Vehicle accessory engagement tracking

• US 9,715,369 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Alaska Anchorage
• Original Assignee: University of Alaska Anchorage
• Inventors: Lund, John Andrew, Menard, Timothy, Miller, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ziaeianmehdizadeh, Navid
• Application Number:
  US14/045,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for estimating environmental conditions. An example method can comprise determining location information associated with a vehicle and determining status information indicative of time periods when one or more vehicle accessories are engaged. An example method can also comprise providing the location information and the status information to a device configured to estimate environmental conditions based on the location information and the status information.

Claims

1. A method for estimating environmental conditions, comprising:

determining location information associated with a vehicle based on data from a global positioning device;

determining sensor information comprising a first portion generated by a first sensor attached to a main body of the vehicle or a mechanical arm supporting an accessory of the vehicle and a second portion generated by a second sensor attached to the main body or the mechanical arm, wherein the sensor information is indicative of movement of one or more corresponding magnets attached to the accessory; and

providing the location information and the sensor information to a remote device configured determine, based on the sensor information, when the accessory is engaged in plowing snow and configured to estimate environmental conditions based on the location information and the sensor information, wherein the remote device is configured to determine when the accessory is engaged in plowing by comparing the first portion to a first threshold representing a first angle indicative of the accessory being in contact with a surface and comparing the second portion to a second threshold representative of a second angle indicative of the accessory being positioned to push material to a side of the roadway.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the accessory is engaged in plowing comprises determining a height of the one or more vehicle accessories above a roadway.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the accessory is engaged in plowing comprises determining a voltage caused by the magnetic field of the one or more magnets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more magnets comprise at least one rare earth metal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory comprises a plow, and wherein determining whether the accessory is engaged in plowing comprises determining status information indicative of time periods when the plow is positioned for plowing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the location information and the sensor information to the remote device comprises transmitting the location information and the sensor information on a wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory comprises a blade attached to the mechanical arm.

8. A method for estimating environmental conditions, comprising:

receiving, a first device, location information associated with a vehicle from a global positioning system device on the vehicle, wherein, the first device is remote from the vehicle;

receiving, by the first device, sensor information comprising a first portion generated by a first sensor attached to a main body of the vehicle or a mechanical arm supporting an accessory of the vehicle and a second portion generated by a second sensor attached to the main body or the mechanical arm, wherein the sensor information is indicative of movement of one or more corresponding magnets attached to the accessory;

comparing, by the first device, the first portion to a first threshold representing a first angle indicative of the accessory being in contact with snow;

comparing, by the first device, the second portion of the sensor data to a second threshold representative of a second angle indicative of the accessory being positioned to push material to a side of the roadway;

determining, by the first device and based on the comparing of the first portion and the second portion, status information indicative of time periods when the accessory is engaged in plowing snow;

estimating predicted travel conditions of a road based on the location information and the status information; and

providing a map configured to communicate the predicted travel conditions, wherein the map comprises a visual indicator representing a level of difficulty of travel on a road based on the predicted travel conditions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein estimating environmental conditions comprises determining a time since at least a portion of a roadway was last plowed by the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining, by the first device and based on the sensor information, at least one of a height of the the accessory above a roadway or an angle of the the accessory with respect to the roadway.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving, by the first device, sensor information from the vehicle comprises receiving information indicative of a strength of a magnetic field of the one or more magnets attached to the accessory.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the predicted travel conditions comprise first predicted road conditions for a first road and second predicted road conditions for a second road.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a time since the road was plowed by the vehicle based on the status information and the location information, wherein the predicted travel conditions are based on the time since the road was plowed.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining an amount of snow fall related to the road based on information from a weather service, wherein the predicted travel conditions for the road are based on the snow fall information and the time since the road was plowed.

15. A system, comprising:

an accessory coupled to a vehicle, wherein the accessory is configured for managing snow;

a location unit configured to determine location information indicative of locations of the vehicle based on a global positioning system device on the vehicle;

a sensor unit configured to generate sensor information and comprising a first sensor attached to a main body of the vehicle or a mechanical arm supporting the accessory and a second sensor attached to the main body of the vehicle or the mechanical arm supporting the accessory, wherein the first sensor generates a first portion the sensor information indicative of the movement in a first direction of one or more corresponding magnets attached to the accessory, and wherein the second sensor generates a second portion of the sensor information indicative of movement in a second direction of one or more corresponding magnets attached to the accessory; and

a communication unit configured to transmit the location information and the sensor information to a remote device configured to determine, based on the sensor information, times when the accessory is engaged in plowing, wherein the remote device is configured to determine when the accessory is engaged in plowing by comparing the first portion to a first threshold representing a first angle indicative of the accessory being in contact with a surface and comparing the second portion to a second threshold representative of a second angle indicative of the accessory being positioned to push material to a side of the roadway.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote device is configured to determine, based on the first portion of the sensor information, a height of the accessory above the roadway.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to determine voltages caused by at least a portion of a magnetic field of the one or more magnets.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more magnets comprise neodymium.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication unit is configured to transmit the location information and sensor information to the remote device through a wireless network.