Virtual ambient weather condition sensing

• US 9,915,755 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MacNeille, Perry Robinson, Szwabowski, Steven Joseph, Filev, Dimitar Petrov, Schunder, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Mustafa, Imran K
• Application Number:
  US12/972,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20120158207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,640 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701415, 701423
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology

Abstract

A system for providing weather conditions includes a server in communication with a weather data provision service. The server includes a middleware application operable to process weather data requests. The system also includes a gps module, and at least one component control system, operable to adjust at least one parameter associated with at least one vehicle component. Finally, the illustrative system includes a vehicle computing system, in communication with the GPS module, the at least one component control system, and the server. In response to a request for data from the component control system, the vehicle computing system passes GPS data to the server, including the request for data, and the vehicle computing system responsively receives the requested data from the server. The vehicle computing system relays the received data to the component control system that requested the data.

Claims

1. A system for gathering and providing ambient weather conditions, comprising:

a server, in communication with at least one weather data provision service, and including one or more middleware applications operable to receive and process weather data requests;

a gps module, operable to determine vehicle GPS coordinates;

a power-train control module (PTCM), operable to adjust at least one power-train parameter; and

a vehicle computing system, in communication with the GPS module, the PTCM, and the server, wherein

in response to a request for data from the PTCM, the vehicle computing system passes GPS data to the server, along with the request for data, and responsively receives the requested data from the server, the server having gathered the data from the at least one weather data provision service based at least in part on the GPS data passed from the vehicle computing system, wherein

the vehicle computing system relays the received data to the PTCM that requested the data for use by the PTCM in responsively adjusting the at least one power-train parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is temperature data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is humidity data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is precipitation data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is wind speed data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is wind-chill data.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining vehicle GPS coordinates;

requesting, originating from a power-train control module (PTCM), weather data corresponding to current and projected GPS coordinates from a vehicle computing system (VCS);

receiving, at the PTCM, requested weather data relayed from a remote system through the VCS; and

responsive to the weather data, adjusting at least one parameter of power-train control controlled by the PTCM as current GPS coordinates correspond to received weather data coordinates.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data is temperature data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the data is humidity data.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the data is precipitation data.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the data is wind speed data.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the data is wind-chill data.

13. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a vehicle computing system to execute the steps comprising:

determining if requested data is available in response to a request for weather data from a power-train control module (PTCM);

conditional on the availability of the data, sending a request to a remote server for the requested data, the request including the GPS position of the vehicle;

receiving a response to the weather data request from the remote server; and

relaying the response, to the weather data request, to the PTCM for use by the PTCM in responsively adjusting at least one parameter associated with the vehicle component.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the data is temperature data.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the data is humidity data.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the data is precipitation data.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the data is wind speed data.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the data is wind-chill data.