System and method for vehicle service in vehicle washing

Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method for vehicle service in vehicle washing. A vehicle is disclosed that includes a detection unit and a processor. The detection unit may be configured to capture an image of an exterior of the vehicle. The processor may obtain input from the detection unit and determine that the vehicle is likely to be within a predefined distance of a wash station entry point associated with a wash station. The processor may determine a first action to be performed when the vehicle is within the predefined distance. The first action includes one or more steps. The processor may be configured to output a first notification to perform a first step, determine that the first step has been completed, and output a second notification to perform a second step in response to determining that the first step has been completed. The processor is further configured to determine that the second step has been completed, and output a third notification when the first step and the second step have been completed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicles, and more particularly, to systems and methods for servicing a vehicle in a car wash. Background Art

[0002] People often use car wash / automatic washing services to quickly clean the exterior surfaces of their vehicles. Some car wash stations have tracks along which the vehicle is pulled and then automatically washed using a pressurized water supply system, detergent, etc.

[0003] When the vehicle enters a car wash station, the vehicle user may perform certain operations. For example, when the vehicle enters a car wash station, the vehicle user may deactivate automatic vehicle wipers and / or fold side mirrors. Additionally, when the vehicle may be aligned with or positioned on a track, the vehicle user may activate a vehicle neutral mode. Such operations may be cumbersome for the vehicle user to perform. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure describes a vehicle management unit ("unit") that may be configured to automatically control vehicle operation and / or assist a vehicle user in performing operations associated with the vehicle when the vehicle may be approaching / located at a car wash station. The unit may assist a vehicle user in conveniently cleaning the vehicle at a car wash station. In some aspects, the unit may be configured to obtain input from a vehicle detection unit and detect that the vehicle may be approaching a car wash station based on the obtained input. In response to determining that the vehicle may be approaching a car wash station, the unit may be configured to automatically perform one or more actions, such as temporarily disabling wipers, turning off side-view mirrors, closing vehicle windows, etc. The unit may also output one or more notifications to notify the vehicle user that the unit has automatically performed an action.

[0005] In an alternative aspect, when the unit determines that the vehicle may be approaching a car wash station, the unit may output a notification to the vehicle user requesting the vehicle user to manually perform the above actions, rather than automatically performing the above actions. For example, the unit may request the vehicle user to manually disable the wiper system, close (e.g., retract) the side mirrors, and / or place the vehicle in neutral mode.

[0006] In further aspects, when the unit determines that the vehicle may be located inside a station wash, the unit may automatically align the vehicle with a track (or conveyor system) associated with the car wash system. In some aspects, the unit may determine that the vehicle may be located inside a station wash by estimating the distance between the vehicle and the track based on input obtained from the vehicle detection unit. When the estimated distance may be less than a predefined threshold, the unit may determine that the vehicle may be located near the track and therefore located inside the station wash. In alternative aspects, the unit may output a notification to the vehicle user requesting the vehicle user to manually align the vehicle with the track based on input obtained from the vehicle detection unit, rather than automatically aligning the vehicle with the track.

[0007] The unit may also automatically place the vehicle in neutral mode when the vehicle may be aligned with the track. In other aspects, when the unit determines that the vehicle may be aligned with the track, the unit may output a notification to the vehicle user requesting the vehicle user to manually place the vehicle in neutral mode.

[0008] In some aspects, the unit may determine an action to be performed when the vehicle may be approaching a car wash station (e.g., placing the vehicle in neutral mode). The action of placing the vehicle in neutral mode may include one or more steps, such as depressing and holding the vehicle deceleration pedal, shifting the vehicle to neutral, pressing a low speed button on a dial, releasing the vehicle deceleration pedal, and / or turning off the vehicle. Thus, according to an embodiment, when the vehicle may be approaching a car wash station, the unit may output a first notification requesting the vehicle operator to perform a first step of the one or more steps (e.g., depressing and holding the vehicle deceleration pedal). In response to outputting the first notification, the unit may determine that the first step may have been completed (e.g., performed by the vehicle operator). Then, when the unit determines that the first step may have been completed, the unit may output a second notification requesting the vehicle operator to perform a second step of the one or more steps (e.g., shifting the vehicle to neutral). The unit may also determine that the second step may have been completed, and then may output a third notification requesting the vehicle operator to perform additional steps or indicating that the action may be completed by the vehicle operator. The unit may output the third notification based on determining that the first step and the second step may be completed by the vehicle operator. Thus, where an action includes multiple steps, a notification indicating each step (one step at a time) can be generated and presented to the user, and after each notification is presented, it can be determined whether the execution of the associated step was satisfactorily completed before a notification for the next step is generated and presented.

[0009] In a further aspect, the unit can be configured to determine that the vehicle may be leaving a station wash based on input obtained from the vehicle detection unit. In response to determining that the vehicle may be leaving a station wash, the unit can perform one or more additional actions. For example, the unit can re-enable the wipers, deploy the side mirrors, take the vehicle out of neutral mode, etc. Alternatively, the unit can output a notification requesting the vehicle operator to perform the above steps.

