Notification system and method for vehicle controlled by external interface

Abstract

The invention provides a notification system and method for a vehicle controlled by an external interface. A vehicle is disclosed that includes a transceiver and a processor. The transceiver may be configured to receive a request to activate an external interface movement mode associated with the vehicle to enable vehicle movement control via the external interface. The external interface may be configured to be removably attached to a vehicle exterior surface. The processor may be configured to obtain a request from the transceiver and determine that a predefined condition may be satisfied in response to obtaining the request. The processor may also be configured to activate an external interface movement mode in response to determining that the predefined condition may be satisfied. In addition, the processor may output a notification via a vehicle exterior light and / or a vehicle speaker in response to activating the external interface movement mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a notification system and method for a vehicle controlled by an external interface configured to be removably attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle. Background Art

[0002] When the user may be performing an outdoor activity or task, the user may frequently move their vehicle within a relatively short distance. For example, when the user performs an activity, the user may frequently move the user's vehicle within a short distance (e.g., 5 to 10 meters).

[0003] It may be inconvenient for a user to frequently enter and move a vehicle and then exit the vehicle multiple times to perform activities, and thus the user may not like to frequently enter the vehicle when the user may be performing such activities. Therefore, it may be desirable to have a system that can enable a user to conveniently move a vehicle within a relatively short distance without repeatedly entering and exiting the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure describes a vehicle that can be moved by using an external interface that can be removably attached to the outer surface of the vehicle. A user can cause the vehicle to move and / or the vehicle steering wheel to rotate by providing user input to the interface, and the interface can transmit the user input to the vehicle via a wired connection or a wireless network to cause the vehicle to move and / or the vehicle steering wheel to rotate. In some aspects, a user can transmit to the vehicle via a user device or a vehicle human-machine interface (HMI) to enable an external interface mobile mode associated with the vehicle to cause and / or control the movement of the vehicle via the interface. In response to receiving the request, the vehicle can authenticate the user, determine that the user may be within a predefined distance from the vehicle and / or authenticate the interface. Then, when the user and / or the interface may be authenticated and / or the user may be within a predefined distance from the vehicle, the vehicle can activate the external interface mobile mode. When the external interface mobile mode can be activated, the user can begin to cause and / or control the movement of the vehicle via the interface.

[0005] In some aspects, in response to activating an external interface movement mode, the vehicle may output one or more notifications via vehicle exterior lights and / or vehicle speakers to notify / alert bystanders who may be located near the vehicle of the activation of the external interface movement mode. The notification may indicate to bystanders that an external interface movement mode associated with the vehicle may be activated, and therefore the vehicle may move via the interface. In other aspects, when a user may be causing and / or controlling vehicle movement via the interface, the vehicle may output additional notifications indicating vehicle speed, vehicle movement direction, vehicle steering wheel rotation angle, etc. to help bystanders understand vehicle movement. In some aspects, the vehicle may output the above notifications in different visual and / or auditory modes via vehicle exterior lights and / or vehicle speakers so that bystanders can easily know different vehicle movements.

[0006] In additional aspects, the vehicle may output one or more additional notifications via vehicle exterior lights and / or vehicle speakers to notify / advise the user of possible obstacles near the vehicle, faulty interface conditions, and / or when an external device / tool ​​may be attached to the vehicle power socket via a wired connection. In some aspects, the vehicle may disable (or not enable) the external interface mobile mode when the vehicle determines that the external device / tool ​​may be attached to the vehicle power socket via a wired connection. The vehicle may enable (or re-enable) the external interface mobile mode only when the external device / tool ​​may be removed or disassembled from the vehicle power socket.

[0007] The present disclosure describes a vehicle that can be moved by providing input to an interface that can be removably attached to an outer surface of the vehicle. The interface can enable a user to cause the vehicle to move without entering an interior portion of the vehicle. Since the user is not required to enter the vehicle to cause the vehicle to move, the interface can facilitate the user to perform outdoor activities that may require frequent vehicle movement over short distances, such as farming, laying fences, etc. In addition, the vehicle can output notifications to remind / inform bystanders and users of the vehicle's movement status, interface status, etc., which can enhance the convenience of bystanders and users.

[0008] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] 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.

[0010] Figure 1An environment is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0011] Figure 2 A block diagram of a system for outputting notifications from a vehicle according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0012] Figure 3 A top view of a vehicle according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0013] Figure 4 Depicted are lighting patterns output from vehicle exterior lights in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 5 Depicted are patterns of audio notifications output from one or more vehicle speakers in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 6 A flow chart of a notification method according to the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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 and a user 104. The user 104 may be performing outdoor activities in a farm 106 where the vehicle 102 may be located. For example, the user 104 may be sowing plants around the farm perimeter or may be laying a fence. The user 104 may be using the vehicle cargo box to store materials 108 that may be needed to perform outdoor activities, such as sand, plants, equipment / tools, fertilizer, etc. In some aspects, when the user 104 performs outdoor activities around the farm perimeter, the user 104 may be required to frequently move the vehicle 102 within a short distance (e.g., 5 to 10 meters).

[0018] The vehicle 102 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 minivan, etc. Furthermore, the vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle, and / or may be configured to operate in a fully autonomous (e.g., driverless) mode or 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.

