Systems and methods for implementing prioritization of vehicle feature subscription sharing

Abstract

The present disclosure provides "systems and methods for implementing prioritization of vehicle feature subscription sharing." A subscription management system including a transceiver and a processor is disclosed. The transceiver can receive a first request to enable a subscription-based vehicle feature in a first vehicle from a first user associated with the first vehicle and a second request to enable the subscription-based vehicle feature in a second vehicle from a second user associated with the second vehicle. In response to obtaining the first request and the second request, the processor can obtain first information associated with the first user and the first vehicle and second information associated with the second user and the second vehicle. The processor can also determine a priority of vehicle feature usage between the first user and the second user based on the first information and the second information and enable the subscription-based vehicle feature in the first vehicle or the second vehicle based on the priority.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to vehicles, and more specifically to systems and methods for prioritizing vehicle feature subscription sharing. Background Technology

[0002] Modern vehicles offer a variety of features to enhance the user's driving and vehicle experience. Examples of such features include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), navigation assistance systems, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, airbags, and more. Additional "premium" features are also available as subscriptions from vehicle manufacturers or dealerships. These premium features are typically accessible in the vehicle after a subscription is purchased.

[0003] As an example, a user can purchase a subscription for an autonomous driving feature or a remote parking assistance feature for a predefined duration (e.g., 1 year, 3 years, 7 years, etc.). In this case, after the user purchases the subscription, the vehicle can enable the user to use the autonomous driving feature or the remote parking assistance feature for the predefined duration. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure describes systems and methods for prioritizing the sharing of premium vehicle features subscriptions among multiple users / drivers and vehicles. The system ensures that "high-priority" drivers are granted access to subscription-based premium vehicle features, and that subscriptions are optimally distributed among drivers. In an exemplary aspect, the system may enable a fleet manager to optimally distribute subscriptions to premium vehicle features owned by the fleet manager among drivers / operators / users in a vehicle fleet. In another exemplary aspect, the system may enable a vehicle owner (or subscription owner) to optimally distribute subscriptions to premium vehicle features owned by the vehicle owner among the owner's friends and family members. The following description describes aspects of the system distributing subscriptions among drivers / users in a vehicle fleet; however, such description should not be construed as limiting the applicability of this disclosure to vehicle fleets only.

[0005] In some respects, to achieve efficient subscription distribution among drivers, if the fleet manager has purchased subscriptions for multiple premium vehicle features, the fleet manager can define or transmit to the system which subscriptions can be shared with which drivers / vehicles. The fleet manager can further define or transmit to the system a count of "accounts (or users or logins) of subscriptions" that the fleet manager has purchased. The fleet manager can also define a subscription policy (or "multi-token subscription policy") that indicates the preferred method the fleet manager may expect to distribute subscription logins among drivers.

[0006] In response to receiving the aforementioned information from the fleet manager, the system may first create a "shared network" comprising drivers of fleet vehicles who may request subscription-based advanced vehicle features. The system may also generate multiple tokens associated with the subscription-based vehicle features based on the subscription policy defined by the fleet manager. The tokens associated with the subscription-based vehicle features can be authentication or authorization methods through which the vehicle can enable vehicle features. To enable advanced features in a vehicle, the driver / operator associated with the vehicle can transmit a request to the system to obtain the corresponding token.

[0007] In response to generating multiple tokens associated with subscription-based vehicle features based on a subscription policy, the system can make the tokens "available" within a shared network including drivers of fleet vehicles. If the count of tokens generated and available in the shared network is less than the count of subscription logins / accounts owned by the fleet manager, drivers can use the tokens without conflict. However, if the count of tokens generated and available in the shared network is greater than the count of subscription logins / accounts owned by the fleet manager, a conflict may occur. In this case, the system can determine a priority list of drivers requesting tokens and distribute tokens according to the priority list (and thus enable the advanced feature in the driver's vehicle). The system can determine the priority of advanced vehicle feature usage among drivers based on several different parameters, as briefly described below.

