WEATHER DETECTION FOR A VEHICLE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

A weather detection system for a vehicle includes a weather sensor configured to detect the environmental conditions of a region outside the vehicle in an operational state, an actuator to control a response to the environmental conditions, a network interface configured to access weather data from a fleet of vehicles, and a control circuit communicating with the weather sensor and the actuator. The control circuit is configured to access the weather data via the network interface, compare the weather data with the environmental conditions, detect a non-operational state of the weather sensor based on this comparison, and control the actuator based on this detection of the non-operational state.

Description

AREA OF REVELATION

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to weather detection for a vehicle environment, and more particularly to a crowdsourced weather detection system that monitors sensor readiness and rewards users for sharing weather information. GENERAL STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Vehicle sensors typically monitor temperature and rainfall conditions outside a vehicle. SUMMARY OF REVELATION

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a weather detection system for a vehicle includes a weather sensor configured to sense an ambient condition of a region outside the vehicle in an operational state, an actuator for controlling a response to the ambient condition, a network interface configured to access weather data from a vehicle fleet, and a control circuit in communication with the weather sensor and the actuator. The control circuit is configured to access the weather data via the network interface, compare the weather data to the ambient condition, detect an inoperative state of the weather sensor based on the comparison, and control the actuator based on the detection of the inoperative state.

[0004] Embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure may include any one or a combination of the following features: - the control circuit is configured to report the environmental condition for communication to the vehicle fleet; - a GPS that tracks a vehicle position and a server that processes the vehicle position and environmental conditions to anonymize information provided to the vehicle fleet; - the control circuit is configured to aggregate data from individual nodes in the vehicle fleet and to determine an estimate of the environmental condition based on the aggregate; - the comparison involves detecting a difference between the estimated value and the ambient condition; - the weather sensor includes a camera that captures images of the outside environment and an image processor that processes the image to detect the environmental condition; - the weather sensor includes a camera that captures images of the outside environment and an image processor that processes the image to detect the environmental condition; - the control circuit includes a controller local to the vehicle configured to communicate an indication of the inoperative state and a software version of the image processor to the server in response to the detection of the inoperative state; - the server is configured to communicate an update for the image processor based on the software version; - the control circuit includes a controller local to the vehicle, the controller being configured to selectively perform the operations of reporting the ambient condition to the vehicle fleet; - the controller is selectively operable between an event-driven mode in which the controller communicates the ambient condition based on the type of ambient condition, and an operation-driven mode in which the controller communicates the ambient condition while the vehicle is driving; - a user interface in the vehicle, wherein the control circuit is configured to communicate a signal to present an option at the user interface to select the event-driven mode or the operation-driven mode; - the reporting of the environmental condition is controlled by the user via the user interface; and - the control circuit is configured to communicate a message to indicate an incentive to turn on the reporting of the environmental condition when the reporting is turned off.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a weather detection system for a vehicle includes a weather sensor configured to sense an ambient condition of a region outside the vehicle in an operational state, an actuator for controlling a response to the ambient condition, a network interface configured to access weather data from a fleet of vehicles, and a vehicle-local controller in communication with the weather sensor and the actuator. The controller is configured to control the actuator based on detecting an inoperative state of the weather sensor. The weather detection system further includes a server in communication with the controller configured to compare the weather data to the ambient condition and detect the inoperative state of the weather sensor based on the comparison.

[0006] Embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure may include any one or a combination of the following features: - the controller is configured to selectively report the environmental condition to the server; - the controller is selectively operable between an event-driven mode in which the controller communicates the ambient condition based on the type of ambient condition, and an operation-driven mode in which the controller communicates the ambient condition while the vehicle is driving; - a user interface in the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to communicate a signal to present an option to select the event-driven mode or the operation-driven mode; - the reporting of the environmental condition is controlled by the user via the user interface; and - the controller is configured to communicate a message to indicate an incentive to turn on the reporting of the environmental condition when the reporting is turned off.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a weather detection system for a vehicle includes a weather sensor configured to sense an environmental condition of a region external to the vehicle in an operational state, an actuator for controlling a response to the environmental condition, a network interface configured to access weather data from a vehicle fleet, a GPS that tracks a position of the vehicle, and a server that processes the position of the vehicle and the environmental condition to anonymize information provided from the vehicle to the vehicle fleet; and control circuitry in communication with the weather sensor and the actuator.The control circuit is configured to report the environmental condition to the server, compare the weather data with the environmental condition, detect an inoperative state of the weather sensor based on the comparison, and control the actuator based on the detection of the inoperative state.

