Monitoring system

Abstract

A monitoring system includes a vehicle, a processor storing battery capacity data of a vehicle battery, and including a navigation application configured to provide a location of the vehicle and a vehicle route. A user device includes a display and data processing hardware in communication with the display. The data processing hardware executes a monitoring application in communication with the vehicle processor and executes a weather application including predicted weather data. The data processing hardware is configured to receive a vehicle route and provide notifications on a display of a user device corresponding to facility attributes of a service station along the vehicle route.

Description

[0001] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. The work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this section and in aspects of the description that may not qualify as prior art at the time of filing, is neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a monitoring system. Background Art

[0003] Vehicles often utilize gas stations or charging stations during travel. In the example of an electric vehicle, the vehicle may monitor battery capacity, but may not otherwise monitor external factors. Climate and weather conditions may create uncertainty for drivers when it is unknown whether a potential charging station is equipped with a cover to shield the driver from weather conditions. Drivers or other users may be cautious about utilizing a charging station during inclement weather, such as rain or snow, if it is unknown whether the charging station has a cover to protect the driver from inclement weather during charging.

[0004] It is also common for vehicles to include a navigation system to provide integrated directions to the driver. Most conventional navigation systems present turn-by-turn directions and can provide new routes during navigation to save the driver time. However, conventional navigation systems rarely present contextually relevant information about charging station attributes. As a result, the driver must typically individually identify a convenient station with attributes that can provide coverage to the driver during charging and enter the new destination into the navigation system to be directed to a nearby station. Summary of the invention

[0005] In some configurations, the vehicle monitoring system includes a vehicle processor that stores battery capacity data of a vehicle battery and includes a navigation application configured to provide a location and route of the vehicle. The server includes a server processor that is communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and stores a service route database and facility attributes of one or more service stations stored in the service route database. The processor server also includes a weather application that is configured to predict service station weather based on the predicted weather data and the service route database. The user device includes a display and data processing hardware that communicates with the display and executes a monitoring application that communicates with the server processor. The server is configured to receive the route of the vehicle and provide a notification corresponding to one or more facility attributes of one or more service stations stored in the service route database on a display of the user device.

[0006] In some examples, the user device may include at least one of a mobile device and an infotainment device of the vehicle. In other aspects, the monitoring application may be configured to recommend a service station based on predicted weather data received from the server processor and battery capacity data received from the vehicle processor. The server processor may be configured to send a notification to the monitoring application in response to the predicted weather data. The notification may include a preparation protocol. The preparation protocol may include at least one of a charging recommendation, an accessory recommendation, and a preparation recommendation. In some examples, the server processor may be configured to receive a facility update corresponding to a facility attribute of one of the service stations stored in the service route database from a third-party device. Optionally, the monitoring application may be configured to display an alternative route based on predicted weather data relative to the vehicle route.

[0007] In another aspect, a monitoring system for a vehicle includes a vehicle processor that stores battery capacity data of a vehicle battery and includes a navigation application configured to provide a location and route of the vehicle. A server processor is communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and stores a service route database and facility attributes of one or more service stations stored in the service route database. The monitoring system also includes a user device that includes a display and data processing hardware in communication with the display. The data processing hardware executes a monitoring application in communication with the server processor. The server processor is configured to receive a route of the vehicle and provide a notification corresponding to one or more facility attributes of one or more service stations stored in the service route database on the display of the user device.

[0008] In some aspects, the server processor may also include a weather application that is communicatively connected to the service route database and configured to provide weather data for one or more service stations stored in the service route database. Facility attributes may include shielding facilities for charging stations near one or more service stations. The monitoring application of the user device may be configured to provide route notifications on a display, the route notifications including change route selections corresponding to service stations that may include shielding facilities. The monitoring application may be configured to receive route notifications from the server, and the server processor may be configured to compare the service route database and facility attributes with the weather data to generate route notifications. Optionally, the monitoring application may be configured to display predicted weather corresponding to the locations of service stations along the vehicle route. In some examples, the data processing hardware of the user device may be communicatively connected to the vehicle processor to receive battery capacity data, and configured to display the battery capacity data on a display of the user device.

[0009] In yet another aspect, a monitoring system includes a vehicle processor that stores battery capacity data of a vehicle battery and includes a navigation application configured to provide a location of the vehicle and a route of the vehicle. A user device includes a display and data processing hardware in communication with the display. The data processing hardware executes the monitoring application in communication with the vehicle processor and executes a weather application including predicted weather data. The data processing hardware is configured to receive the vehicle route and provide notifications corresponding to facility attributes of service stations along the vehicle route on the display of the user device.

