Controlling the characteristics of a vehicle, at least partially, based on the vehicle's location.

Abstract

Embodiments include controlling the properties of a vehicle, at least partially, based on the vehicle's location. These aspects include monitoring the vehicle's location and one or more operational properties of the vehicle, and, based on the detection that the vehicle has entered an at least partially enclosed area, automatically changing one or more of the vehicle's operational properties to a state associated with that enclosed space. These aspects also include automatically restoring one or more of the vehicle's operational properties to the state they were in before the vehicle entered the at least partially enclosed area, based on the detection that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The disclosure relates to a control system for a vehicle. In particular, the disclosure relates to a system for controlling the characteristics of a vehicle, at least partially, based on the vehicle's location.

[0002] Vehicles comprise several systems that are controlled by the vehicle operator. Such systems include, but are not limited to, the vehicle's headlights, windshield wipers, heating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, windows, sunroof or convertible top, and the like. Currently, vehicle operators must manually and individually control the operation of each of these systems. SUMMARY

[0003] According to an exemplary embodiment, a method for controlling the properties of a vehicle, at least partially based on the vehicle's location, is provided. The method comprises monitoring the vehicle's location and one or more operating properties of the vehicle, and automatically changing one or more of the vehicle's operating properties to a state associated with an enclosed space, based on the detection that the vehicle has entered an at least partially enclosed area. The method also includes automatically restoring one or more of the vehicle's operating properties to the state prior to the vehicle entering the at least partially enclosed area, based on the detection that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area.

[0004] In addition to the one or more features described here, the determination that the vehicle has entered the at least partially closed area is based at least in part on a geolocation signal received by the vehicle and a geolocation database that includes locations of known partially closed areas.

[0005] In addition to the one or more features described here, the known partially enclosed areas include one or more tunnels and one or more parking garages.

[0006] In addition to the one or more features described here, the one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle include the position of a window of the vehicle, the position of a sunroof of the vehicle, the on / off state of an exterior light of the vehicle, the on / off state of an interior light of the vehicle, the brightness of an interior light of the vehicle, the on / off state of the windshield wipers of the vehicle, and the state of the air conditioning system of the vehicle.

[0007] In addition to the one or more features described here, the state associated with the enclosed space includes the closed position of the vehicle's windows, the closed position of the vehicle's sunroof, the switched-on position of the vehicle's exterior lights, the switched-off position of the vehicle's windscreen wipers, and the recirculation state of the vehicle's air conditioning system.

[0008] In addition to the one or more features described herein, the procedure also includes the automatic adjustment of one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a basic state based on the finding that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area and that the vehicle has been in the at least partially enclosed area for longer than a threshold duration.

[0009] In addition to the one or more features described herein, the procedure also includes the automatic adjustment of one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a basic state based on the finding that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area and that the vehicle has been switched off in the at least partially enclosed area.

[0010] In addition to the one or more features described here, the finding that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area is based at least in part on a geolocation signal received by the vehicle and a geolocation database that includes locations of known partially enclosed areas.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a geolocation sensor configured to receive a geolocation signal, a geolocation database containing a location from each of several at least partially enclosed areas, and a controller. The controller is configured to monitor the vehicle's location and one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle and, based on the detection that the vehicle has entered one of the several at least partially enclosed areas, to automatically change one or more of the vehicle's operating characteristics to a state associated with an enclosed space.The controller is also configured, based on the detection that the vehicle has left one of the several at least partially enclosed areas, to automatically restore one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to the state prior to the vehicle entering the at least partially enclosed area.

[0012] In addition to the one or more features described here, the finding that the vehicle has entered one of the several at least partially enclosed areas is based at least partially on the geolocation signal and the geolocation database.

[0013] In addition to the one or more features described here, the multiple at least partially enclosed areas include one or more tunnels and one or more parking garages.

[0014] In addition to the one or more features described here, the vehicle also includes a window, a sunroof, an exterior light, an interior light, windscreen wipers and an air conditioning system.

[0015] In addition to the one or more features described here, the one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle include the position of the vehicle's windows, the position of the vehicle's sunroof, the on / off state of the vehicle's exterior lights, the on / off state of the vehicle's interior lights, the brightness of the vehicle's interior lights, the on / off state of the vehicle's windscreen wipers, and the state of the vehicle's air conditioning system.

