Vehicle maintenance operations

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a vehicle maintenance operation system. A system includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to identify a vehicle fault condition, select a vehicle component based on a location of the fault condition in the vehicle and a detected location of a user outside the vehicle, and actuate the vehicle component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle maintenance and fault detection. Background Art

[0002] In autonomous vehicles, one or more controllers (i.e., computers) typically control vehicle operation by actuating vehicle components based on, for example, data received from other vehicle components (such as sensors). However, vehicle components such as actuators, sensors, and controllers may not function properly. Unfortunately, vehicles lack effective and / or efficient methods for identifying and / or repairing malfunctioning components. Summary of the Invention

[0003] introduction

[0004] A system is disclosed herein, comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to identify a vehicle fault condition, select a vehicle component based on a location of the fault condition in the vehicle and a detected location of a user outside the vehicle, and actuate the vehicle component.

[0005] The instructions may further include instructions for actuating the selected vehicle component upon determining that the distance from the detected user location to the vehicle component is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0006] The vehicle fault condition may be a fault condition in a second vehicle component.

[0007] The instructions may further include instructions for detecting a location of the user based on image data.

[0008] The selected vehicle components may include at least one of exterior vehicle lights, brake actuators, steering actuators, and suspension actuators.

[0009] The instructions may further include instructions for determining a maintenance status of the vehicle component based on the detected location of the user, and actuating the vehicle component to the maintenance status.

[0010] The maintenance state may be one of a plurality of vehicle component positions relative to the vehicle body.

[0011] The maintenance state may be one of an open state and a closed state of the selected vehicle component.

[0012] The instructions may further include instructions to actuate at least one of a vehicle exterior light, a brake actuator, a steering actuator, and a suspension actuator based on the detected position of the user.

[0013] The instructions may also include instructions to actuate the vehicle component further based on the detected user gesture.

[0014] Further disclosed herein is a method that includes identifying a vehicle fault condition, selecting a vehicle component based on a location of the fault condition in the vehicle and a detected location of a user outside the vehicle, and actuating the vehicle component.

[0015] The method may further include actuating the selected vehicle component upon determining that the distance from the detected user location to the vehicle component is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0016] The vehicle fault condition may be a fault condition in a second vehicle component.

[0017] The method may further include detecting a location of the user based on the image data.

[0018] The selected vehicle components may include at least one of exterior vehicle lights, brake actuators, steering actuators, and suspension actuators.

[0019] The method may further include determining a maintenance status of the vehicle component based on the detected location of the user, and actuating the vehicle component to the maintenance status.

[0020] The maintenance state may be one of a plurality of vehicle component positions relative to the vehicle body.

[0021] The maintenance state may be one of an open state and a closed state of the selected vehicle component.

[0022] The method may further include actuating at least one of exterior vehicle lights, a brake actuator, a steering actuator, and a suspension actuator based on the detected position of the user.

[0023] The method may also include actuating the vehicle component further based on the detected user gesture.

[0024] Further disclosed is a computing device programmed to perform any of the above method steps. Still further disclosed is a vehicle comprising the computing device.

[0025] Still further disclosed is a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer processor to perform any of the above method steps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 is a diagram of an exemplary vehicle system.

[0027] Figure 2 is a flow chart of an exemplary process for controlling vehicle maintenance operations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] System components

[0029] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 can be powered in a variety of known ways, for example, using an electric motor and / or an internal combustion engine. Vehicle 100 can include a computer 110, one or more actuators 120, one or more sensors 130, a human-machine interface (HMI 140), and exterior lights 150, each of which is discussed in more detail below. Vehicle 100 includes a reference point 160 (sometimes referred to as a "center" point for simplicity), which can be designated in one of a variety of ways, for example, at the center of gravity of vehicle 100, at the intersection of the longitudinal and lateral axes of vehicle 100, etc.

[0030] Computer 110 includes a processor and memory. The memory includes one or more forms of computer-readable media and stores instructions executable by computer 110 for performing various operations, including those disclosed herein.

[0031] The computer 110 may include programming to operate one or more of the following: vehicle braking, propulsion (i.e., components used to overcome resistance and propel the vehicle 100, such as one or more of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a hybrid engine, etc.), steering, climate control, interior and / or exterior lights, etc., as well as determine whether and when the computer 110 (rather than a human operator) controls such operations.

