Dongle for controlling the vehicle's driver assistance systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a dongle for a vehicle driver assistance system are disclosed. An example vehicle includes an electronic control unit for performing autonomous power functions, an on-board device (OBD) port configured to receive the dongle and communicatively connect to the dongle, and a driver assistance controller. The driver assistance controller is configured to receive a command from the dongle in response to the dongle being received by the OBD port when the vehicle is in a racing event location, and to deactivate the autonomous power functions upon receiving the command.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to dongles, and more particularly to dongles for controlling vehicle driver assistance systems. Background Art

[0002] Many vehicles include driver assistance features in which at least some of the vehicle's power functions are autonomously controlled by the vehicle. For example, some vehicles include cruise control in which the vehicle controls the acceleration and / or deceleration of the vehicle to maintain the vehicle's speed. Some vehicles include lane departure warning and / or correction systems in which the vehicle warns the driver that the vehicle is leaving its lane and / or autonomously steers the vehicle back into its lane. Additionally, some vehicles include collision avoidance systems in which the vehicle autonomously steers and / or decelerates the vehicle to avoid a collision with a detected object upon detecting that the vehicle is rapidly approaching the object. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The appended claims define the application. This disclosure summarizes aspects of the embodiments and should not be used to limit the claims. Other embodiments are contemplated based on the techniques described herein, as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon studying the following drawings and detailed description, and are intended to fall within the scope of this application.

[0004] An example embodiment of a dongle for controlling a vehicle driver assistance system is disclosed. The disclosed example vehicle includes an electronic control unit for performing autonomous power functions, an on-board device (OBD) port configured to receive the dongle and communicatively connect to the dongle, and a driver assistance controller. The driver assistance controller is configured to receive a command from the dongle in response to the dongle being received by the OBD port when the vehicle is in a racing event location, and to deactivate the autonomous power functions upon receiving the command.

[0005] An example dongle disclosed herein includes a connector that connects to a port of a vehicle, a GPS receiver for determining the dongle's location, and a communication module for receiving a command from a remote control unit to deactivate the vehicle's autonomous power functions. The example dongle disclosed herein also includes a processor for transmitting a command to the vehicle in response to the connector being connected to the port and determining that the dongle's location corresponds to a racing event location.

[0006] An example method is disclosed that includes determining a dongle location of a dongle via a GPS receiver and receiving, via a communication module of the dongle, a command from a remote control unit to deactivate an autonomous power function of a vehicle. The example method also includes sending, via a processor of the dongle, a command to the vehicle in response to the dongle being connected to a port of the vehicle and the dongle location corresponding to a racing event location.

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising:

[0008] An electronic control unit, which is used to perform autonomous power functions;

[0009] an OBD port, the OBD port configured to receive the dongle to communicatively connect to the dongle;

[0010] Driving assistance controller, the driving assistance controller is configured as:

[0011] receiving a command from the dongle in response to the OBD port receiving the dongle when the vehicle is located at the racing event location; and

[0012] Deactivate autonomous power features when commanded.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic control unit is an autonomous unit, a speed control unit or a brake control module.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the driving assistance controller activates the autonomous power function when no instruction is received from the dongle.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the driving assistance controller identifies the autonomous power function to be deactivated based on the command and the vehicle type.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein when the autonomous power function is deactivated, the driving assistance controller reactivates the autonomous power function in response to at least one of the OBD port being detached from the dongle, the vehicle not being at a racing event location, and the current time not corresponding to a racing event time.

[0017] According to the present invention, a dongle is provided, comprising:

[0018] Connectors, which are used to connect to ports on vehicles;

[0019] GPS receiver, the GPS receiver is used to determine the location of the dongle;

[0020] a communication module for receiving, from a remote control unit, an instruction for deactivating an autonomous power function of the vehicle; and

[0021] A processor is provided to transmit instructions to the vehicle in response to the connector being connected to the port and determining that the dongle location corresponds to a racing event location.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connector is configured to be connected to at least one of an OBD port and a USB port of a vehicle.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the invention, the processor does not send an instruction to the vehicle to activate an autonomous power function of the vehicle in response to at least one of the connector being separated from the port and the dongle position not corresponding to a racing event position.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the processor obtains vehicle characteristics of the vehicle when the connector is connected to a port of the vehicle.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the instructions correspond to vehicle characteristics and racing event characteristics of a racing event at the racing event location.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the dongle further comprises a clock for determining the current time.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the instruction received by the communication module identifies a racing event location and a racing event time of the racing event.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the processor further sends the instruction to the vehicle in response to determining that the current time corresponds to a racing event time.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein:

[0030] The communication module receives instructions from the remote control unit during the racing event time; and

[0031] When the dongle location is within the geofence corresponding to the location of the racing event, the processor sends instructions to the vehicle.