[0008] In one exemplary aspect, the system may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage among drivers based on a usage hierarchy defined by a fleet manager. In another exemplary aspect, the system may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage among drivers based on each driver's historical usage of subscription-based premium vehicle features. In yet another exemplary aspect, the system may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage among drivers based on the maximum permissible time (e.g., 2 hours or 3 hours) of vehicle feature usage within a predefined duration (e.g., within a day), as defined by the fleet manager. In yet another exemplary aspect, the system may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage among drivers based on the operational status of the vehicles associated with the driver (e.g., if any vehicle is connected to a trailer, the driver of that vehicle is given higher priority). In yet another exemplary aspect, the system may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage among drivers based on the driver's associated driving experience, professional experience, total driving time in a day, etc.

[0009] In response to determining the priority of vehicle feature usage among drivers by using any of the parameters described above, the system can enable subscription-based advanced vehicle features in vehicles associated with drivers having higher priority. In some aspects, the system can enable the vehicle feature in a vehicle by transmitting a token associated with the advanced vehicle feature (derived from the plurality of tokens generated by the system) to the vehicle.

[0010] In this way, the system ensures that "high-priority" drivers use subscription-based advanced vehicle features, and that the subscribed vehicle features are not unnecessarily used for extended periods by users who may be lower in the priority list.

[0011] This disclosure discloses a system and method that enables a subscription owner to optimally distribute subscription-based premium vehicle features among multiple drivers / operators. The system ensures that subscription distribution is based on the subscription owner's preferences or a subscription policy defined by the owner. The system also enables multiple vehicles to concurrently access subscription-based premium vehicle features (provided the subscription owner has purchased multiple logins / accounts).

[0012] These and other advantages of this disclosure are provided in detail herein. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Specific embodiments are illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may be used to 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. 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.

[0014] Figure 1 The environment in which the technologies and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein can be implemented is described.

[0015] Figure 2 The present disclosure depicts two users requesting access to a subscription-based view of vehicle features from a subscription management system.

[0016] Figure 3 Example parameters for determining the priority of vehicle feature usage by a subscription management system, according to this disclosure, are described.

[0017] Figure 4 A flowchart is provided illustrating an example method for prioritizing vehicle feature subscription sharing according to this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to be limiting.

[0019] Figure 1 An environment 100 is described in which the techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein can be implemented. This will be combined with... Figure 2 and Figure 3 To describe Figure 1 .

[0020] Environment 100 may include multiple vehicles 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, 102n (collectively referred to as vehicles 102), which may be part of a vehicle fleet. In an exemplary aspect, the vehicle fleet may be managed by a fleet manager 104. Each vehicle 102 may be driven by or associated with a driver and / or passenger. For example, vehicle 102a may be associated with a driver / passenger / user 202a (in... Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, vehicle 102b may be associated with driver / occupant / user 202b, etc. Although this disclosure describes aspects in which vehicle 102 is part of a fleet of vehicles managed by fleet manager 104 and vehicle 102 is associated with driver / user 202a, 202b, etc., such description should not be construed as limiting. In other aspects, fleet manager 104 may be a vehicle owner (e.g., the owner of vehicle 102a), and users 202a, 202b may be family members / friends / acquaintances of the vehicle owner. Therefore, although this disclosure is described in the context of a fleet of vehicles and a fleet manager, such description should not be construed as limiting the applicability of this disclosure to fleets of vehicles only. Throughout the description, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the term "fleet manager" may be replaced by "vehicle owner," and users 202a, 202b may be replaced by family members, friends, etc. of the vehicle owner.

[0021] Each vehicle 102 can take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as a car, work vehicle, crossover, truck, van, minivan, taxi, bus, etc. Additionally, each vehicle 102 can be a manually driven vehicle or can be configured to operate in a partially / fully autonomous mode. Furthermore, each vehicle 102 can include any powertrain system, such as a gasoline engine or a hybrid system.

[0022] In some respects, fleet manager 104 may have purchased subscriptions to one or more “advanced” vehicle features (or “subscription-based vehicle features”) that can be enabled or accessed in vehicle 102. Examples of such advanced features include, but are not limited to, autonomous or automated driving features, heated seating area features, massaging seating area features, heated steering wheel features, entertainment features, social networking features, enhanced vehicle aerodynamic properties, advanced fuel calibration, enhanced transmission calibration, enhanced vehicle stability control, vehicle drift mode, etc. These advanced vehicle features are only accessible in the vehicle if the vehicle owner or fleet manager (e.g., from a vehicle dealership) has purchased a subscription to these features; otherwise, they are not. In other words, unless fleet manager 104 (or user 202a) has purchased a subscription to the advanced vehicle features and user 202a is an “authorized” user who can use the features in vehicle 102a, user 202a may not be able to access the advanced vehicle features in vehicle 102a. In some respects, vehicle 102a may authorize or authenticate user 202a by using known authorization technologies (e.g., to enable user 202a to use subscription-based vehicle features), including but not limited to facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, password / password input, authentication of user devices associated with user 202a, authorized use of USB dongles, etc.