[0032] The computer 110 can operate the vehicle 100 in an autonomous, semi-autonomous, or non-autonomous (or manual) mode. For the purposes of this disclosure, the autonomous mode is defined as a mode in which the computer 110 controls each of the propulsion, braking, and steering of the vehicle 100; in the semi-autonomous mode, the computer 110 controls one or both of the propulsion, braking, and steering of the vehicle 100; and in the non-autonomous mode, a human operator controls each of the propulsion, braking, and steering of the vehicle 100.

[0033] The computer 110 is typically arranged to communicate over a vehicle communication network, which may include, for example, a communication bus such as a controller area network (CAN), etc. The computer 110 may include or be communicatively coupled to more than one processor, for example, via a vehicle communication bus as further described below, including, for example, controllers in the vehicle for monitoring and / or controlling various subsystems such as the powertrain, braking, steering, etc.

[0034] The computer 110 can transmit and / or receive messages to various devices included in the vehicle 100 or associated with components in the vehicle (e.g., controllers, actuators, sensors (including sensor 130), etc.) via the vehicle network. Alternatively or additionally, where the computer 110 actually includes multiple devices, the vehicle communication network can be used for communication between the devices represented as the computer 110 in this disclosure. In addition, as described below, various controllers and / or sensors 130 can provide data to the computer 110 via the vehicle communication network.

[0035] In addition, the computer 110 can be configured to communicate with a remote computer via a wireless communication network through a wireless communication interface. The communication network can be one or more of a wireless communication mechanism, including wireless (e.g., cellular, wireless, satellite, microwave, and radio frequency) communication mechanisms and any desired network topology (or topology when multiple communication mechanisms are utilized). Exemplary vehicle-to-vehicle (V-to-V) communication networks include cellular, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), and / or a wide area network (WAN) providing data communication services, including the Internet.

[0036] Sensors 130 may include various devices that provide data via the vehicle communication bus. For example, sensors 130 may include one or more cameras, radars, and / or light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors disposed within vehicle 100 that provide data encompassing at least a portion of the vehicle's interior and / or exterior.

[0037] The actuator 120 can actuate various vehicle subsystems based on appropriate control signals and typically includes circuits, chips, and / or other electronic components. For example, the actuator 120 may include one or more relays, servo motors, and / or the like. Thus, the actuator 120 can be used to control the braking, acceleration, and steering of the vehicle 100. The control signals used to control the actuator 120 may be generated by a computer 110 (i.e., a control unit located in the vehicle 100, such as an electronic control unit (ECU) such as a brake controller). The vehicle 100 may include various components or subsystems, each of which includes one or more sensors 130, actuators 120, controllers, and / or the like. For example, the vehicle 100 may include braking components comprising a brake sensor 130, a brake actuator 120, and / or other electronic, mechanical, and / or other components that stop the vehicle 100 based on commands received from a controller (such as the computer 110). As another example, vehicle 100 may include powertrain components or subsystems that may include one or more actuators 120 , sensors 130 , etc., in addition to an engine, an electric motor, and / or a transmission.

[0038] The HMI 140 may be configured to receive user input, for example, during operation of the vehicle 100. As an example, the HMI 140 may include a touch screen, buttons, knobs, a keypad, a microphone, etc. for receiving information from the user. In addition, the HMI 140 may include various interfaces for receiving information from the user and / or outputting information to the user, such as a touch screen display, a smartphone, etc.

[0039] A vehicle 100 component (e.g., actuator 120, sensor 130, electronic controller included in the component, etc.) may have a fault. A fault (or fault condition) is a condition in which a component fails to operate or operates outside of one or more predefined parameters (e.g., a predefined parameter may be a physical quantity such as temperature, torque, revolutions per minute, pressure, etc.). The vehicle 100 computer 110 may be programmed to determine whether a vehicle 100 component (e.g., propulsion, braking, steering, etc.) is in a fault condition based on data received from, for example, various vehicle 100 sensors 130, actuators 120, controllers, etc. For example, a fault condition may be determined by a diagnostic operation (e.g., an on-board diagnostic operation (OBD)), i.e., the computer 110 may be programmed to monitor the vehicle 100 component, possibly while actuating the component in a specified manner for the diagnostic operation, and determine whether a fault condition has occurred, such as whether a physical quantity is outside of a predefined range.

