Dynamic geometry support for vehicle components

• US 8,918,231 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Rovik, Christopher Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/462,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for adjusting a position of at least one component of a vehicle for a user of the vehicle. A user is identified with a user key associated with the user. The user key and a vehicle identifier associated with the vehicle are transmitted to a server remote from the vehicle. At least one user setting for the vehicle is received from the remote server, with the at least one user setting relating to the user key, the vehicle identifier, and the position of the at least one component. A vehicle system setting is updated with the at least one user setting so as to adjust the position of the at least one component based on the at least one user setting when the vehicle system setting does not correspond with the at least one user setting.

Claims

1. A first vehicle comprising:

at least one component having an adjustable position;

an actuator coupled to the at least one component to adjust the position of the at least one component;

a memory configured to store a vehicle setting for the first vehicle that represents the position of the at least one component;

a telematics unit configured to;

receive at least one user setting from a device remote from the first vehicle, wherein the at least one user setting relates to;

user identification data including the identification of a user of the first vehicle,

vehicle profile data including a distance measurement that corresponds to a deviation of a distance between at least one of the first vehicle or a second vehicle and a standard vehicle, and

the stored position of the at least one component on the first vehicle or a related component on the second vehicle; and

update the vehicle setting of the first vehicle for the at least one component of the first vehicle with the at least one user setting; and

a controller connected to the actuator and configured to control the actuator to adjust the position of the at least one component of the first vehicle based on the at least one user setting when the vehicle setting of the first vehicle does not correspond with the at least one user setting.

2. The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one component of the first vehicle includes a seat, a mirror, a steering wheel, or a pedal.

3. The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the telematics unit is further configured to transmit user identification data to the remote device via a mobile device of the user, and wherein the at least one user setting is received by the telematics unit from the remote device via the mobile device.

4. The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the telematics unit is further configured to identify the user by using a mobile phone, a fob, an ignition key, a smart card, a memory card, a biometric sensor of the first vehicle, or a user interface of the first vehicle.

5. The first vehicle of claim 1, wherein the telematics unit is further configured to receive an entertainment setting, a climate setting, or a navigation setting from the remote server.

6. The first vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an input device connected to the controller for accepting an input from the user to change the position of the at least one component on the first vehicle; and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

change the vehicle setting of the first vehicle in accordance with the accepted input; and

transmit the changed vehicle setting of the first vehicle to the telematics unit; and

wherein the telematics unit is further configured to transmit the changed vehicle system setting of the first vehicle to the remote device so as to update the at least one user setting stored in a memory of the remote device.

7. A method for adjusting a position of at least one component of a first vehicle for a user of the first vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving at least one user setting from a device remote from the first vehicle, wherein the at least one user setting relates to;

user identification data including the identification of a user of the first vehicle,

vehicle profile data including a distance measurement that corresponds to a deviation of a distance between at least one of the first vehicle or a second vehicle and a standard vehicle, and

a stored position of the at least one component on the first vehicle or a related component on the second vehicle; and

updating a vehicle setting of the first vehicle stored in a memory with the at least one user setting so as to adjust the position of the at least one component on the first vehicle based on the at least one user setting when the vehicle setting of the first vehicle does not correspond with the at least one user setting.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one component of the first vehicle includes a seat, a mirror, a steering wheel, or a pedal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the user identification data is transmitted to the remote device via a mobile device of the user and the at least one user setting is received from the remote device via the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising identifying the user is by using a mobile phone, a fob, an ignition key, a smart card, a memory card, a biometric sensor of the first vehicle, or a user interface of the first vehicle.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the at least one user setting from the remote server further comprises receiving an entertainment setting, a climate setting, or a navigation setting.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

accepting an input from the user to adjust the position of the at least one component;

changing the vehicle setting of the first vehicle in accordance with the accepted input; and

transmitting the changed vehicle setting of the first vehicle to the remote device so as to update the at least one user setting in a memory of the remote device.

13. A method for adjusting a position of at least one component of a first vehicle for a user of the first vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving from the first vehicle user identification data associated with the user;

matching the user identification data with at least one user setting stored in a memory, the at least one user setting relating to vehicle profile data including a distance measurement that corresponds to a deviation of a distance between at least one of the first vehicle or a second vehicle and a standard vehicle, and a stored position of the at least one component on the first vehicle or a related component on the second vehicle; and

transmitting the at least one user setting to the first vehicle so as to adjust the position of the at least one component on the first vehicle based on the at least one user setting when a vehicle setting of the first vehicle for the position of the at least one component does not correspond with the at least one user setting.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one component of the first vehicle includes a seat, a mirror, a steering wheel, or a pedal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the at least one user setting to the first vehicle further comprises transmitting an entertainment setting, a climate setting, or a navigation setting to the first vehicle.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a changed vehicle setting from the first vehicle, wherein the changed vehicle setting from the first vehicle is based on an input accepted from the user; and

updating the at least one user setting with the changed vehicle setting of the first vehicle in the memory.

17. A method for adjusting a position of at least one component of a first vehicle for a user of the first vehicle based on a position preferred by the user of a component of a second vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving user component position preference data from a device remote from the first vehicle which relates to an identification of the user and a distance measurement that corresponds to a deviation of a distance between the second vehicle and a standard vehicle; and

applying the component position preference data to the first vehicle such that the seat, the mirror, the steering wheel or the pedal is in a similar position relative to the user in the first vehicle as the component was in the second vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying the user; and

transmitting user identification data including the identification of the user to the device remote from the first vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the user identification data is determined by a mobile phone, a fob, an ignition key, a smart card, a memory card, a biometric sensor of the first vehicle or a user interface of the first vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting user identification data includes transmitting the data via a mobile device of the user, and wherein the user component position preference data is received via a mobile device.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving an entertainment setting, a climate setting or a navigation setting from the remote device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the remote device is a server, a mobile phone, a portable computer or any other device comprising a processor, a memory, and a communication module.