System and method for automotive systems relative positional translations

• US 6,675,082 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2002
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Steven M., Galli, Doreen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/128,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20030204296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/45, 701/49, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 280/728.1, 280/734, 280/735, 180/268, 180/271, 180/273
• US Class Current: 701/49
• 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

A system and method is provided for determining vehicle-specific settings for a user of a vehicle. Normalized positions settings in a reference vehicle, or alternatively, normalized user measurements of a reference user are stored to a storage media, such as a smart card. In this manner, a user profile is created on the storage media. The normalized position settings and normalized user measurements provide references that may be used in determining the most suitable settings for a specific user of a specific vehicle. A vehicle user thus may carry a user profile on a storage media for use across all different models and brands of vehicles. The user profile may be used to automatically adjust the settings in other vehicles than the user'"'"'s primary vehicle which allows a user to change vehicles without having to take the time to re-adjust the vehicle settings.

Claims

1. A method for determining a vehicle-specific setting for a user of a vehicle, comprising:

reading a normalized position setting from a storage medium;

retrieving a translation algorithm corresponding to the vehicle;

translating the normalized position setting to a vehicle-specific setting based on the translation algorithm; and

sending a signal to move a vehicle component to the vehicle-specific setting.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the normalized-position setting is selected from the group consisting of a normalized seat height, a normalized seat back angle, a normalized seat setback, a normalized steering wheel angle, a normalized steering wheel length, a normalized left rearview mirror, a normalized right rearview mirror, and a normalized center rearview mirror.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

inserting a removable storage medium in a storage device included in the vehicle;

storing the normalized position settings on the removable storage medium;

removing the removable storage medium from the storage device;

inserting the removable storage medium in a second storage device located in a second vehicle;

reading the normalized position settings from the removable storage medium;

retrieving a second translation algorithm for the second vehicle;

translating the normalized position setting to a second vehicle-specific setting based on the second translation algorithm; and

sending a signal to move a second vehicle component in the second vehicle to the second vehicle-specific setting.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reading one or more user measurements from the storage medium when the normalized position setting is absent from the storage medium; and

determining the vehicle-specific setting based on the one or more normalized user measurements.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the normalized user measurements are selected from the group consisting of the user'"'"'s weight, the user'"'"'s height, the user'"'"'s arm length, the user'"'"'s leg length, and the user'"'"'s torso length.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the storage medium is a removable storage medium adapted for insertion in storage devices located in a plurality of vehicle models.

7. A method for determining a vehicle-specific setting for a user of a vehicle, comprising:

inserting a removable storage medium in a storage device attached to the vehicle;

reading one or more user measurements from the removable storage medium;

determining a vehicle-specific setting based on the user measurement; and

adjusting a vehicle component based upon the vehicle-specific setting.

8. A method for determining a vehicle-specific setting for a user of a vehicle, comprising:

inserting a removable storage medium in a first storage device included in a first vehicle;

reading a normalized position setting from the removable storage medium;

retrieving a translation algorithm corresponding to the first vehicle;

translating the normalized position setting to a vehicle-specific setting based on the translation algorithm;

moving a vehicle component to the vehicle-specific setting;

receiving a request to adjust the vehicle-specific setting;

translating the adjusted vehicle-specific setting to an adjusted normalized position;

storing the adjusted normalized position setting on the removable storage medium;

removing the removable storage medium from the first storage device;

inserting the removable storage medium in a second storage device located in a second vehicle;

reading the adjusted normalized position setting from the removable storage medium;

retrieving a second translation algorithm corresponding to the second vehicle;

translating the adjusted normalized position setting to a second vehicle-specific setting based on the second translation algorithm; and

moving a second vehicle component in the second vehicle to the second vehicle-specific setting.

9. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors and adapted to read a removable storage medium; and

a translating tool for determining a vehicle-specific setting for a user of the vehicle, including;

receiving logic for reading a normalized position setting from the removable storage medium;

retrieval logic for retrieving a translation algorithm for the vehicle, the translation algorithm being stored in the nonvolatile storage area;

translation logic for translating the normalized position setting to a vehicle-specific setting based on the translation algorithm; and

automation logic for moving a vehicle component to the vehicle-specific setting.

10. The information handling system of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving logic for reading one or more user measurements from the removable storage medium when a normalized position setting is absent from the storage medium; and

determination logic for determining the vehicle-specific setting based on the one or more user measurements.

11. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the normalized user measurements are selected from the group comprising the user'"'"'s weight, the user'"'"'s height, the user'"'"'s arm length, the user'"'"'s leg length, and the user'"'"'s torso length.

12. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein the normalized position setting is selected from the group consisting of a normalized seat height, a normalized seat back angle, a normalized seat setback, a normalized steering wheel angle, a normalized steering wheel length, a normalized left rearview mirror, a normalized right rearview mirror, and a normalized center rearview mirror.

13. The information handling system of claim 9 further comprising:

retrieval logic for retrieving a vehicle model identifier;

selection logic for selecting a model-specific preference setting on the removable storage medium that matches the vehicle model identifier; and

automation logic for moving a vehicle component to the model-specific preference setting.

14. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors and adapted to read a removable storage medium; and

a translating tool for determining a vehicle-specific setting for a user of the vehicle, including;

retrieval logic for retrieving a vehicle model identifier;

comparison logic for locating a model-specific setting stored on the removable storage medium that match the vehicle model identifier;

receiving logic for reading the model-specific setting from the removable storage medium in response to locating the model specific setting;

retrieval logic for retrieving a normalized position setting from the removable storage medium and retrieving a translation algorithm for the vehicle in response to not locating the model-specific settings;

translation logic for translating the normalized position setting to a vehicle-specific setting based on the translation algorithm in response to not locating the model-specific settings; and

automation logic for moving a vehicle component to the model-specific setting in response to locating the model specific setting or to the normalized setting in response to not locating the model-specific settings.

15. A computer program product stored in a computer operable media for determining a vehicle-specific setting for a user of a vehicle, said computer program product comprising:

means for reading a normalized position setting from a storage medium;

means for retrieving a translation algorithm corresponding to the vehicle;

means for translating the normalized position setting to a vehicle-specific setting based on the translation algorithm; and

means for sending a signal to move a vehicle component to the vehicle-specific setting.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the normalized position setting is selected from the group consisting of a normalized seat height, a normalized seat back angle, a normalized seat setback, a normalized steering wheel angle, a normalized steering wheel length, a normalized left rearview mirror, a normalized right rearview mirror, and a normalized center rearview mirror.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

means for inserting a removable storage medium in a storage device included in the vehicle;

means for storing the normalized position settings on the removable storage medium;

means for removing the removable storage medium from the storage device;

means for inserting the removable storage medium in a second storage device located in a second vehicle;

means for reading the normalized position settings from the removable storage medium;

means for retrieving a second translation algorithm for the second vehicle;

means for translating the normalized position setting to a second vehicle-specific setting based on the second translation algorithm; and

means for sending a signal to move a second vehicle component in the second vehicle to the second vehicle-specific setting.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

means for reading one or more user measurements from the storage medium when the normalized position setting is absent from the storage medium; and

means for determining the vehicle-specific setting based on the one or more normalized user measurements.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the normalized user measurements are selected from the group consisting of the user'"'"'s weight, the user'"'"'s height, the user'"'"'s arm length, the user'"'"'s leg length, and the user'"'"'s torso length.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the storage medium is a removable storage medium adapted for insertion in storage devices located in a plurality of vehicle models.

21. A computer program product for determining a vehicle-specific setting for a user of a vehicle, comprising:

means for inserting a removable storage medium in a storage device attached to the vehicle;

means for reading one or more user measurements from the removable storage medium;

means for determining a vehicle-specific setting based on the user measurement; and

means for adjusting a vehicle component based upon the vehicle-specific setting.

22. A computer program product for determining a vehicle-specific setting for a user of a vehicle, comprising:

means for inserting a removable storage medium in a first storage device included in a first vehicle;

means for reading a normalized position setting from the removable storage medium;

means for retrieving a translation algorithm corresponding to the first vehicle;

means for translating the normalized position setting to a vehicle-specific setting based on the translation algorithm;

means for moving a vehicle component to the vehicle-specific setting;

means for receiving a request to adjust the vehicle-specific setting;

means for translating the adjusted vehicle-specific setting to an adjusted normalized position;

means for storing the adjusted normalized position setting on the removable storage medium;

means for removing the removable storage medium from the first storage device;

means for inserting the removable storage medium in a second storage device located in a second vehicle;

means for reading the adjusted normalized position setting from the removable storage medium;

means for retrieving a second translation algorithm corresponding to the second vehicle;

means for translating the adjusted normalized position setting to a second vehicle-specific setting based on the second translation algorithm; and

means for moving a second vehicle component in the second vehicle to the second vehicle-specific setting.