[0010] The present disclosure discloses a vehicle wash management unit that automatically detects that a vehicle may be approaching a wash station, and then controls vehicle operations (e.g., activates / deactivates vehicle components) to minimize user involvement during wash transition times. The unit automatically determines when the vehicle should be shifted into neutral and performs actions accordingly. Similarly, the unit detects that the vehicle is leaving a wash station, and then controls vehicle operations accordingly.

[0011] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those shown in the accompanying drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0013] Figure 1 An environment is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0014] Figure 2 A block diagram of a system for controlling operation of a vehicle in a station wash in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted.

[0015] Figure 3 A workflow for controlling vehicle operation according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0016] Figure 4 Depicted are snapshots of notifications output by a vehicle in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 A flow chart is depicted of a method for controlling operation of a vehicle in a station wash in accordance with the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the disclosure are shown and which are not intended to be limiting.

[0019] Figure 1 An example environment 100 is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. The environment 100 may include a vehicle 102, which may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as, for example, a car, a work vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a truck, a van, a minivan, a taxi, a bus, etc. The vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle, and / or may be configured to operate in a partially autonomous mode, and may include any powertrain, such as, for example, a gasoline engine, one or more electric actuation motors, a hybrid powertrain, etc.

[0020] The environment 100 may also include a car wash station 104 (or a car wash facility). The car wash station 104 may include a track 106 (e.g., a conveyor) that may automatically pull the vehicle 102 when the vehicle 102 may be placed on the track 106. In an exemplary aspect, the track 106 may pull the vehicle 102 through a plurality of areas or zones associated with the car wash station 104. The plurality of zones may be associated with a pressurized water supply zone, a detergent zone, a rinse zone, a drying zone, etc. As the vehicle 102 is pulled through the plurality of zones, soap / cleaner, pressurized water, and a brush may be applied to the vehicle exterior surface to wash / clean the vehicle 102 (e.g., the vehicle exterior surface). While the vehicle 102 may be washed and rinsed, excess water may be dried by using an air dryer or any other known method.

[0021] In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may include a car wash management unit or "unit" (in Figure 2 104), the car wash management unit or "unit" can assist a vehicle user in cleaning the vehicle 102 when the vehicle 102 may be located in or near a car wash station 104. In some aspects, the unit can be configured to automatically control vehicle operations when the vehicle 102 arrives at the car wash station 104. In other aspects, when the vehicle 102 arrives at the car wash station 104, the unit can output one or more notifications requesting the vehicle user to perform one or more actions (e.g., control vehicle operations), and in some aspects, confirm that a step was performed before requesting the next step to be performed. The unit can be configured to perform three stages associated with vehicle movement near or in the car wash station 104 (in Figure 1 The vehicle operation is controlled by (shown as Phase A, Phase B and Phase C).

[0022] Phase A may be a phase when the vehicle 102 approaches the car wash station 104. In some aspects, phase A may be a phase when the vehicle 102 may be located at a first predefined distance (e.g., 0 to 50 meters) away from the car wash entry point 108. Phase B may be a phase when the vehicle 102 may be located inside the car wash station 104 (which has multiple zones for cleaning and drying the vehicle 102, as described above). Phase C may be a phase when the vehicle 102 may be outside the car wash station 104 (e.g., when the vehicle 102 leaves the car wash station 104 after cleaning / washing). In some aspects, phase C may be a phase when the vehicle 102 may be located at a second predefined distance (e.g., 0 to 50 meters) away from the car wash exit point 110.

[0023] During operation, the unit may obtain input from the vehicle detection unit at a predefined frequency. In some aspects, the vehicle detection unit may include a vehicle exterior camera (e.g., a first detection unit) that may be configured to capture images of a geographic area exterior to the vehicle 102. In response to obtaining input from the vehicle detection unit, the unit may detect / determine based on the input that the vehicle 102 may be approaching the car wash station 104 (i.e., the vehicle 102 may be located at a predefined distance away from the car wash entry point 108). Then, when the unit determines that the vehicle 102 may be located within the predefined distance from the car wash station 104, the unit may determine one or more actions to be performed.

[0024] In some aspects, the action may include automatically disabling the vehicle wipers, folding the vehicle side-view mirrors, etc. As an example, when the unit determines that the vehicle 102 may be in stage A, the unit may automatically disable the vehicle wipers and / or fold the side-view mirrors. In other words, the unit disables the vehicle wipers and folds the side-view mirrors before the vehicle 102 enters the car wash station 104. In additional aspects, the action may include, for example, transmitting / outputting a notification via a vehicle infotainment system or a user device associated with a vehicle user, the notification indicating to the vehicle user that automatic operation of the vehicle wipers has been temporarily disabled and / or the side-view mirrors have been folded. In alternative aspects, the action may include transmitting / outputting a notification via a vehicle infotainment system or a user device, the notification requesting the vehicle user to turn off automatic operation of the vehicle wipers and / or fold the side-view mirrors.