[0032] According to the present invention, there is provided a method comprising:

[0033] determining the dongle's location via a GPS receiver;

[0034] receiving, via the communication module of the dongle, a command from the remote control unit to deactivate the autonomous power function of the vehicle; and

[0035] In response to the dongle being connected to the port of the vehicle and the dongle location corresponding to the racing event location, instructions are sent to the vehicle via the processor of the dongle.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises determining the current time via a clock of the dongle.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises:

[0038] Prior to the racing event, receiving an instruction from the remote control unit via the communication module of the dongle, the instruction identifying a racing event location and a racing event time of the racing event; and

[0039] When the current time corresponds to the racing event time, instructions are sent to the vehicle via the dongle's processor.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises:

[0041] receiving instructions via the communication module of the dongle during the racing event time; and

[0042] When the dongle location is within the geo-fence of the racing event location, instructions are sent to the vehicle via the dongle's processor.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises deactivating the autonomous power function of the electronic control unit via a driving assistance controller of the vehicle when an instruction is received from the dongle.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises activating the autonomous power function of the electronic control unit via the driving assistance controller when no instruction is received from the dongle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the embodiments illustrated in the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and related elements may be omitted or, in some cases, may be exaggerated in proportion to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel features described herein. Furthermore, as is known in the art, the system components may be arranged differently. Furthermore, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding components throughout the several views.

[0046] Figure 1 An example vehicle according to the teachings herein is shown;

[0047] Figure 2 shows a connection to a Figure 1 Example dongle for the vehicle's port;

[0048] Figure 3 shows when the dongle is connected to Figure 2 When the port Figure 1 The vehicles are moving along the race track;

[0049] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 vehicles and Figure 2 A block diagram of the electronic components of the dongle;

[0050] Figure 5 According to the teachings of this article, Figure 2 Dongle control Figure 1 Flowchart of the vehicle's driver assistance system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] While the present invention may be embodied in various forms, certain exemplary and non-limiting embodiments are shown in the drawings and will be described below, with the understanding that this disclosure is to be considered exemplary of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments shown.

[0052] Many vehicles include driver assistance features in which at least some of the vehicle's power functions are autonomously controlled by the vehicle. For example, some vehicles include cruise control in which the vehicle controls the acceleration and / or deceleration of the vehicle to maintain the vehicle's speed. Some vehicles include lane departure warning and / or correction systems in which the vehicle warns the driver that the vehicle is leaving its lane and / or autonomously steers the vehicle back into its lane. Additionally, some vehicles include collision avoidance systems in which the vehicle autonomously steers and / or decelerates the vehicle to avoid a collision with a detected object upon detecting that the vehicle is rapidly approaching the object.

[0053] Additionally, some vehicle enthusiasts participate in racing events (e.g., track days) during which vehicle enthusiasts are able to race their vehicles around a track. The track may be a dedicated racing track or a temporary track set up in a parking lot or airport. In some cases, while the driver is operating the vehicle on the track, one or more driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions of the vehicle (e.g., cruise control system, lane departure warning and / or correction system, collision avoidance system, etc.) may be activated. Activating the driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions may prevent the vehicle from operating under typical racing conditions and, therefore, may be undesirable for the vehicle enthusiast driving his or her vehicle on the track.

[0054] Example methods and apparatus disclosed herein include a dongle connected to a communication port of a vehicle during a racing event to deactivate one or more driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions of the vehicle during the racing event to enable a driver to operate the vehicle under racing conditions during the racing event. Furthermore, example methods and apparatus disclosed herein include reactivating the driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions of the vehicle when the dongle is not connected to the communication port and / or when the vehicle is not participating in the racing event to facilitate safe driver operation of the vehicle in a standard driving setting.

[0055] As used herein, a "dongle" refers to a small electronic device that is configured to physically connect to another device to establish a communication connection with the other device to adjust, change, and / or otherwise affect the functionality of the other device. An example dongle includes a connector that is configured to be received by a socket or port of another device (e.g., a vehicle) to establish a communication connection with the other device.