[0010] In some examples, the monitoring system may include a server, which may include a server processor that is communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and stores a service route database and facility attributes of one or more service stations stored in the service route database. The service route database may include an availability status of a charging station at one of the service stations. The server processor may be configured to identify a service station including facility attributes from the service route database, and may be configured to determine whether the vehicle has sufficient battery capacity to re-route the vehicle route based on battery capacity data and weather data. The vehicle processor may be configured to execute the vehicle route in response to user input to the navigation application and based on the facility attributes stored in the service route database. Optionally, the monitoring application may be configured to issue a route notification corresponding to an updated route based on the predicted weather data and the vehicle route. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected configurations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle having a vehicle processor in communication with a user device according to the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure, the monitoring system comprising a server, a vehicle processor, and a user device in communication with a service station;

[0015] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a user device with a monitoring application according to the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an energy assist feature of a monitoring application displayed on a user device according to the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 6 is displayed on the user's device Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the route planning feature of the monitoring application;

[0018] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a user device having a navigation graphic for monitoring an application according to the present disclosure;

[0020] Fig.9A is a schematic diagram of a user input selecting a service station weather icon of a monitoring application according to the present disclosure displayed on a user device;

[0021] Fig. 9B is Fig.9A A schematic diagram of the predicted service station weather displayed on a user device;

[0022] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a user device having a masked icon for a service station recommendation for a monitoring application according to the present disclosure;

[0023] Fig.11A is a schematic diagram of a user device with weather notifications from a monitoring application according to the present disclosure;

[0024] Fig. 11B is displayed on the user's device Fig.11A A schematic diagram of the preparation protocol for monitoring applications; and

[0025] Fig.12 is an example flow chart of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure.

[0026] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Specific details, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the configurations of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example configurations may be embodied in many different forms, and that the specific details and example configurations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0028] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific exemplary configurations and are not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles "a", "an" and "the" may also be intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly states otherwise. The terms "comprises", "comprising", "including" and "having" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups thereof. The method steps, processes and operations described herein should not be interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order discussed or shown, unless specifically identified as an execution order. Additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0029] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on another element or layer," "engaged to," "connected to," "attached to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, directly engaged with, connected to, attached to, or coupled to another element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on another element or layer," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," "directly attached to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intermediate elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0030] The terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in this article to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts. These elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or part from another region, layer or part. Unless the context clearly indicates, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence. Therefore, without departing from the teaching of the example configuration, the first element, component, region, layer or part discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or part.

[0031] In this application, including the definitions below, the term module may be replaced by the term circuit. The term module may refer to, be part of, or include: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by a memory; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0032] The term code as used above may include software, firmware and / or microcode, and may refer to a program, a routine, a function, a class and / or an object. The term shared processor includes a single processor that executes some or all codes from multiple modules. The processor term group includes a processor that executes some or all codes from one or more modules in combination with an additional processor. The term shared memory includes a single memory that stores some or all codes from multiple modules. The memory term group includes a memory that stores some or all codes from one or more modules in combination with an additional memory. The term memory may be a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium does not include transient electrical signals and electromagnetic signals propagated through the medium, and therefore can be considered to be tangible and non-transient memory. Non-limiting examples of non-temporary memory include tangible computer-readable media, which include non-volatile memory, magnetic storage, and optical storage.

[0033] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer program may also include and / or rely on stored data.

[0034] Software applications (i.e., software resources) may refer to computer software that enables a computing device to perform tasks. Example applications include, but are not limited to, system diagnostic applications, system management applications, system maintenance applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, messaging applications, media streaming applications, social networking applications, and gaming applications.

[0035] Non-transitory memory can be a physical device used to temporarily or permanently store programs (e.g., sequences of instructions) or data (e.g., program state information) for use by a computing device. Non-transitory memory can be volatile and / or non-volatile addressable semiconductor memory. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, flash memory and read-only memory (ROM) / programmable read-only memory (PROM) / erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) / electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) (e.g., commonly used for firmware, such as bootloaders). Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), phase change memory (PCM), and disk or tape.

[0036] These computer programs (also referred to as programs, software, software applications, or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming languages ​​and / or assembly / machine languages. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, non-transitory computer-readable medium, memory, and / or device (e.g., disk, optical disk, processor, programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable device, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0037] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein can be realized in digital electronic and / or optical circuits, integrated circuits, specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations may include implementations in one or more computer programs executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system that includes at least one programmable processor, which may be special purpose or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and to send data and instructions to the storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device.

[0038] The process and logic flow described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors (also referred to as data processing hardware), which execute one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating outputs. The process and logic flow can also be performed by a dedicated logic circuit (e.g., FPGA (field programmable gate array) or ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit)). As an example, a processor suitable for executing a computer program includes both general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any type of digital computer. Typically, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The basic elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, a computer will also include one or more large-capacity storage devices (e.g., magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks) for storing data, or be operably connected to receive data from it or transmit data to it or both. However, a computer does not need to have such a device. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory, media, and memory devices, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and memory may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

[0039] To provide interaction with a user, one or more aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, or touch screen) for displaying information to the user and optionally a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices may also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, the feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user may be received in any form, including sound, voice, or tactile input. In addition, the computer may interact with the user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device used by the user; for example, by sending a web page to a web browser on a user's client device in response to a request received from the web browser.