[0008] These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present disclosure will be better understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following description, claims, and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The following applies in the drawings: Fig. 1 a block diagram of a weather detection system; Fig. Figure 2 is a functional plan view of a crowdsourcing environment employing a weather detection system; Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for incentivizing use of a crowdsourcing feature of a weather detection system; and Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for detecting an inoperability of a weather sensor of a weather detection system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Where possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to designate the same or similar parts. In the drawings, the depicted structural elements are not to scale, and certain components are enlarged relative to other components for emphasis and clarity.

[0011] As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures do not necessarily depict a detailed embodiment; some schematic representations may be exaggerated or reduced to show a functional overview. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure.

[0012] For the purposes of description in this document, the terms “top”, “bottom”, “right”, “left”, “back”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and derivatives thereof refer to the concepts in their orientation in Fig. 1. However, it is to be understood that the concepts may assume various alternative orientations unless expressly stated otherwise. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following description are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Thus, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics are not to be considered limiting of the embodiments disclosed herein unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

[0013] The presently illustrated embodiments consist primarily of combinations of method steps and device components related to weather detection for a vehicle environment. Accordingly, the device components and method steps are represented in the drawings by conventional symbols where appropriate, with only those specific details relevant to an understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure being shown, so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the description herein. Furthermore, like reference numerals represent like elements in the description and the drawings.

[0014] As used herein, the term "and / or," when used in a list of two or more elements, means that each of the listed elements may be employed individually, or any combination of two or more of the listed elements may be used. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and / or C, the composition may contain only A; only B; only C; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.

[0015] In this document, reference terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like are used merely to distinguish one entity or act from another entity or act, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or acts. The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method S300, article, or facility that includes an enumeration of elements not only includes those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent in such a process, method S300, article, or facility. An element that "comprises a...’ does not preclude, without further limitation, the presence of additional identical elements in the process, procedure S300, article or facility incorporating that element.

[0016] As used herein, the term "about" means that amounts, sizes, formulations, parameters, and other quantities and properties are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and / or greater or lesser, and may reflect tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement errors, and the like, as well as other factors known to those skilled in the art. When the term "about" is used to describe a value or range endpoint, the disclosure is to be understood as including the specific value or endpoint referenced. Regardless of whether a numerical value or range endpoint includes "about" in the description, the numerical value or range endpoint is intended to include two embodiments: one modified by "about" and one unmodified by "about."It is further understood that the endpoints of each of the domains are significant both relative to the other endpoint and independently of the other endpoint.

[0017] The terms "substantially," "substantially," and variations thereof, as used herein, are intended to indicate that a described characteristic is equal to or approximately equal to a value or description. For example, a "substantially planar" surface is intended to mean that a surface is flat or approximately flat. Furthermore, "substantially" is intended to mean that two values ​​are equal to or approximately equal. In some embodiments, "substantially" may refer to values ​​within about 10% of each other, such as within about 5% of each other, or within about 2% of each other.

[0018] As used herein, the terms "the," "the," "a," or "a" or "an" mean "at least one" and should not be limited to "only one" unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a component" includes embodiments having two or more such components, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0019] With general reference to Fig. 1-4, the present disclosure relates to a weather detection system 10, indicated generally at 10. The weather detection system 10 is configured for use with at least one vehicle 12, such as an automobile. For example, the vehicle 12 may be one of a fleet of vehicles 14 deploying the weather detection system 10. Alternatively, the weather detection system 10 is local to the vehicle 12. In a preferred example, the weather detection system 10 is deployed with the fleet of vehicles 14 and categorizes the members of the fleet of vehicles 14 as nodes 16a-16g for reporting environmental conditions using one or more weather sensors 18 disposed on each of the fleet of vehicles 14. It is contemplated that the fleet of vehicles 14 may include different vehicle models having different weather sensors 18 thereon.Thus, the vehicle fleet 14 may include a logical grouping of the nodes 16a-16g for the purposes of reporting weather information.

[0020] In general, the weather detection system 10 provides improved data collection and outage detection for the weather sensors 18 using crowdsourcing. The weather detection system 10 further provides an incentive-based model for weather event reporting.