[0040] In addition to detecting fault conditions in the vehicle 100, diagnostic operations may include estimating the remaining useful life of vehicle 100 parts (e.g., brake pads, tires, windshield wiper blades, etc.) and / or vehicle 100 fluids (e.g., engine oil, brake fluid, etc.). The remaining useful life may be specified in units of time (e.g., 1 month), distance traveled (e.g., 500 kilometers (km)), and / or a combination thereof (e.g., whichever comes first, 1 month or 50 km). The computer 110 may be programmed to estimate the remaining useful life of the vehicle 100 parts based on data received from vehicle 100 sensors 130 (e.g., odometer sensor 130), a timer that provides the current time and date, and stored data (e.g., the expected useful life of one or more vehicle 100 parts and the last replacement record of each of the vehicle 100 parts). For example, the computer 110 memory may store a table or tables that relate various metrics (e.g., time of last oil change, miles since last brake pad change, etc.) to corresponding values (e.g., time and / or distance) of the remaining useful life of the corresponding parts (e.g., brake pads have 500 miles of remaining useful life).

[0041] The record (i.e., history) of the last replacement of a vehicle 100 part may include the associated odometer reading and / or the date the part was replaced. Additionally or alternatively, computer 110 may be programmed to estimate the remaining useful life of a vehicle 100 part based at least in part on data received from vehicle 100 sensors 130. For example, computer 110 may be programmed to estimate the remaining useful life of the vehicle 100 engine oil based on historical data including engine temperature, engine speed, duration and intensity of brake pedal actuation, duration of windshield wiper use, etc., and / or the distance traveled by vehicle 100 since the last oil change.

[0042] In one example, computer 110 may be programmed to estimate the remaining useful life of a component (i.e., the engine oil of vehicle 100) by subtracting the distance traveled since the last oil change from the predetermined useful life of the engine oil. The useful life of the engine oil may be predetermined by the oil manufacturer, the vehicle 100 manufacturer, or the like. For example, if the predetermined useful life of the engine oil is 6,000 km and vehicle 100 has traveled 5,000 km since the last oil change, computer 110 may estimate the remaining useful life to be 1,000 km. Additionally or alternatively, computer 110 may be programmed to estimate the remaining useful life of the engine oil by subtracting an age parameter (e.g., determined based on temperature, speed, etc.) from the predetermined useful life of the engine oil. The age parameter may be determined in kilometers (km) based on, for example, a mathematical operation (including an integral operation) regarding the engine temperature and / or the speed of vehicle 100 since the last oil change. In other words, operating the engine at a higher temperature and / or operating vehicle 100 at a higher speed may proportionally increase the age parameter (i.e., decrease the remaining useful life).

[0043] A remaining useful life of a vehicle 100 component less than a predetermined threshold may indicate an increased likelihood of a fault condition occurring with the vehicle 100 component (e.g., a flat tire, partially or inoperative brake pads or windshield wipers, etc.). Furthermore, a remaining useful life less than a predetermined threshold may be a "predicted" fault condition. In the present disclosure, a "diagnostic status" specifies whether a diagnostic operation has determined that a fault condition has been detected, such as an "active" or "inactive" fault condition. Furthermore, the diagnostic status may include data including the remaining useful life of one or more vehicle 100 components.

[0044] A fault condition in a component or part of the vehicle 100, for example, that is required for safe operation of the vehicle 100, may impair and / or prevent the vehicle 100 from operating, for example, from navigating to a destination. As discussed above, the computer 110 may be programmed to perform diagnostic operations to detect a fault condition in the vehicle 100. Advantageously, the vehicle 100 computer 110 may be programmed to identify a vehicle fault condition, select a vehicle 100 component based on the location of the fault in the vehicle 110 and the detected location of the user 180 outside the vehicle, and activate the vehicle 100 component.

[0045] In the context of the present disclosure, vehicle maintenance operations include identifying a faulty component and / or repairing the faulty component. Repairing a faulty component may also include replacing the component. Vehicle 100 maintenance operations may be performed, for example, at a service center. As discussed below with reference to Tables 1-2, the present disclosure provides solutions for performing vehicle 100 maintenance operations more efficiently and / or effectively.

[0046] The "location of the fault" is the location on and / or in the vehicle 100 of one or more components of the vehicle 100 that caused the identified fault condition. The "location" may be specified based on a three-dimensional Cartesian position coordinate system having its origin at a reference point 160 of the vehicle 100. Additionally or alternatively, the location of the fault may include the location of one or more components of the vehicle 100 that are identified for replacement because the remaining useful life of the corresponding component is determined to be less than a predetermined threshold, such as 100 km and / or 1 month.