[0025] In addition, the unit can determine the vehicle position relative to the track 106, and based on the determined vehicle position, determine that the vehicle 102 may have entered the station wash 104 or passed through the station wash entry point 108 (e.g., at stage B). In some aspects, the unit determines the vehicle position based on input obtained from the vehicle detection unit. In an exemplary aspect, in addition to the above-mentioned first detection unit (the above-mentioned vehicle external camera), the vehicle detection unit can also include a second detection unit, which can include sensors such as radio detection and ranging (radar) sensors, light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors, etc. The unit can estimate the distance between the vehicle 102 and the track 106 (and therefore estimate the vehicle position relative to the track 106) based on input obtained from the vehicle external camera (i.e., the first detection unit) and the radar, lidar sensor (i.e., the second detection unit).

[0026] In response to determining the vehicle position relative to the lane 106, the unit may perform one or more of the above-described actions based on the estimated distance. For example, when the vehicle 102 enters stage B and is disposed near the track 106, the unit may automatically align the vehicle 102 with the track 106 (e.g., move and align the vehicle wheels). Alternatively, the unit may output a notification / instruction to the vehicle user (e.g., via a vehicle infotainment system or a user device) requesting the vehicle user to align the vehicle 102 with the track 106 and position the vehicle 102 on the track 106.

[0027] In response to automatically aligning the vehicle 102 with the track 106 or in response to the vehicle user aligning the vehicle 102, the unit can determine that the vehicle 102 may be properly aligned with the track 106 (and positioned on the track 106) based on the input obtained from the first detection unit and / or the second detection unit. In response to determining that the vehicle 102 may be properly aligned / positioned, the unit can perform another action. For example, the unit can automatically place the vehicle 102 in a neutral mode and output / transmit a notification to the vehicle user (e.g., via a vehicle infotainment system or a user device) indicating that the vehicle 102 is placed in a neutral mode. Alternatively, when the vehicle 102 may be aligned on the track 106, the unit can transmit an instruction / notification to the vehicle user requesting the vehicle user to place the vehicle 102 in a neutral mode.

[0028] Similarly, the unit may perform another action when the vehicle 102 leaves the station wash 104 (i.e., when the vehicle 102 is in stage C). For example, when the vehicle 102 leaves the station wash 104, the unit may re-enable the vehicle's windshield wipers, take the vehicle 102 out of neutral mode, and deploy the side mirrors in the manner described above (e.g., automatically or by transmitting instructions to the vehicle user).

[0029] Combined with the following Figure 2Additional details of the vehicle 102 and units are described.

[0030] Although the above description describes the aspect of the vehicle 102 driving through the car wash station 104, the present disclosure is not limited to such aspect. In other aspects of the present disclosure, the vehicle 102 can be pulled into the interior of the car wash station 104 through the car wash entry point 108 and can return through the same car wash entry point 108. In other words, the car wash entry point 108 can be the same as the car wash exit point 110.

[0031] In addition, although the above description describes the aspect that the car wash station 104 includes the track 106 and multiple zones, the present disclosure is not limited to such aspects. In another aspect, the car wash station 104 may not have the track 106 and / or multiple zones.

[0032] In a further aspect, the car wash station 104 may include a robotic arm that can move around the vehicle 102 to clean the vehicle 102 (and may not require the vehicle 102 to move during the cleaning operation). In such a case, the unit can align the vehicle 102 at the desired location (e.g., by using a vehicle detection unit) and can perform the actions described above. As an example, when the unit determines that the vehicle 102 may be approaching the car wash station 104, the unit can automatically disable the vehicle's wipers and / or fold the side mirrors.

[0033] The vehicle 102, unit and / or vehicle user implement and / or perform operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the vehicle owner's manual and safety guidelines. In addition, any action taken by the vehicle user based on recommendations or notifications provided by the vehicle 102 and / or unit should comply with all rules specific to the location (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.) and operation of the vehicle 102. Recommendations or notifications as provided by the vehicle 102 and / or unit should be considered suggestions and followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102.

[0034] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example system 200 for controlling operation of a vehicle 202 in a car wash station 104 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 2 When Figure 3 and Figure 4 .

[0035] System 200 may include a vehicle 202, which may be combined with the above Figure 1 The system 200 may also include a server 204 that may be communicatively coupled to the vehicle 202 via one or more networks 206. In some aspects, the server 204 may be combined with the operation described above. Figure 1The server 204 may be associated with the company / operator of the station wash 104 described. The server 204 may store information associated with the station wash map or architecture, such as the location of the track 106, the car wash entry point 108, the car wash exit point 110, etc. The server 204 may transmit the information associated with the station wash map or architecture to the vehicle 202 via the network 206 at a predefined frequency or when the vehicle 202 transmits a request to the server 204 to obtain the information.

[0036] The network 206 illustrates an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. The network 206 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), BLE, Wi-Fi based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, ultra-wideband (UWB), and cellular technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPDA), long-term evolution (LTE), global system for mobile communications (GSM), and fifth generation (5G), to name a few examples.

[0037] The vehicle 202 may include a plurality of units including, but not limited to, a vehicle computer 208, a vehicle control unit (VCU) 210, and a car wash management unit 212. The VCU 210 may include a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 214 arranged to communicate with the vehicle computer 208.

[0038] The vehicle computer 208 may be installed anywhere in the vehicle 202. The vehicle computer 208 may be or include an electronic vehicle controller having one or more processors 216 and memory 218.

