SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

Abstract

A monitoring system includes a vehicle processor, stores battery capacity data for a vehicle battery, and contains a navigation application configured to provide the vehicle's location and route. A user device includes a display and data processing hardware that communicates with the display. The data processing hardware runs a monitoring application in communication with the vehicle processor and executes a weather application containing forecasted weather data. The data processing hardware is configured to receive the vehicle route and provide a message to the user device's display corresponding to an asset feature of a maintenance station along the vehicle's route.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The information provided in this section is intended to provide a general context for the disclosure. Neither the work of the presently named inventors, to the extent described in this section, nor those aspects of the description that do not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing are expressly or implicitly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a monitoring system.

[0003] Vehicles typically use refueling or charging stations while driving. In the example of an electric vehicle, the vehicle may monitor battery capacity but does not need to monitor any other external factors. Climate and weather conditions can pose uncertainty for a driver if it is unknown whether potential charging stations are equipped with a roof to protect the driver from the weather. Drivers or other users may be reluctant to use a charging station during harsh weather, such as rain or snow, if it is unknown whether the charging station has a roof to protect the driver from the harsh weather during charging.

[0004] It is also common for vehicles to include a navigation system to provide integrated directions for the driver. Most conventional navigation systems display turn-by-turn directions and can offer new routes during navigation to save the driver time. However, conventional navigation systems rarely display context-dependent information about charging station features. Thus, the driver must typically separately identify a convenient station with features that provide a roof for the driver during charging and enter a new destination into the navigation system to be directed to a nearby station. SUMMARY

[0005] In some configurations, a vehicle monitoring system includes a vehicle processor that stores battery capacity data of a vehicle's battery and includes a navigation application configured to provide a location and route of the vehicle. A server includes a server processor communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and that stores a service route database and facility characteristics of one or more service stations stored in the service route database. The server processor also includes a weather application configured to predict service station weather based on forecast weather data and the service route database. A user device includes a display and data processing hardware in communication with the display and executes a monitoring application in communication with the server processor.The server is configured to receive the route of the vehicle and provide a message on the display of the user device corresponding to one or more of the facility characteristics of one or more of the maintenance stations stored in the maintenance route database.

[0006] In some examples, the user device may include a mobile device and / or an infotainment device of the vehicle. In further aspects, the monitoring application may be configured to recommend a maintenance stop based on the forecast weather data received from the server processor and the battery capacity data received from the vehicle processor. The server processor may be configured to send a notification to the monitoring application in response to the forecast weather data. The notification may include a preparation protocol. The preparation protocol may include a charging recommendation and / or accessory recommendations and / or preparation recommendations. In some examples, the server processor may be configured to receive a facility update from a third-party device corresponding to the facility feature of one of the service stations stored in the service route database.Optionally, the monitoring application can be configured to display an alternative route based on the predicted weather data related to the vehicle's route.

[0007] In another aspect, a monitoring system for a vehicle includes a vehicle processor that stores battery capacity data of a battery of the vehicle and includes a navigation application configured to provide a location and route of the vehicle. A server processor is communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and stores a service route database and facility characteristics of one or more service stations stored in the service route database. The monitoring system also includes a user device that includes a display and computing hardware in communication with the display. The computing hardware executes a monitoring application in communication with the server processor.The server processor is configured to receive the route of the vehicle and provide a message on the display of the user device corresponding to one or more of the facility characteristics of the one or more service stations stored in the service route database.

[0008] In some aspects, the server processor may further include a weather application communicatively coupled to the service route database and configured to provide weather data for the one or more service stations stored in the service route database. The asset features may include a protective asset near a charging station of the one or more service stations. The monitoring application of the user device may be configured to provide a route message on the display including a detour selection corresponding to a service station that may include the protective asset. The monitoring application may be configured to receive the route message from the server, and the server processor may be configured to compare the service route database and the asset features with the weather data to generate the route message.Optionally, the monitoring application may be configured to display forecast weather corresponding to a service station location along the vehicle's route. In some examples, the computing hardware of the user device may be communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor to receive the battery capacity data and configured to display the battery capacity data on the user device's display.

[0009] In yet another aspect, a monitoring system includes a vehicle processor that stores battery capacity data of a vehicle's battery and includes a navigation application configured to provide a location of the vehicle and a vehicle route. A user device includes a display and computing hardware in communication with the display. The computing hardware executes a monitoring application in communication with the vehicle processor and executes a weather application that includes forecast weather data. The computing hardware is configured to receive the vehicle route and provide a notification on the user device's display corresponding to a facility feature of a service station along the vehicle route.