[0040] Reference Figures 1 to 12, a monitoring system 100 for a vehicle 10 includes a vehicle processor 200 of the vehicle 10 in communication with a user device 300. The vehicle 10 described below is contemplated as an electric vehicle (EV) having autonomous or semi-autonomous capabilities. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle 10 may be a hybrid vehicle combining EV and internal combustion engine (ICE) components and capabilities. Accordingly, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a battery 12 to at least partially provide propulsion assistance for the vehicle 10. The vehicle processor 200 stores battery capacity data 202 of the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 and may communicate the battery capacity data 202 to the user device 300.

[0041] The monitoring system 100 may also include a server 400 communicatively coupled to one or both of the vehicle processor 200 and the user device 300. As described herein, the monitoring system 100 collectively describes one or more of the vehicle processor 200, the user device 300, and the server 400. The server 400 may be configured as a backend system of the monitoring system 100, which may determine, recommend, and / or perform operations of the monitoring system 100 in conjunction with the vehicle processor 200 and the user device 300. For example, the user device 300 may include an application programming interface (API) that communicates with a weather server to obtain weather data, as described below, in order to minimize the load on the server 400. Each of the vehicle processor 200, the user device 300, and the server 400 may communicate via a network 500, which provides wireless communications for the monitoring system 100. The network 500 also provides wireless communications between the monitoring system 100 and third-party devices 600, which may correspond to one or more service stations 602. For example, the service station 602 may provide information corresponding to the facility attributes 604 associated with the respective service station 602 to the monitoring system 100 via the third-party device 600, as described in more detail below.

[0042] Reference now Figure 1-3In addition to storing the battery capacity data 202 described above, the vehicle processor 200 also includes a navigation application 204. The navigation application 204 can be used to identify and monitor the location 14 of the vehicle 10, and is communicatively coupled to the user device 300 to share the location 14 with the occupants of the vehicle 10 and / or the user of the user device 300. The vehicle processor 200 is configured to provide the battery capacity data 202 to the user device 300 so that the user device 300 can display the battery capacity data 202 on the display 302 of the user device 300. The vehicle processor 200 stores and periodically updates the battery capacity data 202 by monitoring the battery 12, and can refer to the navigation application 204 to compare the location 14 of the vehicle 10 with the battery capacity data 202. Therefore, the occupants of the vehicle 10 can monitor the battery capacity 16 of the battery 12 as well as the location 14 of the vehicle 10, which can inform the route 206 of the vehicle 10. The navigation application 204 is configured to generate the route 206 of the vehicle 10 in addition to monitoring the location 14 of the vehicle 10.

[0043] In some aspects, the route 206 can be input through the user device 300, so that either the vehicle processor 200 or the user device 300 can be configured with the navigation application 204. In some examples, the user device 300 can be an infotainment device 300a combined with the vehicle 10. Accordingly, the vehicle processor 200 can be configured with the navigation application 204, and the navigation application 204 can be presented on the infotainment device 300a for the user or occupant to operate. In either configuration, the user can input the starting location 208 and the destination location 210 to determine the route 206. In some examples, the user can input the destination location 210, and the vehicle processor 200 automatically sets the starting location 208 based on the location 14 of the vehicle 10.

[0044] Further references Figure 1-3 And as further described below, the monitoring system 100 is configured to monitor the vehicle 10 using the navigation application 204 while the vehicle 10 is traveling along the route 206. The monitoring system 100 is configured to identify service stations 602 located along the route 206, which may include distinguishing between nearby service stations 602 and service stations 602 that may be located at a greater distance from the route 206. Although each aspect of the monitoring system 100 is described in detail below, Figure 2An overview of the monitoring system 100 is depicted. For example, a user may provide user input 102 to a monitoring application 304 stored on data processing hardware 306 of a user device 300. The monitoring application 304 is configured with a route planning feature 308 that may be selected by the user. The route planning feature 308 may operate in conjunction with or separately from the navigation application 204. For example, the route planning feature 308 may be used to execute the route 206 by providing adjustments and / or recommendations in response to the monitoring application 304 receiving data from the weather application 310 and the server 400, as described below.

[0045] refer to Figure 2 , the server 400 may receive the signal 104 corresponding to the user input 102 to provide the route 206 to one or both of the vehicle processor 200 and the monitoring application 304. The route 206 may be generated by the navigation application 204 on the vehicle processor 200 before the server 400 receives the signal 104. For example, the route 206 may be provided to the server 400, and the server 400 may update the route 206 to include the identified service stations 602 along the route 206. It is also contemplated that the server 400 may independently generate the route 206 and include the identified service stations 602.

