Apparatus and method for use in configuring an environment of an automobile

• US 9,758,116 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Xiong, True, McCoy, Charles, Gonzales, Justin, Flores, Prisciliano
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/152,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20150197205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• 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

Abstract

Some embodiments provide methods of configuring an automobile, comprising: identifying, through a controller of a first automobile, a first user of potential users, wherein the identifying comprises identifying that the first user is proximate the first automobile; accessing a first plurality of pre-sets that correspond to the first user, wherein each of the first plurality of pre-sets comprises a standardized setting configured to be implemented in multiple different types of automobiles that have different available capabilities, wherein the first plurality of pre-sets are configured to achieve substantially the same environmental conditions in each of the different types of automobiles regardless of differences; and automatically applying all of the first plurality of pre-sets without any user interaction such that each of the first plurality of pre-sets is applied at one time establishing the environment of the first automobile consistent with the first plurality of pre-sets.

Claims

1. A method of configuring an automobile in accordance with a user'"'"'s preferences, the method comprising:

identifying, through a controller of a first automobile configured to establish an environment of the first automobile, a first user of one or more potential users, wherein the identifying the first user comprises identifying that the first user is proximate to the first automobile;

accessing a first plurality of pre-sets that correspond to the first user, wherein each of the first plurality of pre-sets comprises a standardized setting, wherein the standardized settings of each of the first plurality of pre-sets is configured to be implemented in multiple different types of automobiles including the first automobile and at least one or more automobiles that have different available capabilities corresponding to at least one of automobile performance and user'"'"'s comfort than the first automobile, wherein the first plurality of pre-sets are configured to achieve, when applied, substantially the same environmental conditions, relative to the pre-sets, in each of the different types of automobiles regardless of differences between the multiple different types of automobiles;

automatically applying all of the first plurality of pre-sets without any user interaction such that each of the first plurality of pre-sets is applied at one time establishing the environment of the first automobile consistent with the first plurality of pre-sets that correspond to the first user;

detecting a change initiated by the user that alters the environment corresponding to a setting of a first pre-set of the first plurality of pre-sets and that affects at least one of the user'"'"'s driving preferences and the user'"'"'s comfort;

identifying at least a second pre-set of the first plurality of pre-sets that is related to the first pre-set based on the standardization;

automatically adjusting a setting of the second pre-set proportional to the change initiated by the user; and

automatically applying the adjusted setting of the second pre-set without any further user interaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing the first plurality of pre-sets comprises receiving the first plurality of pre-sets from a portable consumer electronic device in communication with the controller.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting changes initiated by the user that alter one or more of environmental conditions affecting at least one of the user'"'"'s driving preferences and the user'"'"'s comfort;

identifying one or more of the first plurality of pre-sets that correspond to the changes initiated by the user;

automatically adjusting one or more settings of the one or more of the first plurality of pre-sets that correspond to the changes initiated by the user based on the changes initiated without further user interaction to initiate the adjusting; and

storing the adjusted one or more settings of the one or more of the first plurality of pre-sets that correspond to the changes initiated by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying that the change initiated by the user is consistent with at least a previous change previously initiated by the user; and

storing the adjusted settings of the second pre-set in response to the identifying that the change initiated by the user is consistent with the previous change previously initiated by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating multiple different available automobiles in relation to one or more of the first plurality of pre-sets; and

selecting the first automobile from the multiple different available automobiles based on a relationship between the one or more of the first plurality of pre-sets and the different available automobiles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the standardized settings of each of the first plurality of pre-sets comprises a first setting corresponding to a first pre-set configured to establish one or more distance relationships between a front surface of a back rest of a first seat within the first automobile and one or more other physical features within the first automobile.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the first user comprises identifying a key carried by the first user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically applying all of the first plurality of pre-sets comprises applying a safety pre-set defining safety conditions when content can be made available to a user and queuing content until the safety conditions are satisfied.

9. A method of configuring an automobile environment of an automobile, the method comprising:

identifying one or more pre-sets corresponding to a first automobile, wherein each pre-set of the plurality of pre-sets corresponds to automobile environmental conditions affecting one of a user'"'"'s driving preferences and the user'"'"'s comfort;

automatically detecting one or more settings for each of the plurality of pre-sets;

standardizing each of the settings of each of the plurality of pre-sets such that each of the settings is configured to be implemented in multiple different types of automobiles including the first automobile and at least one or more automobiles that have different available capabilities corresponding to at least one of automobile performance and user'"'"'s comfort than the first automobile; and

storing each of the standardized settings of each of the plurality of pre-sets such that the pre-sets are configured to be applied in configuring an automobile environment of the first automobile;

recognizing a second user is at least proximate the passenger area of the first automobile;

identifying a second set of the standardized settings of each of a second plurality of pre-sets corresponding to the second user;

applying the second set of the standardized settings of each of the second plurality of pre-sets; and