[0010] In some examples, the monitoring system may include a server, which may include a server processor communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and stores a service route database and facility characteristics of one or more service stations stored in the service route database. The service route database may include an availability status of a charging station at one of the service stations. The server processor may be configured to identify a service station from the service route database that includes a facility characteristic and may be configured to determine, based on the battery capacity data and the weather data, whether sufficient vehicle battery capacity is available to reroute the vehicle route.The vehicle processor may be configured to execute the vehicle route in response to user input to the navigation application and based on the asset characteristics stored in the maintenance route database. Optionally, the monitoring application may be configured to issue a route message corresponding to an updated route based on the forecast weather data and the vehicle route. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure; they show: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle having a vehicle processor in communication with a user device according to the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure; Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure, the monitoring system including a server, a vehicle processor, and a user device in communication with service stations; Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a user device having a monitoring application according to the present disclosure; Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a power assist feature of a monitoring application displayed on a user device according to the present disclosure; Fig. 6 a schematic view of a route planning feature of the monitoring application of Fig. 5, which is displayed on the user device; Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure; Fig. 8 is a schematic view of a user device having a navigation graphic of a monitoring application according to the present disclosure; Fig. 9A is a schematic view of a user input selecting a service station weather icon of a monitoring application according to the present disclosure displayed on a user device; Fig. 9B is a schematic view of a predicted maintenance station weather displayed on the user device of Fig. 9A is displayed; Fig. 10 is a schematic view of a user device with a protection symbol for a maintenance station recommendation of a monitoring application according to the present disclosure; Fig. 11A is a schematic view of a user device having a weather notification from a monitoring application according to the present disclosure; Fig. 11B is a schematic view of a preparation protocol of the monitoring application of Fig. 11A, which is displayed on the user device; and Fig. 12 is an example flowchart of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure.

[0012] In all drawings, corresponding reference symbols designate corresponding parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Specific details, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of configurations of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that specific details need not be employed, that example configurations may be embodied in many different forms, and that the specific details and example configurations should not be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure.

[0014] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing certain example configurations only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises," "including," "containing," and "having" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more additional features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.The method steps, processes, and operations described herein should not be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. Additional or alternative steps may be employed.

[0015] When an element or layer is described as being "on," "engaging with," "connected to," "attached to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaging with, connected to, attached to, or coupled to the another element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is described as being "directly on," "directly engaging with," "directly connected to," "directly attached to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there need not be any intervening elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.).As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any combination of one or more of the associated listed elements.

[0016] The terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections. These elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections are not intended to be limited by these terms. These terms may be used merely to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below may be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the example configurations.

[0017] In this application, including the definitions below, the term module may be replaced with the term circuit. The term module may refer to, be part of, or include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field-programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by a processor; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0018] The term code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and / or microcode and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, and / or objects. The term shared processor includes a single processor that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group processor includes a processor that, in combination with additional processors, executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term shared memory includes a single memory that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group memory includes memory that, in combination with additional memories, stores some or all of the code from one or more modules. The term memory may be a subset of the term computer-readable medium.The term computer-readable medium encompasses non-transitory electrical and electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium and can therefore be considered tangible and non-transitory storage. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory storage include tangible computer-readable media, including non-volatile memory, magnetic storage, and optical storage.

[0019] The devices and methods described in this application may be implemented, in part or in whole, by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer programs include processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable medium. The computer programs may also include and / or access stored data.

[0020] A software application (i.e., a software resource) may refer to computer software that causes a computing device to perform a task. In some examples, a software application may be referred to as an "application," an "app," or a "program." Example applications include, but are not limited to, system diagnostic applications, system management applications, system maintenance applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, messaging applications, media streaming applications, social networking applications, and gaming applications.

[0021] Non-transitory memory may be physical devices used to store programs (e.g., sequences of instructions) or data (e.g., program state information) on a temporary or permanent basis for use by a computing device. Non-transitory memory may be volatile and / or non-volatile addressable semiconductor memory. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, flash memory and read-only memory (ROM) / programmable read-only memory (PROM) / erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) / electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) (which, for example, is typically used for firmware such as boot programs).Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), phase change memory (PCM), and disk or tape.

[0022] These computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications, or code) contain machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in a high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming language and / or assembly / machine language. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to a computer program product, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, an apparatus, and / or a device (e.g., magnetic disks, optical disks, memories, programmable logic devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, which contains a machine-readable medium that embodies machine instructions as a machine-readable signal.The term “machine-readable signal” refers to a signal used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0023] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein may be realized in digital electronics and / or optical circuitry, integrated circuitry, specially designed ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations may include implementation in one or more computer programs executable and / or interpretable in a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special-purpose or general-purpose and coupled to receive data and instructions from and send data and instructions to a memory system, at least one input device, and at least one output device.

[0024] The processes and logic sequences described in this application text may be performed by one or more programmable processors, also referred to as data processing hardware, which execute one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating outputs. The processes and logic sequences may also be performed by special-purpose logic circuitry, such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Processors suitable for executing a computer program include, by way of example, both general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors and one or more processors of any type of digital computer. In general, a processor will receive instructions and data from read-only memory and / or random access memory.The essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer also includes, or is operatively coupled to, receiving data from and / or sending data to one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not include such devices. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and storage devices, including, by way of example, semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks, and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.The processor and memory may be supplemented by or incorporated into special-purpose logic circuitry.

