System and method for activating external interface and enabling vehicle movement

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for activating an external interface and enabling vehicle movement. An interface is disclosed that includes a first detection unit, a second detection unit, and a processor. The first detection unit may be configured to detect a user intent to cause movement of the vehicle via the interface. The second detection unit may be configured to receive a movement input to cause the vehicle to move. The processor may determine that a user intends to cause the vehicle to move based on an input obtained from the first detection unit, and determining, based on an input obtained from the second detection unit, that the second detection unit has received the movement input for a predefined duration of time in which it is determined that the user intends to cause movement of the vehicle. The processor may further transmit a command signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to move based on the movement input in response to determining that the movement input is received for the predefined duration.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to, claims the benefit of, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application serial number 18 / 500,010, filed on November 1, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0003] This application claims priority to, claims the benefit of, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application serial number 18 / 500,007, filed on November 1, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0004] This application claims priority to, claims the benefit of, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application serial number 18 / 500,012, filed on November 1, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0005] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for enabling vehicle movement via an external interface configured to be removably attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle. Background Art

[0006] When the user is performing an outdoor activity or task, the user may frequently move his vehicle within a relatively short distance. For example, when the user is performing an activity, the user may frequently move the user's vehicle within a short distance (e.g., 5-10 meters).

[0007] 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 having to repeatedly enter and exit the vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present disclosure describes a vehicle that can be moved using an external interface that can be removably attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle. A user can cause the vehicle to move and / or rotate the vehicle's steering wheel by providing user input (or "movement input") to the interface, which can transmit the user input to the vehicle via a wired connection or a wireless network to cause the vehicle to move and / or rotate the vehicle's steering wheel. In some aspects, the vehicle can be configured to control vehicle speed and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation based on the interface's position and / or orientation relative to the vehicle and a maximum allowable vehicle speed / steering wheel rotation angle associated with the interface's position and / or orientation. For example, the vehicle may not enable the vehicle speed to increase beyond a first predefined maximum speed when the interface is located within the vehicle (e.g., connected to a vehicle connection port located on an exterior surface of the vehicle), and may not enable the vehicle speed to increase beyond a second predefined maximum speed when the interface is located outside the vehicle (e.g., when the user can hold the interface in the user's hand). In one exemplary aspect, the first predefined maximum speed may be different from the second predefined maximum speed.

[0009] In some aspects, the vehicle may determine the position and / or orientation of the interface relative to the vehicle based on interface information obtainable by the vehicle from an interface sensor unit associated with the interface, vehicle information obtainable by the vehicle from a vehicle sensor unit, and user device information obtainable by the vehicle from a user device that may be carried by the user. In one exemplary aspect, the interface sensor unit may include an interface accelerometer, an interface gyroscope, and an interface magnetometer, and the interface information may include information associated with interface movement speed and direction, roll / tilt relative to the ground, angular motion of the interface, and the like. The vehicle sensor unit may include a vehicle accelerometer, a vehicle gyroscope, a vehicle magnetometer, and internal and external cameras of the vehicle, and the vehicle information may include information associated with vehicle movement speed and direction, roll / tilt relative to the ground, angular motion of the vehicle, and the like. Similarly, the user device information may include user device movement speed and direction, roll / tilt relative to the ground, angular motion of the user device, and the like.

[0010] The vehicle may correlate the interface information, vehicle information, and / or user device information to determine the location and / or orientation of the interface relative to the vehicle. For example, when the user may be outside the vehicle, the vehicle may correlate the information to determine whether the interface may be located in the vehicle or held in the user's hand.

[0011] In another aspect, the vehicle information may include a connection status of an interface associated with each of a plurality of connection ports disposed on an exterior surface of the vehicle. The vehicle may determine whether the interface is attachable to the connection port and a corresponding orientation of the interface relative to the vehicle based on the connection status included in the vehicle information.

[0012] In response to determining the position and / or orientation of the interface relative to the vehicle, the vehicle may obtain a mapping of the determined position and / or orientation of the interface to a maximum permissible vehicle speed, steering wheel rotation angle, and / or travel distance from a vehicle memory or an external server to control vehicle movement. In some aspects, the vehicle may additionally control and / or activate vehicle advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features and / or vehicle proximity sensors based on the determined position of the interface relative to the vehicle.

[0013] In some aspects, the interface can be shaped like a joystick that can be attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle or held in a user's hand / palm. The interface can be configured to detect the presence of a user near the interface and can enable the user to cause / control movement of the vehicle via the interface only when the user's presence is detected near the interface. In this way, the interface can prevent vehicle movement that the user may not have intended.

[0014] The interface may include a first detection unit and a second detection unit. The second detection unit may be the same as the interface sensor unit described above, or may be any other detection unit that can be configured to receive user input or "movement input" associated with the vehicle movement that the user desires to cause at the vehicle. The first detection unit may be configured to detect the user's intention or desire to cause the vehicle movement or to detect the user's presence at the interface. The first detection unit may be, for example, a dedicated actuator or button, one or more proximity sensors, one or more pressure sensors, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), etc.

[0015] When the first detection unit detects the user's intention to cause the vehicle to move, or when the first detection unit detects the user's presence near the interface, the interface may activate an interface activity mode. After the interface activity mode is activated, the user may cause / control the vehicle's movement via the interface. In response to activating the interface activity mode, the interface may monitor whether the second detection unit receives the user input or movement input within a predefined duration after activating the interface activity mode. In other words, in response to activating the interface activity mode, the interface may monitor whether the user provides any input to the interface to cause the vehicle to move within the predefined duration.

[0016] In response to determining that the user input or movement input has been received within the predefined duration, the interface may generate a command signal based on the movement input and transmit the command signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to move. Alternatively, in response to determining that the user input or movement input has not been received within the predefined duration, the interface may deactivate the interface activity mode. In some aspects, the interface may further deactivate the interface activity mode when the interface determines that the user may have moved away from the interface.

[0017] In some aspects, to prevent vehicle movement that the user may not have intended, the interface may first determine whether the interface may be in a neutral mode when the user's presence may be detected near the interface before activating the interface active mode.

[0018] The present disclosure discloses a vehicle that can be moved by providing input to an interface that can be removably attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle. The interface can enable a user to cause the vehicle to move without having to enter the interior portion of the vehicle. Since the user does not need to enter the vehicle to cause the vehicle to move, the interface can be beneficial for users to perform outdoor activities that may require frequent vehicle movement over short distances, such as farming, laying fences, etc. In addition, the interface is easy to attach to the exterior surface of the vehicle via multiple connection ports, thereby enhancing user usability. In addition, the interface can detect the presence of a user near the interface or a "user intention" to cause the vehicle to move via the interface, and can enable the user to cause the vehicle to move via the interface only when the user intention or the user presence is detected, thereby preventing vehicle movement that the user may not yet desire.

[0019] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The detailed description will be described 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 drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0021] Figure 1 Depicted is an environment in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0022] Figure 2 Depicted is a block diagram of a system for enabling vehicle mobility according to the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 3Depicted are different external interface locations relative to a vehicle according to the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 4 Depicted are pin orientations in an external interface and vehicle connection port according to the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 5 Depicted is a conductor pattern in a vehicle connection port according to the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 6 A flow chart depicts a first method for inducing and controlling vehicle movement according to the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 7 An example first external interface configured to enable vehicle movement according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0028] Figure 8 Depicted is an example second external interface configured to enable vehicle movement according to the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 9 Depicted is an example third external interface configured to enable vehicle movement according to the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 10 Depicted is an example fourth external interface configured to enable vehicle movement according to the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 11 Depicted is an example fifth external interface configured to enable vehicle movement according to the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 12 Depicted are example virtual zones generated near external interfaces in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 13 A flow chart of a second method for enabling vehicle movement via an external interface according to the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] 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.

[0035] Figure 1An example environment 100 is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. Environment 100 may include a vehicle 102 and a user 104. User 104 may be performing outdoor activities at a farm 106, where vehicle 102 may be located. For example, user 104 may be sowing plants around the perimeter of the farm or laying a fence. User 104 may be using the vehicle's cargo bed to store materials 108 that may be needed to perform outdoor activities, such as sand, plants, equipment / tools, fertilizer, etc. In some aspects, as user 104 performs outdoor activities around the perimeter of the farm, user 104 may need to frequently move vehicle 102 over short distances (e.g., 5-10 meters).

[0036] The vehicle 102 may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as, for example, a sedan, a work vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a truck, a minivan, etc. Additionally, 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.

[0037] Environment 100 may also include an external interface 110 (or interface 110) that may be configured to be removably attached to a vehicle exterior surface (or vehicle interior surface). In some aspects, the vehicle exterior surface may include one or more cavities or slots or connection ports (in the example) into which user 104 may insert / attach or "plug in" interface 110. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 25 , the connection port may be provided on the top surface of the vehicle side wall, on the right and left edges of the vehicle bumper, on the vehicle cargo bed, etc. The user 104 may connect the vehicle to the vehicle via an elongated connector (shown in FIG. 250 ) that can be inserted into the connection port. Figure 3 The interface 110 is removably attached to the connection port (shown as connector 302). Figure 1 In the exemplary aspect depicted in FIG, the interface 110 is attached to a top surface of a vehicle sidewall, but the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0038] The interface 110 can be configured to cause and / or control vehicle movement based on user input or movement input. In some aspects, the user 104 can use the interface 110 to frequently move the vehicle 102 over short distances around the perimeter of the farm without having to enter and exit the vehicle 102 multiple times. Because the interface 110 can be configured to be removably attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle, the user 104 can use the interface 110 to conveniently cause and control vehicle movement from outside the vehicle 102.

[0039] In some aspects, the interface 110 may be configured to cause and / or control vehicle movement when the interface 110 is attachable to one of the above-mentioned connection ports. In other aspects, when the interface 110 is set within a predefined distance from the vehicle 102, the interface 110 may be configured to cause and / or control vehicle movement by wirelessly transmitting command signals to the vehicle 102. As an example, the user 104 may hold the interface 110 in the user's hand / palm and provide user input to the interface 110. The interface 110 may then generate a command signal associated with the user input and wirelessly transmit the command signal to the vehicle 102 to cause the vehicle to move. In some aspects, the maximum allowable vehicle speed and / or the maximum allowable vehicle steering wheel rotation angle may be different based on whether the interface 110 is attached to a connection port or the interface 110 is held in the user's palm (rather than attached to any connection port). Additionally, the maximum allowable vehicle speed and / or the maximum allowable vehicle steering wheel rotation angle may differ based on whether the user 104 is in the vehicle 102 (e.g., holding the interface 110 in the user's hand) or the user 104 is walking near the vehicle 102 and holding the interface 110 in the user's hand (and outside the vehicle 102). The vehicle 102 may be configured to determine the interface position and / or orientation relative to the vehicle 102 and may correspondingly enable the interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement based on the interface position and / or orientation and user input.

[0040] In some aspects, the interface 110 can be dome-shaped (eg, Figure 1 102 ), and may include a user input detection unit (not shown), including, but not limited to, a pressure sensor, a spring-loaded rotational position sensing element, and the like, which can detect user input associated with desired vehicle movement when user 104 interacts with interface 110. For example, when user 104 desires vehicle 102 to move forward, user 104 can provide a "push forward" to interface 110. This forward push can be detected by a pressure sensor included in the user input detection unit, which can then generate a current / command signal, which can be transmitted to vehicle 102 via, for example, a wired connection or a wireless network, to cause the vehicle to move forward. Similarly, when user 104 desires vehicle 102 to move in the opposite direction, user 104 can provide a "push backward" to interface 110. Furthermore, when user 104 desires the vehicle's steering wheel to rotate right or left, user 104 can rotate interface 110 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. In this case, the spring-loaded rotational position sensing element can generate a command signal that can enable vehicle 102 to cause the vehicle's steering wheel to rotate right or left.