[0056] Examples disclosed herein include temporarily deactivating a vehicle's driver assistance systems for a racing event via a dongle. The dongle is configured to be plugged into a port of the vehicle (e.g., an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port). When the dongle is plugged into the port, a GPS receiver identifies the dongle's location and / or the vehicle's location. If the dongle is plugged into the vehicle's port and the dongle's location corresponds to a predefined racing event location (e.g., a racetrack, a parking lot temporarily designated as a racing event location, and / or an airport), the dongle deactivates one or more of the vehicle's driver assistance systems to facilitate the vehicle's participation in the racing event. In some examples, the current time is also used to determine whether to deactivate the driver assistance systems. That is, if the dongle's location and the current time correspond to a racing event location and a racing event time, respectively, the dongle deactivates one or more of the vehicle's driver assistance systems. If the dongle is removed from the port, the vehicle is outside the predefined racing event location, and / or the current time is outside the predefined racing event time, the vehicle reactivates one or more of the driver assistance systems. The dongle is synchronized with a remote control unit to enable the dongle to control the deactivation of the vehicle's driver assistance systems.

[0057] Go to the attached figure, Figure 1 An example vehicle 100 according to the teachings herein is shown. Vehicle 100 can be a standard gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and / or any other type of vehicle that enables mobility. Vehicle 100 includes components related to mobility, such as a powertrain having an engine, a transmission, a suspension, a drive shaft, and / or wheels. Vehicle 100 can be non-autonomous, semi-autonomous (e.g., some program power functions are controlled by vehicle 100), or autonomous (e.g., power functions are controlled by vehicle 100 without direct driver input).

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 100 includes an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port 102 located within the cabin of the vehicle 100. The OBD port 102 is configured to receive a connector of a diagnostic tool (e.g., a computer, a handheld device, etc.). When the diagnostic tool is connected to the OBD port 102, the diagnostic tool can communicatively connect to and access and analyze the electronic control unit (e.g., Figure 4The OBD port 102 may be connected to the OBD port 102 to identify, diagnose, and / or repair errors, faults, and / or undesirable settings within the electronic control unit and / or other subsystems of the vehicle 100. In the example shown, the OBD port 102 is located on the front dashboard 104 of the vehicle 100. For example, the OBD port 102 is located on the front dashboard 104 adjacent to the steering wheel 106 of the vehicle 100 (e.g., below and / or to the side of the steering wheel 106 of the vehicle 100) to enable a user (e.g., a driver) to easily access the OBD port 102. In other examples, the OBD port 102 is located at any other location along the front dashboard 104 and / or another surface within the cabin of the vehicle 100 so that the user can easily access the OBD port 102.

[0059] The vehicle 100 of the illustrated example also includes a universal serial bus (USB) port 108. The USB port 108 includes a receptacle for receiving a USB connector of an electronic device. The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that includes standards for cables, connectors, power supplies, and communication protocols for communication between electronic devices. In the illustrated example, the USB port 108 is located on the center console 110 of the vehicle 100 to enable a user to easily access the USB port 108. In other examples, the USB port 108 is located anywhere else in the cabin of the vehicle 100 to enable a user to easily access the USB port 108.

[0060] In addition, the vehicle 100 of the illustrated example includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver 112 and a driver assistance controller 114. The GPS receiver 112 receives signals from the global positioning system to identify the location of the vehicle 100. The driver assistance controller 114 is configured to disable driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions performed by electronic control units (e.g., one or more of the ECUs 406).

[0061] In operation, a communication port of the vehicle 100 (eg, OBD port 102, USB port 108) receives a dongle (eg, Figure 2 When the communication port of the vehicle 100 receives the dongle, the driving assistance controller 114 is communicatively connected to the dongle. When the vehicle 100 is in a racing event, in response to the communication port receiving the dongle, the driving assistance controller 114 receives instructions from the dongle. For example, when the vehicle 100 is in a position corresponding to the position of the racing event (e.g., via Figure 4The driving assistance controller 114 receives an instruction from the dongle when a time (e.g., current time) corresponding to the time of the racing event is reached (determined by the GPS receiver 112 and / or the GPS receiver 426). When receiving the instruction from the dongle, the driving assistance controller 114 deactivates the electronic control unit (e.g., Figure 4 The driver assistance controller 114 determines which of the driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions of the vehicle 100 to deactivate based on the command received from the dongle and / or vehicle characteristics (e.g., vehicle type including make, model, year, etc.). Furthermore, when no command is received from the dongle, the driver assistance controller 114 activates (e.g., sets in a default activation mode) the driver assistance system and / or autonomous power function. For example, when the driver assistance system and / or autonomous power function is deactivated, the driver assistance controller 114 reactivates the driver assistance system and / or autonomous power function in response to the dongle being disconnected from the communication port of the vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 not being at the racing event location, and / or the current time not corresponding to the racing event time.