[0046] Still reference Figures 1 to 3 , the monitoring application 304 communicates with the weather application 310, which may be stored on the data processing hardware 306 of the user device 300. Alternatively, the weather application 310 may be stored on the server processor 402 of the server 400. In either configuration, the monitoring application 304 communicates with the weather application 310 to further update the route 206 based on the predicted weather data 312. The predicted weather data 312 may include predicted weather patterns 314 along the route 206 and / or at one or more of the service stations 602 along the route 206. The predicted weather patterns 314 may notify the identified service stations 602 via the monitoring system 100. For example, the server processor 402 includes a service route database 404, and may be configured to identify the service station 602 from the service route database 404, the service station 602 including the facility attributes 604 from the service route database 404. The facility attributes 604 may provide advantageous protection from the predicted weather patterns 314. The server processor 402 may determine whether the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 has sufficient battery capacity 16 to re-plan the route 206 based on the battery capacity data 202 and the predicted weather data 312 .

[0047] The server 400 may communicate with the monitoring application 304 potential facility attributes 604 of service stations 602 along the route 206 that may be advantageous based on the predicted weather data 312. The server 400 may recommend the service station 602 based on the facility attributes 604, and specifically if one of the facility attributes 604 includes a shielded facility 606. Thus, the route 206 may be adjusted and updated in real time by the monitoring system 100 during travel of the vehicle 10. Each of the above features and operations is described in further detail herein.

[0048] Reference now Figure 3-6 , the user device 300 is depicted as a mobile device configured to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle processor 200. As described above, in some examples, the user device 300 may be an infotainment device 300a of the vehicle 10, so that an occupant may interact with the user device 300 via an integrated display 302 of the vehicle 10, which may display information related to the vehicle 10 in addition to entertainment data. The user device 300 includes data processing hardware 306 in communication with the display 302. The data processing hardware 306 includes a monitoring application 304, and also communicates with the vehicle processor 200 to receive the battery capacity data 202 and the route 206 from the vehicle processor 200. The data processing hardware 306 presents each of the battery capacity data 202 and the route 206 on the display 302 as part of the monitoring application 304. As described above, the route 206 may be generated by any combination of the navigation application 204, the server 400, and the user device 300. For example, the data processing hardware 306 may receive the route 206 from the vehicle processor 200 , and the route 206 may be updated or otherwise modified by one or both of the server 400 and the monitoring application 304 .

[0049] Further references Figures 3 to 6 , the server 400 communicates with the data processing hardware 306 and the vehicle processor 200 to exchange information related to the vehicle 10 and conditions related to and along the route 206. The server processor 402 stores a service route database 404, which includes a registration log 406 of service stations 602 in a geographic area along the route 206. The server processor 402 can also store facility attributes 604 of each service station 602 on the service route database 404. The service route database 404 can receive update data related to potential facility attributes 604 from the service stations 602 located along the route 206 or near the route 206. For example, each service station 602 can update the service station profile 408 on the registration log 406 with the newly added or modified facility attributes 604 via the facility update 410. In some examples, the facility attributes 604 can include a shielding facility 606 that covers the charging station 608 at the service station 602.

[0050] It is contemplated that the service station profile 408 may be updated by personnel at the service station 602. A third-party user of the respective service station 602 may flag or otherwise alert the server 400 to potential discrepancies in the facility attributes 604. In either example, the server 400 may receive a notification from the third-party device 600 ( Figure 2 ) receives facility updates 410 corresponding to new facilities or updated facility attributes 604, which may provide shade or coverage on charging station 608 in the event of inclement weather. As described above, weather application 310 may present predicted weather data 312 along route 206, which may correspond to locations along route 206 and / or may correspond to one or more of service stations 602 along route 206 and near route 206. The presented weather data 312 is configured to take into account arrival time, such that the predicted weather data 312 corresponds to the time of day when vehicle 10 is predicted to arrive at service station 602. Presenting predicted weather data 312 associated with the arrival time of vehicle 10 may advantageously help users plan a trip in an effort to predict the weather at a planned stop. In some examples, weather application 310 may be stored on server 400, such that weather application 310 may be configured to determine predicted weather data 312 in conjunction with providing service station 602 information. Server 400 may also update route 206 based on predicted weather data 312. Regardless of whether weather application 310 is stored on server processor 402 or on data processing hardware 306 , predicted weather data 312 can be used to provide additional content along route 206 .

[0051] Continue to refer Figures 3 to 6 , the monitoring system 100 collectively utilizes the navigation application 204, the weather application 310, and the service route database 404 to provide data from each to the occupant. The monitoring system 100 utilizes the monitoring application 304 as a user-facing portion of the monitoring system 100 that assists the user in monitoring the vehicle 10 and information affecting the vehicle 10 before and during travel along the route 206. For example, the monitoring application 304 assists in monitoring the route 206, predicted weather data 312 along the route 206 and at the corresponding service stations 602, weather data 312 at specific times of the day (including predicted times of arrival at the corresponding service stations 602), and facility attributes 604 of each corresponding service station 602, among other monitoring features. As described above, each of the vehicle processor 200, the data processing hardware 306, and the server processor 402 communicates with the vehicle 10 via the network 500 ( Figure 1 ) are communicatively coupled to collectively define the monitoring system 100. The data collected and analyzed by each of the vehicle processor 200 and the server processor 402 is ultimately presented to the occupant on the display 302 of the user device 300 after being incorporated into the monitoring application 304 by the data processing hardware 306.