[0047] The location of the user 180 outside the vehicle 100 is typically specified based on the location of the user 180 relative to the vehicle 100. In one example, the location of the user 180 may be based on, for example Figure 1 170a, 170b, 170c, 170d, and 170e are designated as shown in FIG. The areas around the vehicle 100 may include a left area 170a, a front area 170b, a right area 170c, a rear area 170d, and a lower area 170e (e.g., when the vehicle 100 is elevated by a lift and the user 180 is positioned below the vehicle 100). These areas may have any shape, such as an ellipse, a rectangle, a circle, a non-geometric shape, or the like. Additionally or alternatively, the position of the user 180 may be designated based on a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system with its origin at the vehicle 100 reference point 160. The computer 110 may be programmed to detect the position of the user 180 based on image data received, for example, from the vehicle 100 camera sensor 130, the LIDAR sensor 130, or the like, and determine a distance d from the user 180 to a component of the vehicle 100 and / or the vehicle 100 reference point 160.

[0048]

[0049] Table 1

[0050] As described above, the computer 110 can be programmed to select vehicle 100 components based on the location of the fault condition in the vehicle 100 and the detected location of the user 180 outside the vehicle. Table 1 shows exemplary fault conditions, user 180 locations, and selected vehicle 100 components to be actuated. The computer 110 can be programmed to select components by looking up corresponding components and actions in Table 1 based on the fault condition and user 180 location entries in Table 1. The selected one or more vehicle 100 components can include vehicle 100 exterior lights 150, brake actuator 120, steering actuator 120, suspension actuator 120, etc. The computer 110 can be programmed to actuate the vehicle exterior lights 150, brake actuator 120, etc. based on the detected location of the user 180.

[0051] As shown in Table 1, exemplary vehicle 100 fault conditions may be identified in a component selected to be actuated (e.g., right front suspension actuator 120) and / or in a second component (such as exterior light 150), i.e., a vehicle 100 component without a fault condition that is selected to be actuated to indicate (or direct to) the location of the vehicle 100 component where the fault condition is located. For example, computer 110 may be programmed to select and actuate right front exterior light 150 based on identifying a right front tire low pressure fault condition and a user 180 location at area 170b.

[0052] As discussed above, the position of the user 180 can be specified based on a Cartesian coordinate system (e.g., a three-dimensional position coordinate system). The computer 110 can be programmed to actuate the selected vehicle 100 component when it is determined that the distance between the detected position of the user 180 and the vehicle component (e.g., the front wheel) is less than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 1 meter (m)).

[0053]

[0054] Table 2

[0055] As discussed above, maintenance operations may include repairing and / or replacing vehicle 100 components, such as replacing engine oil, replacing a wheel with a flat tire, replacing a faulty suspension actuator 120, changing engine oil, and the like. Typically, maintenance operations may include providing inputs to the vehicle 100 HMI 140, such as an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and the like. In some examples, the inputs applied to the vehicle 100 HMI 140 may be based on specific times and / or conditions. Table 2 illustrates exemplary maintenance operations for the vehicle 100. In one example, the vehicle 100 actuator 120 may be actuated to prevent the vehicle 100 wheel from rotating when the user 180 attempts to remove a bolt from the vehicle 100 wheel. Advantageously, the computer 110 may be programmed to further actuate the vehicle 100 component based on a detected gesture of the user 180 (e.g., sitting next to the vehicle 100 wheel with a wrench in hand).

[0056] User 180 gestures include body gestures, facial expressions, hand / finger movements, voice commands, and the like. For example, gestures may include gestures such as sitting down, bending over, dumping up, and dumbing down, as well as leap motions such as moving a hand up / down. For example, user 180 may look at vehicle 100 camera sensor 130 and move the user's hand up / down to indicate an increase / decrease in engine speed, for example, as shown in Table 2. Computer 110 may be programmed to determine user 180 gestures based on data received from one or more vehicle 100 sensors 130 (e.g., camera sensor 130, audio sensor 130, ultrasonic sensor 130, etc.).

[0057] Maintenance operations may require placing a vehicle 100 component into a maintenance state as part of preparation for repair / replacement and / or as an intermediate action during repair / replacement.

[0058] In this context, a maintenance state can include a mechanical position of the component. For example, the maintenance state can be the position of a vehicle 100 component relative to the main body of the vehicle 100. For example, the suspension actuator 120 can have an extended position (with the head of the actuator 120 extended away from the main body of the actuator 120) and a retracted position (with the head of the actuator 120 retracted within the main body of the actuator 120). In one example, the extended position of the suspension actuator 120 can facilitate access to a bolt of the actuator 120 for removal. Thus, the extended position of the suspension actuator 120 can be designated as the maintenance state of the suspension actuator 120. Additionally or alternatively, the maintenance state can include an electrical state of a vehicle 100 component. For example, the maintenance state can be the on and / or off state of a selected vehicle 100 component. For example, before unloading a blower motor, the motor can be turned off.