[0025] To provide interaction with a user, one or more aspects of the disclosure may be implemented in a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube), an LCD (liquid crystal display monitor), or a touch screen for displaying information to the user, and optionally a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or trackball, with which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may also be used to provide interaction with a user; e.g., feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, e.g.,visual feedback, auditory feedback, or haptic feedback; and input may be received from the user in any form including auditory, verbal, or tactile input. Additionally, a computer may interact with a user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device used by the user; e.g., by sending web pages to an internet browser on a user's client device in response to requests received from the internet browser.

[0026] With reference to Fig. 1- Fig. 12, a monitoring system 100 for a vehicle 10 includes a vehicle processor 200 of the vehicle 10 in communication with a user device 300. The vehicle 10, described below, is considered an electric vehicle (EV) with autonomous or semi-autonomous capabilities. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle 10 may be a hybrid vehicle incorporating components and capabilities of both EVs and internal combustion engines (ICEs). Accordingly, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a battery 12 to provide, at least in part, propulsion assistance of the vehicle 10. The vehicle processor 200 stores battery capacity data 202 of the battery 12 of the vehicle 10 and may communicate the battery capacity data 202 with the user device 300.

[0027] The monitoring system 100 may also include a server 400 communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor 200 and / or the user device 300. As described herein, the monitoring system 100 collectively describes the vehicle processor 200 and / or the user device 300 and / or the server 400. The server 400 may be configured as a back-office system for the monitoring system 100 that can determine, recommend, and / or execute operations of the monitoring system 100 in combination with the vehicle processor 200 and the user device 300. For example, the user device 300 may include an application programming interface (API) in communication with a weather server to obtain the weather data described below to minimize load on the server 400.Each of the vehicle processor 200, the user device 300, and the server 400 may be in communication via a network 500 that provides wireless communication for the monitoring system 100. The network 500 also provides wireless communication between the monitoring system 100 and a third-party device 600, which may correspond to one or more service stations 602. For example, a service station 602 may, via the third-party device 600, provide the monitoring system 100 with information corresponding to asset features 604 associated with the respective service stations 602, which are described in more detail below.

[0028] Now with reference to Fig. 1- Fig. 3, the vehicle processor 200 includes a navigation application 204 in addition to storing the battery capacity data 202 mentioned above. The navigation application 204 can be used to identify and monitor a location 14 of the vehicle 10 and is communicatively coupled to the user device 300 to share the location 14 with an occupant of the vehicle 10 and / or a user of the user device 300. The vehicle processor 200 is configured to provide the battery capacity data 202 to the user device 300 such that the user device 300 can display the battery capacity data 202 on a display 302 of the user device 300. The vehicle processor 200 stores the battery capacity data 202 by monitoring the battery 12 and updates it regularly and can reference the navigation application 204 to compare the location 14 of the vehicle 10 with the battery capacity data 202.Thus, an occupant of the vehicle 10 can monitor a battery capacity 16 of the battery 12 along with the location 14 of the vehicle 10, which can serve as information for the route 206 of the vehicle 10. The navigation application 204 is configured to generate the route 206 of the vehicle 10 in addition to monitoring the location 14 of the vehicle 10.

[0029] In some aspects, the route 206 may be entered by the user device 300, such that either the vehicle processor 200 or the user device 300 may be configured with the navigation application 204. In some examples, the user device 300 may be an infotainment device 300a included in the vehicle 10. Accordingly, the vehicle processor 200 may be configured with the navigation application 204 and may display the navigation application 204 on the infotainment device 300a for operation by the user or the occupant. In either configuration, the user may enter a starting location 208 and a destination location 210 to determine the route 206. In some examples, the user may enter the destination location 210, and the vehicle processor 200 automatically sets the starting location 208 based on the location 14 of the vehicle 10.

[0030] With further reference to Fig. 1- Fig. 3 and as further described below, the monitoring system 100 is configured to monitor the vehicle 10 using the navigation application 204 while the vehicle 10 is traveling on the route 206. The monitoring system 100 is configured to identify service stations 602 located on the route 206, which may include differentiating between nearby service stations 602 and service stations 602 that may be located a further distance from the route 206. While each aspect of the monitoring system 100 is described in detail below, Fig. 2 illustrates an overview of the monitoring system 100. For example, the user may provide user input 102 to a monitoring application 304 stored in computing hardware 306 of the user device 300. The monitoring application 304 is configured with a route planning feature 308 that may be selected by the user. The route planning feature 308 may operate in conjunction with or separately from the navigation application 204. For example, the route planning feature 308 may be used to execute the route 206 by providing settings and / or recommendations in response to the monitoring application 304 receiving data from a weather application 310 and the server 400, as described below.

[0031] With reference to Fig. 2, the server 400 may receive a signal 104 corresponding to the user input 102 to provide a route 206 to the vehicle processor 200 and / or the monitoring application 304. The route 206 may be generated by the navigation application 204 in the vehicle processor 200 before the server 400 receives the signal 104. For example, the route 206 may be provided to the server 400, and the server 400 may update the route 206 to include identified service stations 602 on the route 206. It is also contemplated that the server 400 may independently generate the route 206 and include the identified service stations 602.