[0041] In other aspects, the interface 110 can have the shape of an elongated stick or rod and can function like a joystick with one or more tilt sensors, torsional motion sensors, etc. Examples of joystick-type or joystick-shaped external interfaces are shown in FIG. Figures 7 to 11 In yet another aspect, the interface 110 may include a plurality of switches or buttons on a power strip that may be removably attached to the vehicle 102 or may be handheld. Figure 1 Interface 110 is depicted as dome-shaped and is described below with Figures 1 to 6 The associated description is described in the context of a dome-shaped interface, but such depiction and description should not be construed as limiting, and the interface 110 may have any other shape as described above.

[0042] In some aspects, in order to cause and / or control vehicle movement using the interface 110, the user 104 may first activate an external interface movement mode associated with the vehicle 102. For example, when the user 104 desires to cause and / or control vehicle movement using the interface 110, the user 104 may transmit a request to the vehicle 102 to activate the external interface movement mode. The user 104 may activate the external interface movement mode via a user device (e.g., a Figure 2 202) or a vehicle human machine interface (HMI) or a vehicle infotainment system (shown in FIG. Figure 2 In response to receiving the request, the vehicle 102 may authenticate the user 104, determine whether the user 104 is in the vicinity of the vehicle 102, and authenticate the interface 110 (e.g., to determine that the interface 110 is an authenticated interface associated with the vehicle 102), and then enable the user 104 to use the interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement.

[0043] 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 / pairing with a key fob (not shown) that the user 104 may carry with the vehicle 102. 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 this disclosure.

[0044] The vehicle 102 may determine that the user 104 may be near the vehicle 102 by determining the location of the user device (when the user device may be executing a PaaK application and communicatively paired with the vehicle 102) or the location of the key fob. When the user device may not be executing a PaaK application, the vehicle 102 may determine the location of the user device by determining a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value associated with the user device or by time-of-flight trilateration (such as when using a UWB transceiver). 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 this disclosure.

[0045] When the interface 110 is communicatively coupled to the vehicle 102 via a wireless network and / or when the interface 110 is attachable to the aforementioned connection port, the vehicle 102 may authenticate the interface 110 by exchanging a preset authentication code with the interface 110. When, for example, the interface 110 is first registered with the vehicle 102 (e.g., when the interface 110 is first used with the vehicle 102), 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 the preset authentication code, when the interface 110 is communicatively coupled to the vehicle 102 and / or when the interface 110 is attachable to the connection port, the vehicle 102 and the interface 110 may receive a preset authentication code from an external server (e.g., a server). Figure 2 In this case, the vehicle 102 can authenticate the interface 110 by obtaining the encryption key from the interface 110 and matching the encryption key with an encryption key that the vehicle 102 may have obtained from the external server. In some aspects, each time the interface 110 is coupled / attached to the vehicle 102, a new encryption key can be generated by the external server and transmitted to the vehicle 102 and the interface 110.

[0046] When the vehicle 102 authenticates the user 104 and the interface 110 and determines that the user 104 may be located within a predefined distance from the vehicle 102 , the vehicle 102 may 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, the vehicle 102 may activate an external interface movement mode associated with the vehicle 102 .

[0047] In some aspects, in response to enabling the interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement, the vehicle 102 may determine whether the interface 110 is attachable to a connection port in the vehicle 102 or whether the user 104 is holding the interface 110, for example, in the palm of the user's hand. The vehicle 102 may further determine the interface's position and / or orientation relative to the vehicle 102. In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may make such a determination based on user input on the interface 110 to identify a maximum permissible vehicle speed and / or a maximum permissible vehicle steering wheel rotation angle that may be allowed. For example, the vehicle 102 may allow a lower maximum vehicle speed when the user 104 is holding the interface 110 in the palm of the user's hand than when the interface 110 is attachable to the connection port (and the user 104 is outside the vehicle 102). In additional aspects, the vehicle 102 may make such a determination based on the determined interface position relative to the vehicle 102 to control and / or activate vehicle advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features and / or vehicle proximity sensors. Additionally, based on the determined interface location relative to the vehicle 102 , the vehicle 102 may use one or more vehicle speakers, vehicle lights, or vehicle displays that are closest to the determined interface location to provide / output notifications to the user 104 associated with the interface operating status, vehicle movement status, etc. The vehicle 102 may further use the remaining vehicle speakers, vehicle lights, or vehicle displays to provide similar or different notifications to bystanders that may be located near the vehicle 102 .

[0048] In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may determine whether the interface 110 is attachable to or detachable from the connection port, as well as the interface position and / or orientation, based on interface information available to the vehicle 102 from an interface sensor unit, vehicle information available to the vehicle 102 from a vehicle sensor unit, and / or user device information available to the vehicle 102 from a user device associated with the user 104. In one exemplary aspect, the interface sensor unit may include an interface accelerometer, an interface gyroscope, and / or an interface magnetometer, and the interface information may include information associated with interface movement speed and direction, tilt / tilt relative to the ground or the North / South Pole, angular motion of the interface, and the like. In some aspects, by using the interface information obtained from the interface accelerometer, the interface gyroscope, and / or the interface magnetometer, the vehicle 102 may determine not only the interface position relative to the vehicle 102, but also a mounting point or connection port on the vehicle 102 to which the interface 110 may be attached. This is because the interface speed change rate pattern is a function of the mounting location / point on the vehicle 102, and the vehicle 102 can compare the axial speed change rate pattern associated with the interface 110 obtained from the interface sensor unit with the vehicle axial speed change rate pattern obtained from the vehicle sensor unit to determine the interface mounting location / point on the vehicle 102.

[0049] The vehicle sensor unit may include a plurality of vehicle sensors, including but not limited to a vehicle accelerometer, a vehicle gyroscope, a vehicle magnetometer, internal and external vehicle cameras, and the like. In some aspects, the vehicle information may include vehicle movement information associated with vehicle movement speed and direction, vehicle roll / tilt relative to the ground, vehicle angular motion, and the like. In additional aspects, the vehicle sensor unit may be configured to obtain signals from a plurality of connection ports that may be located in the vehicle 102. In this case, the vehicle information may include information associated with the connection status of each connection port. For example, the vehicle information may include information indicating that the interface 110 is attachable to or plugged into a first connection port from a plurality of connection ports.

[0050] The user device information may include information associated with the user device's movement speed, tilt / tilt relative to the ground or North / South Poles, angular motion of the user device, etc. The user device may determine the information based on signals obtained from the user device's accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer.

[0051] In response to obtaining the interface information, vehicle information, and / or user device information, the vehicle 102 may correlate the obtained information to determine, based on the correlation, whether the interface 110 is attachable to or detachable from the connection port, and the position and / or orientation of the interface relative to the vehicle 102. The process of determining whether the interface 110 is attachable to or detachable from the connection port, and the position and / or orientation of the interface are described later below in conjunction with Figure 2 Provide a detailed description.

[0052] In response to determining the interface position and / or orientation, vehicle 102 may retrieve / obtain a mapping of different interface positions and / or orientations to maximum permissible / allowable vehicle speeds and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation angles, which may be pre-stored in vehicle memory or an external server. Vehicle 102 may then implement vehicle movement based on the mapping, the determined interface position and / or orientation, and user input obtained from interface 110. For example, if interface 110 is attachable to a connection port located at the rear portion of the vehicle and the maximum permissible forward vehicle speed for such an interface position is 5 miles per hour, vehicle 102 may enable vehicle 102 to move forward at a speed of no more than 5 miles per hour when user 104 provides input to interface 110 to cause vehicle 102 to move forward. As another example, when the interface 110 can be positioned on the palm of a user's hand (and not attached to a connection port) and the maximum allowable forward vehicle speed for such an interface position can be 3 miles per hour, the vehicle 102 can enable the vehicle 102 to move forward at a speed of no more than 3 miles per hour when the user 104 provides input to the interface 110 to cause the vehicle 102 to move forward. As described above, the vehicle 102 can further control and / or activate vehicle ADAS features and / or vehicle proximity sensors based on the determined interface position relative to the vehicle 102. For example, those vehicle proximity sensors that may be closer to the determined interface position may be activated. Furthermore, based on the determined interface position relative to the vehicle 102, the vehicle 102 can use one or more vehicle speakers, vehicle lights, or vehicle displays that are closest to the determined interface position to provide / output notifications to the user 104 associated with the interface operating status, vehicle movement status, etc. The vehicle 102 can further use the remaining vehicle speakers, vehicle lights, or vehicle displays to provide / output similar or different notifications to bystanders that may be located near the vehicle 102.

[0053] Additional details associated with the interface 110 and the vehicle 102 are described below in conjunction with subsequent figures.

[0054] 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. In addition, any action taken by the user 104 based on a recommendation or notification provided by the vehicle 102 should comply with all regulations (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.) specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102. Recommendations or notifications as provided by the vehicle 102 should be considered suggestions and should only be followed in accordance with any regulations specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102.

[0055] Figure 2 A block diagram of a system 200 for implementing vehicle mobility according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 2 When referring to Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 .

[0056] The system 200 may include a vehicle 102, an interface 110, a 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, the vehicle 102 and the interface 110 may be coupled to one another via the network 206 (e.g., Figure 2 shown) or are communicatively coupled to each other via a wired connection.

[0057] 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 a further aspect, 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 the 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. In additional aspects, the server 204 may store and provide to the vehicle 102 a mapping of different interface positions and / or orientations relative to the vehicle 102 and a maximum allowable / permissible vehicle speed and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation angle and / or a maximum allowable / permissible distance that the vehicle 102 can travel. In some aspects, the server 204 may transmit the mapping to the vehicle 102 at a predefined frequency or when the vehicle 102 transmits a request to obtain the mapping to the server 204. In other aspects, the mapping may be pre-stored in the vehicle memory. In one exemplary aspect, information associated with the mapping may be provided by the user 104 to the server 204 and / or the vehicle memory as part of the user preferences. In alternative aspects, information associated with the mapping may be provided to the server 204 and / or the vehicle memory by the vehicle manufacturer and / or the interface manufacturer.

[0058] 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.

[0059] The interface 110 may include multiple units, including but not limited to a transceiver 208, a processor 210, a memory 212, and an interface sensor unit 214. The transceiver 208 may be configured to transmit / receive signals / information / data to / from one or more external systems or devices (e.g., user device 202, server 204, vehicle 102, etc.) via a wired connection or network 206. The interface sensor unit 214 may include multiple sensors, including but not limited to pressure sensors, capacitance sensors, rotational position sensing elements, interface accelerometers, interface gyroscopes, interface magnetometers, etc. The interface sensor unit 214 may be configured to determine / detect user input or movement input on the interface 110 associated with longitudinal vehicle movement (e.g., vehicle forward or backward movement) and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation, and generate current / command signals based on the user input. Interface sensor unit 214 may transmit the generated current / command signal to transceiver 208 , which in turn may transmit a command signal to vehicle 102 to effectuate vehicle movement based on user input (eg, when vehicle 102 enables interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement).

[0060] In further aspects, the interface sensor unit 214 can be configured to determine / detect interface information associated with the interface 110 based on input received from an interface accelerometer, an interface gyroscope, and / or an interface magnetometer. In some aspects, the interface information can be associated with interface movement speed and direction, pitch / tilt relative to the ground or north / south poles, interface angular motion, etc. The interface sensor unit 214 can transmit the interface information to the transceiver 208, which can then transmit the interface information to the vehicle 102 when the interface 110 is communicatively coupled with the vehicle 102 and / or when the vehicle 102 causes the interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement.