[0062] Figure 2 An example dongle 200 is shown that is configured to control the operation of a driver assistance system and / or autonomous power functions of a vehicle 100. In the illustrated example, the dongle 200 includes a connector 202 that connects to a receptacle 204 of the OBD port 102. That is, the receptacle 204 of the OBD port 102 is configured to receive the connector 202 of the dongle 200, and the connector 202 of the dongle 200 is configured to be received by the receptacle 204 of the OBD port 102. In other examples, the dongle 200 includes a receptacle that receives a connector of an OBD module of the vehicle 100 to establish a communication connection between the dongle 200 and the driver assistance controller 114. Furthermore, in other examples, the dongle 200 is configured to connect to the USB port 108 of the vehicle 100 (e.g., the connector 202 is configured to be received by the receptacle of the USB port 108).

[0063] The dongle 200 of the illustrated example is communicatively connected to the driver assistance controller 114 of the vehicle 100 when the connector 202 of the dongle 200 is connected to the receptacle 204 of the OBD port 102. For example, when the vehicle 100 is in a racing event, the processor of the dongle 200 (e.g., Figure 4 The processor 420 of the vehicle 100 sends an instruction to deactivate the driving assistance system and / or autonomous power function of the electronic control unit to the driving assistance controller 114 of the vehicle 100.

[0064] In some examples, the instructions sent by the dongle 200 correspond to racing event characteristics of the racing event, vehicle characteristics of the vehicle 100, weather conditions, etc., which affect which of the driver assistance systems and / or automatic power functions are to be deactivated when the vehicle 100 is involved in the racing event. For example, the processor of the dongle 200 selects the instructions to send to the driver assistance controller 114 of the vehicle 100 based on the vehicle type (e.g., make, model, year, etc.), the electronic control unit included in the vehicle 100, the settings of the electronic control unit, and / or any other vehicle characteristics of the vehicle 100. In the example shown, the processor of the dongle 200 obtains the vehicle characteristics of the vehicle 100 when the connector 202 of the dongle 200 is connected to the OBD port 102 of the vehicle 100.

[0065] Figure 3 The vehicle 100 is shown traveling along a racetrack 300 when the dongle 200 is communicatively connected to the driving assistance controller 114 of the vehicle 100 via the OBD port 102. The racetrack 300 (e.g., a racing event location) of the illustrated example is a dedicated racetrack and / or a temporary racetrack formed in a parking lot, airport, etc. Figure 3 As shown, geofence 302 corresponds to and surrounds racetrack 300. In some examples, geofence 302 is used to determine whether vehicle 100 and / or dongle 200 is located at a racing event location.

[0066] In some examples, the driver of the vehicle 100 obtains the dongle 200 from the racing event station 304 upon arriving at the racing track 300. For example, the driver also goes to the racing event station 304 before the racing event to register and / or log in for the racing event. After the driver obtains the dongle 200 from the racing event station 304, the driver inserts the dongle 200 into the OBD port 102. During the racing event, the dongle 200 receives wirelessly (e.g., via the wireless communication device 308) the information received by the driver. Figure 4 The communication module 424 of the wireless communication device 308 receives instructions from the remote control unit 306. For example, the wireless communication device 308 sends a signal to the dongle 200 of the vehicle 100 and / or other dongles of other vehicles during a racing event to disable the driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions of the vehicle 100 and / or other vehicles during the racing event on the racetrack 300. That is, during the racing event time of the racing event on the racetrack 300, the wireless communication device 308 sends and the dongle 200 of the vehicle 100 receives the instructions of the remote control unit 306 via the wireless communication device 308.

[0067] In such an example, when the dongle location of dongle 200 (e.g., via Figure 4 ) and / or the vehicle location of the vehicle 100 (e.g., via the GPS receiver 426 of Figure 1 When the dongle 200 is within the geofence 302 corresponding to the location of the racing event on the racetrack 300 (as determined by the GPS receiver 112 of the dongle), the processor of the dongle 200 sends instructions to the driver assistance controller 114 to deactivate the driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions of the vehicle 100. During the racing event on the racetrack 300, the dongle 200 causes the driver assistance controller 114 to deactivate one or more driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions to enable the driver to operate the vehicle 100 under racing conditions. In the illustrated example, the processor of the dongle 200 determines whether the dongle 200, and therefore the vehicle 100, is located within the geofence 302 based on the geofence information sent from the remote control unit 306 to the dongle 200 and the dongle's location determined by the dongle's GPS receiver (e.g., GPS receiver 426) and / or the vehicle's GPS receiver (e.g., GPS receiver 112).