[0032] With reference again to Fig. 1- Fig. 3, the monitoring application 304 is in communication with the weather application 310, which may be stored in the computing hardware 306 of the user device 300. Alternatively, the weather application 310 may be stored in a server processor 402 of the server 400. In either configuration, the monitoring application 304 is in communication with the weather application 310 to further update the route 206 based on forecast weather data 312. The forecast weather data 312 may include a predicted weather pattern 314 on the route 206 and / or at one or more of the service stations 602 on the route 206. The predicted weather pattern 314 may be communicated to the identified service stations 602 by the monitoring system 100.For example, server processor 402 includes a service route database 404 and may be configured to identify a service station 602 from service route database 404 that includes a facility feature 604 from service route database 404. Facility feature 604 may provide beneficial protection from predicted weather pattern 314. Server processor 402 may determine whether battery 12 of vehicle 10 has sufficient battery capacity 16 to reroute route 206 based on battery capacity data 202 and predicted weather data 312.

[0033] The server 400 can communicate with the monitoring application 304 the possible facility features 604 of the maintenance stations 602 on the route 206 that may be advantageous based on the forecast weather data 312. The server 400 can recommend maintenance stations 602 based on the facility features 604, and in particular if one of the facility features 604 includes a protective facility 606. Thus, the route 206 can be set and updated in real time by the monitoring system 100 while the vehicle 10 is traveling. All of the features and operations described above are described in more detail herein.

[0034] With reference to Fig. 3- Fig. 6, the user device 300 is depicted as a mobile device configured to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle processor 200. As mentioned above, in some examples, the user device 300 may be an infotainment device 300a of the vehicle 10, such that the occupant may interact with the user device 300 via an integrated display 302 of the vehicle 10, which may display information related to the vehicle 10 in addition to entertainment data. The user device 300 includes the computing hardware 306 in communication with the display 302. The computing hardware 306 includes the monitoring application 304 and is also in communication with the vehicle processor 200 to receive the battery capacity data 202 and the route 206 from the vehicle processor 200. The data processing hardware 306 presents both the battery capacity data 202 and the route 206 on the display 302 as part of the monitoring application 304.As mentioned above, route 206 may be generated by any combination of navigation application 204, server 400, and user device 300. For example, computing hardware 306 may receive route 206 from vehicle processor 200, and route 206 may be updated or otherwise modified by server 400 and / or monitoring application 304.

[0035] Further, with reference to Fig. 3- Fig. 6, the server 400 is in communication with the data processing hardware 306 and the vehicle processor 200 to exchange information related to the vehicle 10 and conditions regarding and on the route 206. The server processor 402 stores the service route database 404, which includes a registered log 406 of service stations 602 in a geographical area on the route 206. The server processor 402 may also store the facility characteristics 604 of the respective service stations 602 in the service route database 404. The service route database 404 may receive updated data from the service stations 602 located on or near the route 206 regarding possible facility characteristics 604. For example, each maintenance station 602 may update a maintenance station profile 408 in the registered log 406 with newly added or changed asset characteristics 604 by means of an asset update 410.In some examples, the facility features 604 may include the protection system 606 covering a charging station 608 at the maintenance station 602.

[0036] It is contemplated that the service station profile 408 may be updated by personnel of the service station 602. Users of a third party instance of the respective service station 602 may flag or otherwise alert the server 400 of a potential discrepancy in the asset characteristics 604. In either example, the server 400 may receive the asset update 410 from the third-party device 600 ( Fig. 2) corresponding to a newly installed or updated facility feature 604 that may provide shelter or a roof over the charging station 608 in the event of severe weather. As mentioned above, the weather application 310 may display the forecast weather data 312 on the route 206, which may correspond to locations on the route 206 and / or one or more of the service stations 602 on and near the route 206. The displayed weather data 312 is configured to take into account an arrival time, such that the forecast weather data 312 corresponds to the time of day at which the vehicle 10 is predicted to arrive at the service station 602. Displaying the forecast weather data 312 associated with the arrival time of the vehicle 10 may advantageously assist the user in planning a trip in an attempt to anticipate the weather at planned stops.In some examples, the weather application 310 may be stored in the server 400, such that the weather application 310 may be configured to determine the predicted weather data 312 in combination with providing information to the service station 602. The server 400 may also update the route 206 based on the predicted weather data 312. Regardless of whether the weather application 310 is stored in the server processor 402 or the computing hardware 306, the predicted weather data 312 may be used to provide additional context on the route 206.