[0019] Environment 100 may also include external interface 110 (or interface 110), which may be configured to be removably attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle (or interior surface of the vehicle). In some aspects, the exterior surface of the vehicle may include one or more cavities or slots or connection ports into which user 104 may embed / attach or "insert" interface 110. As examples, the connection ports may be provided on the top surface of a vehicle sidewall, on the right and left edges of a vehicle bumper, on a vehicle cargo bed, etc. Figure 1 In the exemplary aspect depicted in FIG. 1 , the interface 110 is attached to a top surface of a vehicle sidewall, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an aspect.

[0020] The interface 110 can be configured to cause and / or control vehicle movement based on user input. In some aspects, by using the interface 110, it may not be necessary for the user 104 to enter and exit the vehicle 102 multiple times to frequently move the vehicle 102 within a short distance around the perimeter of the farm. Because the interface 110 can be configured to be removably attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle, the user 104 can conveniently cause and control vehicle movement from outside the vehicle 102 by using the interface 110.

[0021] In some aspects, the interface 110 can be configured to cause and / or control vehicle movement when the interface 110 can be attached to one of the above-mentioned connection ports. In other aspects, the interface 110 can be configured to cause and / or control vehicle movement by wirelessly transmitting command signals to the vehicle 102 when the interface 110 can be set within a predefined distance from the vehicle 102.

[0022] In some aspects, the interface 110 can be dome-shaped (eg, Figure 1102 ), and may include a user input detection unit (not shown), which includes but is not limited to a pressure sensor, a spring-loaded rotational position sensing element, etc., which can detect user input associated with desired vehicle movement when the user 104 interacts with the interface 110. As an example, when the user 104 desires the vehicle 102 to move forward, the user 104 can provide a "forward push" to the interface 110. The forward push can be detected by the pressure sensor included in the user input detection unit, and the pressure sensor can then generate a current / command signal, which can be transmitted to the vehicle 102 via a wired connection or a wireless network to cause the vehicle to move forward. Similarly, when the user 104 desires the vehicle 102 to move in a reverse direction, the user 104 can provide a "backward push" to the interface 110. In addition, when the user 104 desires the vehicle steering wheel to rotate to the right or left, the user 104 can rotate the interface 110 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. In this case, the spring loaded rotational position sensing element may generate a command signal that may enable the vehicle 102 to cause the vehicle steering wheel to rotate to the right or left.

[0023] In other aspects, the interface 110 can have the shape of an elongated bar or stick and can function like a joystick with one or more tilt and / or pressure and / or displacement sensors, torsional motion sensors, etc. In yet another aspect, the interface 110 can include a plurality of switches or buttons on a switchboard that can be removably attached to the vehicle 102 or can be handheld. Although Figure 1 The interface 110 is depicted as being dome-shaped, but this depiction should not be construed as limiting, and the interface 110 may have any other shape as described above. Specifically, Figure 1 The dome-shaped interface depicted in is for illustrative purposes only, and the methods and systems described in this disclosure may operate equally effectively with any other type of interface that performs similar functions as interface 110 .

[0024] In some aspects, in order to cause and / or control vehicle movement using interface 110, user 104 may first activate an external interface movement mode associated with vehicle 102. For example, when user 104 desires to cause and / or control vehicle movement using interface 110, user 104 may transmit a request to vehicle 102 to activate the external interface movement mode. User 104 may activate the external interface movement mode via a user device (on Figure 2 202) or a vehicle human machine interface (HMI) or a vehicle infotainment system (shown in Figure 2In response to receiving the request, vehicle 102 may authenticate user 104, determine whether user 104 may be near vehicle 102 and / or authenticate interface 110 (e.g., to determine that interface 110 is an authentication interface associated with vehicle 102), and then enable user 104 to cause and / or control vehicle movement using interface 110.

[0025] In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may authenticate the user 104 by requesting the user 104 to enter a preset password / password on the infotainment system or user device, by authenticating the user device (e.g., when the user device may be executing a phone-as-a-key (PaaK) application and communicatively paired with the vehicle 102), and / or by authenticating and pairing with a key fob (not shown) associated with the vehicle 102 that the user 104 may carry. The methods described herein for authenticating the user 104 are exemplary in nature and should not be construed as limiting. The vehicle 102 may also authenticate the user 104 by any other method (e.g., facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, etc.) without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0026] The vehicle 102 may determine that the user 104 may be near the vehicle 102 by determining the user device location (when the user device may be executing a PaaK application and is communicatively paired with the vehicle 102) or the key fob location. When the user device may not be executing a PaaK application, the vehicle 102 may determine the user device location by determining a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value associated with the user device. In other aspects, the vehicle 102 may determine that the user 104 may be near the vehicle 102 by obtaining an image of the user from a vehicle camera and / or obtaining input from other vehicle sensors (e.g., a radio detection and ranging (radar) sensor). The methods described herein for determining that the user 104 may be near the vehicle 102 are exemplary in nature and should not be construed as limiting. The vehicle 102 may also determine the user location by any other method without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0027] When the interface 110 can be communicatively coupled with the vehicle 102 via a wireless network and / or when the interface 110 can be attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle via the connection port described above, the vehicle 102 can authenticate the interface 110 by exchanging a preset authentication code with the interface 110. When, for example, the interface 110 may be registered with the vehicle 102 for the first time (e.g., when the interface 110 may be used with the vehicle 102 for the first time), the preset authentication code may be pre-stored in the vehicle 102 and the interface 110. In other aspects, in addition to or in lieu of exchanging preset authentication codes, when the interface 110 can be communicatively coupled with the vehicle 102 and / or when the interface 110 can be attached to the connection port, the vehicle 102 and the interface 110 can authenticate the interface 110 from an external server (in Figure 2 In this case, the vehicle 102 can authenticate the interface 110 by obtaining the encryption key from the interface 110 and matching it with the encryption key that the vehicle 102 may have obtained from the external server. In some aspects, each time the interface 110 may be coupled / attached to the vehicle 102, the external server may generate a new encryption key and transmit it to the vehicle 102 and the interface 110.