[0059] Advantageously, the computer 110 can be programmed to determine a maintenance state of a vehicle component based on the detected position of the user 180 and to actuate the vehicle 100 component to the maintenance state, such as actuating the suspension actuator 120 to move to a maintenance position based on a leaping motion of the user 180 to facilitate access to a mechanical attachment, such as a bolt for removal of the vehicle 100 component, etc. For example, when the user 180 is in the lower region 170e, the computer 110 can actuate the vehicle 100 component to move to the requested state based on input from the user 180 including the requested state of the component. Such instructions can include gestures and / or voice commands.

[0060] process

[0061] Figure 2 2 is a flow chart of an exemplary process 200 for controlling vehicle maintenance operations. The vehicle 100 computer 110 may be programmed to execute the blocks of the process 200.

[0062] Process 200 begins at decision block 210, where computer 110 determines whether a fault condition has been identified in vehicle 100. For example, computer 110 may be programmed to monitor vehicle 100 components and determine whether a fault condition has occurred, such as whether a physical quantity is outside a predefined range. Additionally or alternatively, computer 110 may be programmed to identify a maintenance operation, such as when the remaining useful life of a vehicle 100 part (e.g., brake pads, tires, windshield wiper blades, etc.) and / or a vehicle 100 fluid (e.g., engine oil, brake fluid, etc.) is less than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 100 km and / or 1 month, etc.). If computer 110 determines that a fault condition has been identified, process 200 proceeds to block 220; otherwise, process 200 returns to decision block 210.

[0063] In block 220, the computer 110 determines the location of the user 180. For example, the computer 110 may be programmed to determine the location of the user 180 based on data received from one or more vehicle 100 sensors 130 (such as LIDAR, radar, or camera sensors 130). In one example, the computer 110 may be programmed to determine the three-dimensional position coordinates of the user 180 relative to the vehicle 100 reference point 160. In another example, the computer 110 may be programmed to determine the location of the user 180 based on designated zones around the vehicle 100 (such as zones 170a, 170b, 170c, 170d, and 170e).

[0064] Next, in block 230, the computer 110 determines the posture of the user 180. For example, the computer 110 may be programmed to determine the posture of the user 180 (such as facial expressions, hand / finger movements, gestures, etc.) based on data received from vehicle 100 sensors 130 (such as camera sensors 130).

[0065] Next, in block 240, the computer 110 selects a vehicle 100 component. The computer 110 may be programmed to select a vehicle 100 component based on the determined location of the fault condition, the determined location of the user 180, and / or the determined posture of the user 180, as shown in Tables 1-2.

[0066] Next, in block 250, the computer 110 actuates the selected vehicle 100 components. For example, the computer 110 may be programmed to actuate the vehicle exterior lights 150, the brake actuator 120, the steering actuator 120, and / or the suspension actuator 120 based on the detected position of the user 180. Additionally or alternatively, the computer 110 may be programmed to actuate the selected vehicle 100 components to a maintenance condition.

[0067] After block 250, process 200 ends, or alternatively returns to decision block 210, although Figure 2 Not shown in the figure.

[0068] The computing devices discussed herein generally each include instructions that are executable by one or more computing devices, such as those identified above, and for performing the blocks or steps of the processes described above. Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted from a computer program created using a variety of programming languages and / or technologies, including, but not limited to, Java, PHP, and / or PHP, either alone or in combination. TM , C, C++, Visual Basic, Java Script, Perl, HTML, etc. In general, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, for example, from a memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these instructions to perform one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. A variety of computer-readable media can be used to store and transmit such instructions and other data. A file in a computing device is typically a collection of data stored on a computer-readable medium (such as a storage medium, random access memory, etc.).

[0069] Computer-readable media include any medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, etc. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memories. Volatile media include dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes main memory. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, floppy disks, floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tape, any other magnetic media, CD-ROMs, DVDs, any other optical media, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical media with a pattern of holes, RAM, PROMs, EPROMs, FLASH, EEPROMs, any other memory chips or cassettes, or any other medium from which a computer can read.

