Vehicle and vehicle remote control system including the same

• US 9,669,783 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Sung Un, Kang, Kyunghyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US14/944,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20160272135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 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: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A vehicle remote control system is capable of controlling an operation device that corresponds to an operation command when the operation command for an image transmitted from a user terminal is input in a remote terminal. The vehicle remote control system includes a user terminal for transmitting an image of an operation object of a vehicle to a remote terminal, the remote terminal displays an image transmitted from the user terminal and when an operation command for an operation device displayed on the image is input, the remote terminal transmits a control signal, which is to control an operation of the operation device corresponding to the input operation command, to the vehicle, and the vehicle controls a function of the operation device according to the control signal.

Claims

1. A vehicle remote control system comprising:

an operation device installed within a vehicle, the operation device including an input option for controlling a vehicle function of the vehicle;

a user terminal configured to;

control an image capture device of the user terminal to capture an image depicting the operation device; and

transmit the image to a remote terminal;

the remote terminal configured to;

receive the image from the user terminal;

display the image;

receive an operation command input corresponding to the input option depicted in the image; and

transmit a control signal to the vehicle, the control signal including instructions for controlling the vehicle function according to the operation command input; and

the vehicle configured to;

receive the control signal; and

control the vehicle function according to the control signal.

2. The vehicle remote control system of claim 1, wherein:

the remote terminal comprises a display unit configured to display the image transmitted from the user terminal, and configured to receive the operation command input as a pre-determined touch gesture.

3. The vehicle remote control system of claim 1, wherein:

the remote terminal comprises an input unit configured to receive the operation command input.

4. The vehicle remote control system of claim 3, wherein:

the input unit comprises a voice recognition device configured to receive the operation command input in a voice manner or a motion recognition device configured to receive the operation command input of the operation command in a motion manner.

5. The vehicle remote control system of claim 1, wherein:

the remote terminal is configured to identify the operation command input and to identify the input option included in the operation device corresponding to the operation command input when the operation command input is received, and configured to generate the control signal to remotely control the operation device.

6. The vehicle remote control system of claim 1, wherein:

the remote terminal further comprises a communication unit configured to receive the image transmitted from the user terminal and configured to transmit the control signal to the user terminal.

7. The vehicle remote control system of claim 6, wherein:

the communication unit performs a communication with the user terminal and the vehicle by using 3 generation communication technology, 4 generation communication technology or 5 generation communication technology.

8. The vehicle remote control system of claim 1, wherein:

the image capture device of the user terminal is a camera configured to acquire an acquired image and a communication unit configured to transmit the acquired image to the remote terminal.

9. The vehicle remote control system of claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle comprises a communication unit configured to perform a communication with the remote terminal and a controller configured to control an operation of a device configured to perform a function related to the operation device according to the control signal transmitted from the remote terminal.

10. An operation method of a vehicle remote control system comprising:

controlling an image capture device of a user terminal to capture an image depicting an operation device installed in a vehicle;

transmitting the image to a remote terminal;

receiving at the vehicle, from the remote terminal, a control signal including instructions for controlling a vehicle function according to an operation command input received at the remote terminal that corresponds to an input option included in the operation device depicted in the image; and

controlling the vehicle function according to the control signal in the vehicle.

11. The operation method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying the image, which is transmitted from the user terminal, on the remote terminal; and

receiving the operation command input for the input option among a plurality of other input options included in the operation device depicted in the image.

12. The operation method of claim 11, wherein:

receiving the operation command input comprises receiving a pre-determined touch gesture on a display unit of the remote terminal.

13. The operation method of claim 11, wherein:

receiving the operation command input comprises receiving the operation command input via an input unit of the remote terminal.

14. The operation method of claim 11, wherein:

receiving the operation command input comprises receiving a voice or motion manner.

15. The operation method of claim 11, further comprising:

Identifying, by the remote terminal, the operation command input and the input option included in the operation device corresponding to the operation command input, when the operation command input is received by the remote terminal; and

generating the control signal to remotely control the operation device.

16. The operation method of claim 15, wherein:

identifying the operation device and the input operation command comprises comparing the image transmitted from the user terminal with pre-stored information related to available operation devices, and identifying the operation command input by matching the image with pre-stored information that describes the vehicle function of the identified operation device.

17. The operation method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting the control signal to the vehicle using 3 generation communication technology, 4 generation communication technology or 5 generation communication technology.

18. The operation method of claim 10, wherein:

controlling the vehicle function comprises controlling in the vehicle an operation of a device in communication with the operation device according to the control signal.

19. A vehicle comprising:

an operation device including a plurality of input options for controlling a plurality of respective vehicle functions;

an image capture device configured to capture an image depicting the operation device;

a communication unit configured to;

transmit the image to a remote terminal; and

receive, from the remote terminal, a control signal including instructions for controlling a vehicle function according to an operation command input received at the remote terminal that corresponds to an input option included in the operation device depicted in the image; and

a controller configured to control the vehicle function according to the control signal.

20. A control method of a vehicle comprising:

receiving, by a communication unit of the vehicle, including instructions for controlling a vehicle function according to an operation command input received at the remote terminal that corresponds to an input option included in the operation device depicted in an image captured by an image capture device of a user terminal; and

controlling, by a controller of the vehicle, the vehicle function according to the control signal.

21. The control method of claim 20, wherein:

controlling the vehicle function comprises controlling, by the controller, an operation of a device configured to perform the vehicle function related to the operation device according to the control signal.

22. The control method of claim 20 further comprising:

transmitting the image from the user terminal to the remote terminal.