[0028] When the vehicle 102 authenticates the user 104 and / or the interface 110, and / or determines that the user 104 may be located within a predefined distance from the vehicle 102, the vehicle 102 may determine that the predefined condition may be satisfied, and may then enable the interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement based on user input received at the interface 110. In other words, in this case, when the vehicle 102 determines that the predefined condition may be satisfied, the vehicle 102 may activate an external interface movement mode associated with the vehicle 102.

[0029] When vehicle 102 activates the external interface movement mode, user 104 may cause and / or control vehicle movement by using interface 110. For example, user 104 may provide input to interface 110 to cause the vehicle to move forward or reverse, change the vehicle speed, and / or rotate the vehicle steering wheel clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0030] In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may output one or more notifications to notify / alert bystanders / passersby in the vicinity of the vehicle 102 that the vehicle 102 may have activated the external interface movement mode and therefore the vehicle 102 may be moving and / or controlled by the interface 110. When the user 104 may be causing and / or controlling vehicle movement via the interface 110, the vehicle 102 may also output notifications indicating the vehicle speed, the rate of change of the vehicle speed, the direction of vehicle movement, the vehicle steering wheel rotation angle, etc.

[0031] In other aspects, the vehicle 102 may output a notification when the interface 110 may be faulty or may be connected to the vehicle exterior surface in an improper manner. Such notifications may help the user 104 to optimally use the interface 110 and / or repair the interface 110 when the interface 110 may be faulty. The vehicle 102 may additionally output a notification when an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian) may be present in the vicinity of the vehicle 102, when the user 104 may be using the interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement, or when the vehicle 102 may be moving / driving on a surface that may be rough, slippery, or tilted at an angle greater than a predefined tilt angle threshold.

[0032] In additional aspects, when the user 104 may be using the interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement and / or when the surface may be rough, slippery, or sloped, the vehicle 102 may implement limits on vehicle speed and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation angle when the vehicle 102 detects that an obstacle may be present near the vehicle 102. For example, when an obstacle may be detected, the vehicle 102 may not be able to increase the vehicle speed (as controlled by the interface 110) to greater than or exceeding the maximum allowable vehicle speed. Similarly, when the surface may be slippery, the vehicle 102 may not be able to increase the vehicle speed to greater than the maximum allowable vehicle speed.

[0033] In addition, the vehicle 102 may be configured to: when the vehicle 102 determines that one or more external devices / tools can be connected to the vehicle power transmission interface / power outlet via a wired connection (in Figure 3 When the external interface mobile mode is connected or plugged into the vehicle power transmission interface / power outlet (shown as power transmission interface 304 in FIG. 1 ), the external interface mobile mode is deactivated or not activated. In this case, the vehicle 102 may additionally output a notification requesting the user 104 to disconnect the external device / tool ​​from the vehicle power transmission interface before the external interface mobile mode can be activated, and the user 104 may be allowed to use the interface 110 to cause / control vehicle movement.

[0034] In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may include one or more exterior vehicle lights (in Figure 2 240) and one or more vehicle speakers (shown in FIG. Figure 2 The vehicle 102 may output the above different notifications by illuminating one or more vehicle exterior lights in different modes and / or by audibly outputting different notifications via one or more vehicle speakers in different modes or at different volumes. Figure 2 Describe the process of outputting notifications in detail.

[0035] The vehicle 102 and interface 110 implement and / or perform operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the owner's manual and safety guidelines. Additionally, any actions taken by the user 104 based on recommendations or notifications provided by the vehicle 102 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 should be considered suggestions and followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102.

[0036] Figure 2 A block diagram of a system 200 for outputting notifications from a vehicle 102 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 2 When Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 .

[0037] System 200 may include vehicle 102, interface 110, user device 202, and one or more servers 204 (or servers 204) communicatively coupled to each other via one or more networks 206 (or networks 206). In some aspects, vehicle 102 and interface 110 may be coupled to each other via one or more networks 206 (or networks 206). Figure 2 The networks 206 are shown as being communicatively coupled to one another via wired connections.

[0038] The user device 202 may be associated with the user 104 and may be, for example, a mobile phone, a laptop, a computer, a tablet, a wearable device, or any other similar device having communication capabilities. The server 204 may be part of a cloud-based computing infrastructure and may be associated with and / or include a telematics service delivery network (SDN) that provides digital data services to the vehicle 102 and other vehicles (not shown) that may be part of a fleet of vehicles. In other aspects, the server 204 may be configured to provide an encryption key to the vehicle 102 and the interface 110 to enable interface authentication when the user 104 transmits a request to activate an external interface mobile mode to the vehicle 102, for example, via the user device 202, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 As described.

[0039] The network 206 illustrates an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in the 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.

[0040] The interface 110 may include a plurality of interface sensors (not shown), including but not limited to pressure sensors, capacitive sensors, rotational position sensing elements, interface accelerometers, interface gyroscopes, interface magnetometers, etc. The interface 110 may be configured to determine / detect user inputs on the interface 110 associated with longitudinal movement of the vehicle (e.g., forward or reverse movement of the vehicle) and / or rotation of the vehicle steering wheel via one or more of the above-mentioned interface sensors, and to generate command signals based on the user inputs. The interface 110 may transmit the generated command signals to the vehicle 102 (via the network 206 or a wired connection) to enable vehicle movement based on the user input (e.g., when the vehicle 102 enables the interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement).