[0070] With respect to the media, processes, systems, methods, and the like described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes can be implemented by performing the described steps in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps can be performed simultaneously, other steps can be added, or certain steps described herein can be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of the systems and / or processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments and should in no way be construed to limit the disclosed subject matter.

[0071] Therefore, it should be understood that the present disclosure, including the above description and drawings and the following claims, is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The scope of the present invention should not be determined with reference to the above description, but rather should be determined and / or included in the non-provisional patent applications based on the present invention with reference to the claims appended hereto, together with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the disclosed subject matter is capable of modification and variation.

[0072] According to the present invention, a system is provided having a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to identify a vehicle fault condition, select a vehicle component based on a location of the fault condition in the vehicle and a detected location of a user outside the vehicle, and actuate the vehicle component.

[0073] According to an embodiment, the instructions further include instructions for actuating the selected vehicle component upon determining that the distance from the detected user location to the vehicle component is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0074] According to an embodiment, said vehicle fault condition is a fault condition in a second vehicle component.

[0075] According to an embodiment, the instructions further comprise instructions for detecting the location of the user based on image data.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the selected vehicle component comprises at least one of an exterior vehicle light, a brake actuator, a steering actuator, and a suspension actuator.

[0077] According to an embodiment, the instructions further comprise instructions for determining a maintenance state of the vehicle component based on the detected position of the user, and actuating the vehicle component to the maintenance state.

[0078] According to an embodiment, the maintenance state is one of a plurality of vehicle component positions relative to the vehicle body.

[0079] According to an embodiment, the maintenance state is one of an open state and a closed state of the selected vehicle component.

[0080] According to an embodiment, the instructions further comprise instructions to actuate at least one of a vehicle exterior light, a brake actuator, a steering actuator, and a suspension actuator based on the detected position of the user.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the instructions further comprise instructions for actuating the vehicle component further based on the detected user gesture.

[0082] According to the present invention, a method includes identifying a vehicle fault condition, selecting a vehicle component based on a location of the fault condition in the vehicle and a detected location of a user outside the vehicle, and actuating the vehicle component.

[0083] According to an embodiment, the invention is further characterized by actuating the selected vehicle component upon determining that the distance from the detected user position to the vehicle component is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0084] According to an embodiment, said vehicle fault condition is a fault condition in a second vehicle component.

[0085] According to an embodiment, the invention is further characterized in that the position of the user is detected based on image data.

[0086] According to an embodiment, the selected vehicle component comprises at least one of an exterior vehicle light, a brake actuator, a steering actuator, and a suspension actuator.

[0087] According to an embodiment, the invention is further characterized by determining a maintenance state of the vehicle component based on the detected position of the user, and actuating the vehicle component to the maintenance state.

[0088] According to an embodiment, the maintenance state is one of a plurality of vehicle component positions relative to the vehicle body.

[0089] According to an embodiment, the maintenance state is one of an open state and a closed state of the selected vehicle component.

[0090] According to an embodiment, the invention is further characterized by actuating at least one of a vehicle exterior light, a brake actuator, a steering actuator, and a suspension actuator based on the detected position of the user.

[0091] According to an embodiment, the invention is further characterized by actuating the vehicle component further based on a detected user gesture.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle maintenance operations, comprising: Identify vehicle fault conditions; selecting one of the vehicle component, the other vehicle component, or the vehicle component and the other vehicle component for actuation based on a first location of the fault condition in the vehicle, a second location of the vehicle component in the vehicle, and a detected third location of a user outside the vehicle; as well as The vehicle component and / or the other vehicle component selected based on the first position, the second position, and the third position are actuated.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising actuating one of the selected vehicle component, the other vehicle component, the vehicle component, and the other vehicle component upon determining that the distance from the detected user location to the vehicle component is less than a predetermined threshold. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a location of the user based on image data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected vehicle components and the other vehicle components include at least one of exterior vehicle lights, brake actuators, steering actuators, and suspension actuators. 5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a maintenance status of the vehicle component based on the detected location of the user, and actuating the vehicle component to the maintenance status. The method of claim 5 , wherein the maintenance condition is one of a plurality of vehicle component positions relative to a vehicle body. 7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the maintenance state is one of an on state and a off state of the selected vehicle component.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising actuating at least one of exterior vehicle lights, brake actuators, steering actuators, and suspension actuators based on the detected position of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising actuating the vehicle component based further on a detected user gesture.

10. A computing device programmed to perform the method of any one of claims 1-9.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions being executable by a computer processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A ground vehicle comprising a computing device programmed to perform the method of any one of claims 1-9.

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