[0037] With continued reference to Fig. 3- Fig. 6, the monitoring system 100 uses the navigation application 204, the weather application 310, and the service route database 404 together to provide data to the occupant, respectively. The monitoring system 100 uses the monitoring application 304 as the user-facing portion of the monitoring system 100, which assists the user in monitoring the vehicle 10 and information affecting the vehicle 10 before and while traveling on the route 206. For example, the monitoring application 304 assists in monitoring the route 206, the predicted weather data 312 both on the route 206 and at the respective service stations 602, the weather data 312 at specific times of day including a predicted time of arrival at the respective service stations 602, and the facility features 604 of each respective service station 602, among other monitoring features.As mentioned above, each of the vehicle processor 200, the data processing hardware 306, and the server processor 402 is connected to the network 500 (. Fig. 1) are communicatively coupled to collectively define the monitoring system 100. The data collected and analyzed by each of the vehicle processor 200 and the server processor 402 is ultimately presented to the occupant on the display 302 of the user device 300 after being incorporated into the monitoring application 304 by the data processing hardware 306.

[0038] For example, the data processing hardware 306 may present the battery capacity data 202 in the monitoring application 304 as a battery percentage 212. It is also contemplated that the battery capacity data 202 may be configured and presented as an available battery range 214. In some examples, both the battery percentage 212 and the available battery range 214 may be presented to the monitoring application 304. The monitoring application 304 is configured to present the battery capacity data 202 and data associated with the service station 602 to advantageously assist the user in monitoring a status of the battery capacity 16 of the vehicle 10 while also monitoring the available service stations 602 on the route 206.

[0039] Further, with reference to Fig. 3- Fig. 6, the route planning feature 308 of the monitoring application 304 may be part of an energy assistance feature 316. For example, the occupant may enter the destination 210 into the route planning feature 308 of the monitoring application 304, and the navigation application 204 may generate the route 206 in response. Accordingly, the route planning feature 308 may be communicatively coupled to the navigation application 204. The route planning feature 308 may be used to determine an energy route 320 corresponding to an alternative route 320 configured to maximize the energy efficiency of the vehicle 10. In some examples, the energy assistance feature 316 may use the predicted weather data 312 and the user's personal preferences 318 to generate the energy route or alternative route 320.It is contemplated that the monitoring application 304 may present the route 206 generated by the navigation application 204 to the user and may also present the energy route 320 generated by the route planning feature 308. The energy route 320 may be generated by the energy assist feature 316 to maximize the available battery range 214 by avoiding events that may decrease the available battery range 214 at an accelerated rate.

[0040] In some examples, increased and / or decreased ambient temperatures may decrease the available battery range 214 at a rate that is faster than when the ambient temperature is decreased. For example, the user may utilize cooling features of the vehicle 10, which may generate a higher battery load during peak ambient temperatures. Comparatively, the decreased ambient temperatures associated with extremely cold may decrease the available battery range 214 as a result of the ambient temperature. Thus, the route planning feature 308, in combination with the energy assist feature 316, may recommend setting a departure time 322 to avoid driving during times associated with peak and / or decreased ambient temperatures.The route planning feature 308 and the energy assist feature 316 are configured to be routinely updated by the computing hardware 306 during navigation of the vehicle 10.

[0041] Again with reference to Fig. 3- Fig. 6, the energy assistance feature 316 may also utilize the forecast weather data 312, the route 206, and the maintenance route database 404. It is generally contemplated that while the energy assistance feature 316 may present an energy route 320 that optimizes energy efficiency, the energy route 320 may have minimal deviation from a direct route 206 that may be otherwise presented by the navigation application 204. For example, the monitoring application 304 may compare the energy route 320 determined by the energy assistance feature 316 with the route 206 determined by the navigation application 204.In this example, if the energy route 320 deviates from the route 206 from the navigation application 204 such that a travel time exceeds a preset threshold, then the monitoring application 304 may recommend that the vehicle 10 travel on the route 206 generated by the navigation application 204.

[0042] It is contemplated that the monitoring application 304 may still display the energy route 320 from the energy assistance feature 316, however, the monitoring application 304 may display a warning indicating that the energy route 320 may add additional time to the total travel time. In some examples, however, the energy route 320 may have a slight increase or no change in travel time. In this example, the monitoring application 304 may display the energy route 320 as the primary route 320 option, while displaying the route 206 from the navigation application 204 as a secondary route option. Regardless of which route 206, 320 is selected by the user, the monitoring application 304 may highlight service stations 602 on the route 206, 320 to assist the user in efficiently navigating to a service station 602.

[0043] With reference to Fig. 7- Fig. 10, the monitoring system 100, using the monitoring application 304, progressively displays a navigation graph 330 for the route 206. In some aspects, the monitoring application 304 displays an estimated travel time 220 at the starting location 208 and predicts one or more service stops 332 integrated as part of the route 206 with one or more service station recommendations 334. The service station recommendations 334 may represent data about the one or more recommended service stations 602 obtained by the monitoring application 304 from the service route database 404 stored in the server processor 402. It is contemplated that the monitoring application 304 may configure the maintenance station recommendations 334 based on the maintenance station profiles 408 stored in the maintenance route database 404 and containing the asset characteristics 604 for the respective maintenance station 602.For example, the server processor 402 may select one or more of the service station profiles 408 and may communicate the selected service station profile 408 to the monitoring application 304 to ultimately be presented as part of the navigation graphic 330 to the monitoring application 304.