[0021] With particular reference now to Fig. 1, the weather detection system 10 for a vehicle 12 may include a weather sensor 18 configured to sense an environmental condition of a region outside the vehicle 12 in an operational state. The weather detection system 10 further includes an actuator for controlling a response to the environmental condition and a network interface 20 configured to access weather data from a vehicle fleet 14. Control circuitry is in communication with the weather sensor 18 and the actuator. The control circuitry is configured to access the weather data via the network interface 20, compare the weather data to the environmental condition, detect an inoperative state of the weather sensor 18 based on the comparison, and control the actuator based on the detection of the inoperative state.In some examples, the control circuit is configured to report the environmental condition for communication to the vehicle fleet 14. For example, the control circuit may include a controller 22 local to the vehicle 12 and a server 24 remote from the vehicle. The controller 22 may be configured to selectively perform the operations of reporting the environmental condition to the vehicle fleet 14.

[0022] For example, the controller 22 may be selectively operable between an event-driven mode, in which the controller 22 communicates the ambient condition based on the type of ambient condition, and an operation-driven mode, in which the controller 22 communicates the ambient condition while the vehicle 12 is traveling. The type of ambient condition may relate to the quality, habitualness, or intensity of the weather. The type of weather pattern may include, for example, intense weather patterns such as funnel clouds, tornadoes, hail, and the like, and / or ordinary weather events such as rain, overcast skies, sunlight, warm / cold weather, etc. In some examples, the controller 22 is selectively operable in a manual mode, in which the user can manually report the ambient condition.

[0023] The control circuit may be configured to communicate a signal to present an option at a user interface 26 in the vehicle 12 to select the event-triggered mode, the operational mode, or the manual mode. Environmental condition reporting is controlled by the user via the user interface 26. The control circuit is configured to communicate a message to indicate an incentive to enable environmental condition reporting when reporting is disabled. For example, as described in more detail with respect to the following figures, incentives for one or more of these modes may be provided via points, credits, or other incentives awarded to a user for selecting a given reporting mode.

[0024] Still referring to Fig. 1, the weather sensors 18 may include one or more imagers 28, rain sensors 30, ambient light sensors 32, temperature sensors 34, wind speed sensors 36, wind direction sensors 38, microphones 40, or any other sensor configured to detect a local weather condition around the vehicle 12. The weather sensors 18 may be used in combination with, or as an alternative to, other systems of the vehicle 12 used to verify the detected environmental condition, such as a global positioning system (GPS 42) that tracks a position of the vehicle 12, the user interface 26 (e.g.,manual input of a weather condition), feedback from vehicle control systems 44, such as a telematics control unit (TCU) that includes various motion control systems, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), window cleaning systems (windshield wiper controls), and / or other vehicle systems 44 (e.g., ABS, steering sensors for detecting wheel slip, etc.). For example, humidity conditions may be detected using the imager 28 or the rain sensor 30 and compared to tire slip detected by the vehicle control systems 44. Interior conditions of the vehicle 12 may also be monitored, such as climate control settings, including heating / cooling conditions of an HVAC system, lighting settings of a cabin of the vehicle 12, or other interior conditions.

[0025] The vehicle control systems 44 may also be configured with one or more of the actuators described above. The controller 22 may be configured to communicate signals to the vehicle control systems 44 to control or adjust the actuators in response to the environmental conditions. It is also contemplated that the controller 22 may control the actuators in response to the weather information after validating the environmental conditions. In other words, the controller 22 may adjust the actuators based on accurate estimates of the environmental conditions. The actuators may include motors for windshield wiper control or timing, valves that dispense washer fluid, steering motors, actuators, ABS control, or any other vehicle control mechanisms that can be controlled in response to varying weather conditions.

[0026] The controller 22 may include one or more processors 46 and a memory 48 storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors 46. When executed by the one or more processors 46, the controller 22 may initiate steps to monitor the weather sensors 18 and control one or more of the vehicle control systems 44 in response to the detected weather conditions. For example, rain may be detected by the imager 28, and the controller 22 may communicate a signal to operate the windshield wipers of the vehicle 12. High or low temperatures detected by the temperature sensor 34 may cause the controller 22 to communicate a signal to the HVAC system to operate heating or cooling of the vehicle interior.