[0041] The vehicle 102 may include a plurality of units including, but not limited to, a vehicle computer 208, a vehicle control unit (VCU) 210, and a notification system 212 (or system 212). The VCU 210 may include a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 214 arranged to communicate with the vehicle computer 208.

[0042] In some aspects, the user device 202 can be configured to connect to the vehicle computer 208 and / or the system 212 via the network 206, which can communicate via one or more wireless connections, and / or the user device can communicate using a near field communication (NFC) protocol, Protocol, Wi-Fi, ultra-wideband (UWB), and other possible data connection and sharing technologies to connect directly with the vehicle 102.

[0043] According to the present disclosure, the vehicle computer 208 and / or the system 212 may be installed anywhere in the vehicle 102. In addition, the vehicle computer 208 may operate as a functional part of the system 212. The vehicle computer 208 may be or include an electronic vehicle controller having one or more processors 216 and a memory 218. In addition, the system 212 may be separate from the vehicle computer 208 (e.g., Figure 2 ), or may be integrated as part of the vehicle computer 208.

[0044] The processor 216 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (eg, memory 218 and / or memory 218) configured to communicate with a corresponding computing system. Figure 2 The processor 216 may utilize the memory 218 to store programs and / or store data in the form of code to perform various aspects of the present disclosure. The memory 218 may be a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores notification 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.).

[0045] 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 communicate between vehicle systems, connected servers (e.g., server 204), and other vehicles operating as part of a vehicle fleet (e.g., Figure 2 The VCU 210 may 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 may be connected to and / or control one or more vehicle sensing systems 232 (or vehicle sensor units). The vehicle sensing system 232 may include one or more vehicle sensors, including, but not limited to, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR or "radar") sensor configured to detect and locate objects inside and outside the vehicle 102 using radio waves, a seating area latch sensor, a seating area sensor, a light detection and ranging ("lidar") sensor, a door sensor, a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, a wheel sensor, one or more ambient weather or temperature sensors, a vehicle interior camera and an exterior camera, a steering wheel sensor, a vehicle accelerometer, a vehicle gyroscope, a vehicle magnetometer, an ultrasonic sensor, and the like. The vehicle sensing system 232 may be configured to capture images or videos of a geographic area near the vehicle 102 via an exterior vehicle camera. The vehicle sensing system 232 may also be configured to detect the presence of obstacles (e.g., the presence of bystanders / passersby) near the vehicle 102, such as by using input obtained from an exterior vehicle camera, a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, and the like.

[0046] In some aspects, VCU 210 may control aspects of vehicle operation and implement one or more instruction sets received from server 204 , one or more instruction sets stored in memory 218 , including instructions to operate as part of system 212 .

[0047] The TCU 226 may be configured and / or programmed to provide vehicle connectivity to wireless computing systems on and off the vehicle 102 and may include a navigation (NAV) receiver 234 for receiving and processing GPS signals, module (BLEM) 236, a Wi-Fi transceiver, an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver, and / or may be configured to communicate between the vehicle 102 and other systems (e.g., a vehicle key fob ( Figure 2 ), server 204, user device 202, interface 110, etc.), other wireless transceivers (including cellular communications) for wireless communication between computers and modules Figure 2 214). The TCU 226 may be configured to communicate with the ECU 214 via a bus.

[0048] The ECU 214 may control various aspects of vehicle operation and communication using input from a human driver, input from the vehicle computer 208, the system 212, and / or wireless signal input / command signals received via a wireless connection from other connected devices (such as a server 204, a user device 202, an interface 110, etc.).

[0049] 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, door locks and entry 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 In some aspects, BCM 220 may be configured to cause vehicle movement and vehicle steering wheel rotation based on command signals (or user input) obtained from interface 110.

[0050] 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, among other features. The DAT controller 228 may also provide aspects of user and environmental input that may be used for user authentication.

[0051] In some aspects, the vehicle computer 208 can be connected to an infotainment system 238 (or vehicle human-machine interface (HMI)). The infotainment system 238 can include a touch screen interface portion, and can include voice recognition features, biometric recognition capabilities, and the biometric recognition capabilities can identify users based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric means. In other aspects, the infotainment system 238 can also be configured to receive user commands via the touch screen interface portion, and / or output or display notifications, navigation maps, etc. on the touch screen interface portion.

[0052] The computing system architecture of the vehicle computer 208, VCU 210 and / or system 212 may omit certain computing modules. It should be readily understood 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.

[0053] The vehicle 102 may also include a plurality of exterior lights 240 and a plurality of speakers 242 that may be disposed in an exterior portion / surface of the vehicle. Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle 102 may include a left front light 240a, a right front light 240b, a left rear light 240c, and a right rear light 240d (collectively referred to as a plurality of exterior lights 240). Figure 3 As shown, vehicle 102 may include a left front exterior speaker 242a, a right front exterior speaker 242b, a left rear exterior speaker 242c, and a right rear exterior speaker 242d (collectively, plurality of speakers 242).

[0054] According to some aspects, the system 212 can be formed integrally with and / or executed as part of the ECU 214. The system 212, whether formed integrally with the vehicle computer 208 or the ECU 214, or whether operating as a standalone computing system in the vehicle 102, can include a transceiver 244, a processor 246, and a computer readable memory 248.