[0061] The processor 210 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 212 and / or Figure 2The processor 210 may utilize the memory 212 to store programs and / or data in the form of code for performing various aspects of the present disclosure. The memory 212 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores program code that enables the processor 210 to perform operations according to the present disclosure. The memory 212 may include any one or a 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.). In some aspects, the processor 210 may be configured to control the operation of the interface sensor unit, and the interface sensor unit 214 may enable the transmission of the above-mentioned interface information and command signals to the vehicle 102 based on instructions received from the processor 210.

[0062] The vehicle 102 may include a plurality of units including, but not limited to, a vehicle computer 216, a vehicle control unit (VCU) 218, and an interface management system 220 (or system 220). The VCU 218 may include a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 222 configured to communicate with the vehicle computer 216.

[0063] In some aspects, the user device 202 can be configured to connect to the vehicle computer 216 and / or the system 220 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.

[0064] According to the present disclosure, the vehicle computer 216 and / or the system 220 may be located anywhere in the vehicle 102. In addition, the vehicle computer 216 may operate as a functional part of the system 220. The vehicle computer 216 may be or include an electronic vehicle controller having one or more processors 224 and a memory 226. In addition, the system 220 may be separate from the vehicle computer 216 (e.g., Figure 2 ), or may be integrated as part of the vehicle computer 216.

[0065] The one or more processors 224 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 226 and / or Figure 2The memory 226 may be a computer program memory or a memory that stores program data in the form of a code or a non-transitory computer readable storage medium or a memory that stores interface management program code. The memory 226 may include any one or a 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.).

[0066] According to some aspects, the VCU 218 can share a power bus with the vehicle computer 216 and can be configured and / or programmed to communicate between the vehicle systems, connected servers (e.g., server 204), and other vehicles operating as part of a vehicle fleet. Figure 2 The VCU 218 coordinates data between the VCU 218 and the ECU 222 (not shown). The VCU 218 may include or communicate with any combination of ECUs 222, such as, for example, a body control module (BCM) 228, an engine control module (ECM) 230, a transmission control module (TCM) 232, a telematics control unit (TCU) 234, a driver assistance technology (DAT) controller 236, etc. The VCU 218 may also include and / or communicate with a vehicle perception system (VPS) 238, which interfaces with and / or controls one or more vehicle sensing systems 240. The vehicle sensing system 240 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 102, seating area latch sensors, seating area sensors, light detection and ranging ("lidar") sensors, door sensors, proximity sensors, temperature sensors, wheel sensors, one or more ambient weather or temperature sensors, interior and exterior vehicle cameras, steering wheel sensors, vehicle accelerometers, vehicle gyroscopes, vehicle magnetometers, etc.

[0067] In some aspects, the VCU 218 may control aspects of vehicle operation and implement one or more instruction sets received from the server 204 , one or more instruction sets stored in the memory 226 , including instructions to operate as part of the system 220 .

[0068] The TCU 234 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 242 for receiving and processing GPS signals, module (BLEM) 244, 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 Not shown), server 204, user device 202, interface 110, etc.), other wireless transceivers (including cellular communications) for wireless communication between computers and modules Figure 2 (not shown). The TCU 234 may be configured to communicate with the ECU 222 via a bus.

[0069] The ECU 222 may control various aspects of vehicle operation and communications using input from a human driver, input from the autonomous computer 216 , the system 220 , and / or wireless signal input / command signals received via one or more wireless connections from other connected devices (such as the server 204 , the user device 202 , the interface 110 , etc.).

[0070] The BCM 228 typically includes an integration of sensors, vehicle performance indicators, and varactors associated with vehicle systems, and may include processor-based power distribution circuitry that controls functions associated with the vehicle body, such as lights, windows, security devices, one or more cameras, one or more audio systems, speakers, wipers, door locks and access controls, various comfort controls, etc. The BCM 228 may also operate as a gateway for bus and network interfaces to communicate with remote ECUs ( Figure 2 In some aspects, the BCM 228 may be configured to cause vehicle movement and vehicle steering wheel rotation based on command signals (or user input) obtained from the interface 110.

[0071] The DAT controller 236 may provide Level 1 to Level 3 automated driving and driver assistance functionality, which may include, for example, active park assist, vehicle reverse assist, and / or adaptive cruise control, among other features. The DAT controller 236 may also provide various aspects of user and environmental input that may be used for user authentication.

[0072] In some aspects, the vehicle computer 216 can be connected to an infotainment system 246 (or vehicle human-machine interface (HMI)). The infotainment system 246 can include a touch screen interface portion and can include voice recognition features and biometric identification capabilities that can identify a user based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric identification methods. In other aspects, the infotainment system 246 can be further 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.

[0073] The computing system architecture of the vehicle computer 216, VCU 218 and / or system 220 may omit certain computing modules. Figure 2 The computing environment depicted in FIG. 5 is an example of possible implementations according to the present disclosure and, therefore, should not be considered limiting or exclusive.

[0074] The vehicle 102 may also include a vehicle sensor unit 248 and a plurality of connection ports 250. In some aspects, the vehicle sensor unit 248 may be part of the vehicle sensing system 240. In other aspects, the vehicle sensor unit 248 may be separate from the vehicle sensing system 240. The vehicle sensor unit 248 may include a plurality of sensors, including but not limited to a vehicle accelerometer, a vehicle gyroscope, a vehicle magnetometer, interior and exterior vehicle cameras, etc. In some aspects, the vehicle sensor unit 248 may be configured to determine vehicle information associated with vehicle movement and / or the plurality of connection ports 250 (e.g., the connection status of each connection port with the interface 110). Figure 1 An example of vehicle information is described.

[0075] The interface 110 can be configured to be removably attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle via a plurality of connection ports 250. In some aspects, the plurality of connection ports 250 can be provided on the exterior surface of the vehicle, and the interface 110 can be configured to be inserted into a connection port from the plurality of connection ports 250 to enable electromechanical attachment between the interface 110 and the vehicle 102.

[0076] According to some aspects, system 220 can be integrated with and / or executed as part of ECU 222. System 220, whether integrated with vehicle computer 216 or ECU 222, or operating as a standalone computing system in vehicle 102, can include transceiver 252, processor 254, and computer-readable memory 256.

[0077] The transceiver 252 can 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 252 can transmit notifications, requests, signals, etc. to the external devices or systems. In addition, the transceiver 252 can be configured to receive information / input from vehicle components (such as vehicle sensor unit 248, plurality of connection ports 250, one or more ECUs 222, etc.). In addition, the transceiver 252 can transmit signals (e.g., command signals) or notifications to vehicle components (such as BCM 228, infotainment system 246, etc.).

[0078] The processor 254 and the memory 256 can be the same as or similar to the processor 224 and the memory 226, respectively. In some aspects, the processor 254 can utilize the memory 256 to store programs and / or store data in the form of code for performing various aspects of the present disclosure. The memory 256 can be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores interface management program code. In some aspects, the memory 256 can also store instructions / information / data / mappings obtained from the server 204, the user device 202, the interface 110, etc.

[0079] In operation, when the user 104 desires to use the interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement, the user 104 may transmit a request to activate the external interface movement mode associated with the vehicle 102 to the transceiver 252 via the user device 202 or the infotainment system 246, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 The transceiver 252 may then transmit the request to the processor 254. In some aspects, when the processor 254 obtains the request from the user 104 via the transceiver 252, the processor 254 may determine that a triggering event may have occurred.

[0080] In response to the get request, the processor 254 may authenticate the user 104, determine the user's location and / or authenticate the interface 110, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 Example methods that may be executed by the processor 254 to authenticate the user 104, determine the user's location, and / or authenticate the interface 110 are described above in conjunction with Figure 1 In some aspects, when the user 104 can be authenticated, the determined user location can be within a predefined distance from the vehicle 102, and / or the interface 110 can be authenticated, the processor 254 can determine that a triggering event can occur. In response to determining that a triggering event can occur, in some aspects, the processor 254 can activate an external interface mobile mode associated with the vehicle 102.

[0081] In addition, in parallel with receiving a request from the user 104 (via the user device 202 or the infotainment system 246) or in response to the external interface mobile mode being activated and / or the interface 110 being communicatively coupled with the vehicle 102, the transceiver 252 can receive interface information from the interface sensor unit 214 (via the transceiver 208 and the wired connection or network 206). In addition, the transceiver 252 can receive user device information from the user device 202 via the network 206. Figure 1 The user device information may include information related to the user device's movement speed, tilt / inclination relative to the ground or the North Pole / South Pole, angular motion of the user device, etc.

[0082] In some aspects, in response to determining that a triggering event may have occurred, the processor 254 may obtain interface information and / or user device information from the transceiver 252. In addition, in response to determining that a triggering event may have occurred, the processor 254 may obtain vehicle information from the vehicle sensor unit 248. As described above, the vehicle information may be associated with vehicle movement and / or the connection status of each connection port from the plurality of connection ports 250 with the interface 110. In some aspects, the processor 254 may determine the position and / or orientation of the interface relative to the vehicle 102 based on the interface information, the vehicle information, and / or the user device information, as described below. Specifically, in response to obtaining the above information, the processor 254 may determine whether the interface 110 can be physically / electromechanically attached to a connection port from the plurality of connection ports 250, or whether the user 104 can hold the interface 110 in the user's hand.

[0083] In a first exemplary aspect, the processor 254 may determine, based on the interface information obtained from the interface sensor unit 214, whether the interface 110 is physically / electromechanically attachable to the connection port or whether the user 104 may be holding the interface 110 in the user's hand (and may be outside the vehicle 102). In this case, the processor 254 may analyze the interface information and compare the interface information with historical interface information (which may be pre-stored in the memory 256 or obtained from the server 204) indicating interface movement when the interface 110 was attachable to the vehicle 102 and when the interface 110 was held in the user's hand. In some aspects, based on comparing the interface information with the historical interface information, the processor 254 may determine whether the interface information corresponds to vehicle movement or human movement. For example, the interface information may indicate a greater change in interface movement direction or orientation and / or a sudden increase or decrease in interface speed when the interface 110 is holdable in the user's hand than when the interface 110 is attachable to the vehicle 102 (via the connection port).

[0084] In some aspects, the processor 254 may analyze the interface information in the frequency domain (as described above) to determine whether the interface 110 is physically attachable to the vehicle 102 or the user 104 can hold the interface 110 in the user's hand. In some aspects, the processor 254 may use a windowed fast Fourier transform, a wavelet transform (Haar wavelet), or a bandpass digital filter to analyze the interface information in the frequency domain. In other aspects, the processor 254 may use artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML), classifiers (such as hidden Markov chains), deep learning methods, neural networks, etc. to analyze the interface information and determine the interface position and / or orientation (i.e., whether the interface 110 is physically attachable to the vehicle 102 or the user 104 can hold the interface 110 in the user's hand). An example view of the user 104 holding the interface 110 in the user's hand is shown in FIG. Figure 3 Shown in.