[0016] In addition to the one or more features described here, the state associated with the enclosed space includes the closed position of the vehicle's windows, the closed position of the vehicle's sunroof, the switched-on position of the vehicle's exterior lights, the switched-off position of the vehicle's windscreen wipers, and the recirculation state of the vehicle's air conditioning system.

[0017] In addition to the one or more features described here, the controller is further configured to automatically set one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a basic state based on the finding that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area and that the vehicle has been in the at least partially enclosed area for longer than a threshold duration.

[0018] In addition to the one or more features described here, the controller is further configured to automatically set one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a basic state based on the determination that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area and that the vehicle has been switched off in the at least partially enclosed area.

[0019] In addition to the one or more features described here, the finding that the vehicle has left one of the several at least partially enclosed areas is based at least partially on the geolocation signal and the geolocation database.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a window, a headlight, a geolocation sensor configured to receive a geolocation signal, a geolocation database containing the location of each of the several at least partially enclosed areas, and a controller. The controller is configured to monitor the vehicle's position, the headlight's operating status, and the window's position. Based on the detection that the vehicle has entered one of the several at least partially enclosed areas, the controller automatically closes the window and turns on the headlight.

[0021] In addition to the one or more features described herein, the vehicle also includes a sunroof, the controller being further configured to automatically close the sunroof based on the detection that the vehicle has entered one of several at least partially enclosed areas.

[0022] In addition to the one or more features described here, the multiple at least partially enclosed areas include one or more tunnels and one or more parking garages.

[0023] The features and advantages described above, and further features and advantages of the disclosure, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Further features, advantages and details appear only as examples in the following detailed description; they show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment; Fig. 2 a block diagram showing, according to an exemplary embodiment, a system for controlling the characteristics of a vehicle; Fig. 3 a flowchart showing, according to an exemplary embodiment, a method for controlling the characteristics of a vehicle at least partially on the basis of a location of the vehicle; Fig. 4 a flowchart showing, according to an exemplary embodiment, a further method for controlling the characteristics of a vehicle at least partially on the basis of a location of the vehicle; and Fig. 5 a flowchart showing, according to an exemplary embodiment, a further method for controlling the characteristics of a vehicle at least partially on the basis of the location of the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses. Various embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference to the related drawings. Alternative embodiments of the disclosure may be developed without deviating from the scope of the claims. Various connections and positional relationships (e.g., above, below, adjacent, etc.) between elements are set forth in the following description and in the drawings. These connections and / or positional relationships may be direct or indirect unless otherwise specified, and the present disclosure is not intended to be limiting in this respect.Accordingly, a coupling of units can refer to either a direct or an indirect coupling, and a positional relationship between units can be a direct or an indirect positional relationship.

[0026] An overview of the aspects of the disclosure will now follow, with embodiments of the disclosure comprising systems and methods for controlling the characteristics of a vehicle that are based at least partially on the vehicle's location. According to exemplary embodiments, the vehicle's location is monitored, and it is determined when the vehicle enters or exits an at least partially enclosed area. The at least partially enclosed area is an area characterized by relatively low exposure to natural airflow. For example, the at least partially enclosed area could be a tunnel, an enclosed parking garage, or the like. Based on the determination that the vehicle has entered or exited an at least partially enclosed area, one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle are automatically adjusted. For example,When it is detected that a vehicle has entered a tunnel, the vehicle's windows are automatically closed, the vehicle's sunroof is automatically closed, the vehicle's headlights are automatically switched on, the vehicle's windscreen wipers are set to the off position, and the HVAC system is set to recirculate the air in the vehicle's passenger compartment.

[0027] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. According to exemplary embodiments, the vehicle 100 comprises one or more windows 102, a geolocation receiver 104, a sunroof 106, exterior lights 108, windshield wipers 110, one or more interior lights 112, and a heating and air conditioning system 114. According to exemplary embodiments, the vehicle 100 also includes a controller (not shown) configured to determine the vehicle's location based on the geolocation signals received by the geolocation receiver 104. According to exemplary embodiments, the controller is either a general-purpose processor, a programmable logic gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or the like.Furthermore, the controller is configured, at least partially, on the basis of the determined location of the vehicle 100, to automatically adjust one or more of the windows 102, the sunroof 106, the exterior lights 108, the windscreen wipers 110, the interior lights 112 and the heating and air conditioning system 114.