[0055] The transceiver 244 may be configured to receive information / input from one or more external devices or systems (e.g., user device 202, server 204, interface 110, etc.) via the network 206. In addition, the transceiver 244 may transmit notifications, requests, signals, etc. to the external devices or systems. In addition, the transceiver 244 may be configured to receive information / input from vehicle components (such as, VCU 210). In addition, the transceiver 244 may transmit signals (e.g., command signals) or notifications to vehicle components, such as BCM 220, infotainment system 238, etc.

[0056] The processor 246 and the memory 248 can be the same or similar to the processor 216 and the memory 218, respectively. In some aspects, the processor 246 can utilize the memory 248 to store programs and / or store data in code form to perform various aspects according to the present disclosure. The memory 248 can be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores notification program code.

[0057] In operation, when user 104 desires to cause and / or control vehicle movement using interface 110, user 104 may transmit a request to activate an external interface movement mode associated with vehicle 102 to transceiver 244 via user device 202 or infotainment system 238, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 In other words, transceiver 244 may receive a request from user 104 (via user device 202 or infotainment system 238) to activate an external interface mobility mode associated with vehicle 102 to enable vehicle mobility control via interface 110. Transceiver 244 may transmit the request to processor 246.

[0058] Processor 246 may obtain the request from transceiver 244. In response to obtaining the request, processor 246 may authenticate user 104, determine the user's location near vehicle 102, and / or authenticate interface 110, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 Described above. Figure 1 Example methods are described that may be performed by the processor 246 to authenticate the user 104, determine the user's location near the vehicle 102, and / or authenticate the interface 110. In some aspects, the processor 246 may determine that the predefined conditions may be satisfied when the user 104 may be authenticated, the user's location may be within a predefined distance (e.g., 0-8 feet) from the vehicle 102, and / or the interface 110 may be authenticated.

[0059] In response to determining that the predefined condition may be satisfied, the processor 246 may activate an external interface movement mode associated with the vehicle 102. In other words, in response to determining that the predefined condition may be satisfied, the processor 246 may enable the user 104 to cause and / or control vehicle movement via the interface 110. When the external interface movement mode may be activated, the user 104 may begin to provide user input on the interface 110 (e.g., provide a forward or backward push on the interface 110 and / or rotate the interface 110 to the left or right) to cause and / or control vehicle movement. In response to receiving the user input, the interface 110 may transmit a command signal associated with the user input received on the interface 110 to the transceiver 244 via a wired connection or via the network 206. The processor 246 may obtain the command signal from the transceiver 244 and cause the vehicle to move and / or control the vehicle movement direction (e.g., vehicle forward or reverse movement), vehicle speed, and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation angle based on the obtained command signal (via the BCM 220).

[0060] In other aspects, in response to activating an external interface mobile mode associated with vehicle 102, processor 246 can output a first notification via one or more external lights from plurality of external lights 240 and / or one or more speakers from plurality of speakers 242 to alert bystanders or passersby near vehicle 102. The first notification can indicate to bystanders that an external interface mobile mode associated with vehicle 102 may have been activated, and thus vehicle 102 can respond via a command signal based on that obtained from interface 110.

[0061] In some aspects, the processor 246 can output the first notification by illuminating one or more external lights or all external lights 240 in a first predefined pattern. For example, one or more or all external lights 240a, 204b, 204c, and 240d can flash at a first predefined frequency to alert bystanders. In some aspects, one or more external lights can also illuminate in multiple colors and / or include a display screen that can display a multi-color image when the external lights output the first notification.

[0062] In addition, when the user 104 begins to cause and / or control vehicle movement by using the interface 110 (in response to the processor 246 activating the external interface movement mode, as described above), the processor 246 can output a third notification indicating the vehicle speed, a third notification indicating the rotation angle of the vehicle steering wheel, and a fourth notification indicating the direction of vehicle movement via one or more external lights and / or one or more speakers. Similar to the first notification, the second notification, the third notification, and the fourth notification can also alert / inform bystanders of the moving vehicle 102 and its expected speed and / or direction of movement.

[0063] In some aspects, the processor 246 may output the second notification by illuminating one or more exterior lights or all exterior lights 240 in a second predefined pattern. For example, the processor 246 may increase or decrease the "blinking frequency" of the exterior lights based on the vehicle speed. In an exemplary aspect, when the user 104 may be increasing the vehicle speed via the interface 110, the exterior lights may flash at a greater frequency (e.g., greater than the first predefined frequency), and when the user 104 may be decreasing the vehicle speed via the interface 110, the exterior lights may flash at a lower frequency (e.g., less than the first predefined frequency).

[0064] Processor 246 may output a third notification by illuminating one or more exterior lights or all exterior lights 240 in a third predefined pattern. For example, processor 246 may cause one or more exterior lights to illuminate a light emitting diode (LED) or other light emitting element included in the exterior lights in a "changing" pattern that indicates the vehicle steering wheel rotation angle and the vehicle steering wheel rotation speed. For example, Figure 4 As shown, the left front light 240a (or any other exterior light from the plurality of exterior lights 240) may include one or more light panels 402a, 402b, 402c that may flash / display a moving light 404 in the direction of the vehicle steering wheel rotation to output a third notification. In addition, the frequency of light flashing and / or the moving speed of the moving light 404 may correspond to the vehicle steering wheel rotation speed. In other aspects, the length, thickness, and / or other dimensional parameters associated with the moving light 404 may correspond to the vehicle steering wheel rotation angle and / or the vehicle steering wheel rotation speed.