[0023] According to this disclosure, in order to achieve access to advanced vehicle features in vehicle 102, fleet manager 104 may not need to purchase multiple subscriptions equal to the number of vehicles 102. Instead, they can purchase a smaller number of subscriptions and "share" the subscriptions among vehicles 102 and / or their associated users. For example, if fleet manager 104 has five vehicles and wishes to purchase subscriptions for autonomous driving features, fleet manager 104 may not need to purchase five subscriptions for autonomous driving features. Instead, they can purchase only two or three subscriptions and share the purchased subscriptions among users associated with vehicles 102. According to this disclosure, subscriptions for advanced vehicle features are "portable" across multiple vehicles, and subscriptions can be "lent" by fleet manager 104 to vehicles 102 and / or their associated users on request and for a predetermined (and short) duration.

[0024] In some aspects, environment 100 may also include a subscription management system 106 (or system 106) communicatively coupled to vehicle 102, user device 108 associated with fleet manager 104, one or more servers 110, and / or the like via one or more networks. User device 108 may be, for example, a computer, laptop computer, mobile phone, tablet computer, smartwatch, or any other device with communication capabilities. The networks described herein illustrate example communication infrastructure in which connected devices discussed in various embodiments of this disclosure may communicate. Networks 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 Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Bluetooth, etc. ® Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi based on the 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 5G, to name just a few.

[0025] System 106 can be hosted on a server or a distributed computing system. System 106 facilitates optimal sharing of the aforementioned subscription among users of vehicle 102 by fleet manager 104, enabling users who most need advanced vehicle features to use those features. In other words, system 106 ensures that "high-priority" users can use the subscribed vehicle features in their vehicles, and that the subscribed vehicle features are not unnecessarily used for extended periods by users who may have lower priority on the priority list.

[0026] In some respects, to achieve efficient subscription distribution among users, if fleet manager 104 has purchased subscriptions for multiple advanced vehicle features, fleet manager 104 can (via user device 108) define or transmit to system 106 which subscriptions can be shared with which drivers / vehicles. For example, fleet manager 104 can (via user device 108) transmit to system 106 that subscriptions for autonomous driving features can be shared with users associated with vehicle 102. Fleet manager 104 can further define or transmit to system 106 a count of "subscribed accounts" (or subscribed users or logins) that fleet manager 104 has purchased. For example, fleet manager 104 can transmit to system 106 that fleet manager 104 has purchased three accounts or logins for autonomous driving features, which can be shared among users associated with vehicle 102. In other respects, system 106 may already have information associated with the count of accounts for subscriptions that fleet manager 104 has purchased (e.g., system 106 may obtain such information from server 110), and fleet manager 104 may not need to transmit this information to system 106.

[0027] In response to receiving such communication / information associated with a subscribed advanced vehicle feature from fleet manager 104 (or from server 110), system 106 can optimally share three accounts / logins owned by fleet manager 104 among the five users associated with vehicle 102, enabling "high-priority" users to access the advanced vehicle feature. Details of the components and overall system functionality of system 106 are described below.

[0028] System 106 may include multiple components, including but not limited to transceiver 112, processor 114, and memory 116. Transceiver 112 can receive information / input from one or more external devices or systems (e.g., user device 108, server 110, vehicle 102, user devices associated with users 202a, 202b, etc.) via the aforementioned network. Furthermore, transceiver 112 can transmit notifications to external devices or systems.

[0029] Processor 114 may be connected to one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 116 and / or memory 117). Figure 1The processor 114 may communicate with one or more external databases (not shown) and with a corresponding computing system. The processor 114 may utilize the memory 116 to store programs in code and / or store data to execute aspects of this disclosure. The memory 116 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium or memory storing subscription manager code. The memory 116 may include any 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.).