[0028] In Fig. Figure 2 shows a block diagram illustrating, according to an exemplary embodiment, a system 200 for controlling the properties of a vehicle. The system 200 includes a controller 202, which is either a general-purpose processor, a programmable logic gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or the like. The controller 202 is configured to receive data from a geolocation sensor 204, such as a GPS sensor, which is used to determine the current location of the vehicle. The controller 202 is also configured to access a geolocation database 206, which contains known locations of various at least partially enclosed areas, such as enclosed parking garages, tunnels, and the like.

[0029] According to exemplary embodiments, the controller 202 is configured to control one or more window actuators 208, a sunroof or convertible top actuator 210, a windshield wiper actuator 212, one or more interior lights 216 of the vehicle, one or more exterior lights 218 of the vehicle, and a passenger compartment HVAC system 214 of the vehicle. According to exemplary embodiments, the system 200 includes a memory 220 configured to store operating characteristics of the window actuator 208, a sunroof or convertible top actuator 210, a windshield wiper actuator 212, one or more interior lights 216 of the vehicle, one or more exterior lights 218 of the vehicle, and a passenger compartment HVAC system 214 of the vehicle, which are assigned to the vehicle in an enclosed space.According to one embodiment, the operating characteristics assigned to the vehicle in an enclosed space are set by a manufacturer of the vehicle and can be adjusted by the operator of the vehicle.

[0030] According to exemplary embodiments, memory 220 is further configured to store one or more monitored operating characteristics of the vehicle and / or one or more monitored operating characteristics of the vehicle. For example, the controller 202 can monitor the operating characteristics of the vehicle and store them in memory 220 for later querying. According to some embodiments, the controller 202 is configured, based on the detection that a vehicle has entered an at least partially enclosed area, to determine the current operating characteristics of the vehicle and store them in memory 220, and the controller 202 is configured, when it is detected that the vehicle is leaving the at least partially enclosed area, to restore the operating characteristics of the vehicle that were previously stored in memory 220.

[0031] In Fig. Figure 3 shows a flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment, illustrating a method 300 for controlling the properties of a vehicle, at least partially, based on the vehicle's location. In block 302, the method 300 comprises monitoring the vehicle's location and its operating properties. According to exemplary embodiments, the vehicle's location is determined using a vehicle geolocation sensor. According to exemplary embodiments, the one or more operating properties of the vehicle include the position of a vehicle window, the position of a vehicle sunroof, the on / off state of an exterior vehicle light, the on / off state of an interior vehicle light, the brightness of an interior vehicle light, the on / off state of the vehicle's windshield wipers, and the state of the vehicle's air conditioning system.

[0032] Subsequently, procedure 300 in decision block 304 includes determining whether the vehicle has entered an at least partially enclosed area. According to exemplary embodiments, the determination that the vehicle has entered an at least partially enclosed area is based at least partially on a geolocation signal received by the vehicle and on a geolocation database containing locations of known partially enclosed areas. According to one embodiment, the known partially enclosed areas include one or more tunnels and one or more parking garages.

[0033] In Block 306, Method 300 comprises changing one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a state associated with the vehicle in an enclosed space. According to exemplary embodiments, the state associated with the vehicle in an enclosed space includes the closed position of the vehicle's windows, the closed position of the vehicle's sunroof, the switched-on position of the vehicle's exterior lights, the switched-off position of the vehicle's windshield wipers, and the recirculation state of the vehicle's air conditioning system.

[0034] Subsequently, in decision block 308, method 300 comprises determining whether the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area. According to exemplary embodiments, the determination that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area is based, at least in part, on a geolocation signal received by the vehicle and a geolocation database containing locations of known partially enclosed areas. Method 300 concludes in block 310 with restoring the vehicle's operating characteristics to its previous state (i.e., the state before it entered the at least partially enclosed area).

