Technique for operating a vehicle effectively and safely

• US 9,571,449 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Auto Director Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Auto Director Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Obradovich, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US14/133,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20140107894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/400, 701/487, 701/538, 715/700, 345/650, 345/661, 345/676, 345/501, 345/520
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/04 mounted on the wheel or tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/20 Devices for measuring or signalling tyre temperature only
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/13 Aquaplaning, hydroplaning
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2220/02 Driver type; Driving style; Driver adaptive features
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/20 Tyre data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 : Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 : Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 : Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 : Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 : Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 : Column-oriented storage; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 : Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 : Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 : for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 : Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2553 : Binding renewal aspects, e.g. using keep-alive messages

Abstract

A control system is employed in a vehicle to assist a user to operate the vehicle effectively and safely. In accordance with the invention, the system provides driving assistance to the user by taking into account the user'"'"'s physical condition, the vehicle condition and the surrounding conditions. The surrounding conditions include, e.g., road, weather and traffic conditions, external to the vehicle. The vehicle condition concerns the conditions of the brakes, steering, tires, radiator, etc. of the vehicle. Signs of fatigue, stress and illness of the user are monitored by the control system to assess the user'"'"'s physical condition.

Claims

1. A method for use in a system allowing for personalizing a vehicle, comprising:

collecting information about a user from the user via a user interface, the information comprising user display preferences, collecting information from the user comprising;

allowing selection by the user of a first one of a plurality of dashboard display templates;

establishing the first dashboard display template as a user display preference associated with a first user profile that is maintained in a memory, the first user profile comprising a first plurality of user preferences;

allowing selection by the user of a second one of a plurality of dashboard display templates; and

establishing the second dashboard display template as a user display preference associated with a second user profile that is maintained in the memory, the second user profile comprising a second plurality of user preferences;

selecting the first user profile during a first mode of driving, and selecting the second user profile during a second mode of driving;

displaying data concerning one or more vehicle components on a dashboard display device;

if the first user profile is selected, configuring display on the dashboard display device in accordance with the first dashboard display template; and

if the second user profile is selected, configuring display on the dashboard display device in accordance with the second dashboard display template.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mode of driving includes leisure driving and the second mode of driving includes non-leisure driving.

3. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising downloading the first and second display templates from a server that is remote from the vehicle to a vehicle control system of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein downloading the first and second display templates comprises downloading the first and second display templates from the server to a mobile device, removably connecting the mobile device with the vehicle control system, downloading the first and second display templates from the mobile device to the vehicle control system, and removing the mobile device from connection with the vehicle control system.

5. The method of claim 4 additionally comprising downloading instructional materials concerning vehicle operation from the server to the vehicle control system via the mobile device when the mobile device is connected with the vehicle control system.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the mobile device communicates with the server through the Internet.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile device communicates with the server via wireless communications.

8. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising downloading the first and second display templates from a server that is remote from the vehicle to a vehicle control system of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein downloading the first and second display templates comprises downloading the first and second display templates from the server to a mobile device, docking the mobile device with the vehicle control system, downloading the first and second display templates from the mobile device to the vehicle control system, and undocking the mobile device from the vehicle control system.

10. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising downloading data via a wireless communication from a server that is remote from the vehicle to a handheld mobile device, selectively connecting the handheld mobile device with a vehicle control system of the vehicle, and downloading the data from the handheld mobile device to the vehicle control system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data comprises multimedia content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data comprises instructional content.

13. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising disconnecting the handheld mobile device from the vehicle control system.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising downloading the data to the handheld mobile device while the handheld mobile device is not connected to the vehicle control system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a touchscreen display apparatus.