[0085] In a second exemplary aspect, processor 254 may determine whether interface 110 is physically attachable to a connection port or whether user 104 may be holding interface 110 in their hand based on the interface information and vehicle information associated with vehicle movement. In this case, processor 254 may correlate the interface information with the vehicle information associated with vehicle movement and determine the interface position and / or orientation relative to vehicle 102 based on the correlation. For example, processor 254 may compare a change in interface orientation (based on input from an interface gyroscope and an interface magnetometer) with a change in vehicle orientation (based on input from a vehicle gyroscope and a vehicle magnetometer) and, when the change in interface orientation matches the change in vehicle orientation, determine that interface 110 is positionable in vehicle 102 (and connected to a connection port). Processor 254 may also compare frequency data obtained from an interface accelerometer and a vehicle accelerometer and identify a match between the frequency data. In response to determining that interface 110 is positionable in vehicle 102 based on the comparison / match, processor 254 may determine the interface orientation relative to vehicle 102 based on the match between the interface orientation and the vehicle orientation. For example, when the interface orientation and the vehicle orientation can match, the processor 254 can determine that the interface forward motion direction (e.g., the direction of the "push" applied by the user 104 to the interface 110 to cause forward vehicle movement) can be aligned with the forward movement of the vehicle. Figure 1As described above, by using the interface information obtained from the interface accelerometer, interface gyroscope, and / or interface magnetometer, the processor 254 can determine not only the interface location relative to the vehicle 102, but also the mounting point or connection port on the vehicle 102 to which the interface 110 can be attached. This is because the interface velocity rate of change pattern can be a function of the mounting location / point on the vehicle 102, and the processor 254 can compare the axial velocity rate of change pattern associated with the interface 110 obtained from the interface sensor unit with the vehicle axial velocity rate of change pattern obtained from the vehicle sensor unit 248 to determine the interface mounting location / point on the vehicle 102.

[0086] In response to determining, based on the above comparison / matching / correlations, that the interface 110 is located in the vehicle 102 or that the interface location is located in the vehicle 102, the processor 254 may retrieve, from the memory 256 or the server 204, a mapping of different interface locations and / or orientations relative to the vehicle 102 and maximum permissible / allowable vehicle speeds and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation angles and / or maximum permissible / allowable distances that the vehicle 102 may travel. The processor 254 may then associate the determined interface location and / or orientation with the mapping to determine a first maximum permissible / allowable vehicle speed and / or a first maximum permissible vehicle steering wheel rotation angle and / or a first maximum permissible / allowable distance that the vehicle 102 may travel based on the determined interface location and / or orientation. For example, when the interface location is located in the vehicle 102 (e.g., connected to a connection port), the processor 254 may determine that the vehicle 102 may travel at a maximum speed of 5 miles per hour and / or a maximum distance of 500 meters.

[0087] In further aspects, when user 104 may provide user input to interface 110 to cause and / or control vehicle movement (e.g., when external interface movement mode may be activated), transceiver 252 may receive a command signal from transceiver 208. The command signal may be associated with the user input received from user 104 at interface 110. In response to transceiver 252 receiving the command signal from transceiver 208, transceiver 252 may transmit the command signal to processor 254.

[0088] In response to obtaining the command signal from the transceiver 252, the processor 254 may cause and control the vehicle forward / reverse movement / speed and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation via the BCM 228 based on the obtained command signal. In some aspects, the processor 254 may control the vehicle speed and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation based on a first maximum allowable / permissible vehicle speed and / or a first maximum allowable vehicle steering wheel rotation angle so that the vehicle speed and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation may not exceed the corresponding maximum allowable values. In addition, the processor 254 may implement vehicle movement so that the vehicle 102 may not travel / move beyond the first maximum allowable / permissible distance. In addition, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 As described above, the processor 254 may control and / or activate vehicle ADAS features and / or vehicle proximity sensors based on the determined interface location relative to the vehicle 102. Furthermore, based on the determined interface location relative to the vehicle 102, the processor 254 may determine one or more vehicle speakers, vehicle lights, or vehicle displays that may be closest to the determined interface location. The processor 254 may then use the vehicle speakers, vehicle lights, or vehicle displays that are closest to the determined interface location to provide / output one or more notifications to the user 104 associated with the interface operating status, vehicle movement status, etc. The vehicle 102 may further use the remaining vehicle speakers, vehicle lights, or vehicle displays to provide / output similar or different notifications to bystanders that may be located near the vehicle 102.

[0089] In a third exemplary aspect, processor 254 may determine the interface location and / or orientation based on the interface information, vehicle information associated with vehicle movement, and user device information, i.e., whether interface 110 is physically attachable to a connection port or whether user 104 may be holding interface 110 in their hand. In this case, processor 254 may correlate the interface information with the vehicle information and correlate the interface information with the user device information to determine whether the interface information matches the vehicle information or the user device information. In some aspects, when the interface information matches the vehicle information associated with vehicle movement, processor 254 may determine that the interface location may be within vehicle 102. On the other hand, when the interface information matches the user device information but does not match the vehicle information, processor 254 may determine that the interface location may be outside of vehicle 102. In one exemplary aspect, when the interface information, vehicle information associated with vehicle movement, and user information match each other, processor 254 may determine that the interface location may be within vehicle 102 and that user 104 may also be within vehicle 102. In this case, the processor 254 may determine whether the interface 110 is connectable to a connection port or held in a user's hand based on vehicle information associated with the plurality of connection ports 250 , as described later in the following description.

[0090] In some aspects, in response to determining that the interface location may be outside of the vehicle 102 based on the association of the interface information, the vehicle information, and the user device information, the processor 254 may use the above-described mapping to determine a second maximum allowable / permissible vehicle speed and / or a second maximum allowable vehicle steering wheel rotation angle and / or a second maximum allowable / permissible distance that the vehicle 102 may travel based on the determined interface location outside of the vehicle 102. The processor 254 may then control the vehicle speed, vehicle steering wheel rotation, and / or vehicle travel distance based on the command signal obtained from the transceiver 208 / interface 110 and the determined second maximum allowable vehicle speed, second maximum allowable vehicle steering wheel rotation angle, and / or second maximum allowable distance as described above.

[0091] In another aspect, processor 254 may also use interface information and / or vehicle information associated with vehicle movement and / or user device information to determine whether to disable external interface movement mode, reduce vehicle speed, or stop vehicle movement. For example, when processor 254 determines that vehicle 102 may be traveling on steep terrain (as determined based on vehicle information associated with vehicle movement) (e.g., when the terrain slope angle / gradient may be greater than a predefined threshold), processor 254 may disable external interface movement mode. As another example, when vehicle 102 may be traveling on rough terrain (as determined based on vehicle information associated with vehicle movement), processor 254 may reduce vehicle speed. As yet another example, when user device information indicates a sudden change in orientation (indicating that user 104 may have fallen, slipped, or touched vehicle 102 or any other obstacle), processor 254 may stop vehicle movement. As yet another example, when the processor 254 determines that the user 104 may be holding the interface 110 in the user's hand (which is determined based on user device information, vehicle information, interface information, and / or images obtained from an external vehicle camera), the processor 254 may reduce the maximum allowable vehicle speed and / or vehicle steering wheel rotation.

[0092] In a fourth exemplary aspect, the processor 254 can determine the interface location and / or orientation relative to the vehicle 102 based on vehicle information associated with the plurality of connection ports 250, i.e., whether the interface 110 can be physically attached to a connection port from the plurality of connection ports 250 disposed in the vehicle 102. In some aspects, the plurality of connection ports 250 can be disposed at a plurality of locations on an exterior surface of the vehicle. For example, Figure 3 As shown, the first connection port 250a can be provided on the left side of the vehicle, the second connection port 250b can be provided on the right side of the vehicle, and the third connection port 250c can be provided on the rear side of the vehicle. The first connection port 250a, the second connection port 250b and the third connection port 250c are collectively referred to as a plurality of connection ports 250 in this disclosure.

[0093] In some aspects, each connection port from the plurality of connection ports 250 may include one or more pins in a unique orientation / arrangement. The pins may be disposed at a bottom surface or a side surface of each connection port. For example, Figure 4As shown in view 402 of FIG1 , the bottom surface of the first connection port 250a may include a first pin 404 (at a center port location) and a second pin 406 that may be positioned toward the left of the first pin 404. Similarly, as shown in view 402, the bottom surface of the second connection port 250b may include a first pin 404 and a third pin 408 that may be positioned toward the right of the first pin 404. Furthermore, as shown in view 402, the bottom surface of the third connection port 250c may include a first pin 404 and a fourth pin 410 that may be positioned toward the rear of the first pin 404. The pin positions in the respective connection ports may indicate the connection port locations in the vehicle 102 and the relative orientation of the connection ports with respect to the front portion of the vehicle.

[0094] In one exemplary aspect, the interface 110 may be configured to communicate with the user via Figure 3 The elongated connector 302 shown in FIG is removably attached to a connection port from the plurality of connection ports 250. The elongated connector 302 may include a top portion 304 and a bottom portion 306. The interface 110 may be electromechanically attached or coupled to the top portion 304, and the bottom portion 306 may be configured to be inserted into the plurality of connection ports 250. Figure 3 The elongated connector shapes depicted in FIG. 5 are exemplary in nature and are shown for illustrative purposes only. Figure 3 The shape of the elongated connector depicted in FIG should not be construed as limiting. The elongated connector 302 may have any other shape without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, in some aspects, the elongated connector 302 may be replaced by or may additionally include one or more of a clamp, a suction cup, a magnet, a mounting panel, etc.

[0095] In some aspects, a bottom surface or side surface of the bottom portion 306 may include one or more connector pins that may be configured to couple with the first pin 404, the second pin 406, the third pin 408, and the fourth pin 410 described above. For example, Figure 4As shown, the bottom surface of the bottom portion 306 may include a first connector pin 412a, a second connector pin 412b, a third connector pin 412c, a fourth connector pin 412d, and a fifth connector pin 412e (collectively, connector pins 412). The positions of the connector pins 412 in the bottom portion 306 may correspond to all possible pin positions associated with pins 404, 406, 408, and 410 in the plurality of connection ports 250. When the interface 110 is plugged into a connection port from the plurality of connection ports 250 via the elongated connector 302, one or more connector pins 412 may engage with corresponding pins 404, 406, 408, or 410 in the connection port, thereby generating a connection signal. The connection signal generated by the pins 404, 406, 408, or 410 or connector pins may be used by the processor 254 to determine the position of the interface in the vehicle 102. Specifically, by using the connection signal, the processor 254 may determine the connection port to which the interface 110 may be attached, thereby determining the position and / or orientation of the interface relative to the vehicle 102.

[0096] In some aspects, when connector pins 412 are disposed at the bottom surface of bottom portion 306, connector pins 412 are disposed at a position (e.g., an elevated position) that prevents water or snow from collecting on the bottom surface. In other aspects, when connector pins 412 are disposed at a side surface of bottom portion 306, connector pins 412 are spring-loaded such that connector pins 412 retract when elongated connector 302 is inserted into the connector port and snap into place when a connection between elongated connector 302 and the connection port is established.

[0097] In one exemplary aspect, when the interface 110 is plugged into the first connection port 250a, the vehicle sensor unit 248 (and / or the processor 254 directly) may receive a first connection signal from the pins 404, 406 when the connector pins 412a, 412b engage with the pins 404, 406. The first connection signal may indicate a unique orientation of the pins 404, 406 in the first connection port 250a. In response to receiving the first connection signal from the pins 404, 406, the vehicle sensor unit 248 may transmit the first connection signal to the processor 254 as part of the vehicle information associated with the plurality of connection ports 250.

[0098] The processor 254 may obtain a first connection signal from the vehicle sensor unit 248 or directly from pins 404, 406, and may determine, based on the first connection signal, that the interface location may be in the vehicle 102 and that the interface 110 may be attached to the first connection port 250a. In response to this determination, the processor 254 may use the above-described mapping to determine a third maximum permissible / allowable vehicle speed and / or a third maximum permissible vehicle steering wheel rotation angle and / or a third maximum permissible / allowable distance that the vehicle 102 may travel based on the determined interface location. The processor 254 may then control the vehicle speed, vehicle steering wheel rotation, and / or vehicle travel distance based on the command signal obtained from the transceiver 208 / interface 110 and the third maximum permissible vehicle speed, third maximum permissible vehicle steering wheel rotation angle, and / or third maximum permissible distance determined as described above.