[0039] The processor 216 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (eg, memory 218 and / or memory 219) configured to communicate with a corresponding computing system. Figure 2The processor 216 may utilize the memory 218 to store programs and / or store data in code form to execute various aspects of the present disclosure. The memory 218 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium or memory that stores the car wash management program code. The memory 218 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0040] According to some aspects, the VCU 210 can share a power bus with the vehicle computer 208 and can be configured and / or programmed to coordinate data between vehicle systems, connected servers, and other vehicles (not shown) operating as part of a vehicle fleet. The VCU 210 can include or communicate with any combination of ECUs 214, such as, for example, a body control module (BCM) 220, an engine control module (ECM) 222, a transmission control module (TCM) 224, a telematics control unit (TCU) 226, a driver assistance technology (DAT) controller 228, etc. The VCU 210 may also include and / or communicate with a vehicle perception system (VPS) 230, which can connect and / or control one or more vehicle sensing systems 232. The vehicle sensing system 232 may include one or more vehicle sensors, including but not limited to radio detection and ranging (RADAR or "radar") sensors configured to use radio waves to detect and locate objects inside and outside the vehicle 202, seating area lock sensors, seating area sensors, light detection and ranging ("lidar") sensors, door sensors, proximity sensors, wheel sensors, ambient weather sensors, interior and exterior vehicle cameras, steering wheel sensors, etc.

[0041] In some aspects, the vehicle sensing system 232 may include the above combined Figure 1 The first detection unit and the second detection unit described herein. The first detection unit may include a vehicle external camera (e.g., a vehicle front windshield camera, a vehicle rear view camera, a vehicle side view camera, a vehicle 360 ​​degree camera, etc.), which may be configured to capture images of a geographic area outside the vehicle 202 (and / or detect the vehicle position relative to the track 106). The second detection unit may include one or more of a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and / or other proximity sensors configured to detect the vehicle position relative to the track 106.

[0042] In some aspects, the VCU 210 may control aspects of vehicle operation and implement one or more instruction sets stored in the memory 218 and / or instructions received from the car wash management unit 212 .

[0043] The TCU 226 may be configured and / or programmed to provide vehicle connectivity to wireless computing systems on and off the vehicle 202 and may include a navigation (NAV) receiver 234 for receiving and processing GPS signals, module (BLEM) 236 or BUN (BLE, UWB, NFC module), Wi-Fi transceiver, ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver, low frequency antenna, remote tuner module (RTM) antenna and / or other wireless transceiver / antenna (such as BLEM) 236 that can be configured for wireless communication (including cellular communication) between the vehicle 202 and other systems (e.g., server 204), computers and modules Figure 2 (not shown). The TCU 226 may be configured to communicate with the ECU 214 via a bus.

[0044] ECU 214 may control various aspects of vehicle operation and communications using input from a human driver, input from an autonomous vehicle controller and / or DAT controller 228, and / or via wireless signal input received over a wireless connection from other connected devices (such as user devices, servers (including server 204), etc.).

[0045] The BCM 220 typically includes an integration of sensors, vehicle performance indicators, and varactors associated with vehicle systems, and may include processor-based power distribution circuits that may control functions associated with the vehicle body, such as lights, windows, security devices, cameras, audio systems, speakers, wipers, mirrors (e.g., side mirrors), vehicle gear systems, door locks and access controls, and various comfort controls. The BCM 220 may also operate as a gateway for bus and network interfaces to communicate with remote ECUs ( Figure 2 (not shown) to interact.

[0046] The DAT controller 228 may provide Level 1 to Level 3 automated driving and driver assistance functions, which may include, for example, active park assist, vehicle back-up assist, and / or adaptive cruise control, etc. The DAT controller 228 may also provide aspects of user and environmental input that may be used for user authentication.

[0047] In some aspects, the vehicle computer 208 can be connected to an infotainment system 238. The infotainment system 238 can include a touch screen interface portion, and can include a voice recognition feature, a biometric recognition capability that can recognize a user based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric recognition means. In other aspects, the infotainment system 238 can also be configured to receive user commands via the touch screen interface portion, and / or display notifications (including visual alert notifications), navigation maps, etc. on the touch screen interface portion.

[0048] The computing system architecture of the vehicle computer 208 and the VCU 210 may omit certain computing modules. It should be easy to understand that Figure 2 The computing environment depicted in FIG. 1 is an example of possible implementations according to the present disclosure and, therefore, should not be considered limiting or exclusive.

[0049] The vehicle 202 may also include a car wash management unit 212, as described above. The car wash management unit 212 may include one or more components, including but not limited to a transceiver 240, a processor 242, and a memory 244 that may be communicatively coupled to one another. In some aspects, the processor 242 and the memory 244 may be the same or similar to the processor 216 and the memory 218.

[0050] Processor 242 may be an artificial intelligence (AI) based processor and may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 244 and / or one or more external databases ( Figure 2 The processor 242 may utilize the memory 244 to store programs and / or store data in code form to perform various unit operations according to the present disclosure. The memory 244 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium or memory that stores the car wash management program code. The memory 244 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0051] In some aspects, the memory 244 may store computer executable instructions, and the processor 242 may be configured and / or programmed to execute the stored computer executable instructions for performing unit functions according to the present disclosure. Specifically, the memory 244 may store computer executable instructions associated with one or more supervised or unsupervised machine learning algorithms, and the computer executable instructions may enable the processor 242 to perform unit functions. Examples of machine learning algorithms include, but are not limited to, algorithms associated with linear classifiers (logistic regression, naive Bayes classifiers), nearest neighbors, support vector machines, decision trees, boosted trees, random forests, hidden Markov models, and / or neural networks.