[0068] Furthermore, when wireless communication device 308 stops sending commands, the processor of dongle 200 stops sending commands to driving assistance controller 114. For example, wireless communication device 308 does not send commands before a racing event begins and after the racing event ends. When dongle 200 is removed from OBD port 102, the processor of dongle 200 stops sending commands to driving assistance controller 114. Furthermore, in response to determining that the dongle's location and / or the vehicle's location are outside geofence 302 corresponding to the racing event location of racetrack 300, the processor of dongle 200 stops sending commands to driving assistance controller 114. When driving assistance controller 114 does not receive commands from dongle 200, driving assistance controller 114 reactivates the driving assistance system and / or autonomous power functions. When vehicle 100 is not participating in a racing event, driving assistance controller 114 reactivates the driving assistance system and / or autonomous power functions to enable vehicle 100 to perform the driving assistance system and / or autonomous power functions.

[0069] In other examples, the driver of vehicle 100 obtains dongle 200 before arriving at racetrack 300. For example, the driver purchases dongle 200 from an original equipment manufacturer and / or a third party to enable the driver to operate vehicle 100 without driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions during multiple different racing events. In such an example, the driver of vehicle 100 can plug dongle 200 into OBD port 102 of vehicle 100 at any time. When dongle 200 is connected to OBD port 102 during a racing event, dongle 200 wirelessly receives instructions (e.g., via communication module 424) from universal remote control unit 310 via wireless communication device 312. Universal remote control unit 310 includes a database that stores racing event times, racing event locations, and instructions for multiple predetermined racing events. For example, wireless communication device 312 sends a signal to dongle 200 of vehicle 100 and / or other dongles of other vehicles that identifies the racing event time of the racing event, the racing event location of the racing event, and instructions for deactivating driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions for the racing event. That is, the wireless communication device 312 for the universal remote control unit 310 transmits the racing event time, racing event location, and instructions for the racing event at the racetrack 300 and / or transmits the racing event time, racing event location, and instructions for other racing events (e.g., at other racetracks).

[0070] In such an example, when the dongle 200 is connected to the OBD port 102, the dongle location (e.g., determined via the GPS receiver 426) and / or the vehicle location (e.g., determined via the GPS receiver 112) is within the geofence 302 of the racing event location, and the current time (e.g., determined via Figure 4 When the time corresponding to the racing event is reached (e.g., as determined by the clock 428 of the dongle 200), the processor of the dongle 200 sends an instruction to the driving assistance controller 114 to deactivate the driving assistance system and / or autonomous power function of the vehicle 100. For example, the processor of the dongle 200 determines whether the dongle 200 and / or the vehicle 100 is located within the geofence 302 based on the geofence information of the universal remote control unit 310 and the dongle location (e.g., as determined by the GPS receiver 426) and / or the vehicle location (e.g., as determined by the GPS receiver 112). The processor of the dongle 200 determines whether the current time corresponds to the racing event time by comparing the racing event information of the universal remote control unit 310 with the current time determined by the clock (e.g., the clock 428).

[0071] Additionally, when the dongle 200 is removed from the OBD port 102, the dongle location and / or the vehicle location are not within the geofence 302, and / or the current time does not correspond to the racing event time, the processor of the dongle 200 stops sending instructions to the driving assistance controller 114. In the example shown, when the driving assistance controller 114 does not receive instructions from the dongle 200, the driving assistance controller 114 reactivates the driving assistance system and / or the autonomous power function.

[0072] Figure 4 4 is a block diagram of the electronic component 400 of the vehicle 100 and the electronic component 402 of the dongle 200. Figure 4 As shown, the electronic components 400 of the vehicle 100 include the OBD port 102 , an onboard computing platform 404 , an electronic control unit (ECU) 406 , the USB port 108 , and a vehicle data bus 408 .

[0073] The onboard computing platform 404 includes a microcontroller unit, controller, or processor 410 and memory 412. In some examples, the processor 410 of the onboard computing platform 404 is configured to include the driver assistance controller 114. Alternatively, in some examples, the driver assistance controller 114 has its own processor 410 and memory 412 incorporated into another electronic control unit (ECU). The processor 410 can be any suitable processing device or set of processing devices, such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller-based platform, an integrated circuit, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Memory 412 may be a volatile memory (e.g., RAM including nonvolatile RAM (random access memory), magnetic RAM, ferroelectric RAM, etc.), a nonvolatile memory (e.g., disk memory, flash memory, EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), a memristor-based nonvolatile memory, a solid-state memory, etc.), an unchangeable memory (e.g., EPROM), a read-only memory, and / or a high-capacity storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, etc.). In some examples, memory 412 includes multiple types of memory, particularly volatile memory and nonvolatile memory.