[0099] In some aspects, the pins 404, 406, 408, and 410 associated with the plurality of connection ports 250 may be passive pins, which may mean that the pins 404, 406, 408, or 410 may be used only to determine the connection status with the corresponding connector pins 412. In other aspects, the pins 404, 406, 408, and 410 may be active pins, which may mean that the pins 404, 406, 408, and 410 may additionally be used to transmit command signals from the interface 110 to the vehicle 102 (and / or transmit data / signals from the vehicle 102 to the interface 110).

[0100] When pins 404, 406, 408, and 410 are passive pins, each connector pin 412 can be set to a digital "high" level (or a "1"), and pins 404, 406, 408, and 410 can be connected to ground (or set to a "0" level). When the elongated connector 302 can be inserted into the connection port, the corresponding connector pin connected to any two of the pins 404, 406, 408, and 410 can be turned to a digital "low" level (because pins 404, 406, 408, and 410 are connected to ground). In this case, the vehicle sensor unit 248 or the interface sensor unit 214 can poll each connector pin 412 to determine which connector pin can be turned / pulled to a digital "low" level, thereby determining the connection status between the connection port and the elongated connector 302 and, therefore, the interface location in the vehicle 102.

[0101] On the other hand, when pins 404, 406, 408, and 410 can be active pins, each connector pin 412 and pin 404 can first be set to a digital "high" level, and pin 406 can be connected to ground (associated with the first connection port 250a, used as an example). In this case, when the first connection port 250a can be connected to the elongated connector 302, only connector pin 412b can be rotated / pulled to a digital "low" level (because the corresponding pin 406 is connected to ground). The vehicle sensor unit 248 or the interface sensor unit 214 can read the digital low level of connector pin 412b to determine that connector pin 412b can be connected to pin 406. Thereafter, the remaining connector pins can be rotated / pulled to a digital low level. In this case, only connector pin 412a can be rotated to a digital high level because it can be connected to pin 404 that is set to a digital "high" level. The vehicle sensor unit 248 or the interface sensor unit 214 may then read the digital high level of the connector pin 412a to determine that the connector pin 412a may be connected to the pin 404. In response to determining the connection status of the connector pins 412a, 412b and the pins 404, 406, the processor 254 may configure these pins to pass signals between the interface 110 and the vehicle 102 (e.g., command signals associated with user input on the interface 110), as described above.

[0102] In an alternative aspect, instead of having pins 404-410, each connection port from the plurality of connection ports 250 may include a unique near-field communication (NFC) tag, and the elongated connector 302 may include an NFC reader. In this case, when the elongated connector 302 is attached to the second connection port 250b (used as an example), the vehicle sensor unit 248 (and / or the processor 254) may receive a second connection signal from the NFC reader (corresponding to the NFC tag). The second connection signal may indicate the unique NFC tag associated with the second connection port 250b. In response to receiving the second connection signal, the vehicle sensor unit 248 may transmit the second connection signal to the processor 254 as part of the vehicle information associated with the plurality of connection ports 250.

[0103] Processor 254 may obtain the second connection signal from vehicle sensor unit 248 or directly from the NFC reader. In response to receiving the second connection signal, processor 254 may determine that the interface location may be in vehicle 102 and that interface 110 may be attached to second connection port 250b based on the second connection signal.

[0104] In yet another aspect, each connection port from the plurality of connection ports 250 can include one or more conductors having a unique pattern (or disposed in a unique arrangement) on a sidewall of the connection port, such as Figure 5 For example, Figure 5As shown, the second connection port 250b can include five slots or stripes 502a, 502b, 502c, 502d, 502e on the side wall, and two conductors 504 and 506 can be present in two of the five slots 502a-502e. In addition, in this respect, the side wall of the bottom portion 306 can include five electrodes (e.g., sensing electrodes or capacitance electrodes) strips arranged similarly to the slots 502a-502e. In this case, when the lengthwise connector 302 can be inserted into / attached to the second connection port 250b, the vehicle sensor unit 248 (and / or the processor 254) can receive the second connection signal from the conductors 504, 506, which are connected to the corresponding electrodes associated with the lengthwise connector 302. The processor 254 can then use the second connection signal to determine that the interface 110 can be attached to the second connection port 250b, as described above.

[0105] Figure 6 A flow chart depicts an example first method 600 for causing and controlling vehicle movement according to the present disclosure. 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 that described in the example embodiments below.

[0106] Method 600 begins at step 602. At step 604, method 600 may include determining, by processor 254, that a triggering event has occurred. At step 606, method 600 may include obtaining, by processor 254, interface information from interface sensor unit 215 and / or vehicle information from vehicle sensor unit 248 in response to determining that a triggering event has occurred.

[0107] At step 608, the method 600 may include determining, by the processor 254, the interface location relative to the vehicle 102 based on the interface information and / or the vehicle information, as described above in conjunction with Figure 2 At step 610 , the method 600 may include controlling, by the processor 254 , the vehicle speed and / or the vehicle steering wheel rotation based on the determined interface position.

[0108] Method 600 may end at step 612 .

[0109] Figure 7 An example first external interface 700 (or interface 700) configured to enable vehicle movement according to the present disclosure is depicted. Interface 700 may be the same or similar to interface 110 described above; however, interface 700 may be shaped as a joystick. Similar to interface 110, interface 700 may be configured to be removably attached to vehicle 102 (e.g., to connection port 250). User 104 may use the above interface 700 in conjunction with the vehicle 102. Figures 1 to 6 The vehicle movement is initiated and controlled via interface 700 in a manner similar to that described.

[0110] The interface 700 may be configured to prevent vehicle movement that may not have been intended by the user, for example, when an object (e.g., a broom or any other object) falls on the interface 700, thereby providing a forward / backward / sideways push to the interface 700, which the interface 700 may mistakenly perceive as user input for moving the vehicle 102. Specifically, the interface 700 may be configured to first determine a "user intent" via the interface 700 to cause vehicle movement, and may enable the user 104 to cause / control vehicle movement only when the interface 700 determines such user intent, as described in more detail below.

[0111] In some aspects, the interface 700 may include multiple units including, but not limited to, a first detection unit 702, a second detection unit 704, a processor 706, a memory 708, a transceiver 710, and a user feedback unit 712, which may be communicatively coupled to one another. The processor 706 may be the same as or similar to the processor 210, the memory 708 may be the same as or similar to the memory 212, and the transceiver 710 may be combined with the above. Figure 2 The transceivers 208 are the same or similar.

[0112] The second detection unit 704 may be the same as or similar to the interface sensor unit 214 described above, and may be configured to receive user input or movement input via the interface 700 to cause the vehicle to move. For example, the second detection unit 704 may be configured to receive user / movement input associated with longitudinal movement of the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle moving forward or backward) and / or rotation of the vehicle steering wheel on the interface 700, which may cause the vehicle 102 to move forward, backward, or in a lateral direction as described above. In one exemplary aspect, the second detection unit 704 may include a tilt sensor, a rotation sensor / rotational position sensing element, etc., which may receive and detect forward, backward, or lateral push / force on the interface 700 and / or receive and detect rotational movement on the interface 700, and may accordingly generate a current / command signal based on the user / movement input to cause the vehicle to move (as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 and Figure 2 described above).

[0113] The user feedback unit 712 may be, for example, a unit comprising one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs, such as Figure 7 ), a lighting unit (not shown), a speaker unit, a tactile feedback unit (not shown), etc., which can be used to provide or output notifications to the user 104 (e.g., based on a command signal obtained from the processor 706, as described in detail later below).

[0114] The first detection unit 702 may be configured to detect driver / user presence near the interface 700 or detect a “user intent” to cause vehicle movement via the interface 700. In some aspects, the interface 700 may enable the user 104 to cause and control vehicle movement via the interface 700 only when the first detection unit 702 detects a user intent / desire to cause vehicle movement via the interface 700 or user presence near the interface 700, thereby preventing vehicle movement caused by pushes / inputs detected by the second detection unit 704 that may not have been provided by the user 104 (e.g., a push caused by an object falling on the interface 700).

[0115] exist Figure 7 In the exemplary aspect depicted in FIG. 1 , the first detection unit 702 is a device that can be disposed on a top portion of the interface (e.g., Figure 7 7. The first detection unit 702 may include an actuator or button on the front of the vehicle or any other interface portion (e.g., a front portion, a rear portion, a side portion, etc.) as shown. When the user 104 presses or actuates the actuator for a short duration (or a "short press" of, for example, 1 to 2 seconds) and then releases the actuator, the first detection unit 702 may detect the user's intention / desire to cause the vehicle to move. When the user 104 actuates the actuator, the first detection unit 702 may generate a trigger signal or "first input" and may transmit the first input to the processor 706, which may determine that the user 104 intends / desires to cause the vehicle to move in response to receiving the first input from the first detection unit 702. The process of causing the vehicle to move via the interface 700 is described below.

[0116] In operation, when the user 104 desires or intends to cause and control movement of the vehicle via the interface 700, the user 104 may actuate the actuator. In response to the user 104 actuating the actuator, the first detection unit 702 / actuator may generate a first input and transmit the first input to the processor 706, as described above. The processor 706 may obtain the first input from the first detection unit 702 and, based on or in response to obtaining the first input, may determine that the user 104 intends to cause / control movement of the vehicle via the interface 700.

[0117] When user 104 actuates actuator / first detection unit 702, in response to determining that the user intends to cause / control vehicle movement via interface 700 (i.e., in response to user 104 actuating actuator / first detection unit 702), processor 706 may determine whether interface 700 is in neutral mode (or in its default upright position and not tilted). When processor 706 determines that the interface is not in neutral mode when user 104 actuates actuator / first detection unit 702, processor 706 may cause user feedback unit 712 to output an error notification. For example, in this case, processor 706 may cause a lighting unit associated with user feedback unit 712 to flash in a predefined pattern or illuminate a red LED and / or cause a speaker unit associated with user feedback unit 712 to output a predefined warning sound indicating to user 104 that user 104 may not be able to cause / control vehicle movement via interface 700. In response to hearing / seeing the error notification, the user 104 may move the interface 700 to the neutral mode and then actuate the actuator / first detection unit 702 again.

[0118] In response to determining that the interface 700 is in the neutral mode when the user 104 actuates the actuator / first detection unit 702, the processor 706 may activate the interface "active" mode of the interface 700. In other words, when the processor 706 determines that the interface 700 is in the neutral mode when the user 104 actuates the actuator / first detection unit 702, the processor 706 may activate the interface 700 and enable the user 104 to cause / control vehicle movement via the interface 700. When the interface active mode may be activated, the processor 706 may further cause the user feedback unit 712 to output an activation notification (e.g., visual / audio / tactile feedback or notification). The activation notification may indicate to the user 104 that the interface 700 is in the active mode and, therefore, the user 104 may cause / control vehicle movement via the interface 700.

[0119] In some aspects, in response to activating the interface activity mode, the processor 706 may set or start a countdown timer from a first predefined start time or a "first predefined duration" (e.g., 10 to 15 seconds) to zero. The processor 706 may further determine, based on input obtained from the second detection unit 704 (or "second input"), whether the second detection unit 704 receives a user input or movement input within the first predefined duration that determines that the user 104 intends to cause vehicle movement via the interface 700. In other words, in response to activating the interface activity mode, the processor 706 monitors whether the user 104 provides any movement input (e.g., a push or pull or lateral force) on the interface 700 within the first predefined duration or before the countdown timer reaches zero.