[0052] For example, the data processing hardware 306 can present the battery capacity data 202 as a battery percentage 212 in the monitoring application 304. It is also contemplated that the battery capacity data 202 can be configured and presented as an available battery range 214. In some examples, both the battery percentage 212 and the available battery range 214 can be presented on the monitoring application 304. The monitoring application 304 is configured to present the battery capacity data 202 and data associated with the service stations 602 to advantageously assist the user in monitoring the status of the battery capacity 16 of the vehicle 10 while also monitoring the available service stations 602 along the route 206.

[0053] Further references Figures 3 to 6 , the route planning feature 308 of the monitoring application 304 can be part of the energy assistance feature 316. For example, the occupant can enter the destination location 210 in the route planning feature 308 of the monitoring application 304, and the navigation application 204 can generate the route 206 in response. Accordingly, the route planning feature 308 can be communicatively coupled with the navigation application 204. The route planning feature 308 can be used to determine an energy route 320 corresponding to an alternative route 320 configured to maximize the energy efficiency of the vehicle 10. In some examples, the energy assistance feature 316 can utilize the predicted weather data 312 and the user's personal preferences 318 to generate the energy or alternative route 320. It is contemplated that the monitoring application 304 can present the route 206 generated by the navigation application 204 to the user, and can also present the energy route 320 generated by the route planning feature 308. The energy route 320 can be generated by the energy assistance feature 316 to maximize the available battery range 214 by avoiding events that may reduce the available battery range 214 at an accelerated rate.

[0054] In some examples, increasing and / or decreasing ambient temperatures can reduce the available battery range 214 at a faster rate than at decreasing ambient temperatures. For example, a user can utilize a cooling feature of the vehicle 10, which can produce a heavier battery load during peak ambient temperatures. In contrast, decreasing ambient temperatures associated with extreme cold can reduce the available battery range 214 due to the ambient temperature. Therefore, the route planning feature 308 in conjunction with the energy assist feature 316 can recommend setting a departure time 322 to avoid traveling during times associated with peak and / or decreasing ambient temperatures. The route planning feature 308 and the energy assist feature 316 are configured to be routinely updated by the data processing hardware 306 during navigation of the vehicle 10.

[0055] Still refer to Figures 3 to 6, the energy assist feature 316 may also utilize the predicted weather data 312, the routes 206, and the service route database 404. Generally, it is contemplated that while the energy assist feature 316 may present an energy route 320 that optimizes energy efficiency, the energy route 320 has minimal deviation from a direct route 206 that may otherwise be presented by the navigation application 204. For example, the monitoring application 304 may compare the energy route 320 determined by the energy assist feature 316 to the route 206 determined by the navigation application 204. In this example, if the energy route 320 deviates from the route 206 from the navigation application 204 to the extent that the travel time exceeds a preset threshold, the monitoring application 304 may recommend that the vehicle 10 travel along the route 206 generated by the navigation application 204.

[0056] It is contemplated that the monitoring application 304 may still present the energy route 320 from the energy assist feature 316, but the monitoring application 304 may present a warning indicating that the energy route 320 may add additional time to the total travel time. However, in some examples, the energy route 320 may have a slight increase or no change in travel time. In this example, the monitoring application 304 may present the energy route 320 as a primary route 320 option while presenting the route 206 from the navigation application 204 as a secondary route option. Regardless of which route 206, 320 the user selects, the monitoring application 304 may highlight the service station 602 along the route 206, 320 to assist the user in efficiently navigating to the service station 602.

[0057] Reference now Figures 7 to 10 , the monitoring system 100 presents a turn-by-turn navigation graphic 330 of the route 206 via the monitoring application 304. In some aspects, the monitoring application 304 presents the estimated travel time 220 at the starting location 208, and plans one or more service points 332 integrated as part of the route 206 with one or more service station recommendations 334. The service station recommendations 334 can present data about recommended service stations 602 obtained by the monitoring application 304 from a service route database 404 stored on the server processor 402. It is contemplated that the monitoring application 304 can configure the service station recommendations 334 based on the service station profiles 408 stored on the service route database 404, the service station profiles 408 including the facility attributes 604 of the corresponding service stations 602. For example, the server processor 402 can select one or more of the service station profiles 408, and can communicate the selected service station profiles 408 to the monitoring application 304 to ultimately be presented on the monitoring application 304 as part of the navigation graphic 330.