[0074] Memory 412 is a computer-readable medium on which one or more sets of instructions, such as software for operating the methods of the present disclosure, may be embedded. These instructions may embody one or more methods or logic as described herein. For example, during execution of the instructions, the instructions may reside completely or at least partially within any one or more of memory 412, the computer-readable medium, and / or the processor 410.

[0075] The terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" include a single medium or multiple media, such as a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers storing one or more sets of instructions. Furthermore, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" include any tangible medium that can store, encode, or carry a set of instructions to be executed by a processor or cause a system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" is expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk and to exclude propagating signals.

[0076] ECU 406 monitors and controls the subsystems of vehicle 100. For example, ECU 406 is a discrete group of electronic components that includes its own circuitry and firmware, sensors, actuators, and / or mounting hardware (e.g., integrated circuits, microprocessors, memory, storage devices, etc.). ECU 406 communicates and exchanges information via a vehicle data bus (e.g., vehicle data bus 408). In addition, ECU 406 can transmit characteristics (e.g., ECU 406 status, sensor readings, control status, error and diagnostic codes, etc.) to each other and / or receive requests from each other. For example, vehicle 100 may have seventy or more ECUs 406 located at various locations around vehicle 100 and communicatively connected via vehicle data bus 408.

[0077] In the example shown, the ECU 406 includes an autonomous unit 414, a speed control unit 416, and a brake control module 418 for performing autonomous power functions of the vehicle 100. For example, the autonomous unit 414 controls a driving assistance system that performs autonomous and / or semi-autonomous driving maneuvers of the vehicle 100 based at least in part on images and / or video captured by a camera and / or data collected by sensors of the vehicle 100. Additionally or alternatively, the speed control unit 416 controls a driving assistance system that automatically controls the speed and / or acceleration at which the vehicle 100 is traveling, and the brake control module 418 controls a driving assistance system that autonomously operates the brakes of the vehicle 100.

[0078] The vehicle data bus 408 communicatively connects the OBD port 102, the USB port 108, the onboard computing platform 404, and the ECU 606. In some examples, the vehicle data bus 408 includes one or more data buses. The vehicle data bus 408 can be configured in accordance with the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus protocol defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11898-1, the Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus protocol, the CAN Flexible Data (CAN-FD) bus protocol (ISO 11898-7), and / or the K-line bus protocol (ISO 9141 and ISO 14230-1), and / or Ethernet. TMIt is implemented by bus protocols such as IEEE 802.3 (since 2002).

[0079] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown, the electronic components 402 of the dongle 200 include a processor 420 , a memory 422 , the connector 202 , a communication module 424 , a GPS receiver 426 , and a clock 428 , which are communicatively coupled together.

[0080] Processor 420 can be any suitable processing device or set of processing devices, such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller-based platform, an integrated circuit, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Memory 422 can be volatile memory (e.g., RAM including non-volatile RAM (random access memory), magnetic RAM, ferroelectric RAM, etc.), non-volatile memory (e.g., disk storage, flash memory, EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), memristor-based non-volatile memory, solid-state memory, etc.), immutable memory (e.g., EPROM), read-only memory, and / or high-capacity storage device (e.g., hard disk drive, solid-state drive, etc.). In some examples, memory 422 includes multiple types of memory, particularly volatile memory and non-volatile memory. In addition, memory 422 is a computer-readable medium on which one or more sets of instructions can be embedded, such as software for operating the methods of the present disclosure. These instructions can embody one or more methods or logic as described herein. For example, instructions may reside, completely or at least partially, within any one or more of memory 422, computer-readable media, and / or processor 420 during execution of the instructions.

[0081] The communication module 424 enables the dongle 200 to wirelessly communicate with the server to obtain instructions for deactivating the driving assistance system of the vehicle 100. For example, the communication module 424 enables the dongle 200 to wirelessly communicate with the remote control unit 306 via the wireless communication device 308 and / or with the universal remote control unit 310 via the wireless communication device 312.

[0082] The communication module 424 of the illustrated example includes a wired or wireless network interface to enable communication with an external network. The communication module 424 also includes hardware (e.g., a processor, memory, storage device, antenna, etc.) and software for controlling the wired or wireless network interface. In the illustrated example, the communication module 424 includes one or more communication controllers for standard-based networks (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), WiMAX (IEEE802.16m); Near Field Communication (NFC); ​​Local Area Wireless Networks (including IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac or others), Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) and Wireless Gigabit (IEEE 802.11ad), etc.). In some examples, the communication module 424 includes a wired or wireless interface (e.g., an auxiliary port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, a Bluetooth wireless node, etc.) to connect to the communication device. The external network may be a public network, such as the Internet; a private network, such as an intranet; or a combination thereof, and may utilize various network protocols now available or later developed, including but not limited to TCP / IP-based network protocols.