[0035] In Fig. Figure 4 shows a flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment, illustrating a method 400 for controlling the properties of a vehicle, at least partially, based on the vehicle's location. In block 402, the method 400 comprises monitoring the vehicle's location and its operating properties. According to exemplary embodiments, the vehicle's location is determined using a vehicle geolocation sensor. According to exemplary embodiments, the one or more operating properties of the vehicle include the position of a vehicle window, the position of a vehicle sunroof, the on / off state of an exterior vehicle light, the on / off state of an interior vehicle light, the brightness of an interior vehicle light, the on / off state of the vehicle's windshield wipers, and the state of the vehicle's air conditioning system.

[0036] Subsequently, procedure 400 in decision block 404 comprises determining whether the vehicle has entered an at least partially enclosed area. According to exemplary embodiments, the determination that the vehicle has entered an at least partially enclosed area is based at least partially on a geolocation signal received by the vehicle and on a geolocation database containing locations of known partially enclosed areas. According to one embodiment, the known partially enclosed areas include one or more tunnels and one or more parking garages.

[0037] In Block 406, Method 400 comprises changing one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a state associated with the vehicle in an enclosed space. According to exemplary embodiments, the state associated with the vehicle in an enclosed space includes the closed position of the vehicle's windows, the closed position of the vehicle's sunroof, the switched-on position of the vehicle's exterior lights, the switched-off position of the vehicle's windshield wipers, and the recirculation state of the vehicle's air conditioning system.

[0038] Subsequently, in decision block 408, procedure 400 includes determining whether the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area. According to exemplary embodiments, the determination that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area is based at least in part on a geolocation signal received by the vehicle and a geolocation database containing locations of known partially enclosed areas. Based on the determination that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area, procedure 400 proceeds to decision block 410, and it is determined whether the vehicle remained within the at least partially enclosed area for longer than a threshold duration.

[0039] Based on the finding that the vehicle was within the at least partially closed area for a period exceeding a threshold duration, procedure 400 continues with block 412 and the vehicle's operating characteristics are reset to a baseline state. Based on the finding that the vehicle was not within the at least partially closed area for a period exceeding a threshold duration, procedure 400 continues with block 414 and the vehicle's operating characteristics are reset to their previous value (i.e., the state before it entered the at least partially closed area).

[0040] In Fig.Figure 5 shows a flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment, illustrating a method 500 for controlling the properties of a vehicle, at least partially, based on the vehicle's location. In block 502, the method 500 comprises monitoring the vehicle's location and its operating properties. According to exemplary embodiments, the vehicle's location is determined using a vehicle geolocation sensor. According to exemplary embodiments, the one or more operating properties of the vehicle include the position of a vehicle window, the position of a vehicle sunroof, the on / off state of an exterior vehicle light, the on / off state of an interior vehicle light, the brightness of an interior vehicle light, the on / off state of the vehicle's windshield wipers, and the state of the vehicle's air conditioning system.

[0041] Subsequently, in decision block 504, procedure 500 comprises determining whether the vehicle has entered an at least partially enclosed area. According to exemplary embodiments, the determination that the vehicle has entered an at least partially enclosed area is based at least partially on a geolocation signal received by the vehicle and a geolocation database containing locations of known partially enclosed areas. According to one embodiment, the known partially enclosed areas include one or more tunnels and one or more parking garages.

[0042] In Block 506, Method 500 comprises changing one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a state associated with the vehicle in an enclosed space. According to exemplary embodiments, the state associated with the vehicle in an enclosed space includes the closed position of the vehicle's windows, the closed position of the vehicle's sunroof, the switched-on position of the vehicle's exterior lights, the switched-off position of the vehicle's windshield wipers, and the recirculation state of the vehicle's air conditioning system.

[0043] Subsequently, in decision block 508, procedure 500 includes determining whether the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area. According to exemplary embodiments, the determination that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area is based at least in part on a geolocation signal received by the vehicle and a geolocation database containing locations of known partially enclosed areas. Based on the determination that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area, procedure 500 proceeds to decision block 510 and determines whether the vehicle was switched off within the at least partially enclosed area.

[0044] Based on the finding that the vehicle was switched off within the at least partially enclosed area, procedure 500 continues with block 512 and the vehicle's operating characteristics are reset to a basic state. Based on the finding that the vehicle was not switched off while in the at least partially enclosed area, procedure 500 continues with block 514 and the vehicle's operating characteristics are reset to their previous value (i.e., the state before it entered the at least partially enclosed area).