[0058] The monitoring application 304 may receive a corresponding service station profile 408 from the server processor 402, which may include identification information of the service station 602. The identification information may include, but is not limited to, the name and location 610 of the service station 602. The location 610 of the service station 602 may be displayed as part of the route 206 generated by the navigation application 204. Each location 610 of the service station 602 may be presented on the display 302 of the user device 300 in conjunction with the route 206. The service station profile 408 may also include an availability status 412 of the charging station 608. For example, the monitoring application 304 may adjust which service station 602 is selected for the service point 332 based on the availability status 412 of the charging station 608. The monitoring application 304 may also evaluate the battery capacity data 202 to predict the charging duration 222 and the expected battery percentage 212. It is generally contemplated that the service point 332 may be presented as a range on the monitoring application 304 to facilitate flexibility during navigation of the route 206.

[0059] In some aspects, as the vehicle 10 travels along the route 206, the monitoring application 304 can be updated with new service station profiles 408 from the service route database 404. The monitoring application 304 can present a plurality of service station profiles 408, which can be selected by the user via the user input 102. The user can also dismiss the recommended service station profile 408 via the user input 102. In either example, when the available battery range 214 approaches the distance to the next available service station 602, the monitoring application 304 can present an alert to the user.

[0060] Further references Figure 7-10 , the monitoring application 304 advantageously utilizes the weather application 310 to present the predicted service station weather 336. For example, the monitoring application 304 is configured to display the predicted service station weather 336 on the display 302 of the user device 300 at the predicted arrival time. The predicted service station weather 336 can be presented on the monitoring application 304 as part of the service station profile 408. For example, the weather application 310 can communicate with the server processor 402 to periodically update the service station profile 408 to present the predicted service station weather 336. The predicted service station weather 336 can be presented on the display 302 as a weather icon 336a that generally corresponds to the predicted service station weather 336. Fig.9A and Fig. 9B As shown, weather icon 336a shows clouds with snowflakes and, when selected via user input 102, presents a description of predicted service station weather 336. Fig. 9B304 is shown as a cloud with snowflakes, but it is contemplated that the weather icon 336a may include, but is not limited to, clouds, rain, snow, sleet, tornadoes, hail, wind, sun, storms, and any other graphic of weather patterns. The monitoring application 304 communicates with the weather application 310 to periodically update the predicted service station weather 336 throughout the operation of the monitoring application 304.

[0061] The monitoring application 304 also provides facility attributes 604 that may be present at the recommended service station 602. As described above, the facility attributes 604 may include a shielded facility 606. The shielded facility 606 may also be presented as part of the service station profile 408 as a shielded icon 606a on the monitoring application 304. For example, the shielded icon 606a may be displayed on the Fig.10 606a. However, other icons 606a may be used to communicate that the recommended service station 602 is equipped with at least one sheltering facility 606 at the charging station 608. The sheltering facility 606 may be a garage, a canopy, an overhang, or any other feasible shelter or covering adjacent to or shielding the charging station 608. In response to the predicted service station weather 336, the monitoring application 304 may prioritize service stations 602 that include facility attributes 604 (particularly the sheltering facility 606). In some aspects, the monitoring application 304 may present a route notification 338 on the display 302 that includes a reroute selection 340 that reroutes the previously selected route 206 to utilize a service station 602 that includes the sheltering facility 606.

[0062] Still reference Figures 7 to 10 , the monitoring application 304 may selectively present a shield icon 606a representing a shield facility 606. For example, if the monitoring application 304 determines that the predicted service station weather 336 is not severe or there is no weather event that may otherwise affect the user during the charging event, the service station recommendation 334 may be without the shield icon 606a. For example, if the predicted service station weather 336 is sunny and there is no precipitation, the monitoring application 304 may present the service station recommendation 334 without the shield icon 606a, even in the presence of a shield facility. In other examples, if the monitoring application 304 determines that the predicted service station weather 336 may cause an inconvenience to the user, the monitoring application 304 may display a shield icon 606a indicating that the recommended service station 602 has a shield facility 606. Although the recommended service station 602 may remain unchanged during the period of the predicted service station weather 336 that may warrant the use of the shield facility 606, it is also contemplated that the monitoring application 304 may recommend an updated route 342 in the event that the predicted service station weather 336 includes severe weather.

[0063] In some examples, the monitoring application 304 may receive a signal from the weather application 310 indicating that the forecast weather data 312 predicts severe weather along the route 206. Therefore, the monitoring application 304 may issue an alert to the user indicating that severe weather may occur based on the forecast weather data 312, and may recommend an updated route 342 in an effort to avoid the potential severe weather. If the forecast weather data 312 is an inconvenient weather event, such as rain or snow, but not a severe weather event, the monitoring application 304 may present a shield icon 606a for the recommended service station 602, indicating that the recommended service station 602 is equipped with a shield facility 606.