[0030] In some aspects, memory 116 may include multiple databases and modules, including but not limited to user and vehicle information database 118, subscription information database 120, token generation module 122, priority determination module 124, etc. Token generation module 122 and priority determination module 124 may be stored in memory 116 as computer-executable instructions, and processor 114 may execute these instructions to perform one or more operations according to this disclosure. The functions of these modules will be described later in the following description.

[0031] User and vehicle information database 118 may store information associated with each user and each vehicle 102. For example, user and vehicle information database 118 may store information associated with vehicle 102 and users 202a, 202b (and other users associated with vehicle 102). Examples of information stored in user and vehicle information database 118 include, but are not limited to, each user's historical usage of subscription-based vehicle features, the operating condition of each vehicle 102 (e.g., whether vehicle 102 is connected to a trailer, vehicle SOC level, etc.), each user's total driving experience (in months or years), each user's total driving time over a predefined duration (e.g., in days), each user's professional experience with the company of the vehicle fleet, etc. In an exemplary aspect, system 106 may receive some or all of this information from server 110, vehicle 102, user devices associated with users of vehicle 102, and / or user devices 108 associated with fleet manager 104.

[0032] Subscription information database 120 may store subscription information associated with subscriptions for premium vehicle features purchased or owned by fleet manager 104. Examples of such subscription information include, but are not limited to, information associated with which subscriptions can be shared with which users / vehicles, counts of accounts (or subscribed users or logins) for each feature subscription purchased by fleet manager 104, subscription policies defined by fleet manager 104 instructing fleet manager 104 on how subscriptions are expected to be distributed among vehicle users, etc. In an exemplary aspect, system 106 may receive some or all of this subscription information from server 110 and / or user devices 108 associated with fleet manager 104.

[0033] In operation, when fleet manager 104 desires to optimally distribute subscriptions owned by fleet manager 104 among vehicle fleet users / drivers, fleet manager 104 may share the aforementioned subscription information with transceiver 112 (via user device 108). As described above, in the subscription information, fleet manager 104 may define which subscriptions can be shared with which users / vehicles. For example, fleet manager 104 may define that subscriptions for autonomous driving features can be distributed among users of vehicle 102 (including users 202a, 202b). Fleet manager 104 may also transmit to transceiver 112 (as part of the subscription information) a count of subscription accounts or logins owned by fleet manager 104 for autonomous driving features. For example, fleet manager 104 may transmit that fleet manager 104 owns three logins that can be shared with users associated with vehicle 102. Fleet manager 104 may also define (as part of the subscription information) a subscription policy (or "multi-token subscription policy") that indicates the preferred manner in which fleet manager 104 may wish to distribute subscription logins.

[0034] Transceiver 112 can transmit the aforementioned subscription information to processor 114 and subscription information database 120 for storage. In response to receiving the subscription information, processor 114 can first create a “shared network” including users associated with vehicle 102 (who can request advanced features of autonomous driving characteristics). Processor 114 can also execute instructions stored in token generation module 122 to generate multiple tokens associated with subscription-based vehicle characteristics (i.e., advanced features of autonomous driving characteristics) based on a subscription policy defined by fleet manager 104 (or subscription owner). As mentioned above, the subscription policy can be part of the subscription information provided to system 106 by fleet manager 104. A brief description of the “token” is provided below.

[0035] The token associated with a subscription-based vehicle feature can be an authentication or authorization means by which the vehicle enables the vehicle feature. Specifically, when system 106 desires to enable a subscription-based vehicle feature in a vehicle, system 106 can transmit a token to that vehicle. In response to receiving the token, the vehicle can change the operational state of the subscription-based vehicle feature from an inaccessible state to an accessible state. In this way, the token acts as an authentication or authorization means by which the vehicle enables advanced vehicle features in the vehicle. Advanced vehicle features cannot be accessed in a vehicle unless the vehicle holds the token. In some aspects, the token includes login credentials for subscribing to (or subscription-based vehicle features), which are automatically entered into an application (“app”) associated with the vehicle feature installed in the vehicle, thereby enabling the vehicle to access the advanced feature. Furthermore, the token can enable a subscription-based advanced vehicle feature at a single vehicle at a given time. In other words, the same token cannot be used concurrently on more than one vehicle. If two or more vehicles desire to enable advanced vehicle features (e.g., autonomous driving features), each vehicle must have its own unique token. Furthermore, some tokens can be used on specific features but not on others. For example, a recreational token can only be used on recreational features, not on cruise control features.

