Touch-screen vehicle remote control

• US 9,008,860 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Waldock, Anthony James, Innes-Jones, Gemma Anne, Day, Peter Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US13/148,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/28, 701/451, 701/517, 701/400, 701/532, 244/190, 340/426, 340/16, 340/4.61, 455/404.2, 700/66, 700/83, 700/15, 341/173, 341/176, 345/173, 345/156, 345/581, 345/418, 345/1
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/221 Local indication of seats occupied in a facility, e.g. in a theatre

Abstract

A vehicle remote control device includes a communications device for transferring vehicle movement control signals to a remote vehicle and a touch-screen interface configured to present a graphical representation of the remote vehicle and to allow a user to manipulate the graphical representation on the touch-screen. A conversion component converts the manipulation of the graphical representation into vehicle control signals for transfer by the communications device.

Claims

1. A vehicle remote control device including:

a communications device for transferring vehicle movement control signals to a remote vehicle;

a touch-screen interface configured to present a graphical representation of the remote vehicle and to allow a user to manipulate the graphical representation on the touch-screen interface; and

a conversion component configured to convert the manipulation of the graphical representation into vehicle control signals for transfer by the communications device,

wherein the touch-screen interface is configured to allow a user to drag the graphical representation around a touch-screen in order to control movement of the vehicle.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the conversion component is configured to convert manipulation of the graphical representation in a particular direction into a change speed vehicle control signal.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the particular direction is at least one of towards an upper edge of the touch screen or towards a side edge of the touch screen.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the graphical representation is positioned in a default position on the touch-screen when not being manipulated by the user.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the touch-screen interface is configured such that manipulating the graphical representation in a first part of the screen results in a first rate of vehicle movement change, and manipulating the graphical representation in another part of the screen results in a different rate of vehicle movement change.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the touch-screen interface is configured to provide a deadband effect, where speed and/or turn rate of the remote vehicle is modified to assist the user with moving the remote vehicle in a straight line and/or turn the remote vehicle on a spot.

8. A device according to claim 1, comprising:

a component configured to transmit a locating signal to the remote vehicle.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the touch-screen interface is configured to allow the user to choose at least one alternative vehicle control mode selected from:

continuously follow a locating signal transmitted by the device; and

move towards a current geographical position of the device.

10. A device according to claim 6, wherein the first rate of vehicle movement change is at least one of speed or turning.

12. A vehicle configured to receive remote control signals from a device according to claim 1.

14. A device according to claim 5, wherein the default position is a center of the touch screen.

2. A method of remote control of a vehicle, the method including:

presenting a graphical representation of the vehicle on a touch-screen interface of a remote device;

detecting manipulation of the graphical representation on a touch-screen, wherein the graphical representation is dragged around the touch screen in order to control movement of the vehicle;

converting the manipulation of the graphical representation into vehicle control signals; and

transferring the vehicle control signals to the remote vehicle.

13. A method as in claim 2, wherein the touch-screen interface is configured to allow the user to choose at least one alternative vehicle control mode selected from:

continuously following a locating signal transmitted by the device; and

moving towards a current geographical position of the device.

11. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer readable medium, having thereon computer program code instructions to make a computer execute a method of remote control of a vehicle comprising:

presenting a graphical representation of the vehicle on a touch-screen interface of a remote device;

detecting manipulation of the graphical representation on a touch-screen, wherein the graphical representation is dragged around the touch screen in order to control movement of the vehicle;

converting the manipulation of the graphical representation into vehicle control signals; and

transferring the vehicle control signals to the remote vehicle.