Method and monitoring system for monitoring the use of customer functions in a vehicle

• US 9,922,468 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Strobel, Christina
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Ana D
• Application Number:
  US14/705,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20150235483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0062 Adapting control system settings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time

Abstract

A method is provided for monitoring the use of customer functions in a vehicle. The method includes the detecting of at least one transition of state of at least one control unit for at least one customer function. The method further determines an initial state and an end state of the vehicle and detects at least one use pattern for reaching the end state from the initial state.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring use of customer functions in a vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

detecting at least one state transition of at least one control unit for at least one customer function;

determining an initial state and an end state of the vehicle;

determining at least one use pattern by which a user of the vehicle may reach the end state beginning from the initial state, including detecting an applied use pattern used by the user and determining at least one alternative use pattern based on the applied use pattern;

outputting, by at least one of a visual output and an audio output, at least one piece of information identifying the at least one alternative use pattern to allow the user to select the at least one alternative use pattern, wherein the at least one alternative use pattern includes a preferred use pattern identified based on a comfort level of the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the use pattern comprises at least one state change on at least two customer functions of the vehicle, which two customer functions are part of at least two different customer functions systems of the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the act of:

statistically evaluating one or more detected use patterns.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

statistically evaluating one or more detected use patterns.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the act of:

storing and/or transmitting the applied use pattern to at least one external unit outside the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

storing and/or transmitting the applied use pattern to at least one external unit outside the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of information is information from an operator'"'"'s manual of the vehicle.

8. The method according claim 1, wherein the act of detecting at least one state transition is carried out via a monitoring unit by way of a bus communication or a radio interface.

9. A monitoring system for monitoring use of customer functions in a vehicle, comprising:

a monitoring unit configured to detect at least one state transition of at least one control unit for at least one customer function of the vehicle, wherein

the monitoring unit determines an initial state and an end state of the vehicle,

the monitoring unit detects at least one use pattern by a user of the vehicle for reaching the end state from the initial state, including detecting an applied use pattern used by the user and determining at least one alternative use pattern based on the applied use pattern, and

the monitoring unit outputs at least one of a visual output and an audio output, including at least one piece of information identifying the at least one alternative use pattern to allow the user to select the at least one alternative use pattern, wherein the at least one alternative use pattern includes a preferred use pattern identified based on a comfort level of the user.

10. The monitoring system according to claim 9, further comprising:

at least one analysis unit operatively coupled with the monitoring unit, the analysis unit statistically evaluating the detected at least one use pattern.