[0044] The monitoring application 304 may receive the respective service station profile 408 from the server processor 402, which may include identification information of the service station 602. The identification information may include, but is not limited to, a name and the location 610 of the service station 602. The location 610 of the service stations 602 may be displayed as part of the route 206 generated by the navigation application 204. Each location 610 of the service stations 602 may be presented in combination with the route 206 on the display 302 of the user device 300. The service station profile 408 may also include an availability status 412 of the charging stations 608. For example, the monitoring application 304 may adjust which service station 602 is selected for the maintenance stop 332 based on the availability status 412 of the charging stations 608.The monitoring application 304 may also evaluate the battery capacity data 202 to predict a charge time 222 and a predicted battery percentage 212. It is generally contemplated that the maintenance stop 332 may be presented to the monitoring application 304 as a region to allow flexibility during navigation of the route 206.

[0045] In some aspects, the monitoring application 304 may update with a new service station profile 408 from the service route database 404 while the vehicle 10 is traveling on the route 206. The monitoring application 304 may present multiple service station profiles 408 that may be selected by the user via the user input 102. The user may also reject the recommended service station profiles 408 via the user input 102. In either example, the monitoring application 304 may present an alert to the user when the available battery range 214 approaches a distance to the nearest available service station 602.

[0046] Further, with reference to Fig. 7- Fig. 10, the monitoring application 304 advantageously uses the weather application 310 to display a predicted service station weather 336. For example, the monitoring application 304 is configured to display the predicted service station weather 336 on the display 302 of the user device 300 at the predicted arrival time. The predicted service station weather 336 may be displayed on the monitoring application 304 as part of the service station profile 408. For example, the weather application 310 may communicate with the server processor 402 to update the service station profile 408 at regular intervals to display the predicted service station weather 336. The predicted service station weather 336 may be displayed on the display 302 as a weather icon 336a that generally corresponds to the predicted service station weather 336. As shown in Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B, the weather icon 336a illustrates a cloud with snowflakes, which, when selected via user input 102, represents a description of the predicted service station weather 336. Although the weather icon 336a in Fig. 9B as a cloud with snowflakes, it is contemplated that weather icon 336a may include, but is not limited to, clouds, rain, snow, sleet, tornadoes, hail, wind, sun, storms, and other graphics of weather patterns. Monitoring application 304 communicates with weather application 310 to periodically update the forecasted service station weather 336 during the course of operation of monitoring application 304.

[0047] The monitoring application 304 further provides facility features 604 that may be present at the recommended maintenance station 602. As mentioned above, the facility features 604 may include the protection facility 606. The protection facility 606 may also be represented as a protection symbol 606a on the monitoring application 304 as part of the maintenance station profile 408. For example, the protection symbol 606a is Fig. 10 as an umbrella. However, additional icons 606a may be used to convey that the recommended service station 602 is equipped with at least one shelter 606 at the charging station 608. The shelter 606 may be a garage, canopy, overhang, or other practical shelter or roof adjacent to or protecting the charging station 608. The monitoring application 304 may, in response to the forecast service station weather 336, prioritize the service stations 602 that include a facility feature 604, and in particular, a shelter 606. In some aspects, the monitoring application 304 may present a route message 338 on the display 302 that includes a detour selection 340 that reroutes the previously selected route 206 to use the service station 602 that includes the shelter 606.

[0048] With reference again to Fig. 7- Fig. 10, the monitoring application 304 may optionally display the protection icon 606a representing the protection facility 606. For example, if the monitoring application 304 determines that the forecasted service station weather 336 is not harsh or otherwise free of weather events that may impact the user during a charging event, the service station recommendation 334 may be free of the protection icon 606a. For example, if the forecasted service station weather 336 is clear and free of precipitation, the monitoring application 304 may display the service station recommendation 334 without the protection icon 606a, even if a protection facility is present.In further examples, if the monitoring application 304 determines that the predicted service station weather 336 may pose an inconvenience to the user, the monitoring application 304 may display the protection icon 606a, indicating that the recommended service station 602 includes a protection facility 606. While the recommended service station 602 may remain unchanged during periods of predicted service station weather 336 that may warrant the use of a protection facility 606, it is also contemplated that the monitoring application 304 may recommend an updated route 342 if the predicted service station weather 336 includes severe weather.

[0049] In some examples, monitoring application 304 may receive a signal from weather application 310 indicating that forecast weather data 312 predicts severe weather on route 206. Thus, monitoring application 304 may issue a warning indicating the potential for severe weather to the user based on forecast weather data 312 and may recommend updated route 342 in an attempt to avoid the potential severe weather. If forecast weather data 312 indicates an adverse weather event, such as rain or snow, but is not severe, monitoring application 304 may display protection icon 606a for recommended service station 602, indicating that recommended service station 602 is equipped with protection equipment 606.

