Smart notification systems for wearable devices

• US 9,488,980 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2014
• 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: Lota, Charan, Haberl, Samuel T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/552,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20160147222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0064 using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit, e.g. remote keypad or mobile phone
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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

Abstract

According to the embodiments described herein, a smart notification system can include a vehicle, a mobile communication device, and a wearable processing device. A wearable processor or the wearable processing device, a mobile processor of the mobile communication device, a vehicular processor of the vehicle, or a combination thereof can execute machine readable instructions to monitor ambient conditions of the vehicle with a sensor. A notification can be provided upon a wearable display of the wearable processing device. The notification can be indicative of the ambient conditions of the vehicle. A command can be detected with physical input of the wearable processing device. A command signal can be received with vehicle communication hardware of the vehicle. The command signal can be indicative of the command detected by the physical input of the wearable processing device.

Claims

1. A smart notification system comprising a vehicle, a mobile communication device, and a wearable processing device, wherein:

the vehicle comprises a vehicular processor communicatively coupled to a sensor and vehicle communication hardware;

the mobile communication device comprises a mobile processor communicatively coupled to mobile communication hardware, wherein the mobile communication hardware is communicatively coupled to the vehicle communication hardware;

the wearable processing device comprises a wearable component coupled to an electronic component;

the electronic component of the wearable processing device comprises a wearable processor communicatively coupled to wearable communication hardware, a wearable display, and physical input;

the wearable communication hardware is communicatively coupled to the mobile communication hardware, and wherein the wearable processor, the mobile processor, the vehicular processor, or a combination thereof executes machine readable instructions to;

monitor ambient conditions of the vehicle with the sensor;

determine a need for further action based on the ambient conditions;

provide a notification upon the wearable display of the wearable processing device in response to determining the need for further action;

detect a command with the physical input of the wearable processing device; and

receive a command signal with the vehicle communication hardware, wherein the command signal is indicative of the command detected by the physical input of the wearable processing device.

2. The smart notification system of claim 1, wherein the ambient conditions of the vehicle comprises an ambient temperature.

3. The smart notification system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle comprises a window actuator communicatively coupled to the vehicular processor and operable to open or close a window or a sunroof, and wherein the vehicular processor executes the machine readable instructions to:

cause the window actuator to open or close the window or the sunroof.

4. The smart notification system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle comprises a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system communicatively coupled to the vehicular processor, and wherein the vehicular processor executes the machine readable instructions to:

cause the HVAC system to heat or cool a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

5. The smart notification system of claim 1, wherein the ambient conditions of the vehicle comprises weather conditions surrounding the vehicle, and wherein the wearable processor, the mobile processor, or the vehicular processor executes the machine readable instructions to:

determine that the weather conditions correspond to a precipitation event.

6. The smart notification system of claim 5, wherein the vehicle comprises a window actuator communicatively coupled to the vehicular processor and operable to open or close a window or a sunroof, and wherein the vehicular processor executes the machine readable instructions to:

cause the window actuator to close the window or the sunroof.

7. The smart notification system of claim 1, wherein the wearable processor, the mobile processor, the vehicular processor, or the combination thereof executes the machine readable instructions to:

monitor a fuel level of the vehicle;

provide a fuel notification upon the wearable display of the wearable processing device, wherein the fuel notification is indicative of the fuel level of the vehicle.

8. The smart notification system of claim 1, wherein the wearable processor, the mobile processor, the vehicular processor, or the combination thereof executes the machine readable instructions to:

monitor diagnostic information of the vehicle;

provide an informational notification upon the wearable display of the wearable processing device, wherein the informational notification is indicative of the diagnostic information of the vehicle.

9. The smart notification system of claim 1, wherein the physical input comprises a touch screen object provided upon the wearable display of the wearable processing device, and wherein the touch screen object is configured to receive tactile input.

10. The smart notification system of claim 1, wherein the wearable processing device comprises a biometric sensor communicatively coupled to the wearable processor, and wherein the biometric sensor is positioned to make direct contact with a user, when the wearable processing device is worn by the user.

11. The smart notification system of claim 1, wherein the wearable processing device comprises an output device communicatively coupled to the wearable processor, and wherein the output device is positioned to make direct contact with a user, when the wearable processing device is worn by the user.

12. A smart notification system comprising a vehicle and a wearable processing device, wherein:

the vehicle comprises a vehicular processor communicatively coupled to a sensor and vehicle communication hardware;

the wearable processing device comprises a watch band coupled to a watch face, and an electronic component incorporated into the watch face;

the electronic component of the wearable processing device comprises a wearable processor communicatively coupled to wearable communication hardware, a wearable display, and physical input;

the wearable communication hardware is communicatively coupled to the vehicle communication hardware, and wherein the wearable processor, the vehicular processor, or both executes machine readable instructions to;

monitor ambient conditions of the vehicle with the sensor;

determine a need for further action based on the ambient conditions;

provide a notification upon the wearable display of the wearable processing device in response to determining the need for further action;

detect a command with the physical input of the wearable processing device; and

receive a command signal with the vehicle communication hardware, wherein the command signal is indicative of the command detected by the physical input of the wearable processing device.

13. The smart notification system of claim 12, wherein the ambient conditions of the vehicle comprises an ambient temperature.

14. The smart notification system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle comprises a window actuator communicatively coupled to the vehicular processor and operable to open or close a window or a sunroof, and wherein the vehicular processor executes the machine readable instructions to:

cause the window actuator to open or close the window or the sunroof.

15. The smart notification system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle comprises a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system communicatively coupled to the vehicular processor, and wherein the vehicular processor executes the machine readable instructions to:

cause the HVAC system to heat or cool a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

16. The smart notification system of claim 12, wherein the ambient conditions of the vehicle comprises weather conditions surrounding the vehicle, and wherein the wearable processor, the vehicular processor, or both executes the machine readable instructions to:

determine that the weather conditions correspond to a precipitation event.

17. The smart notification system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle comprises a window actuator communicatively coupled to the vehicular processor and operable to open or close a window or a sunroof, and wherein the vehicular processor executes the machine readable instructions to:

cause the window actuator to close the window or the sunroof.

18. The smart notification system of claim 12, wherein the wearable processor, the vehicular processor, or both executes the machine readable instructions to:

monitor a fuel level of the vehicle;

provide a fuel notification upon the wearable display of the wearable processing device, wherein the fuel notification is indicative of the fuel level of the vehicle.

19. The smart notification system of claim 12, wherein the wearable processor, the vehicular processor, or both executes the machine readable instructions to:

monitor diagnostic information of the vehicle;

provide an informational notification upon the wearable display of the wearable processing device, wherein the informational notification is indicative of the diagnostic information of the vehicle.

20. A smart notification system comprising a vehicle and a wearable processing device, wherein:

the vehicle comprises a vehicular processor communicatively coupled to a sensor and vehicle communication hardware;

the wearable processing device comprises an eye glass frame, and an electronic component coupled to the eye glass frame;

the electronic component of the wearable processing device comprises a wearable processor communicatively coupled to wearable communication hardware, a wearable display, and physical input;

the wearable communication hardware is communicatively coupled to the vehicle communication hardware, and wherein the wearable processor, the vehicular processor, or both executes machine readable instructions to;

monitor ambient conditions of the vehicle with the sensor;

determine a need for further action based on the ambient conditions;

provide a notification upon the wearable display of the wearable processing device in response to determining the need for further action;

detect a command with the physical input of the wearable processing device; and

receive a command signal with the vehicle communication hardware, wherein the command signal is indicative of the command detected by the physical input of the wearable processing device.