[0027] Communication between the weather sensors 18 and the controller 22 may be enabled via wired or wireless communication protocols. For example, a Control Area Network 50 (CAN) may be implemented in the vehicle 12. Various other protocols, such as Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, Ethernet, TCP / IP, Universal Serial Bus (USB), or any other protocols, may be used. Communication between any of the other systems of the vehicle 12 (e.g., the HMI 26, the GPS 42, the vehicle control systems 44) may employ the same or different protocols. While the controller 22 may perform various responses to the detected weather conditions of the environment local to the vehicle 12, in a preferred example, the controller 22 is further configured to communicate the detected weather conditions to a network 50 via the network interface 20.For example, ambient temperature or humidity conditions may be reported via network 50 to vehicle fleet 14 and / or one or more weather stations 51. Network interface 20 may be a communications module for transmitting / receiving signals to / from server 24 via network 50. For example, network interface 20 may include one or more antennas for wireless communication with a weather reporting network, such as network 50. Wi-Fi®, SMS, and / or any wireless communications protocol may be employed by network interface 20.

[0028] Still referring to Fig. 1, the imager 28 may include one or more cameras 52 in communication with an image processor 54 for performing various image processing functions related to detecting environmental conditions. For example, the one or more cameras 52 may include a rearview camera, a vehicle forward camera, side cameras, interior cameras, or a camera providing any other view of the vehicle 12 or the exterior of the vehicle 12. In a preferred example, the image processor 54 processes images of the exterior of the vehicle 12 to detect various types of environmental conditions. For example, the image processor 54 may implement one or more neural networks 50 for tracking pixel groupings to perform object detection or other pattern recognition. In some examples, the image processor 54 is configured to detect humidity conditions (e.g.,Rain, puddles, splashes), wind direction and / or speed, lighting conditions, and other environmental conditions. In one example, the image processor 54 utilizes background-oriented schlieren (BOS) image analysis to calculate the density field of a fluid (e.g., air) between two static images. For example, a density gradient and / or orientation may be determined, providing a localized wind speed estimate using image processing.

[0029] The controller 22 may further or alternatively read from the rain sensor 30, the ambient light sensor 32, the wind speed sensor, the wind direction sensor 38, the humidity sensors, or any other weather detection sensor to determine the environmental conditions. These weather sensors 18 may report digital or analog readings to the controller 22. The controller 22 may execute various routines to weight the readings of the weather sensors 18, as described in more detail. Generally, infrared light may be detected by the ambient light sensor 32 via an IR sensor. The rain sensor 30 may include one or more capacitors for detecting rain via capacitance measurements. For example, the rain sensor may be mounted toward a windshield of the vehicle 12 to detect moisture.The wind speed and direction sensors 38 may use membranes and tubes to detect wind speed and direction.

[0030] In general, the use of the weather sensors 18 described in this document can be enhanced by having the weather detection system 10 calibrate the readings from the weather sensors 18. For example, if the imager 28 initially flags rain conditions that are not actually rain conditions by comparing them to crowdsourced data, threshold parameters can be adjusted to fine-tune the estimate provided by the image processor 54 to categorize rain conditions. Similarly, readings from other sensors (e.g., the infrared ambient light sensor 32) can be weighted and adjustable by the controller 22. For example, manufacturing variability may cause some sensors to report values, and the weather detection system 10 can calibrate each weather sensor 18 to more accurately reflect weather information across different models of the weather sensor 18.

[0031] Still referring to Fig. 1, the server 24 stores the environmental condition information reported by each vehicle 12 of the vehicle fleet 14. The server 24 may also include any number of databases for storing such environmental condition information and any number of processors 46 for aggregating the environmental condition information to calculate weather conditions within a geographic region (see Fig. 2). For example, the server 24 may process the position data of the vehicle 12, as reported by the GPS 42, together with the environmental conditions to Fig. of the weather conditions of a geographic area (e.g., 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 square miles, or more). Thus, at least a portion of the control circuitry in the server 24 may be included to compare the various reported environmental conditions to identify statistical or logical relationships related to weather patterns. In this manner, outliers of the statistical model may be used to detect conditions of non-operational weather sensors 18. Non-operational conditions may relate to faulty, incorrect, inaccurate, or otherwise inconsistent weather sensors 18.

