METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR MANAGING OPERATION OF AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE

• US 20120206255A1
• Filed: 02/10/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uatc, LLC (Uber Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sitting Man LLC
• Inventors: Morris, Robert Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for managing operation of an automotive vehicle. Vehicle information, about an automotive vehicle, is received. The automotive vehicle has a current operational configuration for constraining an operation of the automotive vehicle. Device information, about a portable electronic device, is received. A detection is made, based on the vehicle information and the device information, that an operator of the automotive vehicle is a device user of the portable electronic device. In response to the detection, change information is sent to change the current operational configuration to alter a constraint on the operation of the automotive vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for managing operation of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving vehicle information about an automotive vehicle, wherein the automotive vehicle has a current operational configuration for constraining a first operation of the automotive vehicle;

receiving device information about a portable electronic device;

detecting, based on the vehicle information and the device information, that an operator of the automotive vehicle is a device user of the portable electronic device; and

sending, in response to detecting that the vehicle operator is the device user, change information to change the current operational configuration to alter a constraint on the first operation of the automotive vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the vehicle information identifies the vehicle operator based on an operation performed by the vehicle in response to an operator input received by the automotive vehicle and the device information indicates the portable electronic device is operating in response to a detected user input.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the vehicle information identifies and the device information is based on at least one of a personal identification number (PIN), a hardware user identifier, an execution environment user identifier, an application user identifier, a password, a digital signature, a vehicle identification number (VIN), a user communications address, a network address, device identifier, a manufacturer identifier, a serial number, a model number, an ignition key, a detected start event, a removable data storage medium, a particular communications interface included in communicatively coupling the automotive vehicle and the portable electronic device, temporal information, an ambient condition, geospatial information, another occupant of the automotive vehicle, another portable electronic device, a velocity of the automotive vehicle, an acceleration of the automotive vehicle, a topographic attribute of a route of the automotive vehicle, a count of occupants in the automotive vehicle, a measure of sound, a measure of attention of at least one of the vehicle operator and the device user, an attribute of another automotive vehicle, and an attribute of the automotive vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the user communications address includes at least one of a phone address (phone number), an email address, an instant message address, a short message service (SMS) address, a multi-media message service (MMS) address, an instant message address, a presence tuple identifier, and a video user communications address.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the vehicle information and the device information is received in response to a detecting of at least one of a request to perform and a performing of a particular operation by at least one of the automotive vehicle and the portable electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one of the vehicle information and the device information identifies the particular operation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises:

determining that the automotive vehicle and the portable electronic device are communicatively coupled via a particular at least one of a communications interface, a network port, and a protocol; and

detecting that the vehicle operator is the device user based on at least one of the communications interface, the network port, and the protocol.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the personal identity of the device user and the vehicle operator is not determined in the detecting.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the detecting and the sending is performed in response to a message, received via a network that identifies information for presenting to at least one of the vehicle operator and the device user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the detecting and the sending is performed in response to a request, from at least one of the vehicle operator and the device user, to send a message via a network to an identified communicant.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the change information includes sending presentation information for presenting to the at least one of the operator and the device user, via a presentation device, a user interface element to change the current operational configuration.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining that at least one of the operator is currently operating the vehicle and that the device is performing an operation in response a detected input from the device user; and

sending the change information in response to the determining.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the change information provides an indication for altering a constraint for an amount of power available to a component included in performing the first operation.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the first operation includes at least one of accelerating, controlling speed, braking, turning, providing light, signaling another operator of another vehicle, presenting information to the operator of the automotive vehicle, providing power to an engine and/or other component, changing an ambient condition in a compartment of the automotive vehicle, operating a window wiper, operating a mirror, operating an media player, operating a navigation system, operating a steering control system, operating a seat, operating a heater, operating a transmission system, a operating tire pressure system, altering an aerodynamic attribute of the automotive vehicle, operating a window, operating a door, and operating a lid of a compartment.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the change information is sent in response to the portable electronic device at least one of presenting output to the device user, receiving input from the device user, receiving a message included in a communication including the device user as a communicant, and sending a message included in a communication including the device user as a communicant.

16. The method of claim 1 further includes identifying at least one of the first operation and an input processed in performing the first operation based on an association between the first operation and at least one of a process, a thread, a hardware component, a location in a data storage medium, a software component, a universal resource identifier (URI), a MIME type, an attribute of a user interaction included in performing the first operation, a network address, a protocol, a communications interface, a content handler component, and a command line.

17. The method claim 1 further includes detecting that the device user is not currently interacting with the portable electronic device;

and sending second change information change to undo the change to the current operational configuration.

18. The method of claim 1 further includes delaying the changing of the operational configuration for a specified time period.

19. A system for managing operation of an automotive vehicle, the system comprising:

an execution environment including an instruction-processing unit configured to process an instruction included in at least one of an operator identity component, a user identity component, a match component, and an operation director component;

the operator identity component configured for receiving vehicle information about an automotive vehicle, wherein the automotive vehicle has a current operational configuration for constraining a first operation of the automotive vehicle;

the user identity component configured for receiving device information about a portable electronic device;

the match component configured for detecting, based on the vehicle information and the device information, that an operator of the automotive vehicle is a device user of the portable electronic device; and

the operation director component configured for sending, in response to detecting that the vehicle operator is the device user, change information to change the current operational configuration to alter a constraint on the first operation of the automotive vehicle.

20. A computer-readable medium embodying a computer program, executable by a machine, for managing operation of an automotive vehicle, the computer program comprising executable instructions for:

receiving vehicle information about an automotive vehicle, wherein the automotive vehicle has a current operational configuration for constraining a first operation of the automotive vehicle;

receiving device information about a portable electronic device;

detecting, based on the vehicle information and the device information, that an operator of the automotive vehicle is a device user of the portable electronic device; and

sending, in response to detecting that the vehicle operator is the device user, change information to change the current operational configuration to alter a constraint on the first operation of the automotive vehicle.