[0036] In response to generating multiple tokens associated with subscription-based vehicle features (i.e., advanced features of autonomous driving features) based on the subscription policy as described above, processor 114 can make the tokens "available" in a shared network including the user associated with vehicle 102. Making the tokens available in the shared network means that the user of vehicle 102 can determine at any time how many tokens are unused or available for the user to "demand" or request access to. Once the user determines that the tokens are available in the shared network, the user can transmit a request to system 106 to obtain the tokens in the user's vehicle, thereby making the advanced features accessible in the vehicle.

[0037] It is understood that if the count of tokens generated and available in the shared network (according to the subscription policy defined by fleet manager 104) is less than the count of subscription logins / accounts owned by fleet manager 104, then users can use the tokens without any conflict. For example, if the count of subscription logins / accounts is three and processor 114 generates two tokens according to the subscription policy defined by fleet manager 104, then these two tokens can be easily distributed among the users associated with vehicle 102 without any conflict, because at any given time, only two users can request tokens, and fleet manager 104 has three logins / accounts. In other words, in this case, there will never be a scenario where the count of concurrent requests for tokens (and therefore the count of requests for access to advanced vehicle features) exceeds the count of logins / accounts owned by fleet manager 104. The same scenario will exist even if the count of tokens is equal to the count of logins / accounts owned by fleet manager 104. In these cases, in an exemplary aspect, processor 114 may also create a separate shared network for each token.

[0038] However, a conflict may occur if the count of tokens generated and available in the shared network (according to the subscription policy defined by fleet manager 104) exceeds the count of subscription logins / accounts owned by fleet manager 104. For example, if the count of subscription logins / accounts is three and processor 114 generates five tokens according to the subscription policy defined by fleet manager 104, a conflict may occur if four or five users concurrently request an available token while there are only three logins / accounts. In this case, processor 114 can determine a priority list of users requesting tokens and distribute tokens according to the priority list. An example method implemented by processor 114 to optimize token distribution in this case is described below.

[0039] In response to generating multiple tokens and making them available in the shared network as described above, processor 114 may first determine the count of subscriptions or subscription users / logins / accounts associated with subscription-based vehicle features (e.g., autonomous driving features) owned by fleet manager 104. Processor 114 may then compare the count of subscription accounts with the count of tokens available in the shared network according to the subscription policy defined by fleet manager 104. In response to determining that the count of subscription users / logins / accounts is less than the count of the tokens, processor 114 may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage between two users (e.g., users 202a and 202b) simultaneously requesting access to the subscription-based vehicle feature. The following description illustrates an exemplary aspect where users 202a and 202b are simultaneously requesting access to the subscription-based vehicle feature, and the count of generated tokens is greater than the count of subscription accounts owned by fleet manager 104 (e.g., when the count of generated tokens is five and the count of subscription accounts owned by fleet manager 104 is three).

[0040] In the example scenario described above, transceiver 112 can receive a first request from user 202a to enable subscription-based vehicle features in vehicle 102a, and simultaneously receive a second request from user 202b to enable subscription-based vehicle features in vehicle 102b. In some aspects, transceiver 112 can receive the first request from a first user device associated with user 202a or a human-machine interface (HMI) 204 associated with vehicle 102a, and can also receive the first request from a second user device associated with user 202b or an HMI 206 associated with vehicle 102b. Figure 2 (As shown in the diagram) Receives the second request. Transceiver 112 can transmit the first and second requests to processor 114.

[0041] In response to the first and second requests, processor 114 can obtain first information associated with user 202a and vehicle 102a, and second information associated with user 202b and vehicle 102b. In some aspects, processor 114 can obtain the first and second information from server 110, vehicle 102a, 102b, and / or user and vehicle information database 118. Examples of information associated with users 202a, 202b, and vehicles 102a, 102b stored in user and vehicle information database 118 have been described above.

[0042] Then, processor 114 can execute instructions stored in priority determination module 124 to determine the priority of vehicle feature usage between user 202a and user 202b based on the obtained first and second information. In other words, if both users 202a and 202b simultaneously request access to autonomous driving features in their respective vehicles 102a and 102b, processor 114 can determine the priority of autonomous driving feature usage between users 202a and 202b based on the obtained first and second information. Then, processor 114 can enable subscription-based vehicle features or autonomous driving features in vehicle 102a or vehicle 102b based on the determined priority.