[0032] For example, the control circuitry may be configured via the server 24 to receive data from the individual nodes 16a-16g ( Fig. 2) of the vehicle fleet 14 and determine an estimate of the ambient condition based on the merge. The server 24 may detect a difference between the estimate and the ambient condition. In this way, inaccurate reporting from weather sensors 18 for one or more of the vehicles 12 may be identified by the control circuitry. The server 24 may communicate a message or signal to the controller 22 of the vehicle 12 indicating that the reported weather data is inaccurate or likely to be inaccurate.The controller 22 may then determine that the weather sensor(s) 18 used to detect the environmental condition reported to the server 24 is / are inoperative, and that other weather sensors 18 may be used for environmental detection and / or an indication of inoperability may be communicated to the user via the user interface 26 to indicate the inoperability. For example, if the imager 28 was used to determine a rainy condition and it is later determined, based on a comparison with the crowdsourced weather data, that the imager 28 was inoperative, the controller 22 may instead query data from the rain sensor 30 for future rain detection.

[0033] The controller 22 may be configured to communicate an indication of a software version of one or more of the weather sensors 18 or weather sensing software to the server 24 in response to detecting the inoperative state of a given weather sensor 18, as further described with reference to Fig. 4. For example, the image processor 54 of the imager 28 may have a corresponding software version level that can be updated by the server 24 to place the imager 28 in an operational state. Additionally or alternatively, flash software may be stored on the weather sensor 18 and may have multiple versions available for use. In another example, the controller 22 includes one or more modules that can be updated.

[0034] The server 24 is also configured to anonymize information provided to the vehicle fleet 14. For example, while weather conditions in a region may be estimated using data from multiple vehicles, including the positions of the multiple vehicles, the positions of the multiple vehicles may be anonymous relative to other vehicles in the vehicle fleet. Thus, the Fig. 2 illustrated locations may not be visible to users of vehicles in the vehicle fleet 14.

[0035] With reference now to Fig. 2, the weather detection system 10 may be operable to map the weather conditions of a region in which a target vehicle 12 or a target node 16a is located. The nodes 16a-16g correspond to members of the vehicle fleet 14. Although illustrated as Fig. superimposed, such a Fig. of the weather conditions due to the anonymization of the reporting of data by the server 24, omit the visibility of the nodes 16a-16g when presented to a user (e.g., via the user interface 26).

[0036] As in Fig. 2, each node 16a-16g is configured to selectively report environmental conditions of the location of the corresponding node 16a-16g. Based on the reported environmental conditions, the control circuit determines weather data of a region of the target node 16a. For example, the server 24 can compile the entire environment in a region to classify the weather, such as rainy, cloudy, a specific temperature or temperature range, thunderstorm conditions, hurricane conditions, tornado conditions, lighting conditions, etc. While the properties reported by the nodes 16a-16g in Fig. 2 are primarily temperature and lighting / rain conditions, it is contemplated that any / all environmental conditions detected by weather sensors 18 at each node 16a-16g may be reported to and tracked by the server 24.

[0037] The target node 16a from Fig. 2 is located inside a building. Accordingly, the reported environmental conditions differ significantly from the report in the region (higher temperature, lower light levels). Accordingly, the controller 22 can use the location data to selectively exclude this data without determining an inoperative condition of the weather sensors 18 at the target node 16a. While the reported temperature may differ, for example, by more than 5°F from the actual weather conditions, the server 24 may still fail to report an inoperative condition because the target node 16a is located in a garage, under a carport, etc., where temperature or other environmental conditions differ significantly from the actual weather conditions. Thus, the illustrated example represents reporting accurate weather conditions using location data.

[0038] As in Fig. 2, the control circuit may classify rainy environments based on the environmental conditions reported by the vehicle fleet 14. For example, the control circuit may generate a divider 58 between a first raining region 60 and a non-raining search region. Accordingly, automatic control options for the vehicle 12, such as automatic headlight functionality, automatic wiper control, or automatic speed adjustment, may be proactively implemented as the vehicle 12 approaches and crosses the divider 58 into a rainy environment. Such dividers 58 may be determined for any other weather condition. Thus, the control circuit is configured to communicate a signal to lighting systems, wiper control systems, or vehicle motion control systems based on the crowdsourced weather report.

