Maintenance assistance for a vehicle

• US 7,469,184 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Temic Automotive of North America, Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Isaac, Emad S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US11/355,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 701 29- 34, 701/123, 701/213, 701/36, 701/200, 701/201, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/300
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A system and method to provide navigational maintenance assistance for a vehicle includes a first step of estimating when the vehicle will require maintenance. A next step includes establishing a location and direction of travel of the vehicle. A next step includes searching a database for any service stations within a range of the vehicle and ahead of the location of the vehicle in the direction of travel of the vehicle before the vehicle becomes disabled. This step can be provided by a remote service provider. A next step includes presenting the found service stations from the searching step to a driver of the vehicle via a user interface.

Claims

1. A system to provide navigational refueling assistance for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a fuel sensor;

a positioning device that determines a location of the vehicle and a direction of travel of the vehicle;

a database of refueling stations, the database including refueling-station locations;

a user interface; and

a processor coupled to the fuel sensor and the user interface, and in communication with the positioning device and the database, wherein the processor estimates a remaining-fuel range of the vehicle, defines a search zone for searching for refueling stations, the search zone defined by at least (i) an axis along the direction of travel of the vehicle, (ii) the estimated remaining-fuel range of the vehicle, and (iii) an expandable angular range to either side of the axis, the angular range being initially such that the search zone is limited to an area substantially ahead of the location of the vehicle in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and searches the database for any refueling stations located within the search zone,

wherein if the processor finds in the database one or more refueling stations located within the search zone, the processor provides information on the one or more refueling stations to the user interface for presentation to a driver of the vehicle, and

wherein if the processor does not find in the database any refueling station located within the search zone, the processor expands the angular range of the search zone and returns to search the database, and if the processor does not find any refueling station after the processor expands the angular range of the search zone such that the search zone covers a substantially circular area around the location of the vehicle, the processor thereafter expands a radius of the substantially circular area corresponding to the search zone and returns to search the database, the processor expanding the radius and searching the database until the processor finds at least one refueling station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor uses an amount of remaining fuel as indicated by the fuel sensor and a mileage rate of the vehicle to estimate the remaining-fuel range of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor uses a speed of the vehicle to estimate a time until the vehicle runs out of fuel, and uses the estimated time in defining the search zone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface accepts input defining at least one refueling preference of the driver, and wherein the processor filters the one or more refueling stations found in the database according to the at least one refueling preference.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the input is a voice command from the driver.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one refueling preference includes a preference for a refueling station having diesel fuel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the database is located on a service provider network remote from the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the database is located on board the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor estimates the remaining-fuel range of the vehicle in response to a low fuel warning from the fuel sensor.