[0052] In operation, the processor 242 may obtain input from the first detection unit via the transceiver 240. In some aspects, the processor 242 may obtain input from the first detection unit when the processor 242 determines that a predetermined condition may be satisfied. For example, the processor 242 may obtain input from the first detection unit when the processor 242 determines that the vehicle 202 may be near / approaching the station wash 104 (e.g., by using GPS navigation / signals obtained from the NAV receiver 234). Additionally or alternatively, the processor 242 may obtain input from the first detection unit when the vehicle speed may be less than a predetermined threshold (e.g., less than 25 mph) determined based on input obtained from the VCU 210.

[0053] In response to obtaining input from the first detection unit, the processor 242 can determine that the vehicle 202 may be approaching or heading toward the car wash station 104. In some aspects, the processor 242 can determine that the vehicle 202 may be located within a predetermined distance from the car wash entry point 108 based on the input obtained from the first detection unit. In an exemplary aspect, the processor 242 can use the input from the first detection unit / vehicle camera (such as Figure 3 The images obtained by the front windshield camera (FWC) 302 shown in FIG. 1 and the artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) algorithm (in FIG. 244 ) stored in the memory 244 are used to calculate the image quality of the image. Figure 3 304) to determine that the vehicle 202 may be approaching / entering the car wash station 104 via the car wash entry point 108 (e.g., Figure 3 For example, the processor 242 may use the AI / ML algorithm 304 and compare the obtained image with a pre-stored image associated with the station wash (which may be stored in the memory 244) to determine that the vehicle 202 may be approaching the station wash 104. In addition, the processor 242 may obtain information associated with the station wash map / architecture from the server 204 (via the transceiver 240), and may then determine that the vehicle 202 may be located within a predetermined distance from the station wash entry point 108.

[0054] In response to determining that the vehicle 202 may be approaching the car wash entry point 108 and / or the vehicle 202 may be disposed / located within a predetermined distance from the car wash entry point 108, the processor 242 may perform a predetermined action (e.g., a first predefined action). In some aspects, the predetermined action may include disabling / turning off automatic operation of the vehicle's windshield wipers (as shown in block 308). For example, when the vehicle may be in stage A (as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 The processor 242 may transmit an instruction to the BCM 220 to turn off the vehicle wipers. The processor 242 may also output / transmit (e.g., via the transceiver 240) a notification (e.g., a notification message) to a vehicle user via the infotainment system 238 in response to disabling the vehicle wiper operation. Figure 3 310 of FIG. 1 ). Figure 4 An example notification 402 notifying a vehicle user that the vehicle wipers are deactivated / disabled is depicted in FIG. 24. In another aspect, when the processor 242 determines that the vehicle 202 may be in stage A, the predetermined action may include transmitting a notification to the vehicle user via the infotainment system 238 requesting the vehicle user to manually turn off the vehicle wipers. The vehicle user may see / hear the notification and may turn off the vehicle wipers accordingly.

[0055] In a similar manner, when the processor 242 determines that the vehicle 202 may be in stage A (i.e., when the vehicle 202 may be approaching the car wash entry point 108 and / or disposed or located within a predetermined distance from the car wash entry point 108), the processor 242 may automatically fold the side mirrors and close the vehicle windows. In this case, when the vehicle 202 may be in stage A, the processor 242 may transmit instructions to the BCM 220 to fold the mirrors and close the windows. Alternatively, when the vehicle 202 may be in stage A, the vehicle 202 may transmit instructions to the vehicle user via the infotainment system 238 to manually fold the side mirrors and close the vehicle windows.

[0056] In further aspects, the processor 242 may obtain input from the first detection unit and / or the second detection unit, and may estimate the distance between the vehicle 202 and the track 106 based on the obtained input. For example, the processor 242 may obtain input from the ultrasonic sensor 312a and the radar sensor 312b (which may be part of the second detection unit) and the front bumper camera (FBC) 312c (which may be part of the first detection unit), and may estimate the distance between the vehicle 202 and the track 106 based on the input. In response to the estimated distance, the processor 242 may determine the vehicle position relative to the track 106 based on the estimated distance, and may determine whether the vehicle 202 may have entered stage B (or in the car wash station 104) based on the vehicle position.

[0057] In some aspects, the processor 242 may use the position feature set (shown in block 314), the stereo camera distance algorithm (shown in block 316), and the AI / ML algorithm 304 to determine the vehicle position (or alignment) relative to the track 106 (as shown in block 318). The processor 242 may be configured to perform a predetermined action (e.g., a second predefined action) in response to determining that the vehicle 102 may have entered stage B (based on the vehicle position relative to the track 106). In some aspects, when the vehicle 202 may have entered stage B, the second predefined action may include, such as automatically moving the vehicle 202 (e.g., the vehicle wheels, as shown in block 320) and aligning it with the track 106 via the DAT controller 228. For example, the processor 242 may transmit an instruction / command signal to the ECU 214 to move the vehicle 202 so that the vehicle 202 can be aligned with the track 106. In some aspects, the processor 242 may instead transmit a notification / instruction to the vehicle user via the infotainment system 238 to manually align the vehicle 202 with the track 106.