[0083] The GPS receiver 426 of the illustrated example receives signals from a global positioning system to identify the location of the dongle 200. Therefore, when the dongle 200 is connected to the OBD port 102 and / or other ports of the vehicle 100, the GPS receiver 426 receives signals to identify the location of the vehicle 100. Additionally, the clock 428 of the dongle 200 identifies the current time.

[0084] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an example method 500 of controlling operation of a driver assistance system of a vehicle via a dongle. Figure 5 The flowchart represents a flow chart stored in a memory such as Figure 4 412 and / or memory 422) and includes machine-readable instructions for one or more programs that, when executed by a processor such as Figure 4 When executed by the processor 410 and / or the processor 420 of the vehicle, the operation of the vehicle driving assistance system is controlled (for example, by at least partially enabling the vehicle 100 to achieve Figure 1 and Figure 4 14). Although reference is made to Figure 5 The flowchart shown in describes an example procedure, but many other methods of controlling the operation of a vehicle driver assistance system may also be used (e.g., by at least partially implementing the example driver assistance controller 114). For example, the order of execution of the blocks may be rearranged, changed, eliminated, and / or combined to perform the method 500. In addition, because of the combination Figures 1 to 4The method 500 is disclosed with reference to the components, so some functions of these components will not be described in detail below.

[0085] Initially, at block 502, the driving assistance controller 114 of the vehicle 100 determines whether the dongle 200 is connected to a vehicle port (e.g., the OBD port 102, the USB port 108). In response to the driving assistance controller 114 determining that the dongle 200 is not connected to the vehicle port, the method proceeds to block 504, where the driving assistance controller 114 of the vehicle 100 sets the driving assistance system and / or autonomous power function of the ECU 406 to the corresponding default activation mode to activate the driving assistance system and / or autonomous power function. Otherwise, in response to the driving assistance controller 114 determining that the dongle 200 is connected to the vehicle port, the method 500 proceeds to block 506.

[0086] At block 506, the processor 420 of the dongle 200 determines whether the communication module 424 has received a signal from a remote control unit (e.g., the remote control unit 306 or the universal remote control unit 310) including an instruction to deactivate the driver assistance system and / or autonomous power function of the vehicle 100. In some examples, the signal also includes racing event time information and racing event location information for one or more racing events. In response to the processor 420 of the dongle 200 determining that the communication module 424 has not received the instruction from the remote control unit, the processor 420 of the dongle 200 does not send the instruction to the driver assistance controller 114 of the vehicle 100. Subsequently, the method 500 proceeds to block 504, where the driver assistance controller 114 of the vehicle 100 sets the driver assistance system and / or autonomous power function to the corresponding default activation mode. Otherwise, in response to the processor 420 of the dongle 200 determining that the communication module 424 has received the instruction from the remote control unit, the method 500 proceeds to block 508.

[0087] At block 508, the processor 410 of the dongle 200 determines a dongle location of the dongle 200 and / or a vehicle location of the vehicle 100. For example, the processor 410 of the dongle 200 receives the dongle location via the GPS receiver 426 of the dongle 200 and / or receives the vehicle location via the GPS receiver 112 of the vehicle 100. At block 510, the processor 410 of the dongle 200 determines the current time, for example, via the clock 428 of the dongle 200.

[0088] At block 512, the processor 410 of the dongle 200 determines whether the dongle and / or vehicle location and the current time correspond to a racing event. For example, the processor 410 of the dongle 200 determines whether the dongle and / or vehicle location matches the racing event location of the racing event. In some examples, the processor 410 of the dongle 200 determines whether the dongle and / or vehicle location matches the racing event location by determining whether the dongle and / or vehicle location is within a geofence 302 corresponding to the racing event location of the racing event. Furthermore, the processor 410 of the dongle 200 determines whether the current time matches the racing event time of the racing event. In response to the processor 410 of the dongle 200 determining that the dongle and / or vehicle location or the current time does not correspond to a racing event, the method 500 proceeds to block 504, where the driver assistance controller 114 of the vehicle 100 sets the driver assistance system and / or autonomous power function to the corresponding default activation mode. Otherwise, in response to the processor 410 of the dongle 200 determining that the dongle and / or vehicle position and current time do correspond to a racing event, the method 500 proceeds to block 514 .