[0064] In some aspects, the route notification 338 may correspond to an updated route 342 based on the forecast weather data 312, where the forecast weather data 312 corresponds to the forecast weather pattern 314 along the route 206. The monitoring application 304 receives the forecast weather data 312 from the weather application 310, and may determine that the forecast weather pattern 314 may hinder travel along the previously selected route 206. In addition to presenting an alert with the forecast weather data 312, the monitoring application 304 may also present the route notification 338 proposing the updated route 342. In some aspects, the monitoring application 304 may automatically proceed with the updated route 342 in response to the severity of the forecast weather pattern 314, and provide the route notification 338 to the user of the vehicle 10 for automatic rerouting to proceed on the updated route 342.

[0065] Reference now Figure 7 , Fig.11A and Fig. 11B , the monitoring application 304 is also configured to issue a weather notification 350 based on the predicted weather data 312 separately from the operation of the vehicle 10 if the user has entered an exposure setting for the private service station 602. The user can enter the facility attributes 604 of the private service station 602 into the monitoring application 304. For example, the user can enter the facility attributes 604 that the private service station 602 includes coverage, in which case the monitoring application 304 can refrain from issuing the weather notification 350. In other examples, the private service station 602 can be set to an exposed state, or default to an unknown state.

[0066] In the case of an exposed state and / or an unknown state, the monitoring application will issue a weather notification 350 based on the forecast weather 312 and the shielding state of the private service station 602. For example, the weather notification 350 may include information related to severe weather and recommendations for actions that the user can take when preparing for severe weather. The weather notification 350 may, for example, include a preparation protocol 352, which may present options to the user. The preparation protocol 352 includes, but is not limited to, charging recommendations 354, accessory recommendations 356, and preparation recommendations 358. It is contemplated that the user may select one or more of the recommendations 354, 356, 358 presented as part of the preparation protocol 352. Alternatively, the user may mute or dismiss the weather notification 350 and the preparation protocol 352.

[0067] The preparation protocol 352 is configured to advantageously assist a user in response to the forecasted weather pattern 314 received from the weather application 310, which may otherwise affect the user. The charging recommendation 354 is configured to recommend that the user charge the battery 12 to ensure that the battery 12 is at full battery capacity 16 before the forecasted weather pattern 314 begins. In some examples, the vehicle 10 may be used as a backup energy source for providing electricity to the user's home, making it advantageous to provide the preparation protocol 352 and recommend a full battery capacity 16 before the forecasted weather pattern 314. In addition, the accessory recommendations 356 of the preparation protocol 352 include recommendations for various accessories that may be used in conjunction with the vehicle 10. The accessory recommendations 356 may include links or other purchase options to assist the user in obtaining accessories that may be used in conjunction with the vehicle 10 before the forecasted weather pattern 314 begins.

[0068] Further references Figure 7 , Fig.11A , Fig. 11B , the preparation protocol 352 is configured to provide accessory recommendations 356 in advance of the predicted weather pattern 314 so that the delivery time of the accessories is taken into account when presenting the accessory recommendations 356. For example, the monitoring application 304 may present the accessory recommendations 356 at least one to two days in advance of the predicted weather pattern 314 to take into account the delivery time of the recommended accessories. If the predicted weather pattern 314 is before the estimated delivery time, the accessory recommendations 356 may also provide nearby retailers that may carry the recommended accessories. Accordingly, the monitoring application 304 may present various purchase options for the recommended accessories for selection through the preparation protocol 352. In some examples, it is envisioned that the user may perform the purchase of the recommended accessories through the monitoring application 304 to simplify the efficiency and order process associated with the accessory recommendations 356.

[0069] The preparation recommendations 358 of the preparation protocol 352 may include context-based suggestions that the user may evaluate when preparing for potential severe weather. For example, the preparation recommendations 358 may include finding covered parking or shelter for the vehicle 10 during severe weather. Additionally or alternatively, the preparation recommendations 358 may include identification of nearby shelter facilities 606, whether at the service station 602 or at the user's home. The preparation protocol 352 is configured to provide assistance and recommendations to the user. For example, the preparation protocol 352 may provide the user with video instructions related to actions that may be taken in the event that the private service station 602 is blocked or otherwise obstructed by the predicted weather pattern 314. Additionally or alternatively, the video instructions of the preparation protocol 352 may include instructional examples of how to utilize accessories presented by the accessory recommendations 356. Although the monitoring application 304 may execute the preparation protocol 352 in response to the predicted weather data 312, it is contemplated that the user may customize the frequency and activation of notifications associated with the preparation protocol 352. For example, a user can adjust personal preferences 318 of monitoring application 304 to provide intermittent notifications associated with preparation protocol 352, which can still keep the user informed of forecast weather patterns 314. In some examples, the user can choose to turn off notifications associated with preparation protocol 352. Accordingly, preparation protocol 352 is a customizable feature of monitoring application 304.