[0065] The processor 246 may output a fourth notification by lighting one or more exterior lights or all exterior lights 240 in a fourth predefined pattern. Figure 4 As shown, the light panels 402a, 402b, 402c may be based on the direction of vehicle movement (e.g., based on whether the vehicle 102 is moving in a forward or reverse direction, such as Figure 4 In some aspects, the speed associated with the transition of the moving lights 404 from the light panels 402a to 402b to 402c (or vice versa) can indicate the vehicle speed in the forward or reverse direction. In this manner, the light panels 402a to 402c and the moving lights 404 can also be used to output a second notification indicating the vehicle speed as described above.

[0066] In addition, as a supplement or alternative to outputting the above-mentioned notification via one or more external lights or all external lights 240, the processor 246 can output the first notification, the second notification, the third notification, and / or the fourth notification via one or more speakers or all speakers 242. For example, the processor 246 can output the first notification as an auditory or sound notification via one or more or all of the speakers 242a to 242d. In addition, one or more speakers can be used to output the second notification, the third notification, and / or the fourth notification as an auditory or sound notification. For example, the frequency and / or pitch / volume of the auditory notification output from one or more speakers can be used to indicate the vehicle speed or the rate of change of the vehicle speed. In addition, the sound distribution across different speakers 242a to 242d or the delay pattern of the sound output from the speakers 242a to 242d can be used to indicate the vehicle steering wheel rotation direction and / or angle. In addition, in some aspects, the transformation of the auditory pitch / volume output from the speakers 242a to 242d can be used to "simulate" the Doppler effect, thereby enhancing the perception of the approaching vehicle by the bystander.

[0067] Figure 5 242. Example graphs 502, 504, 506 illustrating patterns of audio notifications output from one or more speakers from the plurality of speakers 242 are depicted in FIG. The Y-axis of each graph 502, 504, 506 depicts the volume (or pitch) of the audible notification output by the corresponding speaker, and the X-axis depicts time. In an exemplary aspect, graph 502 depicts a pattern of a first audible signal 508 output from the left front exterior speaker 242a and a pattern of a second audible signal 510 output from the right front exterior speaker 242b when the vehicle 102 may be moving forward. In some aspects, audible notifications may be output from the front / front exterior speakers 242a, 242b when the vehicle moving direction may be in a forward direction.

[0068] Similarly, graph 506 depicts a pattern of a third audible signal 516 output from left rear exterior speaker 242c and a pattern of a fourth audible signal 518 output from right rear exterior speaker 242d when vehicle 102 may be moving in a reverse direction. In some aspects, audible notifications may be output from rear / rear exterior speakers 242c, 242d when the vehicle 102 may be moving in a reverse / backward direction.

[0069] In an exemplary aspect, as depicted in graph 504, when vehicle 102 may be turning left, fifth audible signal 512 output from left front exterior speaker 242a may have a higher pitch / volume than sixth audible signal 514 output from right front exterior speaker 242b. In this manner, bystanders may know that vehicle 102 may be turning left. Processor 246 may similarly output an audible notification at a different pitch / volume via one or more speakers when vehicle 102 may be turning right.

[0070] Although the above description describes aspects in which the processor 246 outputs notifications (e.g., a first notification, a second notification, a third notification, and / or a fourth notification) to inform bystanders of the movement of the vehicle, in some aspects, the processor 246 may output additional notifications to help the user 104 conveniently control the movement of the vehicle using the interface 110, as described below.

[0071] In some aspects, when the processor 246 activates the external interface movement mode and enables the user 104 to cause and / or control vehicle movement via the interface 110, the processor 246 can obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 232 at a predefined frequency. For example, the processor 246 can obtain images / videos captured by the vehicle's external cameras and / or signals from radar and / or lidar sensors. The processor 246 can be configured to determine / detect the presence of obstacles (e.g., bystanders) near the vehicle 102 based on the input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232. The processor 246 can also determine the location of obstacles relative to the vehicle 102 based on the input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232. In some aspects, the processor 246 can additionally determine the presence and / or bystander location of bystanders near the vehicle 102 by obtaining UWB and / or other wireless signals from user devices associated with the bystanders.

[0072] In response to determining the presence of an obstacle (and the location of the obstacle) near the vehicle 102, the processor 246 can determine the user's location near the vehicle 102. Figure 1 An example method of determining a user location near the vehicle 102 is described. For example, as described above, the processor 246 can determine the user location near the vehicle 102 by determining the user device location based on input / signals obtained from the user device 202 (e.g., UWB signals and / or via a PaaK application or RSSI value). The processor 246 can additionally determine the user location based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232 (e.g., images / video).

[0073] In response to determining the user's location near the vehicle 102, the processor 246 can determine the exterior lights from the plurality of exterior lights 240 and / or the speakers from the plurality of speakers 242 that are likely to be closest to the user's location. For example, if the user 104 is likely to be near the left rear side / portion of the vehicle (e.g., Figure 3 As shown), the processor 246 can determine the left rear light 240c and the left rear external speaker 242c as the light and speaker that are likely to be closest to the user's position.

[0074] In response to determining that the left rear light 240c and the left rear external speaker 242c are likely to be closest to the user's location, the processor 246 may output a fifth notification via the left rear light 240c and / or the left rear external speaker 242c. The fifth notification may indicate to the user 104 that there may be obstacles near the vehicle 102, and therefore the user 104 should carefully move the vehicle 102 using the interface 110. Since the fifth notification is output from the external light and / or speaker that is likely to be closest to the user 104, the user 104 may not miss hearing / seeing the fifth notification.