[0050] In some aspects, the route message 338 may correspond to the updated route 342 based on the forecast weather data 312, where the forecast weather data 312 corresponds to a predicted weather pattern 314 on the route 206. The monitoring application 304 receives the predicted weather data 312 from the weather application 310 and may determine that a predicted weather pattern 314 may make driving along the previously selected route 206 difficult. In addition to presenting a warning with the predicted weather data 312, the monitoring application 304 may present the route message 338 suggesting the updated route 342.In some aspects, the monitoring application 304 may automatically proceed with the updated route 342 and provide the user with the route notification 338 of automatically rerouting the vehicle 10 to proceed on the updated route 342 in response to a severity of the predicted weather pattern 314.

[0051] With reference to Fig. 7, Fig. 11A and Fig. 11B, if a user has entered an exposed environment for a private service station 602, the monitoring application 304 is also configured to issue a weather notification 350 based on the forecast weather data 312 separate from the operation of the vehicle 10. The user may enter into the monitoring application 304 a facility feature 604 of the private service station 602. For example, the user may enter that the private service station 602 includes a covered facility feature 604, in which case the monitoring application 304 may refrain from issuing the weather notification 350. In further examples, the private service station 602 may be set to an exposed status or, by default, to an unknown status.

[0052] In the case of the exposed status and / or the unknown status, the monitoring application issues the weather notification 350 based on the forecast weather 312 and the protection status of the private maintenance station 602. For example, the weather notification 350 may include information regarding severe weather and recommendations for actions that can be taken by the user in preparation for the severe weather. For example, the weather notification 350 may include a preparation protocol 352 that may present options to the user. The preparation protocol 352 includes, but is not limited to, a loading recommendation 354, accessory recommendations 356, and preparation recommendations 358. It is contemplated that the user may select one or more of the recommendations 354, 356, 358 presented as part of the preparation protocol 352.Alternatively, the user can mute or reject the weather notification 350 and the preparation protocol 352.

[0053] The preparation protocol 352 is configured to advantageously assist a user in response to the predicted weather pattern 314 received from the weather application 310, which may otherwise adversely affect the user. The charging recommendation 354 is configured to recommend that the user charge the battery 12 to ensure that the battery 12 is at full battery capacity 16 before the start of the predicted weather pattern 314. In some examples, the vehicle 10 may be used as a backup energy source for providing power to a user's home, such that providing the preparation protocol 352 and recommending full battery capacity 16 before the predicted weather pattern 314 is advantageous.Furthermore, the accessory recommendations 356 of the preparation protocol 352 contain recommendations for various accessories that can be used in combination with the vehicle 10. The accessory recommendations 356 may include links or additional purchase options to assist the user in obtaining an accessory that can be used in combination with the vehicle 10 before the predicted weather pattern 314.

[0054] Further, with reference to Fig. 7, Fig. 11A, Fig. 11B, the preparation protocol 352 is configured to provide the accessory recommendations 356 in advance of the predicted weather pattern 314, such that a delivery time for the accessory is taken into account when presenting the accessory recommendations 356. For example, the monitoring application 304 may present the accessory recommendation 356 at least one to two days before the predicted weather pattern 314 to account for the delivery time of the recommended accessory. The accessory recommendations 356 may also provide nearby retailers that may carry the recommended accessory if the predicted weather pattern 314 is earlier than the estimated delivery time. Accordingly, the monitoring application 304 may present various purchasing options for selecting recommended accessories through the preparation protocol 352.In some examples, it is contemplated that the user may execute a purchase of the recommended accessories through the monitoring application 304 to optimize the efficiency and ordering process associated with the accessory recommendations 356.

[0055] The preparation recommendations 358 of the preparation protocol 352 may include context-based suggestions that the user can evaluate in preparation for potentially severe weather. For example, the preparation recommendation 358 may include locating a covered parking space or shelter for the vehicle 10 during the severe weather. Additionally or alternatively, the preparation recommendation 358 may include identifying a nearby shelter 606, either at a maintenance station 602 or at the user's home. The preparation protocol 352 is configured to provide support and recommendations to the user. For example, the preparation protocol 352 may provide the user with video guidance regarding actions to be taken if the private maintenance station 602 is blocked or otherwise hindered by the predicted weather pattern 314.Additionally or alternatively, the video tutorial of the preparation protocol 352 may include command examples of how to use the accessories represented by the accessory recommendations 356. While the monitoring application 304 may execute the preparation protocol 352 in response to the forecast weather data 312, it is contemplated that the user may customize the frequency and activation of notifications associated with the preparation protocol 352. For example, the user may customize the personal preferences 318 of the monitoring application 304 to provide intermittent notifications associated with the preparation protocol 352, which may still keep the user informed of the predicted weather pattern 314. In some examples, the user may choose to turn off notifications associated with the preparation protocol 352.Accordingly, the preparation protocol 352 is a customizable feature of the monitoring application 304.