[0045] According to exemplary embodiments, the vehicle operator can manually override the change in the vehicle's operating characteristics that occurs upon entering and / or exiting an at least partially enclosed area. For example, when a vehicle enters an at least partially enclosed area, the vehicle's windows close automatically, but the operator is still able to manually control the window position and open the windows if desired.

[0046] The following definitions and abbreviations are to be used for the interpretation of the claims and the application text. As used herein, the terms "comprising," "encompassing," "incorporating," "possessing," "including," "including," or other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a composition, mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a list of elements need not necessarily be limited to only those elements, but may contain further elements not expressly listed or inherent in such composition, mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0047] Additionally, the term "exemplary" is used here to mean "serving as an example, instance, or representation." All embodiments or designs described herein as "exemplary" are not necessarily to be construed as preferable or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. The expressions "at least one" and "one or more" may be understood to include any integers greater than or equal to one (i.e., one, two, three, four, etc.). The term "more" may be understood to include any integers greater than or equal to two (i.e., two, three, four, five, etc.). The term "connection" may include both an indirect and a direct connection.

[0048] The terms “by”, “essentially”, “approximately”, and variations thereof are intended to convey the degree of error associated with a measurement of the specified quantity based on the equipment available at the time of application submission. For example, “approximately” may encompass a range of ±8%, 5%, or 2% of a given value.

[0049] While the disclosure described above has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications can be made and elements can be replaced by their equivalents without altering its scope. Furthermore, many adaptations can be made to fit a particular situation or material to the instructions given in the disclosure without deviating from its essential scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but includes all embodiments that fall within its scope. legend

[0050] In the drawing figures, N stands for no and Y for yes.

Claims

[1] A method for controlling the characteristics of a vehicle based at least in part on a location of the vehicle, the method comprising: Monitoring the location of a vehicle and one or more operational characteristics of the vehicle; automatically changing the one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a state associated with an enclosed space based on the determination that the vehicle has entered an at least partially enclosed area; and automatically restoring the one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to the state prior to the vehicle entering the at least partially enclosed area based on the determination that the vehicle has exited the at least partially enclosed area. [2] The method of claim 1, wherein the determination that the vehicle has entered the at least partially enclosed area is based at least in part on a geolocation signal received by the vehicle and a geolocation database comprising locations of known partially enclosed areas. [3] A method according to claim 2, wherein the known partially enclosed areas comprise one or more tunnels and one or more parking garages. [4] The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle include a position of a window of the vehicle, a position of a sunroof of the vehicle, an on / off state of an exterior light of the vehicle, an on / off state of an interior light of the vehicle, a brightness of the interior light of the vehicle, an on / off state of windshield wipers of the vehicle, and a state of an air conditioning system of the vehicle. [5] The method of claim 4, wherein the condition associated with the enclosed space includes the closed position of the vehicle's windows, the closed position of the vehicle's windows, the closed position of the vehicle's sunroof, the on position of the vehicle's exterior lights, the off position of the vehicle's windshield wipers, and the recirculation state of the vehicle's air conditioning system. [6] The method of claim 1, further comprising: automatically setting the one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a baseline state based on determining that the vehicle has exited the at least partially enclosed area and that the vehicle has been in the at least partially enclosed area for more than a threshold duration. [7] The method of claim 1, further comprising: automatically setting the one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a baseline state based on determining that the vehicle has exited the at least partially enclosed area and that the vehicle has been turned off within the at least partially enclosed area. [8] The method of claim 1, wherein the determination that the vehicle has left the at least partially enclosed area is based at least in part on a geolocation signal received by the vehicle and a geolocation database comprising locations of known partially enclosed areas. [9] Vehicle that includes: a geolocation sensor configured to receive a geolocation signal; a geolocation database comprising a location of each of the plurality of at least partially enclosed areas; and a controller configured to: Monitoring a location of the vehicle and one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle; automatically changing the one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to a state associated with an enclosed space based on the determination that the vehicle has entered one of the plurality of at least partially enclosed areas; and automatically restoring the one or more operating characteristics of the vehicle to the state prior to the vehicle entering one of the plurality of at least partially enclosed areas based on the determination that the vehicle has exited the one of the plurality of at least partially enclosed areas. [10] The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the determination that the vehicle has entered the one of the plurality of at least partially enclosed areas is based at least in part on a geolocation signal and a geolocation database.

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