[0075] In some aspects, the processor 246 may cause the left rear exterior speaker 242c to audibly output a "sonar-like" beep to output the fifth notification. In addition, if the left rear exterior speaker 242c is equipped to output a preset message, the processor 246 may cause the left rear exterior speaker 242c to output a preset message indicating the presence of an obstacle (which may be stored in the memory 248). In addition, if the vehicle 102 is equipped with a microphone and can be configured to be controlled via voice commands, the user 104 may provide voice commands to the vehicle 102 in response to hearing the fifth notification to control vehicle speed, direction of movement, etc.

[0076] In other aspects, the processor 246 may cause the left rear lamp 240c to flash at a predefined frequency to output a fifth notification. The frequency of flashing the lamp and / or the flashing duty cycle and / or the lighting intensity may be increased or decreased based on the position of the obstacle relative to the vehicle 102. For example, if an obstacle may be getting closer to the vehicle 102 (due to the movement of the obstacle and / or the vehicle speed / movement towards the obstacle), the frequency of flashing the lamp, the flashing duty cycle and / or the lighting intensity may be increased to alert the user 104.

[0077] In some aspects, the processor 246 may additionally output a notification via the left rear light 240c and / or the left rear exterior speaker 242c indicating the direction of vehicle movement, vehicle speed, etc. for user reference. The processor 246 may additionally output a notification via the left rear light 240c and / or the left rear exterior speaker 242c to indicate whether the interface 110 may be faulty and / or whether the interface 110 may not be properly attached to the vehicle exterior surface. The processor 246 may additionally output a notification via the left rear light 240c and / or the left rear exterior speaker 242c to indicate a rough, slippery, or sloped surface on which the vehicle 102 may be traveling when the processor 246 identifies such surface properties based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232.

[0078] In other aspects, the processor 246 may implement additional measures to alert / inform the user 104 of the presence of an obstacle near the vehicle 102 and / or the location of the obstacle relative to the vehicle 102. For example, when the processor 246 detects the presence of an obstacle near the vehicle 102, the processor 246 may transmit a command signal to the interface 110 via the transceiver 244 to cause the interface 110 to output tactile feedback. In an exemplary aspect, when the interface 110 may be a joystick-like device, the interface 110 may provide a reactive "push back" to output tactile feedback. In some aspects, when the obstacle location may be close to the vehicle 102 (e.g., within 1 foot to 10 feet of the vehicle 102), the processor 246 may cause or cause the interface 110 to provide a push back with greater force. In other aspects, a vibration element (such as an eccentric mass resonator) included in the interface 110 may be actuated based on a command signal from the processor 246 to provide a vibration pulse to the user's hand / palm (to provide tactile feedback to the user 104).

[0079] In additional aspects, the processor 246 can output an image or video feed associated with the obstacle, obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232 (or an additional external camera installed on the vehicle 102 by the user 104) via the external vehicle display 302 of the vehicle 102. In some aspects, the external vehicle display 302 can be disposed near the vehicle cargo area, and when the user 104 may be located near the rear portion of the vehicle, the processor 246 can use the external vehicle display to output a video feed associated with the obstacle. The user 104 can view the video feed and can manipulate the vehicle movement accordingly based on the obstacle position relative to the vehicle 102 by using the interface 110. In some aspects, the processor 246 can additionally or alternatively transmit the image / video feed to the user device 202 and / or the interface 110 via the transceiver 244 and the network 206. In response to receiving the image / video feed from the processor 246, the user device 202 and / or the interface 110 can output the image / video feed via the corresponding user device display and / or interface display for user reference.

[0080] In some aspects, the processor 246 may additionally use the external vehicle display 302, the user device display, and / or the interface display to output a tutorial video or instructions (which may have been pre-stored in the memory 248) that may assist an inexperienced user (who may be using the interface 110 for the first time) in conveniently using the interface 110 and controlling vehicle movement via the interface 110.

[0081] In other aspects, the processor 246 may be configured to control and / or limit the vehicle movement direction, vehicle speed, and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation angle via the interface 110 based on the obstacle position relative to the vehicle 102 in response to determining the presence of an obstacle near the vehicle 102. For example, when the processor 246 detects the presence of an obstacle near the vehicle 102, the processor 246 may change / alter the inertia, static, and dynamic friction parameters associated with the interface 110 in response to the user input on the interface 110 so that the vehicle 102 can move slower or at a reduced speed. In exemplary aspects, a higher inertia associated with the interface 110 may cause the vehicle 102 to acquire speed more slowly, a higher static friction associated with the interface 110 may require more user input on the interface 110 to maintain vehicle motion / speed, and a higher viscous friction associated with the interface 110 may reduce the maximum speed achieved for an equivalent user input on the interface 110. In some aspects, when the obstacle position relative to the vehicle 102 may be closer than a predefined distance threshold, the processor 246 may cause the vehicle 102 to respond to the user input on the interface 110 by incrementally moving a small predetermined distance (e.g., one centimeter).