[0089] At block 514, the processor 410 of the dongle 200 sends an instruction to the vehicle to deactivate the driver assistance system and / or autonomous power function of the ECU 406 when the vehicle 100 is involved in a racing event. At block 516, the driver assistance controller 114 receives the instruction from the processor 410 of the dongle 200. At block 518, the driver assistance controller 114 identifies which of the driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions are to be deactivated and sets the driver assistance systems and / or autonomous power functions to a deactivated mode.

[0090] In this application, the use of antonymous conjunctions is intended to include conjunctions. The use of definite or indefinite articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. In particular, reference to "the" or "a" and "an" items is also intended to indicate one of a possible plurality of such items. Further, the conjunction "or" can be used to convey simultaneous features rather than mutually exclusive alternatives. In other words, the conjunction "or" should be understood to include "and / or". The terms "includes", "including" and "include" are inclusive and have the same scope as "comprises", "comprising" and "comprise", respectively. In addition, as used herein, the terms "module" and "unit" refer to hardware having a circuit that is typically combined with a sensor to provide communication, control and / or monitoring capabilities. "Module" and "unit" can also include firmware executed on the circuit.

[0091] The above embodiments, particularly any "preferred" embodiments, are possible examples of implementation and are presented only for a clear understanding of the principles of the present invention. Many changes and modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and principles of the technology described herein. All modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: an electronic control unit for performing autonomous power functions; an OBD port configured to receive a dongle to communicatively connect to the dongle; A driving assistance controller, wherein the driving assistance controller is configured as follows: The dongle wirelessly receives instructions from a universal remote control unit via a wireless communication device, the universal remote control unit including a database storing racing event times, racing event locations, and instructions for a plurality of predetermined racing events; The dongle determines whether the vehicle position and current time correspond to a predetermined racing event; and When the vehicle location and the current time correspond to a predetermined racing event, a command is received from the dongle to deactivate the autonomous power function in response to the OBD port receiving the dongle. 2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the driving assistance controller activates the autonomous power function when the instruction is not received from the dongle. 3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the driver assistance controller identifies the autonomous powered function to be deactivated based on the command and vehicle type.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein when the autonomous power function is deactivated, the driving assistance controller reactivates the autonomous power function in response to at least one of the OBD port being disconnected from the dongle, the vehicle not being at the racing event location, and a current time not corresponding to a racing event time.

5. A dongle comprising: a connector for connecting to a port of a vehicle; A GPS receiver, the GPS receiver being used to determine the dongle's location; a communication module for receiving an instruction from a remote control unit to deactivate an autonomous power function of the vehicle, wherein the instruction received by the communication module from the remote control unit identifies the racing event location and a racing event time of a racing event, and the processor transmits the instruction to the vehicle in response to the connector being connected to the port and further in response to determining that the vehicle location and current time correspond to the racing event location and the racing event time. 6 . The dongle of claim 5 , wherein the connector is configured to connect to at least one of an OBD port and a USB port of the vehicle.

7. The dongle of claim 5 , wherein the processor does not send the instruction to the vehicle to activate the autonomous power function of the vehicle in response to at least one of the connector being separated from the port and the dongle position not corresponding to the racing event position.

8. The dongle of claim 5 , wherein the processor obtains vehicle characteristics of the vehicle when the connector is connected to the port of the vehicle, and the instructions correspond to the vehicle characteristics and racing event characteristics of the racing event at the racing event location.

9. The dongle of claim 5, further comprising a clock for determining a current time.

10. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising: determining the dongle's location via a GPS receiver; receiving, via the communication module of the dongle, a command for deactivating an autonomous power function of the vehicle from a remote control unit, the remote control unit including a database storing a racing event time, a racing event location, and commands for a plurality of predetermined racing events; and The instructions are sent to the vehicle via a processor of the dongle in response to the dongle being connected to a port of the vehicle and the dongle location and current time corresponding to a predetermined racing event.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: receiving, prior to a racing event, the instruction from the remote control unit via the communication module of the dongle, the instruction identifying the racing event location and a racing event time of a racing event; and The instructions are sent to the vehicle via the processor of the dongle when the current time corresponds to the racing event time.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: receiving the instruction via the communication module of the dongle during a racing event; and The instructions are sent to the vehicle via the processor of the dongle when the dongle is located within a geo-fence of the racing event location.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: an electronic control unit for performing autonomous power functions; upon receiving the instruction from the dongle, deactivating the autonomous power function of the electronic control unit via a driving assistance controller of the vehicle; and When the instruction is not received from the dongle, the autonomous power function of the electronic control unit is activated via the driving assistance controller.

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