[0058] In response to transmitting a command signal to the ECU 214 or transmitting a notification to the user (via the infotainment system 238), the processor 242 can determine whether the vehicle 202 is likely aligned with the track 106 based on the input obtained from the first detection unit and / or the second detection unit. In response to determining that the vehicle 202 is likely not aligned with the track 106, the processor 242 can transmit instructions / feedback to the ECU 214 or the vehicle user via the infotainment system 238 to properly align the vehicle 202 with the track 106 and position the vehicle 202 on the track 106.

[0059] In some aspects, when the vehicle 202 is likely to be aligned / positioned on the track 106, the processor 242 may perform a predetermined action (e.g., a third predefined action). The third predetermined action may include transmitting an instruction to the ECU 214 to automatically place the vehicle 202 in a neutral mode, as shown in block 322. In other words, when the vehicle 202 is likely to be positioned on the track 106, the processor 242 may place the vehicle 202 in a neutral mode (so that the track 106 can conveniently pull the vehicle 202 through multiple zones in the station wash 104). The processor 242 may also transmit a notification to the vehicle user via the infotainment system 238 indicating that the vehicle 202 is placed in the neutral mode, as shown in block 324. Alternatively, when the processor 242 determines that the vehicle 202 is likely to be positioned / aligned on the track 106, the processor 242 may transmit an instruction / notification to the vehicle user via the infotainment system 238 requesting the vehicle user to manually place the vehicle 202 in the neutral mode.

[0060] In additional aspects, the processor 242 may obtain input from other sensing systems such as the vehicle interior camera 326 and the side view camera (SVC) 328 (and other camera units), and may use a landmark detection AI / ML algorithm (shown in block 330) to perform one or more of the above operations. For example, the processor 242 may obtain images from the above cameras, and may perform gesture recognition on the obtained images to control vehicle operation / movement based on the gesture recognition, such as aligning the vehicle 202 with the track 106, placing the vehicle 202 in a neutral mode, etc.

[0061] In further aspects, the processor 242 may determine that the vehicle 202 may be leaving the station wash 104 (e.g., after being washed / cleaned) based on input obtained from the first detection unit and / or the second detection unit. For example, the processor 242 may obtain input from a rear view camera (RVC) 332 and may use the AI / ML algorithm 304 to determine that the vehicle 202 may be leaving the station wash 104 (as shown in block 334). In some aspects, the processor 242 may use the AI / ML algorithm 304 and compare the image obtained from the RVC 332 with a pre-stored image (stored in the memory 244) associated with the station wash 104 to determine that the vehicle 202 may be leaving the station wash 104. Additionally, the processor 242 may use information associated with the station wash map / architecture (which the processor 242 may obtain from the server 204) and the obtained image to determine that the vehicle 202 may be leaving the station wash exit point 110 (or may be in stage C).

[0062] In response to determining that the vehicle 202 may be leaving the car wash station 104, the processor 242 may perform another predetermined action (e.g., a fourth predefined action). In some aspects, the fourth predetermined action may be opposite to the first predetermined direction. For example, when the vehicle 202 may be in stage C, the fourth predetermined action may include re-enabling the vehicle wipers or turning on the vehicle wipers (as shown in box 338). In some aspects, the processor 242 may turn on the automatic operation of the vehicle wipers after a predefined delay (shown as box 336). The predefined delay may be a time-based delay or a distance-based delay. For example, the processor 242 may turn on the vehicle wipers after the vehicle 202 leaves the car wash station 104 for a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 seconds to 30 seconds). In another aspect, when the vehicle 102 may be set at a predetermined distance (e.g., 10 meters to 20 meters) away from the car wash exit point 110 after leaving the car wash station 104, the processor 242 may turn on the vehicle wipers. The processor 242 may also transmit a notification to the vehicle user via the infotainment system 238 indicating that automatic operation of the vehicle's windshield wipers is enabled. In yet another aspect, the processor 242 may transmit an instruction to the vehicle user (via the infotainment system 238) requesting the vehicle user to manually enable automatic operation of the vehicle's windshield wipers. In a similar manner, when the processor 242 determines that the vehicle 202 may have left the station wash 104, the processor 242 may cause the vehicle 202 to disengage from a neutral mode, deploy side mirrors, etc.

[0063] In further aspects, the processor 242 may be configured to determine an action to be performed in response to determining that the vehicle 202 may be approaching the car wash entry point 108 and / or that the vehicle 202 may be disposed / located within a predetermined / predefined distance from the car wash entry point 108. In response to the determination of the action, the action may include automatically disabling / turning off automatic operation of the vehicle's wipers, deploying side mirrors and closing vehicle windows, aligning the vehicle 202 relative to the track 106, placing the vehicle in a neutral mode, etc. Alternatively, in response to the determination of the action, the action may include outputting a notification / instruction to a vehicle user requesting the vehicle to manually perform the above-mentioned action.