[0039] With reference now to Fig. 3, an incentive-based method S300 for promoting weather reporting for the vehicle 12 by the weather detection system 10 may be performed. The incentives provided to the user may be in the form of points, fuel cards, maintenance discounts, cash, or other incentives. The level of incentive distribution may vary depending on the weather reporting settings. For example, operationally triggered weather reporting may have greater benefits than manual weather reporting or event-triggered reporting. By providing incentives to users, a more robust estimate of weather information may be provided by the vehicle fleet 14, thereby optimizing the detection of inoperative weather sensors 18.

[0040] Method S300 includes selecting a weather sharing option at S302. The weather sharing option may be presented via user interface 26 or a mobile device in communication with vehicle 12 (e.g., a smartphone or tablet). After selecting the weather sharing option, the user may select between automatic or manual weather reporting at S304. For manual reporting, the user may be prompted to report the weather on a time basis (e.g., daily, hourly) or each time the engine of vehicle 12 is started, and incentives may be offered according to a first incentive schedule (S306). Alternatively, manual weather reporting may cause controller 22 to communicate a signal to generate or visualize a digital button on a touchscreen interface to allow the user to select when a significant or intense weather condition occurs.For example, if the imager 28 detects the formation of a funnel cloud in the sky or the microphone 40 detects hail, the user interface 26 may present a prompt to report the weather condition if it is in manual reporting mode. In other examples, rain conditions or exceptional conditions outside of a typical weather pattern detected by the weather sensors 18 may cause the user interface 26 to prompt the user to report the weather condition.

[0041] If the automatic weather reporting option is selected, method S300 further includes presenting an option to enable operationally triggered weather reporting or event-triggered weather reporting at S308. For example, in the operationally triggered weather reporting mode, the environmental conditions detected based on the weather sensor(s) 18 are communicated to the server 24 when the vehicle 12 is in use / powered on, and incentives are distributed according to a second incentive schedule (S310). In the event-triggered weather reporting mode, the environmental conditions are reported based on a classification of the environmental conditions, and incentives are distributed according to the third incentive schedule (S312). For example, the control circuitry may compare the detected environmental conditions to an array of previously stored environmental conditions that automatically trigger environmental condition reporting.The array can be programmable by the control circuit (e.g., a learning algorithm) or can be programmed by the user.

[0042] For example, the array can be programmed to various predefined classes that are user-selectable. The classes can include CLASS 1 weather events, CLASS 2 weather events, and so on, with each class corresponding to a set of weather conditions. For example, CLASS 1 can include only urgent conditions, such as storms (tornadoes, hurricanes, hail, thunderstorms, etc.), CLASS 2 can include rainfall conditions, CLASS 3 can include other conditions, and so on. Accordingly, the user can select automatic reporting when the environmental condition falls into one of the classes. In this way, automatic weather reporting can have different levels depending on user settings.

[0043] Each of the classes can also be assigned a corresponding incentive level. For example, selecting CLASS 1 described above can be rewarded with a first incentive level, and selecting CLASS 2 can be rewarded with a second incentive level that differs from the first incentive level. The rewards for selecting CLASS 1 can be lower than the rewards for selecting CLASS 2, based on an expected frequency of automatic reporting. In this way, the incentive-based method S300 can be dynamically adapted to promote crowdsourcing.

[0044] With reference now to Fig.4, a method S400 for detecting the operational readiness of a weather sensor 18 is illustrated in image form, although the method S400 can be applied to the other weather sensors 18 described herein. In step S402, the imager 28 operates the camera(s) 52 to capture images of the region outside the vehicle 12. In step S404, the environmental conditions are detected based on the images. For example, the controller 22 may determine the environmental conditions. The environmental conditions may then be compared to the weather conditions in step S406. For example, the server 24 may determine the weather conditions in a region based on crowdsourced weather information from the rest of the vehicle fleet 14 in or around the region.

[0045] At step 408, the control circuit calculates a difference between the environmental condition and the weather information to check whether the difference exceeds a predefined threshold. For example, if the given environmental condition is temperature, the threshold may be a percentage change from the expected temperature (e.g., based on weather information from the vehicle fleet 14). In other examples, other qualitative differences may be included, such as standard deviations, medians, modes, weighted averages (e.g., based on the proximity of other nodes 16a-16g relative to the target node 16a), or other statistical operations for calculating temperature, humidity, wind speeds, wind directions, etc. In some examples, the threshold is a qualitative classification threshold.For example, if the detected environmental condition is "NIGHT" or "DARK," but the weather information indicates "SUNNY DAY," the difference may exceed a threshold, whereas "DUSK" and "SUNNY DAY" cannot be classified as exceeding the threshold. Thus, the threshold can be any quantitative or qualitative parameter to verify the accuracy of the reported environmental condition.