[0120] When the processor 706 determines that the second detection unit 704 has not received a movement input within the first predefined duration, the processor 706 may deactivate the interface activity mode or move the interface 700 to an inactive state. In other words, when the interface 700 has not received a user input or movement input for the duration of the countdown timer being active, the processor 706 may deactivate the interface activity mode. In this case, if the user 104 desires to cause / control vehicle movement via the interface 700 after the processor 706 deactivates the interface activity mode, the user 104 may actuate the actuator / first detection unit 702 again, and the above process may be repeated.

[0121] On the other hand, when the interface active mode is activated and the processor 706 determines that the second detection unit 704 has received a movement input within a first predefined duration, the processor 706 may generate a command signal based on the movement input and transmit the command signal to the vehicle 102 (via the transceiver 710) to cause the vehicle to move. In other words, when the interface 700 is in an active state and the user 104 provides a movement input to the interface 700 (e.g., tilting or rotating the interface 700) before the countdown timer reaches zero, the processor 706 may generate a command signal and transmit the command signal to the vehicle 102 to cause the vehicle to move. The vehicle 102 (specifically, the processor 254) may obtain the command signal from the processor 706, which may cause the vehicle to move based on the command signal or the movement input provided by the user 104.

[0122] Additionally, in this case, when the user 104 provides a movement input to the interface 700 / second detection unit 704, the processor 706 may reset the countdown timer to the first predefined start time or the first predefined duration. In some aspects, the processor 706 may further reset the countdown timer when the user 104 actuates the actuator / first detection unit 702 again within the first predefined duration or before the countdown timer reaches zero. In other words, the user 104 may reset the countdown timer by providing a movement input to the interface 700 / second detection unit 704 or by actuating the actuator / first detection unit 702 again before the countdown timer reaches zero or before the first predefined duration elapses. The interface 700 may remain in the interface active mode until the countdown timer is greater than zero, and may move to the deactivated state when the countdown timer reaches zero.

[0123] In this way, processor 706 implements “time-based” control over interface 700 to ensure that interface 700 only causes vehicle movement when user 104 actually desires / intends to move vehicle 102 via interface 700, thereby preventing vehicle movement that the user may not have desired.

[0124] Figure 8An example second external interface 800 (or interface 800) configured to enable vehicle movement according to the present disclosure is depicted. Interface 800 may be the same as or similar to interface 700 and may have the same components as interface 700; however, instead of first detection unit 702 being an actuator or button (as described above in conjunction with Figure 7 The first detection unit 702 in the interface 800 may be or may include one or more proximity sensors, and the one or more proximity sensors may be wrapped around the interface surface (such as Figure 8 ) around or on any other interface portion (e.g., separated into multiple electrodes). The proximity sensor may be of any type, such as capacitive, infrared, ultrasonic, optical, etc. In the interface 800, when the user's hand may be set within a predefined distance (which may tend to zero) of the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702, the first detection unit 702 may detect the user's intention or desire to cause / control the movement of the vehicle via the interface 800. In other words, when the user's hand may touch (or may be about to touch) the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702, the first detection unit 702 may detect the user's intention or desire to cause / control the movement of the vehicle via the interface 800.

[0125] In operation, when the user's hand may not touch the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702 or may not be within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702, the first detection unit 702 may determine / detect a baseline noise signal that may be detected by the first detection unit 702. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the baseline noise signal may be detected by the first detection unit 702 due to environmental factors and may be based on the type of proximity sensor used in the interface 800. The first detection unit 702 may determine the baseline noise signal to ensure that the first detection unit 702 accurately determines the presence of the user near the interface 800 when the user's hand approaches the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702, and may not consider environmental noise as a proximity signal associated with the user's presence. When the user 104 (specifically, the user's hand) approaches the interface 800, the proximity signal detected by the first detection unit 702 may increase from the baseline noise signal level.

[0126] When the user 104 desires to cause / control vehicle movement via the interface 800, the user 104 may move the user's hand close to the interface 800 to touch the interface 800 / first detection unit 702. When the user's hand may be positioned within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702 or may be about to touch the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702, the first detection unit 702 may determine that the proximity signal detected by the first detection unit 702 may have crossed or increased beyond a predefined threshold. In response to this determination, the first detection unit 702 may transmit a trigger signal or a first input to the processor 706.

[0127] The processor 706 may obtain a first input from the first detection unit 702 and may determine that the user intends / expects to cause / control vehicle movement via the interface 800. In response to determining that the user intends / expects to cause / control vehicle movement or when the user's hand may be set within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702, the processor 706 may determine whether the interface 800 may be in a neutral mode. As described above, when the processor 706 determines that the interface 800 is not in a neutral mode when the user's hand may be set within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702, the processor 706 may cause the user feedback unit 712 to output an error notification. On the other hand, in response to determining that the interface 800 is in a neutral mode when the user's hand is set within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702, the processor 706 may activate an interface active mode. In addition, when the interface 800 may be activated to the interface active mode, the processor 706 may start a countdown timer from a predefined start time or a first predefined duration, as described above in combination with the above. Figure 7 As stated.

[0128] The processor 706 may further monitor whether the user 104 provides any movement input (e.g., a push or pull or lateral force) on the interface 800 / second detection unit 704 within the first predefined duration or before the countdown timer reaches zero. When the interface activity mode may be activated and when the second detection unit 704 receives the movement input within the first predefined duration, the processor 706 may transmit a command signal to the vehicle 102 based on the movement input to cause the vehicle to move, as described above. On the other hand, when the processor 706 determines that the second detection unit 704 does not receive the movement input within the first predefined duration, the processor 706 may deactivate the interface activity mode or move the interface 800 to an inactive state.

[0129] In another aspect, when the user's hand may be set outside the predefined distance from the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702, the processor 706 may deactivate the interface activity mode or move the interface 800 to an inactive state. In other words, when the user's hand may not be set to be close to the interface 800 / first detection unit 702, the processor 706 may deactivate the interface activity mode. In this case, in response to deactivating the interface activity mode or moving the interface 800 to the inactive mode, the processor 706 may start another countdown timer from a second predefined start time or "second predefined duration" to zero. In some aspects, the first predefined duration may be the same as the second predefined duration. In other aspects, the first predefined duration may be different from the second predefined duration.

[0130] In response to starting a countdown timer from a second predefined start time or a second predefined duration after the interface 800 is moved to the inactive state, the processor 706 may monitor whether the interface 800 is tiltable or not tilted (or whether it returns to a non-tilted state or a default state of the interface) within the second predefined duration or before the countdown time reaches zero. In other words, in response to starting a countdown timer from a second predefined start time or a second predefined duration after the interface 800 is moved to the inactive state, the processor 706 may determine whether the second detection unit 704 continues to receive movement input within the second predefined duration. In this case, since the user's hand is not positioned near the interface 800, if the second detection unit 704 continues to receive movement input within the second predefined duration even after the interface 800 is deactivated, the processor 706 may determine that an object may have fallen on the interface 800 or that the interface 800 may be malfunctioning. In other words, when the interface 800 continues to be in the tilted state (or the tilt is not zero) for the second predefined duration even after the interface 800 moves to the inactive state, the processor 706 may determine that the interface 800 may be malfunctioning (or an object may have fallen on the interface 800). In response to such a determination, the processor 706 may cause the user feedback unit 712 to output an error notification, thereby indicating to the user 104 that the interface 800 may be malfunctioning.

[0131] On the other hand, when the processor 706 determines that the interface 800 has returned to or moved to its default state or non-tilted state within the second predefined duration (or the second detection unit 704 may not receive a movement input within the second predefined duration or before the countdown timer reaches zero), the processor 706 may not output any error notification. In this case, the interface 800 may continue to remain in the inactive state until the user's hand approaches the interface 800 / first detection unit 702 again (and the above process may then be repeated).

[0132] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the interface 800 provides additional advantages to the user 104 because, when the processor 706 determines that the interface 800 may be faulty, the interface 800 outputs an error notification, thereby enabling the user 104 to take timely remedial action. In another aspect, the processor 706 can correlate the reading / first input obtained from the proximity sensor / first detection unit 702 with the tilt of the interface to determine whether the proximity sensor and / or the interface 800 can operate efficiently. Any change that triggers the proximity sensor while the interface 800 is stationary (i.e., in a non-tilted state / position) can be determined by the processor 706 as a fault condition, which may require a reset (either by the user 104 or through a minimum amount of sustained non-faulty operation).

[0133] In another aspect, if multiple proximity sensors are used in the interface 800, such as one on the front and one on the back, the interface or first detection unit operation may require simultaneous operation of both sensors.

[0134] The remaining functions / operations / components associated with interface 800 are the same as those associated with interface 700 and, therefore, are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and brevity.

[0135] Figure 9 An example third external interface 900 (or interface 900) configured to enable vehicle movement according to the present disclosure is depicted. Interface 900 may be the same as or similar to interfaces 700 and 800 described above and may have the same components as interfaces 700 and 800; however, in interface 900, first detection unit 702 may include both an actuator and a proximity sensor, such as Figure 9 In this case, the first detection unit 702 may determine / detect the user's intention or desire to cause / control the movement of the vehicle via the interface 900 based on inputs obtained from both the actuator and the proximity sensor. Specifically, when the user's hand is positionable within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor and when the user 104 actuates the actuator, the first detection unit 702 may detect the user's intention / desire to cause / control the movement of the vehicle via the interface 900.

[0136] In operation, when the user 104 desires to cause / control movement of the vehicle via the interface 900, the user 104 may actuate / press the actuator. When the user 104 brings the user's hand close to the interface 900 to actuate / press the actuator, the proximity sensor may detect the user's presence near the proximity sensor. The first detection unit 702 may then transmit a first input comprising an input / signal from the actuator and / or the proximity sensor to the processor 706, thereby indicating to the processor 706 that the user 104 intends / desires to cause / control movement of the vehicle via the interface 900.

[0137] In response to obtaining the first input or in response to the user 104 actuating the actuator and the user's hand being positioned within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor, the processor 706 may determine whether the interface 900 is in the neutral mode. When the processor 706 determines that the interface 900 is not in the neutral mode when the user's hand is positioned within the predefined distance of the proximity sensor and the user 104 actuates the actuator, the processor 706 may cause the user feedback unit 712 to output an error notification, as described above.

[0138] In some aspects, when the processor 706 determines based on the first input that the user 104 has actuated the actuator but the user's hand is not positioned within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor, the processor 706 may further cause the user feedback unit 712 to output an error notification. In other words, in this case, when the input / signal from the actuator indicates that the actuator is pressed / actuated, but the signal / input from the proximity sensor indicates that the user's hand is not positioned proximate to the proximity sensor, the processor 706 may cause the user feedback unit 712 to output an error notification. Such an error notification may indicate to the user 104 that the proximity sensor and / or the actuator may be malfunctioning.

[0139] In addition, when the processor 706 determines that the interface 900 is in the neutral mode when the user's hand is positioned within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor and when the user 104 actuates the actuator, the processor 706 may activate the interface active mode. The processor 706 may then continue to maintain the interface 900 in the interface active mode until the proximity sensor detects the presence of the user near the interface 900. In addition, when the interface active mode may be activated and when the user's hand may be positioned within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor, when the user 104 provides a movement input to the interface 900 (e.g., when the user 104 tilts the interface 900), the processor 706 may transmit a command signal to the vehicle 102 via the transceiver 710 based on the movement input to cause the vehicle to move.