[0043] Processor 114 can determine the above priority based on multiple parameters, such as Figure 3 As described herein. For example, processor 114 may determine the priority based on usage hierarchy 302, vehicle feature history usage 304, maximum permissible time for vehicle feature usage 306, vehicle operating status or condition 308, user driving experience 310, user total driving time 312, user professional experience 314, etc. These parameters are described below.

[0044] In one exemplary aspect, processor 114 may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage between users 202a and 202b based on usage hierarchy 302 defined by fleet manager 104 (or subscription owner). For example, if usage hierarchy 302 indicates that user 202a should be given priority whenever users 202a and 202b request access to advanced vehicle features, processor 114 may determine that user 202a has a higher priority for vehicle feature usage than user 202b.

[0045] In another exemplary aspect, processor 114 may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage between users 202a and 202b based on the historical usage 304 of users 202a and 202b of subscription-based vehicle features (e.g., autonomous driving features). For example, when user 202a's historical usage of subscription-based vehicle features is lower than user 202b's historical usage of subscription-based vehicle features, the priority of vehicle feature usage is higher for user 202a. In other words, the vehicle operator / user who may have used the vehicle feature the longest will have the lowest priority. In some aspects, the information associated with the historical usage 304 of users 202a and 202b of subscription-based vehicle features is a portion of the first and second information obtained by processor 114, as described above.

[0046] In yet another exemplary aspect, processor 114 may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage between users 202a and 202b based on the maximum permissible time 306 (e.g., 2 hours or 3 hours) of vehicle feature usage within a predefined duration (e.g., one day) as defined by fleet manager 104 (or subscription owner). For example, the priority of vehicle feature usage may be higher for user 202a if user 202b uses subscription-based vehicle features for a time greater than the predefined duration / maximum permissible time of feature usage within one day.

[0047] In yet another exemplary aspect, processor 114 may determine the operating status or condition 308 of vehicles 102a, 102b based on first and second information, and determine the priority of vehicle feature usage between users 202a, 202b based on the determined operating status. For example, if operating status 308 indicates that vehicle 102a is connected to a trailer and user 202a wishes to use autonomous driving features, user 202a may be given a higher priority than user 202b.

[0048] In yet another exemplary aspect, processor 114 may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage among users 202a and 202b based on the driving experience 310 of each user 202a and 202b. As can be understood, new drivers may require more assistance and may need to use various autonomous driving features to ensure they can drive in certain locations, such as highways. In this case, if user 202a has less driving experience than user 202b, processor 114 may give user 202a a higher priority. In some aspects, the information associated with the driving experience 310 of each user 202a and 202b is a portion of the first and second information obtained by processor 114, as described above.

[0049] In yet another exemplary aspect, processor 114 may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage among users 202a and 202b based on the total driving time 312 within a predefined duration (e.g., throughout the day) associated with each user 202a and 202b. For example, if user 202a has driven vehicle 102a for a longer duration compared to user 202b, user 202a may be given higher priority because user 202a may require more advanced vehicle features to assist / help user 202a in staying engaged while driving. In some aspects, the information associated with the total driving time 312 of each user 202a and 202b is a portion of the first and second information obtained by processor 114, as described above.

[0050] In yet another exemplary aspect, processor 114 may determine the priority of vehicle feature usage among users 202a and 202b based on the professional experience 314 of each user 202a and 202b. For example, if user 202a has worked with fleet manager 104 for a longer period than user 202b, user 202a may be given higher priority (or vice versa). In some aspects, the information associated with the professional experience 314 of each user 202a and 202b is a portion of the first and second information obtained by processor 114, as described above.

[0051] In response to determining the priority of vehicle feature usage between users 202a and 202b using any of the parameters described above, processor 114 may enable subscription-based advanced vehicle features in the vehicle associated with the user having the higher priority. For example, if user 202a has a higher priority than user 202b, processor 114 may enable subscription-based advanced vehicle features (e.g., autonomous driving features) in vehicle 102a. In some aspects, processor 114 may enable advanced vehicle features in vehicle 102a by transferring tokens (from multiple tokens generated by processor 114) to vehicle 102a. In response to receiving a token from system 106 / processor 114, vehicle 102a may enable advanced vehicle features or change the status of advanced vehicle features from inaccessible to accessible. In some aspects, if the count of available tokens exceeds the number of concurrent users due to users no longer using the feature (e.g., if user 202a no longer uses the advanced vehicle feature), processor 114 may reassign the token to the operator / user who lost possession of it (e.g., user 202b).