[0064] In some aspects, when the vehicle 202 may be approaching the car wash entry point 108, the processor 242 may determine a first action. The first action may include one or more steps (such as a first step and a second step). For example, the first action may include placing the vehicle in neutral mode, and the one or more steps associated with the first action may include stepping on and holding the vehicle deceleration pedal, shifting the vehicle to neutral, pressing a low speed button on a dial (such as a rotary dial), releasing the vehicle deceleration pedal, turning off the vehicle, deactivating the stop-start function, etc. In some aspects, the processor 242 may output a first notification to the vehicle user requesting the vehicle user to perform the first step (e.g., stepping on and holding the vehicle deceleration pedal). In addition, in response to outputting the first notification, the processor 242 may determine that the first step may have been completed. For example, the processor 242 may obtain input from the VCU 210 and determine that the vehicle user may have completed the first step. In response to determining that the first step may have been completed, the processor 242 may output a second notification to the vehicle user requesting the vehicle user to perform the second step (e.g., shifting the vehicle to neutral, pressing the low speed button and / or releasing the vehicle deceleration pedal). In addition, in response to outputting the second notification (e.g., based on input obtained from VCU 210), processor 242 can determine that the second step may be completed. Processor 242 can output a third notification indicating that the first action may be completed based on determining that the first step and the second step may be completed.

[0065] In further aspects, when the vehicle 202 may be approaching the car wash entry point 108, the processor 242 may be configured to determine a second action. The processor 242 may determine the second action in sequence with the first action or in any order. The second action may include disabling the vehicle wipers, folding the side mirrors, closing the windows, etc. In some aspects, when the vehicle 202 may be approaching the car wash entry point 108, the processor 242 may output a fourth notification to the vehicle user requesting the vehicle user to manually disable the operation of the vehicle wipers (or fold the side mirrors, close the windows, etc.). When the vehicle user disables the operation of the vehicle wipers, the processor 242 may also output a fifth notification confirming that the operation of the vehicle wipers may be disabled.

[0066] In further aspects, when the vehicle 202 may be approaching the car wash entry point 108, the processor 242 may be configured to determine a third action. The third action may include aligning the vehicle 202 relative to the track 106. In some aspects, the processor 242 may obtain input from the second detection unit and may estimate the distance between the vehicle 202 and the track 106 based on the input. Based on the estimate of the distance, the processor 242 may output a sixth notification to the vehicle user requesting the vehicle user to manually align the vehicle 202 relative to the lane 106. In response to outputting the sixth notification, the processor 242 may also determine that the vehicle 202 can be aligned. In some aspects, the processor 242 may determine that the vehicle 202 can be aligned relative to the track 106 based on the input obtained from the second detection unit. In response to determining that the vehicle 202 can be aligned, the processor 242 may output the first notification as described above (e.g., to initiate the step of placing the vehicle 202 in a neutral mode).

[0067] In other aspects, the processor 242 can be configured to determine a fourth action to be performed when the vehicle 202 may be leaving the car wash exit point 110. The processor 242 can output a seventh notification requesting the vehicle user to perform the fourth action in response to the determination of the fourth action. The fourth action can include, for example, re-enabling the vehicle wipers and / or disengaging the vehicle from a neutral mode. In some aspects, the processor 242 can be configured to output the seventh notification after the vehicle 202 leaves the car wash station 104 for a predetermined duration. In other aspects, the processor 242 can be configured to output the seventh notification when the vehicle 202 may be away from the car wash exit point 110 by a predetermined distance after leaving the car wash station 104.

[0068] In other aspects, the processor 242 can be configured to automatically perform the first action, the second action, the third action, and the fourth action in response to the determination of the corresponding action. The processor 242 can perform the first action, the second action, and the third action simultaneously or sequentially in any order.

[0069] Figure 5 A flow chart depicts an example method 500 for controlling operation of a vehicle 202 in a car wash station 104 according to the present disclosure. Figure 5 The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than shown or described herein, and may include the steps in an order different from that described in the example embodiments below.

[0070] The method 500 begins at step 502. At step 504, the method 500 may include obtaining, by the processor 242, input from a detection unit (eg, a first detection unit and / or a second detection unit).

[0071] At step 506, the method 500 may include determining, by the processor 242 based on the obtained input, that the vehicle 202 may be within a predefined distance from the car wash entry point 108. In other words, the processor 242 may determine that the vehicle 202 may be approaching the car wash station 104 based on the obtained input.

[0072] At step 508, the method 500 may include determining, by the processor 242, a first action to be performed when the vehicle 202 may be within a predefined distance from the car wash entry point 108. The first action may include one or more steps (including the first step and the second step described above) that may be performed in sequence by the vehicle user. In some aspects, the first action may include placing the vehicle 202 in a neutral mode, and the one or more steps may include depressing and holding a vehicle deceleration pedal, shifting the vehicle 202 into neutral, pressing a low speed button, releasing the vehicle deceleration pedal, turning off the vehicle 202, deactivating a stop-start function, and the like.