[0140] When the user's hand can be set outside the predefined distance of the proximity sensor or the user's hand can be moved away from the interface 900 / proximity sensor, the processor 706 can deactivate the interface 900 or move the interface 900 to an inactive state. In response to moving the interface 900 to the deactivated state, the processor 706 can determine / monitor whether the interface 900 can be in its default state (i.e., non-tilted state) or whether the interface 900 can be tilted. After moving the interface to the inactive state, when the processor 706 determines that the interface 900 is tilted, the processor 706 can cause the user feedback unit 712 to output an error notification. In some aspects, such an error notification may indicate a faulty tilt sensor and / or a faulty proximity sensor associated with the second detection unit 704.

[0141] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, similar to interface 800, interface 900 provides additional advantages to user 104 because, when processor 706 determines that a proximity sensor, tilt sensor, etc. may be malfunctioning, interface 900 outputs an error notification, thereby enabling user 104 to take timely remedial action. Furthermore, because the user's intent or desire to cause / control vehicle movement via interface 900 is detected by two different units (i.e., the actuator and the proximity sensor), interface 900 provides a more robust and efficient means of detecting user intent, thereby significantly reducing any probability of incorrect or erroneous user intent detection.

[0142] Figure 10 An example fourth external interface 1000 (or interface 1000) configured to enable vehicle movement according to the present disclosure is depicted. Interface 1000 may be the same as or similar to interface 800 and may have the same components as interface 800; however, instead of including a proximity sensor (as described above in conjunction with the first detection unit 702), the first detection unit 702 may include a proximity sensor. Figure 8 As described above, the first detection unit 702 in the interface 1000 may include one or more pressure sensors (e.g., a diaphragm pressure sensor or a diaphragm with a pressure sensing array). The pressure sensors may be provided on the external surface of the interface 1000 and may have any number (e.g., two, four, six, eight, etc.). Figure 10 In the exemplary aspect depicted in, the interface 1000 or the first detection unit 702 includes four pressure sensors, for example, a first pressure sensor 702a disposed on a front portion of the interface, a second pressure sensor (not shown) disposed on a back / rear portion of the interface opposite to the first pressure sensor 702a, a third pressure sensor 702b disposed on a left portion of the interface, and a fourth pressure sensor 702c disposed on a right portion of the interface opposite to the third pressure sensor 702b.

[0143] exist Figure 10 , when the user 104 simultaneously activates / presses or engages the first pressure sensor 702a and the second pressure sensor 702a, or simultaneously activates / presses or engages the third pressure sensor 702b and the fourth pressure sensor 702c, the first detection unit 702 may detect the user's intention or desire to cause / control movement of the vehicle via the interface 1000. In response to the user 104 simultaneously activating the two pressure sensors disposed opposite to each other, the first detection unit 702 may generate a first input and transmit the first input to the processor 706, which may determine the user's intention / desire to cause movement of the vehicle via the interface 1000 in response to obtaining the first input.

[0144] When processor 706 determines a user's intent / desire to cause vehicle movement via interface 1000, or when user 104 simultaneously activates first pressure sensor 702a and second pressure sensor 702c (or simultaneously activates third pressure sensor 702b and fourth pressure sensor 702c), processor 706 may determine whether interface 1000 is in neutral mode. When processor 706 determines that interface 1000 is not in neutral mode when user 104 simultaneously activates first pressure sensor 702a and second pressure sensor 702c, processor 706 may deactivate interface 1000, as described above. On the other hand, in response to determining that interface 1000 is in neutral mode when user 104 simultaneously activates first pressure sensor 702a and second pressure sensor 702c, processor 706 may activate an interface active mode. Thereafter, when interface active mode is activated and when second detection unit 704 receives movement input within a first predefined duration, processor 706 may start a countdown timer as described above and may transmit a command signal to vehicle 102 to cause / control vehicle movement.

[0145] In some aspects, at least one pressure sensor (from the first pressure sensor 702a, the second pressure sensor, the third pressure sensor 702b, and the fourth pressure sensor 702c) may need to be activated or "pressed" for the processor 706 to transmit a command signal to the vehicle 102 based on the movement input to cause the vehicle to move. In one exemplary aspect, if the opposite pressure sensor is pressed, the tilt of the interface 1000 should match the opposite pressure sensor. For example, if the processor 706 determines (based on the movement input obtained from the second detection unit 704) that the interface 1000 is tilted forward, then the pressure sensor located at the back portion of the interface 1000 should be pressed by the processor 706 or detected as being pressed by the processor (based on the first input obtained from the first detection unit 702).

[0146] In another aspect, in response to activating the interface 1000 to the interface active mode, the processor 706 may monitor a first input to detect whether at least one pressure sensor is activated or pressed. When the processor 706 determines that no pressure sensor is activated or pressed when the interface 1000 is activatable, the processor 706 may transmit a vehicle movement stop command signal to the vehicle 102 to stop vehicle movement. In other words, when the processor 706 determines that the first and second pressure sensors 702a and 702b and the fourth pressure sensor 702c are deactivated or not pressed after the interface 1000 is activated to the interface active mode, the processor 706 may transmit a vehicle movement stop command signal to the vehicle 102. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the processor 706 transmits a vehicle movement stop command signal to the vehicle 102 in response to such a determination to prevent vehicle movement that may not have been desired by the user 104.

[0147] When the first pressure sensor 702a and the second pressure sensor (as well as the third pressure sensor 702b and the fourth pressure sensor 702c) remain deactivated or unpressed for more than a third predefined duration, the processor 706 may further deactivate the interface activity mode (or deactivate the interface 1000). In some aspects, the third predefined duration may be the same as the first predefined duration and / or the second predefined duration described above. In other aspects, the third predefined duration may be different from the first predefined duration and / or the second predefined duration.

[0148] In an additional aspect, when the first and second pressure sensors 702a and 702b and the fourth pressure sensor 702c are deactivated or not pressed, the processor 706 may monitor the interface tilt angle or rotation angle (based on the movement input obtained from the second detection unit 704). When the processor 706 determines that the interface 1000 may not be in the neutral mode (or may be tilted) when the first and second pressure sensors 702a and 702b and the fourth pressure sensor 702c are deactivated, the processor 706 may cause the user feedback unit 712 to output an error notification. In other words, when no pressure sensor can be activated but the interface 1000 can be tilted, the processor 706 may output an error notification. The error notification may indicate to the user 104 that the interface 1000 may be malfunctioning.

[0149] Figure 11 An example fifth external interface 1100 (or interface 1100) configured to enable vehicle mobility according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 12 To describe Figure 11 The interface 1100 may be the same or similar to the interfaces 700, 800, 900, 1000 described above and may include the same components; however, the first detection unit 702 of the interface 1100 may include an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which may also include the above-mentioned combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some aspects, in the interface 1100, the first detection unit 702 can be the same as the second detection unit 702, which in turn can be the same as the interface sensor unit 214 described above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As described, the interface sensor unit 214 (and therefore the first detection unit 702 and / or the second detection unit 704) can determine interface information, which may include, for example, interface movement speed and direction, tilt / inclination relative to the ground or north / south pole, interface angular movement, etc.

[0150] The processor 706 may use the interface information obtained from the IMU and generate a command signal based on the interface information to cause / control vehicle movement based on the interface information. Specifically, in this case, the processor 706 may transmit the command signal to the processor 254, and the processor 254 may cause / control vehicle movement based on the command signal obtained from the processor 706. In other aspects, the processor 706 may transmit the interface information obtained from the IMU to the processor 254, and the processor 254 may itself generate a command signal to cause / control vehicle movement based on the interface information.

[0151] In one exemplary aspect, the processor 706 or the processor 254 may use input / information obtained from an interface accelerometer associated with the IMU to determine the pitch of the interface 1100. Similarly, the processor 706 or the processor 254 may use input / information obtained from an interface magnetometer associated with the IMU to determine the yaw of the interface 1100. When matched with the yaw of the vehicle 102 obtained from the vehicle IMU, the input / information obtained from the interface magnetometer may enable the processor 706 or the processor 254 to determine the orientation of the interface relative to the vehicle 102.

[0152] In some aspects, the user 104 may use the interface 1100 to cause / control vehicle movement while holding the interface 1100 in the user's hand, such as Figure 12 In other words, when the interface 1100 can be held by the user 104 in the user's hand, the interface 1100 can cause / control the vehicle to move. In this way, in some cases, it does not need to be attached to the vehicle's exterior surface (or connection port 250) to operate. In other aspects, the user 104 can combine the above Figures 7 to 10 The interface 1100 is attached to the connection port 250 in a similar manner to that described to cause / control vehicle movement.

[0153] In operation, when the user 104 moves the interface 1100 in a predefined movement pattern, the first detection unit 702 / IMU may determine / detect the user's intention or desire to cause / control vehicle movement via the interface 1100. For example, when the user 104 holds the interface 1100 vertically and moves it forward quickly (e.g., by Figure 11 1104 ), the first detection unit 702 / IMU may determine / detect the user's intention or desire to cause / control vehicle movement via the interface 1100 .

[0154] In response to user 104 moving interface 1100 in the predefined movement pattern described above, first detection unit 702 / IMU may transmit a first input to processor 706. Processor 706 may obtain the first input and, upon obtaining the first input or upon user 104 moving interface 1100 in the predefined movement pattern, determine whether the interface longitudinal axis "L" (or interface vertical axis) is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the ground surface. In other words, processor 706 may determine whether the interface vertical axis is aligned with the gravity axis (which may be perpendicular to the ground surface) when the user moves interface 1100 in the predefined movement pattern. Processor 706 may activate the interface activity mode in response to determining that the interface longitudinal axis "L" is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the ground surface when user 104 moves interface 1100 in the predefined movement pattern (as shown in view 1104). In other words, processor 706 may activate the interface activity mode in response to determining that the interface vertical axis is aligned with the gravity axis when the user moves the interface in the predefined movement pattern. When the interface active mode may be activated, the processor 706 may further cause the user feedback unit 712 to output an activation notification (eg, flashing a lighting unit or outputting audible and / or tactile feedback / notification).

[0155] The processor 706 may continue to monitor the roll angle between the interface longitudinal axis "L" and the normal to the ground (i.e., the gravity axis), and may maintain the interface 1100 in the interface active mode while the roll angle is within a predefined range "θ" about the normal to the ground, e.g. Figure 11 On the other hand, when the roll angle may be outside the predefined range "θ" or when the processor 706 determines that the angle "α" between the longitudinal axis "L" of the interface and the ground surface may be less than a predefined angle threshold (e.g., 45-55 degrees), the processor 706 may deactivate the interface active mode (or deactivate the interface 1100), as shown in FIG. Figure 11 In other words, when the processor 706 determines that the angle between the interface vertical axis and the gravity axis is greater than a predefined gravity angle threshold (eg, 35-45 degrees), the processor 706 may deactivate the interface active mode.

[0156] In some aspects, when the interface 1100 may be in an interface active mode, the processor 706 may transmit interface information to the processor 254, and the processor 254 may determine the pitch, roll, etc. associated with the interface 110 relative to the vehicle pitch, roll, etc., and may cause / control vehicle movement accordingly. In alternative aspects, the processor 254 may perform UWB-based triangulation to determine the pitch, roll, etc. associated with the interface 110 relative to the vehicle pitch, roll, etc. In further aspects, the step of determining the pitch, roll, etc. associated with the interface 110 relative to the vehicle pitch, roll, etc. may be performed by the processor 706.

[0157] The processor 706 (or the processor 254 based on the UWB-based triangulation and / or the interface information) may further determine the interface orientation or interface yaw vector "V" ( Figure 12 In response to determining the interface yaw vector “V”, the processor 706 (or the processor 254) may generate a virtual zone 1202 ( Figure 12 ). In some aspects, the virtual zone 1202 can be formed / generated such that the virtual zone 1202 can be disposed within a predefined angular range “β” about the interface yaw vector “V”.

