning and varies or disengages the cruise control system based on road conditions.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 including rental card company trip means for entering trip profile information received from a travel agent for use by the global positioning system and information including at least one of origination and drop off locations, rental rate, mileage and fuel gauge readings for off-line check in.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said airbag personalization functional device includes means requiring keyed in verification of the holder of the portable storage device before changing the airbag deployment profile.