[0082] In an additional aspect, the vehicle 102 may include a power delivery interface 304 (or power outlet) that may be configured to power one or more external devices or tools when the tool may be electrically coupled to the power delivery interface 304 via a wired connection or wire. The processor 246 may be configured to determine whether an external device / tool ​​may be connected to or plugged into the power delivery interface 304 based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232 (e.g., based on an image / video obtained from a vehicle camera). In response to determining that the external device / tool ​​may be connected to the power delivery interface 304 via a wired connection, the processor 246 may disable the external interface mobile mode (if already activated) or may not enable the external interface mobile mode. In addition, in this case, the processor 246 may output a notification via the user device 202 or the infotainment system 238 to request the user 104 to remove the external device / tool ​​from the power delivery interface 304 before enabling (or re-enabling) the external interface mobile mode.

[0083] Figure 6 A flowchart of an example notification method 600 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 6 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 the order described in the following exemplary embodiments.

[0084] The method 600 begins at step 602. At step 604, the method 600 may include determining, by the processor 246, a request from the user 104 to activate an external interface mobile mode associated with the vehicle 102 via the user device 202 or the infotainment system 238. At step 606, the method 600 may include determining, by the processor 246, that a predefined condition may be satisfied. As described above, the processor 246 may determine that the predefined condition may be satisfied when the user 104 may be authenticated, the user location may be within a predefined distance (e.g., 0 feet to 8 feet) from the vehicle 102, and / or the interface 110 may be authenticated.

[0085] At step 608, method 600 may include: activating, by processor 246, the external interface mobile mode in response to determining that the predefined condition may be satisfied. At step 610, method 600 may include outputting, by processor 246, a first notification via one or more vehicle exterior lights and / or one or more vehicle speakers in response to activating the external interface mobile mode.

[0086] Method 600 may end at step 612 .

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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.

[0089] 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.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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.

[0093] 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.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the present invention is also characterized by a power delivery interface, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine that the external device is connected to the power delivery interface via a wired connection; and disable the external interface mobile mode in response to determining that the external device is connected to the power delivery interface via a wired connection.

[0095] According to the present invention, a notification method includes: obtaining, by a processor, a request to activate an external interface movement mode associated with a vehicle to enable vehicle movement control via an external interface, wherein the external interface is configured to be removably attached to an outer surface of the vehicle; determining, by the processor in response to obtaining the request, that a predefined condition is satisfied; activating, by the processor in response to determining that the predefined condition is satisfied; and outputting, by the processor in response to activating the external interface movement mode, a notification.

[0096] In one aspect of the invention, obtaining the request includes obtaining the request from a user via a user device or a vehicle human machine interface (HMI).

[0097] In one aspect of the invention, the method comprises: determining a user location in the vicinity of a vehicle; and determining that a predefined condition is satisfied when the user location is within a predefined distance from the vehicle.

[0098] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, which has instructions stored thereon, and the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtain a request to activate an external interface movement mode associated with a vehicle to enable vehicle movement control via an external interface, wherein the external interface is configured to be removably attached to an outer surface of the vehicle; determine whether a predefined condition is satisfied in response to obtaining the request; activate the external interface movement mode in response to determining that the predefined condition is satisfied; and output a notification in response to activating the external interface movement mode.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a transceiver configured to receive a request to activate an external interface movement mode associated with the vehicle to enable vehicle movement control via an external interface, wherein the external interface is configured to be removably attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle; as well as a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: obtaining the request from the transceiver; determining, in response to obtaining the request, that a predefined condition is satisfied; activating the external interface movement mode in response to determining that the predefined condition is satisfied; and A first notification is output in response to activating the external interface mobile mode. 2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver receives the request from a user via a user device or a vehicle human machine interface (HMI).

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to: authenticating the user in response to obtaining the request; and When the user is authenticated, it is determined that the predefined condition is satisfied.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining a user location near the vehicle; and When the user location is within a predefined distance from the vehicle, it is determined that the predefined condition is satisfied.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising one or more vehicle exterior lights and one or more vehicle speakers.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the processor outputs the first notification by illuminating the one or more vehicle exterior lights in a first predefined pattern.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtaining a command signal from the external interface in response to activating the external interface movement mode, wherein the command signal is associated with a user input received on the external interface; and The vehicle movement direction, vehicle speed, and vehicle steering wheel rotation angle are controlled based on the command signal.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to output a second notification by illuminating the one or more vehicle exterior lights in a second predefined pattern, wherein the second notification indicates the vehicle speed.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to output a third notification by illuminating the one or more vehicle exterior lights in a third predefined pattern, wherein the third notification indicates the vehicle steering wheel rotation angle.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to output a fourth notification by illuminating the one or more vehicle exterior lights in a fourth predefined pattern, wherein the fourth notification indicates the vehicle moving direction.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to output at least one of the first notification, the second notification, the third notification, and the fourth notification via the one or more vehicle speakers.

12. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a vehicle sensor unit configured to detect the presence of an obstacle near the vehicle, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtaining input from the vehicle sensor unit in response to activating the external interface movement mode; determining the presence of the obstacle near the vehicle based on the input; In response to determining the presence of the obstacle, determining a vehicle exterior light from the one or more vehicle exterior lights or a vehicle speaker from the one or more vehicle speakers that is closest to a user location; and A fifth notification indicating the presence of the obstacle is output via the vehicle exterior light or the vehicle speaker.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to control at least one of a vehicle movement direction, a vehicle speed, and a vehicle steering wheel rotation angle based on a location of the obstacle near the vehicle in response to determining the presence of the obstacle.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the vehicle sensor unit comprises one or more vehicle exterior cameras configured to capture images or video of a geographic area proximate to the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, further comprising an external vehicle display, wherein the processor is configured to: obtaining said image or said video from said one or more vehicle external cameras; and The image or the video is output via the external vehicle display or an external interface display.

Images