[0158] In response to generating the virtual zone 1202 and in response to determining (based on the interface information) that the user 104 may have tilted the interface 1100 (or provided movement input to the second detection unit 704 / IMU), the processor 706 (or the processor 254) may determine whether the user 104 may have provided a forward tilt or a rearward tilt to the interface 1100. In some aspects, a forward tilt may indicate that the user 104 desires the vehicle 102 to move forward, and a rearward tilt may indicate that the user 104 desires the vehicle 102 to move rearward (or in a reverse direction).

[0159] In response to determining that user 104 may have provided a forward tilt or movement input to interface 1100 associated with forward vehicle movement, processor 706 (or processor 254) may determine whether the front portion of the vehicle may be positioned within virtual zone 1202. If the front portion of the vehicle may be positioned within virtual zone 1202, processor 706 may then transmit a command signal to vehicle 102 to cause the vehicle to move forward, or processor 254 may cause the vehicle to move forward. On the other hand, if the front portion of the vehicle may be positioned outside virtual zone 1202, processor 706 may not transmit a command signal to vehicle 102, or processor 254 may not cause the vehicle to move forward (while still maintaining interface 1100 in interface active mode). Such operations performed by processor 706 / processor 254 may prevent scenarios in which user 104 may cause vehicle movement while facing away from vehicle 102 without direct line of sight.

[0160] In a similar manner, in response to determining that the user 104 may have provided a rearward lean or movement input to the interface 1100 associated with reverse vehicle movement, the processor 706 (or the processor 254) may determine whether the rear portion of the vehicle may be positioned within the virtual zone 1202. When the rear portion of the vehicle may be positioned within the virtual zone 1202, the processor 706 may then transmit a command signal to the vehicle 102 to cause the vehicle to move in reverse, or the processor 254 may cause the vehicle to move in reverse. On the other hand, when the rear portion of the vehicle may be positioned outside the virtual zone 1202, the processor 706 may not transmit a command signal to the vehicle 102, or the processor 254 may not cause the vehicle to move in reverse (while still maintaining the interface 1100 in the interface active mode).

[0161] In an additional aspect, the processor 706 may control the operation of a lighting unit associated with the user feedback unit 712 such that a center LED may be illuminated when the interface yaw vector "V" is centered about the vehicle 102. Additionally, a rotation of the interface to the left relative to the vehicle 102 may move the LED (or the lighting pattern of the LED) to the right, and vice versa. Furthermore, when the front portion of the vehicle or the rear portion of the vehicle may be outside the virtual zone 1202, a corner LED may be illuminated to indicate to the user 104 that a vehicle speed control request or movement input provided by the user 104 on the interface 1100 may not be processed by the interface 1100 / vehicle 102.

[0162] The processor 706 may further deactivate the interface activity mode when the processor 706 detects that the user 104 may have put down the interface 1100 based on input obtained from the interface accelerometer.

[0163] Figure 13 A flow chart of a second method 1300 for enabling vehicle movement via an external interface (eg, interface 700, 800, 900, 1000, or 1100) according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 13 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.

[0164] The method 1300 begins at step 1302. At step 1304, the method 1300 may include determining, by the processor 706, based on a first input obtained from the first detection unit 702, that the user 104 intends to cause the vehicle to move via the external interface. At step 1306, the method 1300 may include determining, by the processor 706, based on a second input obtained from the second detection unit 704, that the second detection unit 704 receives movement input within a first predefined duration that determines that the user 104 intends to cause the vehicle to move.

[0165] At step 1308 , method 1300 may include, in response to determining that the movement input is received within the first predefined duration, transmitting, by processor 706 , a command signal to vehicle 102 to cause vehicle movement based on the movement input.

[0166] At step 1310 , method 1300 may stop.

[0167] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings which form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It will be understood that other implementations 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," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the embodiment being described may include particular features, structures, or characteristics, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when features, structures, or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0168] In addition, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be implemented 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 implement one or more of the systems and procedures 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.

[0169] 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 particular example being described.

[0170] Computer-readable media (also known as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) media that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media can 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 are executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0171] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, and the like described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes can be practiced by performing the described steps in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps can be performed simultaneously, other steps can be added, or certain steps described herein can be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of the processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0172] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but rather with reference to the appended claims and the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and variation.

[0173] Unless otherwise expressly indicated to the contrary in this document, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meaning as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless a claim states an express limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood otherwise within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "might", "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.

[0174] According to one embodiment, the processor is further configured to: determine that the angle between the interface vertical axis and the gravity axis is greater than a predefined angle threshold; and deactivate the interface activity mode in response to determining that the angle is greater than the predefined angle threshold.

[0175] According to one embodiment, the processor is further configured to: determine an interface orientation based on input obtained from the IMU; generate a virtual zone near the interface based on the interface orientation; determine that a front portion of the vehicle is disposed within the virtual zone when the movement input is associated with forward movement of the vehicle or that a rear portion of the vehicle is disposed within the virtual zone when the movement input is associated with reverse movement of the vehicle; and transmit the command signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to move in response to determining that the front portion of the vehicle is disposed within the virtual zone when the movement input is associated with forward movement of the vehicle or that the rear portion of the vehicle is disposed within the virtual zone when the movement input is associated with reverse movement of the vehicle.

[0176] According to one embodiment, the second detection unit includes one or more of a tilt sensor or a rotation sensor.

[0177] According to the present invention, a method for controlling vehicle movement via an interface includes: determining by a processor, based on a first input obtained from a first detection unit associated with the interface, that a user intends to cause the vehicle to move, wherein the first detection unit is configured to detect the user's intention to cause the vehicle to move via the interface, and wherein the interface is configured to be removably attached to the vehicle; determining by the processor, based on a second input obtained from a second detection unit associated with the interface, that the second detection unit receives movement input within a predefined duration of the user's intention to cause the vehicle to move, wherein the second detection unit is configured to receive the movement input to cause the vehicle to move; and transmitting by the processor, in response to determining that the movement input is received within the predefined duration, a command signal to the vehicle based on the movement input to cause the vehicle to move.

[0178] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon is provided, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: determine, based on a first input obtained from a first detection unit associated with an interface, a user's intention to cause a vehicle to move, wherein the first detection unit is configured to detect a user's intention to cause the vehicle to move via the interface, and wherein the interface is configured to be removably attached to the vehicle; determine, based on a second input obtained from a second detection unit associated with the interface, that the second detection unit receives a movement input within a predefined duration of the user's intention to cause the vehicle to move, wherein the second detection unit is configured to receive the movement input to cause the vehicle to move; and transmit a command signal to the vehicle based on the movement input to cause the vehicle to move in response to determining that the movement input is received within the predefined duration.

Claims

1. An interface comprising: a first detection unit configured to detect a user's intention to cause movement of the vehicle via the interface, wherein the interface is configured to be removably attached to the vehicle; a second detection unit configured to receive a movement input to cause the vehicle to move; as well as a processor communicatively coupled to the first detection unit and the second detection unit, wherein the processor is configured to: determining, based on a first input obtained from the first detection unit, that a user intends to cause the vehicle to move; determining, based on a second input obtained from the second detection unit, that the second detection unit received the movement input within a first predefined duration of time in which the user intended to cause the vehicle to move; as well as In response to determining that the movement input is received within the first predefined duration, a command signal is transmitted to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to move based on the movement input.

2. The interface of claim 1 , wherein the first detection unit comprises an actuator provided on the interface, wherein the first detection unit detects the user intention when the user actuates the actuator, and wherein the processor is further configured to: determining that the interface is in a neutral mode when the user actuates the actuator; activating an interface active mode in response to determining that the interface is in the neutral mode when the user actuates the actuator; as well as The command signal is transmitted to the vehicle when the interface active mode is activated and when the second detection unit receives the movement input within the first predefined time duration. 3 . The interface of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to deactivate the interface activity mode when the second detection unit does not receive the movement input within the first predefined time duration.

4. The interface of claim 2, further comprising: A user feedback unit, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the user feedback unit to output an activation notification when the interface activity mode is activated.

5. The interface of claim 4, wherein the user feedback unit comprises at least one of a lighting unit, a speaker unit, or a tactile feedback unit.

6. The interface of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining that the interface is not in the neutral mode when the user actuates the actuator; and In response to determining that the interface is not in the neutral mode when the user actuates the actuator, the user feedback unit is caused to output an error notification.

7. The interface of claim 1 , wherein the first detection unit comprises a proximity sensor, wherein the first detection unit detects the user intention when a user's hand is disposed within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor, and wherein the processor is further configured to: determining that the interface is in a neutral mode when the user's hand is disposed within the predefined distance of the proximity sensor; activating an interface active mode in response to determining that the interface is in the neutral mode when the user's hand is disposed within the predefined distance of the proximity sensor; and The command signal is transmitted to the vehicle when the interface active mode is activated and when the second detection unit receives the movement input within the first predefined time duration.

8. The interface of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to deactivate the interface active mode when the user's hand is positioned outside the predefined distance from the proximity sensor.

9. The interface of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining that the second detection unit continues to receive the movement input for a second predefined duration after deactivating the interface activity mode; and In response to determining that the second detection unit continues to receive the movement input within the second predefined duration after deactivating the interface activity mode, an error notification is output.

10. The interface of claim 1 , wherein the first detection unit comprises an actuator and a proximity sensor, wherein the first detection unit detects the user intention when a user's hand is disposed within a predefined distance of the proximity sensor and when the user actuates the actuator, and wherein the processor is further configured to: determining that the interface is in a neutral mode when the user's hand is disposed within the predefined distance of the proximity sensor and when the user actuates the actuator; activating an interface active mode in response to determining that the interface is in the neutral mode when the user's hand is disposed within the predefined distance of the proximity sensor and when the user actuates the actuator; as well as The command signal is transmitted to the vehicle when the interface active mode is activated and when the user's hand is disposed within the predefined distance of the proximity sensor.

11. An interface as described in claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: output an error notification when the hand is positioned within the predefined distance of the proximity sensor and the interface is not in the neutral mode when the user actuates the actuator, or when the user actuates the actuator and the user's hand is not positioned within the predefined distance of the proximity sensor.

12. The interface of claim 1 , wherein the first detection unit comprises a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor, wherein the first detection unit detects the user intention when the user activates the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor simultaneously, and wherein the processor is further configured to: determining that the interface is in a neutral mode when the user simultaneously activates the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor; activating an interface active mode in response to determining that the interface is in the neutral mode when the user simultaneously activates the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor; and The command signal is transmitted to the vehicle when the interface active mode is activated and when the second detection unit receives the movement input within the first predefined time duration.

13. The interface of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining that the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are deactivated after the interface active mode is activated; transmitting a vehicle movement stop command signal to the vehicle to stop movement of the vehicle when the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are deactivated after the interface active mode is activated; and The interface activity mode is deactivated when the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are deactivated for more than a third predefined duration.

14. The interface of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to: In response to determining that the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are deactivated, determining that the interface is not in the neutral mode; and In response to determining that the interface is not in the neutral mode when the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are deactivated, an error notification is output.

15. The interface of claim 1 , wherein the first detection unit comprises an inertial measurement unit (IMU), wherein the first detection unit detects the user intention when the user moves the interface in a predefined movement pattern, and wherein the processor is further configured to: When the user moves the interface in the predefined movement pattern, determining that the vertical axis of the interface is aligned with the gravity axis; and In response to determining that the interface vertical axis is aligned with the gravity axis when the user moves the interface in the predefined movement pattern, an interface activity mode is activated.

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