[0070] Specific reference Fig.12 , depicts a flow chart illustrating the operation of the monitoring system 100. Initially, at 700, the route planning feature 308 of the monitoring application 304 is launched. The user may enter the starting location 208 and the destination location 210 at 702, and the user requests the navigation application 204 to execute the route 206 at 704. The monitoring application 304 communicates with the weather application 310 to receive the predicted weather data 312. At 706, the monitoring application 304 identifies whether the predicted weather data 312 predicts a predicted weather pattern 314 associated with severe weather along the route 206. If the predicted weather pattern 314 is not associated with severe weather, then at 708, the monitoring application 304 presents the navigation graphic 330 without the mask icon 606a, and the original route 206 may be maintained from refinement based on the predicted weather data 312.

[0071] If the forecasted weather pattern 314 is associated with inclement weather, the monitoring application 304 identifies whether the inclement weather is an extreme weather event at 710. If the forecasted weather pattern 314 is associated with inconvenient weather but is not an extreme weather event, the monitoring application 304 communicates with the server processor 402 to identify whether any service station 602 along the route 206 has a shelter facility 606 at 712. If the server processor 402 identifies that the service station 602 is equipped with a shelter facility 606, then at 714, the monitoring application 304 adjusts the route 206 to include the identified service station 602 and displays a shelter icon 606a on the user device 300. If the server processor 402 does not identify a service station 602 stored in the service route database 404 along the route 206 and including a shelter facility 606, then the monitoring application 304 then determines at 716 whether the service point 332 can be postponed until the vehicle 10 is able to reach another service station 602 or until the forecasted weather pattern 314 has passed.

[0072] If the monitoring application 304 determines that the service point 332 can be postponed, then at 718, the monitoring application 304 can adjust the navigation graphics 330 accordingly. If the monitoring application 304 determines that a postponement is not possible and / or the forecast weather pattern 314 is not expected to pass, then at 720, the monitoring application 304 can issue a weather notification to notify the user of the forecast weather pattern 314.

[0073] In another example, if the monitoring application 304 identifies the predicted weather pattern 314 as being associated with an extreme weather pattern, then at 716, the monitoring application 304 may skip step 712 and continue to determine whether the service point 332 can be postponed until the vehicle 10 is able to reach another service station 602 or until the predicted weather pattern 314 has passed. Each of these operational steps 700-720 outlines the execution of the monitoring system 100 to adjust and refine the route 206 based on data obtained by the monitoring application 304 from the server processor 402, the weather application 310, the navigation application 204, and the vehicle processor 200. Once the route 206 is completed, the monitoring application 304 may terminate the route planning feature 308 at 722. Optionally, at 722, the monitoring application 304 may be updated if a new route 206 is requested to be executed, and in another example, the monitoring application 304 may update the route 206 if the predicted weather pattern 314 changes significantly along the route 206.

[0074] Reference again Figures 1 to 12, the monitoring system 100 advantageously provides the user with an accessible system for organizing data and predicting predicted weather patterns 314 that may affect the user's decision-making process before driving. The monitoring application 304 provides an interface for the user to customize the user's experience. The monitoring system 100 also provides navigation graphics 330 for use with the monitoring application 304. In particular, the presentation of the masked icon 606a with the recommended service station 602 is advantageous to the user during navigation of the route 206. In addition, the monitoring system 100 can present a preparation protocol 352 to assist the user in preparing for potential severe weather.

[0075] Many embodiments have been described. However, it should be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

[0076] The foregoing description is provided for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure. The individual elements or features of a particular configuration are generally not limited to that particular configuration, but are interchangeable where applicable and can be used in a selected configuration, even if not specifically shown or described. It can also be varied in many ways. Such variations should not be considered as departing from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising: a vehicle processor storing battery capacity data of a battery of a vehicle and including a navigation application configured to provide a location of the vehicle and a vehicle route; as well as A user device including a display and data processing hardware, the data processing hardware communicating with the display and executing a monitoring application and executing a weather application, the monitoring application communicating with the vehicle processor, the weather application including predicted weather data, the data processing hardware configured to receive the vehicle route and provide notifications on the display of the user device corresponding to facility attributes of service stations along the vehicle route.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising a server comprising a server processor, the server processor being communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and storing a service route database and facility attributes of one or more service stations stored in the service route database. 3 . The monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the service route database includes an availability status of a charging station at one of the service stations. 4 . The monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the monitoring application is configured to display forecasted weather corresponding to locations of service stations along the vehicle route.

5. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the server processor is configured to identify a service station including a facility attribute from the service route database, and is configured to determine whether the vehicle has sufficient battery capacity to reroute the vehicle route based on the battery capacity data and the predicted weather data.

6. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle processor is configured to execute the vehicle route in response to user input to the navigation application and based on facility attributes stored in the service route database.

7. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the monitoring application is configured to issue a route notification corresponding to an updated route based on the predicted weather data and the vehicle route.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the facility attributes include a sheltered facility of a charging station proximate to the one or more service stations.

9. A monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the monitoring application of the user device is configured to provide a route notification on the display, the route notification including an alternative route selection corresponding to a service station including the shielding facility.

10. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring application is configured to recommend a service point based on the predicted weather data, facility attributes of the service station, and battery capacity data received from the vehicle processor.

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