SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INDIVIDUALLY UPDATING A LOCATION-BASED GEOMETRIC BOUNDARY OF A SUBSCRIBER VEHICLE

• US 20100082245A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: MEISSNER, CHRISTINE E., WATKINS, GARY A., PATENAUDE, RUSSELL A.
• Application Number:
  US12/239,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20100082245A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication

Abstract

A system and method for individually updating a location-based geometric boundary of a subscriber vehicle that is one of many subscriber vehicles are disclosed herein. The method includes obtaining a garage address of the subscriber vehicle, and determining a location-based geometric boundary of the subscriber vehicle from at least the garage address. The method further includes monitoring at least one of a service event including at least a vehicle registration event, a driving distance, or a driving speed to determine a driving pattern of the subscriber vehicle. The location-based geometric boundary of the subscriber vehicle is dynamically updated based at least on the driving pattern of the subscriber vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for individually updating a location-based geometric boundary of a subscriber vehicle that is one of many subscriber vehicles, the method comprising:

obtaining a garage address of the subscriber vehicle;

determining a location-based geometric boundary of the subscriber vehicle from at least the garage address;

monitoring at least one of a service event including at least a vehicle registration event, a driving distance, or a driving speed to determine a driving pattern of the subscriber vehicle; and

dynamically updating the location-based geometric boundary of the subscriber vehicle based at least on the driving pattern of the subscriber vehicle.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein determining, monitoring and dynamically updating are accomplished at a telematics unit of the subscriber vehicle or at a call center in selective communication with the telematics unit of the subscriber vehicle.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein determining, monitoring and dynamically updating are accomplished at the telematics unit, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting at least one of the location-based geometric boundary or the updated location-based geometric boundary to the call center.

4. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein determining, monitoring and dynamically updating are accomplished at the call center, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting at least one of the location-based geometric boundary or the updated location-based geometric boundary to the telematics unit.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein determining the location-based geometric boundary includes balancing an estimated number of location-based geometric boundary transmissions to a call center from the subscriber vehicle with an estimated number of target messages to be transmitted from the call center to the subscriber vehicle based on the dimensions of the location-based geometric boundary.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising tailoring targeted messages for the subscriber vehicle based on the updated location-based geometric boundary of the subscriber vehicle.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing an increase in a number of the vehicle registration events over a predetermined time period;

obtaining a location of the subscriber vehicle corresponding with each of the vehicle registration events;

determining a driving route based on the obtained subscriber locations;

determining whether the driving route extends beyond the updated location-based geometric boundary by a predetermined distance; and

adjusting the previously updated location-based geometric boundary based on the driving route if the driving route extends beyond the previously updated location-based geometric boundary by the predetermined distance.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein if the increase in the number of vehicle registration events is above a threshold value for the predetermined time period, the method further comprises setting the adjusted location-based geometric boundary based on the driving route as a temporary location-based geometric boundary.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

recognizing a decrease in the number of the vehicle registration events;

in response to such recognizing, determining a then-current location of the subscriber vehicle;

determining whether the then-current location is within the previously updated location-based geometric boundary; and

resetting the temporary location-based geometric boundary to the previously updated location-based geometric boundary if the then-current location is within the previously updated location-based geometric boundary.

10. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein if the increase in the number of vehicle registration events is below a threshold value for the predetermined time period, prior to obtaining the location of the subscriber vehicle corresponding with each of the vehicle registration events, the method further comprises:

extending the predetermined time period;

monitoring the number of the vehicle registration events throughout the extended predetermined time period; and

if the number of vehicle registration events continues to increase during monitoring, then continuing with obtaining the location of the subscriber vehicle corresponding with each of the vehicle registration events.

11. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein determining the driving route is accomplished 1) at a call center, or 2) by the telematics unit.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a request for turn-by-turn navigation instructions from the subscriber vehicle to a call center;

recognizing, at the call center, that a destination of the turn-by-turn navigation instructions is outside of the previously updated location-based geometric boundary; and

adjusting the previously updated location-based geometric boundary to a temporary location-based geometric boundary based on the requested turn-by-turn navigation instructions.

13. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein determining the location-based geometric boundary of the subscriber vehicle is further based on at least one of a geographic region in which the garage address is located, historical weather patterns of the geographic region, types of weather incidents in the geographic region, an account type associated with the subscriber vehicle, a population density of the geographic region, or combinations thereof.

14. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the location-based geometric boundary and the updated location-based geometric boundary are each a geometric shape having the subscriber vehicle garage address of the subscriber vehicle as its geometric center.

15. A system for individually updating a location-based geometric boundary of a subscriber vehicle that is one of many subscriber vehicles, the system comprising:

a telematics unit operatively disposed in the subscriber vehicle;

a processor operatively connected to the telematics unit; and

a call center in selective communication with the telematics unit;

the processor configured with an algorithm for, or the call center configured for;

obtaining a garage address of the subscriber vehicle;

determining a location-based geometric boundary of the subscriber vehicle from at least the garage address;

monitoring at least one of a service event including at least a vehicle registration event, a driving distance, or a driving speed to determine a driving pattern of the subscriber vehicle; and

dynamically updating the location-based geometric boundary of the subscriber vehicle based at least on the driving pattern of the subscriber vehicle.

16. The system as defined in claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured with an algorithm for, or the call center is further configured for determining the location-based geometric boundary by balancing an estimated number of location-based geometric boundary transmissions to a call center from the subscriber vehicle with an estimated number of target messages to be transmitted from the call center to the subscriber vehicle based on the dimensions of the location-based geometric boundary.

17. The system as defined in claim 15 wherein the call center is further configured to tailor targeted messages for the subscriber vehicle based on the updated location-based geometric boundary of the subscriber vehicle.

18. The system as defined in claim 15 wherein the location-based geometric boundary and the updated location-based geometric boundary are each a geometric shape having the subscriber vehicle garage address of the subscriber vehicle as its geometric center.