MOBILE DEVICE-BASED AUTOMATIC PARKING LOCATION RECORDER AND REMINDER USING ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTICS

• US 20120176255A1
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Inventors: Choi, Yong Hoon, Heitmann, Marcus
• Application Number:
  US12/987,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20120176255A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/989
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A method for assisting a vehicle user in locating a vehicle when parked includes detecting via a mobile device that the vehicle has been placed in a parked state and, in response to detecting that the vehicle has been placed in a parked state, automatically retrieving the vehicle location to the mobile device and recording the vehicle location on the mobile device. The method further entails providing, in response to a request from the user to locate the parked vehicle, instructions to the user to guide the user to the parked vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a vehicle user in locating the vehicle when parked, the method comprising:

detecting via a mobile device that the vehicle has been placed in a parked state;

in response to the step of detecting, automatically retrieving the vehicle location to the mobile device and recording the vehicle location on the mobile device; and

providing, in response to a request from the user to locate the parked vehicle, instructions to the user to guide the user to the parked vehicle.

2. The method for assisting a vehicle user according to claim 1, wherein detecting via the mobile device that the vehicle has been placed in the parked state comprises determining that the vehicle speed and engine RPM are zero.

3. The method for assisting a vehicle user according to claim 2, wherein detecting via the mobile device that the vehicle has been placed in the parked state further comprises determining that a gear selector associated with the vehicle speed has been placed in a “

park”

position.

4. The method for assisting a vehicle user according to claim 1, wherein detecting via the mobile device that the vehicle has been placed in a parked state includes communicating between the mobile device and the vehicle via an on-board diagnostics port associated with the vehicle.

5. The method for assisting a vehicle user according to claim 1, wherein retrieving the vehicle location to the mobile device includes communicating between the mobile device and the vehicle via an on-board diagnostics port associated with the vehicle.

6. The method for assisting a vehicle user according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing instructions to the user to guide the user to the parked vehicle includes providing instructions to the user via a graphical user interface of the mobile device.

7. The method for assisting a vehicle user according to claim 7, wherein the instructions comprise turn by turn directions from the user'"'"'s current location to the vehicle'"'"'s parked location.

8. The method for assisting a vehicle user according to claim 7, wherein the instructions comprise a direction indicator and a distance indicator for moving from the user'"'"'s current location to the vehicle'"'"'s parked location.

9. The method for assisting a vehicle user according to claim 7, wherein the instructions comprise a map display of the user'"'"'s current location, the vehicle'"'"'s parked location, and a route between the user'"'"'s current location and the vehicle'"'"'s parked location.

10. An apparatus for assisting a vehicle user in locating a parked vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless mobile device for detecting that the vehicle has parked, automatically recording the vehicle location and providing instructions to the user to guide the user to the parked vehicle; and

a vehicle interface module for communicating vehicle location and operating parameters to the mobile device.

11. The apparatus for assisting a vehicle user in locating a parked vehicle of claim 10, wherein the vehicle interface module is an on-board diagnostics interface module for interfacing with an on-board diagnostics port of the vehicle.

12. The apparatus for assisting a vehicle user in locating a parked vehicle of claim 11, wherein the wireless mobile device further includes:

a parking location manager;

an on-board diagnostics connection manager;

a localization manager; and

a user interface.

13. The apparatus for assisting a vehicle user in locating a parked vehicle of claim 12, wherein the on-board diagnostics connection manager is configured to create at least one of a wired and wireless network connection to the vehicle and send an on-board diagnostics information request to the vehicle and receive corresponding information from the vehicle.

14. The apparatus for assisting a vehicle user in locating a parked vehicle of claim 13, wherein the received information includes one or more of vehicle speed, engine RPM, and MAF rate.

15. The apparatus for assisting a vehicle user in locating a parked vehicle of claim 14, wherein the parking location manager is configured to receive on-board diagnostics connection status and vehicle information from the on-board diagnostics connection manager.

16. The apparatus for assisting a vehicle user in locating a parked vehicle of claim 15, wherein the localization manager is configured to provide the orientation and current location of the mobile device to the parking location manager.

17. The apparatus for assisting a vehicle user in locating a parked vehicle of claim 15, wherein the parking location manager is configured to determine the parking status of the vehicle based on the vehicle information received from on-board diagnostics connection manager and to acquire the location of the parked vehicle from the localization manager.

18. The apparatus for assisting a vehicle user in locating a parked vehicle of claim 17, wherein the parking location manager is configured to determine that the vehicle is parked when no valid network connection exists between the mobile device and the vehicle.

19. The apparatus for assisting a vehicle user in locating a parked vehicle of claim 17, wherein the vehicle includes a vehicle bus system, and wherein the parking location manager is configured to determine that the vehicle is parked when the vehicle bus system is not supplied with power.

20. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-readable instructions for locating a parked vehicle, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving a user request at a mobile device to locate a parked vehicle;

instructions for reading a computer-readable memory of the mobile device to identify a current location of the parked vehicle;

instructions for interfacing with a computer-readable electronic location sensor on the mobile device to determine a current location of the mobile device; and

instructions for displaying via a graphical user interface of the mobile device instructions to travel to the current vehicle location from the current location of the mobile device.