[0073] At step 510, the method 500 may include outputting, by the processor 242, a first notification requesting the vehicle user to perform the first step. At step 512, the method 500 may include determining, by the processor 242, that the first step may have been completed. At step 514, the method 500 may include outputting, by the processor 242, a second notification requesting the vehicle user to perform the second step in response to determining that the first step may have been completed. At step 516, the method 500 may include determining, by the processor 242, that the second step may have been completed. At step 518, the method 500 may include outputting, by the processor 242, a third notification indicating that the first action may have been completed based on determining that the first step and the second step may have been completed. At step 520, the method 500 may stop.

[0074] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present disclosure can be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in this specification to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the specific features, structures, or characteristics. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when features, structures, or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0075] In addition, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and programs described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that have different names but the same function.

[0076] It should also be understood that the word "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the word "example" as used herein indicates one of several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the specific example described.

[0077] Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0078] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. 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 may be practiced by performing the described steps in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of the processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0079] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should be determined with reference to the entire scope of the appended claims and equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and change.

[0080] Unless explicitly indicated to the contrary in this article, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless the claim states an explicit limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" and the like should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood in other ways within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "may", "can" or "may" is generally intended to express that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements and / or steps. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require each feature, element and / or step in any way.

[0081] According to the present invention, a method includes: obtaining input from a detection unit by a processor, wherein the detection unit is configured to capture an image of the exterior of a vehicle; determining by the processor based on the input that the vehicle is within a predefined distance of a station wash entry point associated with the station wash; determining by the processor a first action to be performed when the vehicle is within the predefined distance, wherein the first action includes one or more steps; outputting by the processor a first notification of executing a first step of the one or more steps; determining by the processor that the first step has been completed; outputting by the processor a second notification of executing a second step of the one or more steps in response to determining that the first step has been completed; determining by the processor that the second step has been completed; and outputting by the processor a third notification indicating that the first action has been completed based on determining that the first step and the second step have been completed.

[0082] In one aspect of the invention, the first action includes placing the vehicle in a neutral mode.

[0083] In one aspect of the invention, the one or more steps include depressing and holding a vehicle deceleration pedal, shifting the vehicle into neutral, pressing a low speed button, releasing the vehicle deceleration pedal, shutting off the vehicle, and deactivating a stop-start function.

[0084] In one aspect of the invention, the method comprises determining a second action to be performed when the vehicle is within the predefined distance, wherein the second action comprises disabling vehicle wipers.

[0085] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to: obtain input from a detection unit, wherein the detection unit is configured to capture an image of the exterior of a vehicle; determine, based on the input, that the vehicle is within a predefined distance of a station wash entry point associated with the station wash; determine a first action to be performed when the vehicle is within the predefined distance, wherein the first action includes one or more steps; output a first notification of performing a first step of the one or more steps; determine that the first step has been completed; output a second notification of performing a second step of the one or more steps in response to determining that the first step has been completed; determine, by the processor, that the second step has been completed; and output a third notification indicating that the first action has been completed based on determining that the first step and the second step have been completed.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising: a first detection unit configured to capture an image of an exterior of the vehicle; a processor communicatively coupled to the first detection unit, wherein the processor is configured to: obtaining an input from the first detection unit; determining, based on the input, that the vehicle is within a predefined distance of a station wash entry point associated with the station wash; determining a first action to be performed when the vehicle is within the predefined distance, wherein the first action comprises one or more steps; Outputting a first notification of executing a first step of the one or more steps; Determining that the first step has been completed; outputting a second notification of executing a second step of the one or more steps in response to determining that the first step has been completed; Determining that the second step has been completed; as well as A third notification indicating that the first action has been completed is output based on determining that the first step and the second step have been completed.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first action comprises placing the vehicle in a neutral mode.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more steps include depressing and holding a vehicle deceleration pedal, shifting the vehicle into neutral, pressing a low speed button, releasing the vehicle deceleration pedal, shutting off the vehicle, and deactivating a stop-start function.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a second action to be performed when the vehicle is within the predefined distance, wherein the second action includes disabling vehicle wipers. 5 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to output a fourth notification disabling operation of vehicle wipers when the vehicle is within the predefined distance.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a second detection unit configured to detect a position of the vehicle relative to a track associated with the station wash.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtaining input from the second detection unit; and A distance between the vehicle and the track is estimated based on the input from the second detection unit.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to output a fifth notification to align the vehicle on the track based on the estimate of the distance.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the vehicle is aligned with the track based on the input from the second detection unit.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to output the first notification in response to determining that the vehicle is aligned with the track.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: determining that the vehicle is leaving the station wash station based on the input from the first detection unit; determining a third action to be performed based on determining that the vehicle is leaving the station wash; and A sixth notification of performing the third action is output in response to a determination of the third action.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to output the sixth notification a predetermined duration after the vehicle has been away from the station wash.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to output the sixth notification when the vehicle is a predetermined distance away from a car wash exit point after leaving the car wash station.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the third action includes re-activating vehicle wipers and / or taking the vehicle out of neutral mode.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: comparing the image to a pre-stored image associated with the station wash; and The vehicle is determined to be within the predefined distance of the station wash entry point based on comparing the image to a pre-stored image associated with the station wash.

Images