[0052] System 106 can provide one or more additional features to vehicle 102a / user 202a to enable efficient operation of advanced vehicle features in vehicle 102a. For example, if vehicle 102a determines that it does not have an application (“app”) associated with an advanced vehicle feature, vehicle 102a can transmit a download request to system 106. When vehicle 102a does not have an application pre-installed, processor 114 can obtain a download request from vehicle 102a to install the application associated with the subscription-based vehicle feature. In response to obtaining the download request, processor 114 can retrieve the application file associated with the subscription-based vehicle feature from memory 116 or server 110 and transmit the application file to vehicle 102a. Vehicle 102a can then install the application by executing the received application file. Vehicle 102a can also automatically enter login credentials for the subscription (which may be part of a token obtained from system 106) in the application to enable user 202a to conveniently operate advanced features in vehicle 102a.

[0053] System 106 and vehicle 102 implement and / or perform the operations described herein in accordance with the owner's manual and safety guidelines. Furthermore, any actions taken by users 202a and 202b based on notifications provided by vehicle 102 or system 106 shall comply with all rules specific to the location and operation of vehicle 102 (e.g., federal, state, national, city, etc.). Notifications provided by vehicle 102 or system 106 shall be considered recommendations and shall be followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of vehicle 102.

[0054] Figure 4 A flowchart depicts an example method 400 for prioritizing vehicle feature subscription sharing according to this disclosure. Further reference can be made to the preceding figures for further description. Figure 4 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 these steps in a different order than that described in the following example embodiments.

[0055] Method 400 begins at step 402. At step 404, method 400 may include processor 114 obtaining first and second information associated with users 202a, 202b and vehicles 102a, 102b, as described above. At step 406, method 400 may include processor 114 determining, based on the first and second information, the priority of vehicle feature usage between users 202a, 202b. At step 408, method 400 may include processor 114 enabling subscription-based vehicle features in vehicle 102a or vehicle 102b based on the priority.

[0056] At step 410, method 400 can stop.

[0057] In the foregoing disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the foregoing disclosure, illustrating specific embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments and structural changes may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References to “an embodiment,” “embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., in this specification indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but each embodiment may not necessarily include said specific features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when features, structures, or characteristics are described in connection with embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments, whether explicitly described or not.

[0058] Furthermore, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed by one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and programs described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components with different names but identical functions.

[0059] It should also be understood that the term "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-restrictive in nature. More specifically, the term "example" as used herein refers to one of several examples, and it should be understood that there is no undue emphasis or preference on the particular example described.

[0060] Computer-readable media (also known as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that contributes to providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by the computer's processor). Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile and volatile media. Computing devices may include computer-executable instructions, wherein the instructions can be executed by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0061] Regarding the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc., described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc., are described as occurring in a certain ordered order, such processes can be practiced by performing the described steps in a different order than that described herein. It should also be understood that some steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or some steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the description of processes herein is provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0062] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Many embodiments and applications beyond the examples provided will become apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should not be determined by reference to the above description, but rather by reference to the appended claims and the full scope of their equivalents. It is anticipated and expected that the techniques discussed herein will evolve in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In conclusion, it should be understood that modifications and changes are possible with this application.

[0063] Unless explicitly indicated otherwise herein, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meaning as understood by one skilled in the art as described herein. Specifically, unless the claims explicitly limit the recitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as “a,” “the,” or “the” should be interpreted as one or more of the elements indicated by the recitation. Unless otherwise specifically stated or otherwise understood in the context of use, conditional language such as, in particular, “can,” “may,” “may,” or “may” is generally intended to express that some 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.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the transceiver receives the first request from a first user device or a human-machine interface (HMI) associated with the first vehicle, and wherein the transceiver receives the second request from a second user device or an HMI associated with the second vehicle.

[0065] According to an embodiment, the processor obtains the first information from the first vehicle or the server, and wherein the processor obtains the second information from the second vehicle or the server.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the processor is further configured to: obtain a download request from the first vehicle or the second vehicle to install the application when the first vehicle or the second vehicle does not have the application associated with the subscription-based vehicle feature pre-installed; and, in response to obtaining the download request, transfer the application file associated with the subscription-based vehicle feature to the first vehicle or the second vehicle.

