Vehicle connectivity systems, methods, and applications

• US 9,227,483 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Kalhous, Amanda J., Weigert, Norman J., Chappell, Michael J., Delorme, Gilles M., Chau, Jarvis
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US13/035,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20110224843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/36, 701/48
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00657 Remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00807 the input being a specific way of measuring or calculating an air or coolant temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0807 Remote means
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0806 Air condition state
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method of remotely starting a vehicle using a remote device is provided. The method includes: receiving a first temperature associated with the vehicle; evaluating the first temperature at the remote device; and initiating the starting of the vehicle by generating a signal to the vehicle based on the start request and the first temperature.

Claims

1. A method of starting a vehicle using a remote device, comprising:

transmitting, by the remote device, a device application to a computer processor-enabled connectivity device that is communicatively coupled to the vehicle, the device application configured to acquire vehicle data from the vehicle and transmit the vehicle data to the remote device upon request from the remote device;

acquiring, via the device application in the vehicle, the vehicle data from the vehicle;

transmitting, via the device application in the vehicle, the vehicle data to the remote device upon request from the remote device;

receiving, by user input to the remote device, a start request;

transmitting a request for a first temperature associated with the vehicle to the device application, the first temperature identified as the vehicle data;

receiving the first temperature from the computer processor-enabled connectivity device;

evaluating the first temperature at the remote device;

initiating starting of the vehicle by generating a signal to the vehicle based on the start request and the first temperature; and

evaluating a second temperature at the remote device, and wherein the initiating the starting of the vehicle includes;

evaluating the first temperature in view of the second temperature; and

initiating a heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system function on the vehicle when the first temperature exceeds a first threshold value and the second temperature exceeds a second threshold value, the first threshold value is different than the second threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is outside air temperature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is inside cabin temperature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is outside air temperature and the second temperature is inside cabin temperature.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a start duration based on the first temperature.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a stop request based on the start duration.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a start duration based on the first temperature and the second temperature.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating a stop request based on the start duration.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating at least one of an air conditioning start request and a heater start request based on the first temperature.

10. A system for starting a vehicle, comprising:

a remote device including a computer processor; and

a connectivity application executable by the computer processor, the connectivity application configured to implement a method, the method comprising;

transmitting a device application to a computer processor-enabled connectivity device that is communicatively coupled to the vehicle, the device application configured to acquire vehicle data from the vehicle and transmit the vehicle data to the remote device upon request from the remote device;

acquiring, via the device application in the vehicle, the vehicle data from the vehicle;

transmitting, via the device application in the vehicle, the vehicle data to the remote device upon request from the remote device;

receiving, by user input to the remote device, a start request;

transmitting a request for a first temperature associated with the vehicle to the device application, the first temperature identified as the vehicle data;

receiving the first temperature from the computer processor-enabled connectivity device;

evaluating the first temperature at the remote device;

initiating starting of the vehicle by generating a signal to the vehicle based on the start request and the first temperature; and

evaluating a second temperature at the remote device, wherein the initiating the starting of the vehicle includes;

evaluating the first temperature in view of the second temperature; and

initiating a heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system function on the vehicle when the first temperature exceeds a first threshold value and the second temperature exceeds a second threshold value, the first threshold value is different than the second threshold value.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer-processor enabled connectivity device is removably coupled to the vehicle.

12. The system of claim of claim 10, wherein the first temperature is outside air temperature.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first temperature is inside cabin temperature.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first temperature is outside air temperature and the second temperature is inside cabin temperature.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the connectivity application is further configured to implement:

selecting a start duration based on the first temperature.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the connectivity application is further configured to implement:

generating a stop request based on the start duration.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the connectivity application is further configured to implement:

selecting a start duration based on the first temperature and the second temperature.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the connectivity application is further configured to implement:

generating a stop request based on the start duration.