configuring the environment of a portion of the first automobile corresponding to the passenger area in accordance with the second set of the standardized settings of each of the second plurality of pre-sets such that the environment of the passenger area of the first automobile is consistent with the second user'"'"'s comfort.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the standardizing each of the settings of each of the plurality of pre-sets comprises defining a first setting corresponding to a first pre-set as a distance relationship between a first seat within the first automobile and one or more other physical features within the first automobile.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the distance relationship comprises the distance relationship between a front surface of a back rest of the first seat and a brake pedal of the first automobile.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the distance relationship comprises the distance relationship between the first seat and a mirror of the first automobile, and wherein the defining the first setting comprises defining one or more angular relationships between a surface of the mirror relative to one or more planes defined by portions of the first seat.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the standardizing each of the settings of each of the plurality of pre-sets comprises defining a second setting comprising one or more angular relationships corresponding to a surface of a mirror of the first automobile relative to one or more planes defined by one or more portions of the first seat.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the automatically detecting the settings for each of the plurality of pre-sets comprises dynamically adjusting one or more of the settings of one or more of the plurality of pre-sets, comprising:

detecting changes initiated by the user that alter one or more of the environmental conditions affecting at least one of the user'"'"'s driving preferences and the user'"'"'s comfort;

identifying the one or more of the plurality of pre-sets that correspond to the changes initiated by the user; and

storing the adjusted one or more settings to correspond to the respective one or more of the plurality of pre-sets.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the automatically detecting the settings for each of the plurality of pre-sets comprises monitoring over time the user'"'"'s configuring of the environmental conditions such that the storing the adjusted one or more settings comprising storing the adjusted one or more settings after detecting the same changes initiated by the user to alter the one or more of the environmental conditions at least a threshold number of times prior to storing the adjusted one or more settings.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, from a user'"'"'s portable consumer electronic device, standardized settings for one or more other pre-sets; and

modifying the environment of the first automobile by applying the standardized settings of the one or more other pre-sets.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

communicating one or more of the standardized settings of the plurality of pre-sets to a user'"'"'s portable consumer electronic device to be stored by the user'"'"'s portable consumer electronic device.

18. An apparatus to configure an environment of an automobile, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to interact with one or more systems within an automobile to modify an environment within the automobile; and

processor readable memory accessible by the processor and configured to store program code;

wherein the processor is configured, when implementing the program code, to;

identify, through a controller of a first automobile configured to establish an environment of the first automobile, a first user of one or more potential users, wherein the identifying the first user comprises identifying that the first user is proximate the first automobile;

access a first plurality of pre-sets that correspond to the first user, wherein each of the first plurality of pre-sets comprises a standardized setting, wherein the standardized settings of each of the first plurality of pre-sets is configured to be implemented in multiple different types of automobiles including the first automobile and at least one or more automobiles that have different available capabilities corresponding to at least one of automobile performance and user'"'"'s comfort than the first automobile, wherein the first plurality of pre-sets are configured to achieve, when applied, substantially the same environmental conditions, relative to the pre-sets, in each of the different types of automobiles regardless of differences between the multiple different types of automobiles;

automatically apply all of the first plurality of pre-sets without any user interaction such that each of the first plurality of pre-sets is applied at one time establishing the environment of the first automobile consistent with the first plurality of pre-sets that correspond to the first user;

detecting a change initiated by the first user that alters the environment corresponding to a setting of a first pre-set of the first plurality of pre-sets and that affects at least one of the user'"'"'s driving preferences and the user'"'"'s comfort;

identifying at least a second pre-set of the first plurality of pre-sets that is related to the first pre-set based on the standardization;

automatically adjusting a setting of the second pre-set proportional to the change initiated by the user; and

automatically applying the adjusted setting of the second pre-set without any further user interaction.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor, in identifying the first user, is configured to identify that the first user is assigned to the first automobile from a plurality of available automobiles.

20. A method of configuring an automobile environment of an automobile, the method comprising:

identifying one or more pre-sets corresponding to a first automobile, wherein each pre-set of the plurality of pre-sets corresponds to automobile environmental conditions affecting one of a user'"'"'s driving preferences and the user'"'"'s comfort;

automatically detecting one or more settings for each of the plurality of pre-sets;

standardizing each of the settings of each of the plurality of pre-sets such that each of the settings is configured to be implemented in multiple different types of automobiles including the first automobile and at least one or more automobiles that have different available capabilities corresponding to at least one of automobile performance and user'"'"'s comfort than the first automobile; and

storing each of the standardized settings of each of the plurality of pre-sets such that the pre-sets are configured to be applied in configuring an automobile environment of the first automobile;

wherein the standardizing each of the settings of each of the plurality of pre-sets comprises defining a first setting corresponding to a first pre-set as a distance relationship between a first seat within the first automobile and one or more other physical features within the first automobile; and

wherein the standardizing each of the settings of each of the plurality of pre-sets comprises defining a second setting comprising one or more angular relationships corresponding to a surface of a mirror of the first automobile relative to one or more planes defined by one or more portions of the first seat.