[0067] According to the present invention, a method includes: in response to obtaining a first request and a second request, a processor obtaining first information associated with a first user and a first vehicle and second information associated with a second user and a second vehicle, wherein: the first request to enable a subscription-based vehicle feature in the first vehicle is obtained from the first user associated with the first vehicle, and the second request to enable the subscription-based vehicle feature in the second vehicle is obtained from the second user associated with the second vehicle; the processor determines a priority of vehicle feature usage between the first user and the second user based on the first information and the second information; and the processor enables the subscription-based vehicle feature in the first vehicle or the second vehicle based on the priority.

[0068] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: in response to obtaining a first request and a second request, obtain first information associated with a first user and a first vehicle and second information associated with a second user and a second vehicle, wherein: the first request to enable a subscription-based vehicle feature in the first vehicle is obtained from the first user associated with the first vehicle, and the second request to enable the subscription-based vehicle feature in the second vehicle is obtained from the second user associated with the second vehicle; a priority of vehicle feature usage between the first user and the second user is determined based on the first information and the second information; and the subscription-based vehicle feature in the first vehicle or the second vehicle is enabled based on the priority.

Claims

1. A system comprising: Transceiver, the transceiver being configured to: Receive a first request from a first user associated with the first vehicle to enable subscription-based vehicle features in the first vehicle; as well as Receive a second request from a second user associated with the second vehicle to enable the subscription-based vehicle features in the second vehicle; as well as Processor, the processor being configured to: In response to obtaining the first request and the second request, obtain first information associated with the first user and the first vehicle and second information associated with the second user and the second vehicle; Based on the first information and the second information, determine the priority of vehicle feature usage between the first user and the second user; as well as The subscription-based vehicle feature in the first vehicle or the second vehicle is enabled based on the priority.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscription-based vehicle features are associated with one or more of the following: autonomous driving features, heated seating area features, massage seating area features, heated steering wheel features, entertainment features, social networking features, enhanced vehicle aerodynamic properties, advanced fuel calibration, enhanced transmission calibration, enhanced vehicle stability control, or vehicle drift mode.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: Multiple tokens associated with the subscription-based vehicle characteristics are generated based on a subscription policy defined by the subscription owner or fleet manager. Determine the count of subscribers associated with the subscription-based vehicle characteristics; The count of subscribed users is determined to be less than the count of the plurality of tokens; as well as In response to determining that the count of the subscribed user is less than the count of the plurality of tokens, the priority of vehicle feature usage between the first user and the second user is determined.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a token from the plurality of tokens to the first vehicle or the second vehicle based on the priority, and wherein the first vehicle or the second vehicle is configured to enable the subscription-based vehicle feature in response to receiving the token.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the token is configured to enable the subscription-based vehicle feature at a single vehicle at a given time.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the token includes login credentials associated with the subscription-based vehicle characteristics.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the priority of vehicle feature usage based on a usage hierarchy defined by the subscription owner or fleet manager.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the priority of vehicle feature usage based on the historical usage of the subscription-based vehicle feature by each of the first user and the second user, and wherein the information associated with the historical usage is a portion of the first information and the second information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the priority of vehicle feature usage is higher for the first user when the historical usage of the subscription-based vehicle feature by the first user is lower than the historical usage of the subscription-based vehicle feature by the second user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the priority of vehicle feature usage based on the maximum permissible time for feature usage within a predefined duration defined by the subscription owner or fleet manager.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the priority of vehicle feature usage is higher for the first user when the second user uses the subscription-based vehicle feature for a period longer than the maximum permissible time for feature usage within the predefined duration.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: The operational status of the first vehicle and the second vehicle is determined based on the first information and the second information; and The priority of vehicle feature usage is determined based on the operating conditions of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the priority of vehicle feature usage based on the driving experience of each of the first user and the second user, and wherein the information associated with the driving experience is a portion of the first information and the second information.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the priority of vehicle feature usage based on total driving time within a predefined duration associated with each of the first user and the second user, and wherein the information associated with the total driving time is a portion of the first information and the second information.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the priority of vehicle feature usage based on the professional experience of each of the first user and the second user, and wherein information associated with the professional experience is a portion of the first information and the second information.

Images