[0056] With specific reference to Fig. 12 shows a flowchart illustrating the operation of the monitoring system 100. Initially, at 700, the route planning feature 308 of the monitoring application 304 is initiated. The user may enter the starting location 208 and the destination location 210 at 702, and the user requests that the navigation application 204 execute a route 206 at 704. The monitoring application 304 communicates with the weather application 310 to receive the forecast weather data 312. The monitoring application 304 identifies at 706 whether the forecast weather data 312 predicts a forecast weather pattern 314 on the route 206 associated with severe weather. If the predicted weather pattern 314 is not associated with severe weather, the monitoring application 304 displays the navigation graphic 330 without the protection icon 606a at 708 and may maintain the original route 206 free of refinements based on the predicted weather data 312.

[0057] If the predicted weather pattern 314 is associated with severe weather, then the monitoring application 304 identifies at 710 whether the severe weather is an extreme weather event. If the predicted weather pattern 314 is associated with adverse weather but is not an extreme weather event, then the monitoring application 304 communicates with the server processor 402 to identify at 712 whether any service stations 602 on the route 206 have a protection system 606. If the server processor 402 identifies that the one or more service stations 602 are equipped with a protection system 606, then the monitoring application 304 adjusts the route 206 to include the identified service station 602 and displays a protection icon 606a on a user device 300 at 714.If the server processor 402 does not identify a service station 602 stored in the service route database 404 that is both on route 206 and contains a protective facility 606, then the monitoring application 304 determines at 716 whether the service stop 332 can be postponed until the vehicle 10 can reach another service station 602 or until the predicted weather pattern 314 has passed.

[0058] If the monitoring application 304 determines that it is possible to postpone the maintenance stop 332, then the monitoring application 304 may adjust the navigation graphic 330 accordingly at 718. If the monitoring application 304 determines that postponement is not possible and / or that the predicted weather pattern 314 is not forecast to pass, then the monitoring application 304 may issue a weather notification at 720 informing the user of the predicted weather pattern 314.

[0059] In another example, if the monitoring application 304 identifies the predicted weather pattern 314 as associated with an extreme weather pattern, the monitoring application 304 may skip step 712 and proceed to determining at 716 whether the service stop 332 can be postponed until the vehicle 10 can reach another service station 602 or until the predicted weather pattern 314 has passed. Each of these operational steps 700-720 represents the execution of the monitoring system 100 to adapt and evolve a route 206 based on data received by the monitoring application 304 from the server processor 402, the weather application 310, the navigation application 204, and the vehicle processor 200. The monitoring application 304 may terminate the route planning feature 308 at 722 when the route 206 is completed.Optionally, the monitoring application 304 may update at 722 whether a new execution of the route 206 is requested, and in another example, the monitoring application 304 may update the route 206 if the predicted weather pattern 314 changes significantly along the route 206.

[0060] With further reference to Fig. 1- Fig.12, the monitoring system 100 advantageously provides the user with an accessible system for organizing pre-driving data and anticipating predicted weather patterns 314 that may influence a user's decision-making process. The monitoring application 304 provides an interface to allow the user to customize the user experience. The monitoring system 100 further provides a navigation graphic 330 to facilitate ease of use with the monitoring application 304. In particular, the display of the protection symbol 606a with the recommended maintenance station 602 during navigation of the route 206 is advantageous to the user. Furthermore, the monitoring system 100 may display the preparation protocol 352 to assist the user in preparing for possible severe weather.

[0061] Several implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it should be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

[0062] The foregoing description has been provided for illustrative and descriptive purposes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular configuration are generally not limited to that particular configuration, but are, where applicable, interchangeable and may be used in a chosen configuration, even if not specifically shown or described. They may also be varied in many respects. Such variations are not to be considered a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

[1] Monitoring system that includes: a vehicle processor that stores battery capacity data of a battery of a vehicle and includes a navigation application configured to provide a location of the vehicle and a vehicle route; and a user device including a display and computing hardware in communication with the display and executing a monitoring application in communication with the vehicle processor and executing a weather application including predicted weather data, wherein the computing hardware is configured to receive the vehicle route and provide a notification on the display of the user device corresponding to a facility feature of a service station along the vehicle route. [2] The monitoring system of claim 1, further including a server including a server processor communicatively coupled to the vehicle processor and storing a service route database and facility characteristics of one or more service stations stored in the service route database. [3] The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the maintenance route database includes an availability status of a charging station at one of the maintenance stations. [4] The monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the monitoring application is configured to display a forecast weather corresponding to a location of a maintenance station along the vehicle route. [5] The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the server processor is configured to identify a service station from the service route database that includes a facility feature and is configured to determine, based on the battery capacity data and the forecast weather data, whether sufficient vehicle battery capacity is available to reroute the vehicle route. [6] The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle processor is configured to execute the vehicle route in response to user input to the navigation application and based on the asset characteristics stored in the maintenance route database. [7] The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the monitoring application is configured to issue a route notification corresponding to an updated route based on the predicted weather data and the vehicle route. [8] The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the facility features include a protective facility proximate a charging station of the one or more maintenance stations. [9] The monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the monitoring application of the user device is configured to provide a route message on the display including a reroute selection corresponding to a maintenance station containing the protective asset. [10] The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring application is configured to recommend a maintenance stop based on the predicted weather data, the facility characteristic of the service station, and the battery capacity data received from the vehicle processor.

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