Vehicle communication, analysis and operation system

• US 9,014,888 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturna Green Systems, Inc. (LOOPShare Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Saturna Green Systems, Inc. (LOOPShare Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sukkari, Anwar Mohamad Farid, Wright, Clive Richard, Adams, Bruce William
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US13/550,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20130024060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A communication and analysis system can manage data operations with a vehicle centric system. A vehicle that is in a communications link with a network can also manage its activities based on real-time, historical and predictive knowledge, without having this knowledge processing on-board. Such data processing includes the geo-spatial, internal functions and operator specific requirements. The rule based system also incorporates the use patterns of a specific vehicle, or a specific user. A use pattern can be transferred from one operator to another or be shared to assist with navigation and operations. A vehicle operator or vehicle multiple operators can share or upload information that can assist with efficient operations, including fuel conservation and time management. Use patterns can be assigned to geospatial regions and be used for comparative analysis for such activities as efficient operation, safe travel and navigation.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication, analysis and operation system for managing vehicles and optimizing vehicle performance, comprising:

a) a wireless network;

b) at least one database server in communication with said wireless network, said database server comprising a multi-tiered database; and

c) at least one vehicle capable of communicating with said wireless network, said at least one vehicle including an on-board vehicle data system having at least one memory unit, a central processing unit in communication with said at least one memory unit, a transceiver for communicating with said wireless network, a digital display, and at least one vehicle performance sensor;

d) wherein said on-board vehicle memory unit is configured to store a first data processing module having instructions to configure the central processing unit to collect, store and analyze data from said at least one vehicle performance sensor;

e) wherein said on-board vehicle memory unit is configured to store a rule based analysis system and a second data processing module having instructions to configure the central processing unit to employ inputs from said at least one vehicle performance sensor and correlation with analysis techniques such that said rule based analysis system manages data operations of said vehicle and when said vehicle is in communication with said wireless network, said vehicle can also manage said data operations of said vehicle based on real-time, historical and predictive knowledge, without all data processing occurring on-board said vehicle;

f) wherein a user, vehicle or operational profile is created and stored in a user database which can be located on any storage medium capable of communicating with said wireless network including but not limited to on-board said vehicle, on-board said vehicle data system memory, on said database server or on a portable memory device configured to interface with said onboard vehicle data system and/or with said wireless network;

wherein said user, vehicle or operational profile can manage preferences of said user or set automated prioritization of said driver or vehicle set preferences based on prior use of said vehicle to optimize use of multiple vehicles in a similar pattern, using either a real-time analysis system or a post analysis system such that

i) data processing of said at least one vehicle sensor data can result in creation of a profile which can be presented as an algorithm interpolation and a comparison of variables can be efficiently made without all of said vehicle sensor data; and

ii) data processing of said at least one vehicle sensor data can result in only change related data in a form of an algorithm variable needing to be transmitted either to or from a vehicle.

2. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein said vehicle'"'"'s data operations are optimized with respect to at least one of battery life, battery level, real-time battery demand, torque, regenerative braking status, or speed.

3. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein data input from said at least one vehicle performance sensor includes any singular or combination of an internal vehicle operational state, near space traffic events, regional topography, patterns of use, and relationships with other vehicles.

4. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein said data system has a multi-screen or layered ability such that said rule based system can display prioritized results of analysis.

5. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein patterns of analysis of said vehicle sensor data are used to describe a user'"'"'s preferences for geographical, vehicle performance, driver guidance, social media applications, and/or energy requirements such that a change report in a form of a difference between a predicted and actual vehicle performance, including variables as might be expected in normal operation of a vehicle being used in context with driver preferences to optimize vehicle performance.

6. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein patterns of analysis of said vehicle sensor data are used to describe a user'"'"'s preferences for geographical, vehicle performance, driver guidance, social media applications, and/or energy requirements such that real-time vehicle adjustments and post analysis of data can be made based on type of vehicle, driver history, regional driving trends and conditions, and associative relationships between vehicles.

7. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein patterns of analysis of said vehicle sensor data are used to describe a user'"'"'s preferences for geographical, vehicle performance, driver guidance, social media applications, and/or energy requirements such that a vehicle/operator pair become a rule specific entity in a distributed learning network and identity of an operator can be used to drive any vehicle, and a vehicle will by nature of said operator identity take on preferred characteristics of said operator into said vehicle'"'"'s operational system.

8. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein certain digital codes are uniquely attributed to either a driver or a vehicle in a form of a personal data key configured to interface with said onboard vehicle data system and/or with said wireless network in order to transfer operator, driver or vehicle data for a specific vehicle use case such that a vehicle is secured to accept data keys of multiple drivers or guest drivers, and driver preferences are adapted to associate with multiple vehicles, including rental vehicles.

9. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein certain digital codes are uniquely attributed to either a driver or a vehicle in a form of a personal data key configured to interface with said onboard vehicle data system and/or with said wireless network in order to transfer operator, driver or vehicle data for a specific vehicle use case such that said personal data key is a programmable data key that records certain driving habits thereby becoming a storage medium for driver personality data.

10. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein said vehicle profile has simulated characteristics in its performance, or data reporting capabilities, or in its social networking whereby a vehicle has its own cyber identity such that other vehicles or operators are associated with said vehicle profile given a rule based environment.

11. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein driver or vehicle preferences act as data inputs to said rule based system allowing optimization of real-time processing and where predictive aspects of what is happening on a vehicle data system are displayed or shared on said wireless network without a real-time update.

12. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 11, wherein said rule based system incorporates use patterns of a specific vehicle, or a specific user, and wherein said use patterns are transferable from one vehicle operator to another vehicle operator or sharable with multiple vehicle operators to assist with navigation and operations of multiple vehicles.

13. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 11, wherein prioritization of actions are broken down into use case processing that is dependent upon user associated rules or reporting requirements.

14. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein vehicle performance sensors are multiple accelerometers that derive variations in conditions including vehicle vibrations and/or acceleration in multiple axes such that data from said multiple accelerometers can be integrated to determine velocity or displacement or patterns to characterize vehicle performance.

15. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein vehicle performance sensors are multiple accelerometers that derive variations in conditions including vehicle vibrations and/or acceleration in multiple axes such that driver actions are monitored to allow for vehicle actions to be used as response mechanisms in a vehicle centric analysis system.

16. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 1, wherein data from the data processing of said at least one vehicle sensor is packaged as a solution to multiple algorithms including piecewise functions which can include polynomial representations of data intervals.

17. A vehicle communication, analysis and operation system for managing vehicles and optimizing vehicle performance, comprising:

a) a wireless network;

b) at least one database server in communication with said wireless network, said database server comprising a multi tiered database; and

c) at least one vehicle capable of communicating with said wireless network, said at least one vehicle including an on-board vehicle data system having an at least one memory unit, a central processing unit in communication with said at least one memory unit, a transceiver for communicating with said wireless network, a digital display, and at least one vehicle performance sensor;

d) wherein said on-board vehicle memory unit is configured to store a first data processing module having instructions to configure the central processing unit to collect, store and analyze data from said at least one vehicle performance sensor;

e) wherein said on-board vehicle memory unit is configured to store a rule based analysis system and a second data processing module having instructions to configure the central processing unit to employ inputs from said at least one vehicle performance sensor and correlation with analysis techniques such that said rule based analysis system manages data operations of said vehicle and when said vehicle is in communication with said wireless network, said vehicle can also manage said data operations of said vehicle based on real-time, historical and predictive knowledge, without all data processing occurring on-board said vehicle;

f) wherein driver or vehicle preferences act as data inputs to said rule based system allowing optimization of real-time processing and where predictive aspects of what is happening on a vehicle data system are displayed or shared on said wireless network without a real-time update;

g) wherein prioritization of actions are broken down into use case processing that is dependent upon user associated rules or reporting requirements; and

h) wherein said reporting requirements are based on results of spatial rules, and performed as specified for a spatial rule, or are based on non-spatial activities and actions that impact a weighting of said spatial rules such that

i) analysis of data including integration, derivative or exclusion of certain events can be compared in a timeline using a variety of methods and types of algorithms and a predictive analysis can be made by comparing prior events; and

ii) a distributed network architecture allows said vehicle data system to function whether or not in communication with said wireless network.

18. A vehicle communication, analysis and operation system for communicating at least one travel plan for optimized vehicle performance, comprising:

a) an on-board vehicle data system having at least one memory unit, a central processing unit in communication with the at least one memory unit, a transceiver for communicating with a wireless network, and a digital display;

b) said on-board vehicle data system configured to communicate with a geographic positioning system, said vehicle data system having at least one vehicle performance sensor;

c) said on-board vehicle data system memory configured to store a first data processing module having instructions to configure the central processing unit to produce dynamic mapping of a travel plan;

d) said on-board vehicle data system memory configured to store a second data processing module having instructions to configure the central processing unit to collect, store and correlate vehicle operational data derived from said at least one vehicle performance sensor with vehicle, driver or geospatial use pattern data and, using intelligent correlation with analysis techniques involving a rule based system, produce at least one travel plan that optimizes vehicle performance;

e) said vehicle performance being optimized with respect to at least one of vehicle battery life, vehicle real-time battery demand, regenerative braking status, speed, or travel time depending on a user, vehicle or operational profile;

f) said user, vehicle or operational profile being created and stored in a user database which can be located on any storage medium capable of communicating with said on-board vehicle data system memory; and

wherein said user, vehicle or operational profile manages preferences of said user or sets automated prioritization of said driver or vehicle set preferences based on prior use of said vehicle to optimize use of multiple vehicles in a similar pattern such that

i) data processing of said at least one vehicle sensor data can result in creation of a profile which can be presented as an algorithm interpolation and a comparison of variables can be efficiently made without all of said vehicle sensor data; and

ii) data processing of said at least one vehicle sensor data can result in only change related data in a form of an algorithm variable needing to be transmitted either to or from a vehicle.

19. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 18, further comprising an off-board data processing server in communication with said wireless network;

said off-board data processing server having at least one pattern analysis module that derives and packages use pattern data for communication to said on-board vehicle data system;

said use pattern data including;

a) specific use pattern data from data collected from said vehicle'"'"'s and said driver'"'"'s historical and real-time vehicle use;

b) geospatial use pattern data from historical, real-time and predictive geospatial data; and

c) efficiency use pattern data from data collected from multiple vehicle'"'"'s and driver'"'"'s historical use data.

20. The vehicle communication, analysis and operation system set forth in claim 19, said second data processing module further having instructions to configure the central processing unit to correlate said vehicle operational data with user travel plan preference data using intelligent correlation with analysis techniques involving a rule based system to produce at least one travel plan for optimum vehicle performance.