[0046] If the difference is less than or equal to the threshold, the weather information is updated at step S410. For example, the controller 22 or the server 24 can store the reported environmental condition and update the weather information for the given region. In other words, the control circuit updates the estimated weather conditions of a given region and continues to accept data from the target node 16a once the control circuit detects a good reading (e.g., an operational weather sensor 18).

[0047] If the difference exceeds the threshold, the weather information is not updated (step S412) and an administrator of the control circuit (e.g., a software distribution server 24) is notified of the current software revision of the weather sensor 18 and / or a portion of the controller 22 (step 414), and the server 24 requests a software update for the weather sensor 18 / controller 22 based on the current software revision (S416). At step 418, the user interface 26 may present a notification to the user indicating that the weather sensor 18 is not operational. At step 420, the user interface 26 prompts the user to select a different weather sensor 18 to estimate the ambient condition or to discard the non-operational detection. For example, if the image-based detection for rain was not operational (e.g.,If the user selects the alternate weather sensor 18 (e.g., detecting rain when the weather information has indicated clear conditions), the controller 22 may select to use the rain sensor 30 to detect rain. In another example, both the imager 28 and the rain sensor 30 were initially used, but upon inoperability, the controller 22 selects to use only the rain sensor 30. If the user selects the alternate weather sensor 18, the alternate weather sensor 18 is monitored to detect the ambient condition based on a different sensing method.

[0048] It is contemplated that, while some steps of method S400 are not shown in detail, method S400 may further include operating one or more components in response to the weather information and / or the ambient condition. For example, in response to detecting rain, controller 22 may communicate an instruction to the windshield wipers to initiate a wipe cycle, reduce speed, etc. Alternatively, in response to detecting inoperability of weather sensor 18, the control circuit may not trust the reading from weather sensor 18 and thus withhold communication of an instruction to one or more of vehicle control system 44 to power or turn on an actuator (e.g., windshield wipers, steering, etc.).Thus, in addition to detecting operational readiness for the weather sensor(s) 18 and incentivizing crowdsourcing, the present weather detection system 10 further provides improved vehicle responses to weather conditions.

[0049] It is to be understood that variations and modifications may be made to the foregoing structure without departing from the concepts of the present disclosure, and it is further understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims expressly state otherwise by their language.

[0050] According to the present invention, there is provided a weather detection system for a vehicle, comprising: a weather sensor configured to sense an environmental condition of a region external to the vehicle in an operational state; an actuator for controlling a response to the environmental condition; a network interface configured to access weather data from a fleet of vehicles; control circuitry in communication with the weather sensor and the actuator, the control circuitry configured to: access the weather data via the network interface; compare the weather data with the environmental condition; detect an inoperative state of the weather sensor based on the comparison; and control the actuator based on the detection of the inoperative state.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the control circuit is configured to report the environmental condition for communication to the vehicle fleet.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by a GPS that tracks a position of the vehicle and a server that processes the position of the vehicle and the environmental condition to anonymize information provided to the vehicle fleet.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the control circuit is configured to aggregate data from individual nodes in the vehicle fleet and to determine an estimate of the environmental condition based on the aggregate.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the comparison includes detecting a difference between the estimate and the ambient condition.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the weather sensor includes a camera that captures images of the outside environment and an image processor that processes the image to detect the environmental condition.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the control circuit includes a controller local to the vehicle configured to communicate an indication of the inoperative state and a software version of the image processor to the server in response to the detection of the inoperative state.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the server is configured to communicate an update for the image processor based on the software version.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the control circuit includes a controller local to the vehicle, the controller being configured to selectively perform the operations of reporting the environmental condition to the vehicle fleet.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the controller is selectively operable between an event-driven mode in which the controller communicates the environmental condition based on an identity of the environmental condition, and an operation-driven mode in which the controller communicates the environmental condition during driving of the vehicle.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by a user interface in the vehicle, wherein the control circuit is configured to communicate a signal to present an option at the user interface to select the event-driven mode or the operation-driven mode.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the reporting of the environmental condition is controlled by an input to the user interface.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the control circuit is configured to communicate a message to indicate an incentive to enable reporting of the environmental condition when reporting is disabled.

[0063] According to the present invention, a weather detection system for a vehicle is provided, comprising: a weather sensor configured to sense an environmental condition of a region outside the vehicle in an operational state; an actuator for controlling a response to the environmental condition; a network interface configured to access weather data from a fleet of vehicles; a controller local to the vehicle in communication with the weather sensor and the actuator, the controller configured to control the actuator based on a detection of an inoperative state of the weather sensor; and a server in communication with the controller configured to compare the weather data to the environmental condition and detect the inoperative state of the weather sensor based on the comparison.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the controller is configured to selectively report the environmental condition to the server.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the controller is selectively operable between an event-driven mode in which the controller communicates the environmental condition based on an identity of the environmental condition, and an operation-driven mode in which the controller communicates the environmental condition during driving of the vehicle.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by a user interface in the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to communicate a signal to present an option to select the event-driven mode or the operation-driven mode.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the reporting of the environmental condition is controlled by the user via the user interface.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the controller is configured to communicate a message to indicate an incentive to enable reporting of the environmental condition when reporting is disabled.

[0069] According to the present invention, a weather detection system for a vehicle is provided, comprising: a weather sensor configured to sense an environmental condition of a region outside the vehicle in an operational state; an actuator for controlling a response to the environmental condition; a network interface configured to access weather data from a fleet of vehicles; a GPS that tracks a position of the vehicle; a server that processes the position of the vehicle and the environmental condition to anonymize information provided to the fleet of vehicles; and control circuitry in communication with the weather sensor and the actuator, the control circuitry configured to: report the environmental condition to the server; compare the weather data with the environmental condition; detect an inoperative state of the weather sensor based on the comparison;and controlling the actuator based on the detection of the inoperative state.;

Claims

[1] Weather detection system for a vehicle, comprising: a weather sensor configured to sense an environmental condition of a region outside the vehicle in an operational state; an actuator for controlling a response to the environmental condition; a network interface configured to access weather data from a fleet of vehicles; Control circuit in communication with the weather sensor and the actuator, the control circuit being configured to: Accessing the weather data via the network interface; Comparing weather data with ambient conditions; Detecting an inoperative state of the weather sensor based on the comparison; and Controlling the actuator based on the detection of the inoperative state. [2] The weather detection system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to report the ambient condition for communication to the vehicle fleet. [3] The weather detection system of claim 2, further comprising: a GPS that tracks a position of the vehicle; and a server that processes the vehicle's position and environmental conditions to anonymize information provided to the vehicle fleet. [4] The weather detection system of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is configured to aggregate data from individual nodes of the vehicle fleet and determine an estimate of the ambient condition based on the aggregate. [5] The weather detection system of claim 4, wherein the comparison includes detecting a difference between the estimate and the ambient condition. [6] A weather detection system according to any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the weather sensor includes a camera that captures images of the outside environment and an image processor that processes the image to detect the environmental condition. [7] The weather detection system of claim 6, wherein the control circuit includes a controller local to the vehicle configured to communicate an indication of the inoperative condition and a software version of the image processor to the server in response to the detection of the inoperative condition. [8] The weather detection system of claim 7, wherein the server is configured to communicate an update for the image processor based on the software version. [9] The weather detection system of claim 2, wherein the control circuit includes a controller local to the vehicle, the controller configured to selectively perform the operations of reporting the ambient condition to the vehicle fleet. [10] The weather detection system of claim 9, wherein the controller is selectively operable between an event-driven mode in which the controller communicates the ambient condition based on an identity of the ambient condition and an operation-driven mode in which the controller communicates the ambient condition during driving of the vehicle. [11] The weather detection system of claim 10, further comprising: a user interface in the vehicle, wherein the control circuit is configured to communicate a signal to present an option at the user interface to select the event-driven mode or the operation-driven mode. [12] The weather detection system of claim 11, wherein the reporting of the environmental condition is controlled by an input to the user interface. [13] The weather detection system of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is configured to communicate a message to indicate an incentive to turn on the reporting of the environmental condition when the reporting is turned off.

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