Systems and methods for providing a virtual vehicle fleet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10635098-B2
Application number	US-201715815117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2017
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a virtual vehicle fleet are provided. One embodiment of a method includes creating a virtual vehicle, where the virtual vehicle provides a telematics service and replicating the virtual vehicle to create the virtual vehicle fleet, where the virtual vehicle fleet includes a plurality of virtual vehicles. Some embodiments include simulating use of the telematics service by at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet, determining a response characteristic of the simulated telematics service used by the virtual vehicle fleet, and providing data related to the response characteristic for output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing a virtual vehicle fleet comprising:
creating, by a computing device, a virtual vehicle, wherein the virtual vehicle provides a telematics service;
replicating, by the computing device, the virtual vehicle to create the virtual vehicle fleet, wherein the virtual vehicle fleet includes a plurality of virtual vehicles;
simulating, by the computing device, use of the telematics service by at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet;
determining, by the computing device, a response characteristic of the simulated telematics service used by the virtual vehicle fleet; and
providing, by the computing device, data related to the response characteristic for output.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the virtual vehicle includes receiving features from a user regarding at least one of the following: a model of the virtual vehicle, a type of the virtual vehicle, a mileage of the virtual vehicle, an age of the virtual vehicle, a type of virtual head unit, an engine condition of the virtual vehicle, a brake condition of the virtual vehicle, a tire condition of the virtual vehicle, a gender of a virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, an age of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, a driver type of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, an emotional state of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, or a distraction of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein replicating the virtual vehicle includes receiving user input regarding at least one of the following: a variance of the virtual vehicle to create the virtual vehicle fleet, a size of the virtual vehicle fleet, a weather condition for at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet, a traffic condition for at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet, and a construction condition for at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the telematics service includes at least one of the following: a crash alert service, a live navigation service, a driver monitoring service, a location tracking service, vehicle activation service, a destination setting service, a vehicle health check service, or a stolen vehicle service.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a display of a virtual head unit for the virtual vehicle utilizing the telematics service.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the display of the virtual head unit provides an option to communicate with a virtual dispatcher.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the response characteristic includes at least one of the following: a response time, a completion time, or a communication quality.

8. A system for providing a virtual vehicle fleet comprising:
a simulation computing device that includes a memory component that stores logic, that when executed by the simulation computing device, causes the system to perform at least the following:
receive user input for creating a virtual vehicle, wherein the user input includes at least one characteristic of the virtual vehicle;
create the virtual vehicle, wherein the virtual vehicle provides a telematics service;
create the virtual vehicle fleet from the virtual vehicle, wherein the virtual vehicle fleet includes a plurality of virtual vehicles, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of virtual vehicles provides the telematics service;
simulate use of the telematics service on at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet;
determine a response characteristic of a simulated telematics service of the virtual vehicle fleet; and
provide data related to the response characteristic for output.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein creating the virtual vehicle includes receiving features from a user regarding at least one of the following: a model of the virtual vehicle, a type of the virtual vehicle, a mileage of the virtual vehicle, an age of the virtual vehicle, a type of virtual head unit, an engine condition of the virtual vehicle, a brake condition of the virtual vehicle, a tire condition of the virtual vehicle, a gender of a virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, an age of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, a driver type of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, an emotional state of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, or a distraction of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein creating the virtual vehicle fleet includes receiving user input regarding at least one of the following: a variance of the virtual vehicle to create the virtual vehicle fleet, a size of the virtual vehicle fleet, a weather condition for at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet, a traffic condition for at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet, and a construction condition for at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the telematics service includes at least one of the following: a crash alert service, a live navigation service, a driver monitoring service, a location tracking service, vehicle activation service, a destination setting service, a vehicle health check service, or a stolen vehicle service.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the logic further causes the system to provide a display of a virtual head unit for the virtual vehicle in utilizing the telematics service.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the display of the virtual head unit provides an option to communicate with a dispatcher.

14. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a dispatcher computing device, wherein the logic further causes the system to engage the dispatcher computing device, in response to the virtual vehicle utilizing the telematics service.

15. A computing device for providing a virtual vehicle fleet comprising:
a memory component that stores logic, that when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to perform at least the following:
create a virtual vehicle that is a simulation of a physical vehicle and provides a telematics service;
create the virtual vehicle fleet from the virtual vehicle, wherein the virtual vehicle fleet includes a plurality of virtual vehicles, wherein there is a predetermined variance among the plurality of virtual vehicles in the virtual vehicle fleet;
simulate use of the telematics service by at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet;
determine a response characteristic of use of the simulated telematics service; and
provide data related to the response characteristic for output.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein creating the virtual vehicle includes receiving features from a user regarding at least one of the following: a model of the virtual vehicle, a type of the virtual vehicle, a mileage of the virtual vehicle, an age of the virtual vehicle, a type of virtual head unit, an engine condition of the virtual vehicle, a brake condition of the virtual vehicle, a tire condition of the virtual vehicle, a gender of a virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, an age of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, a driver type of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, an emotional state of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle, or a distraction of the virtual driver of the virtual vehicle.

17. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein creating the virtual vehicle fleet includes receiving user input regarding at least one of the following: a variance of the virtual vehicle to create the virtual vehicle fleet, a size of the virtual vehicle fleet, a weather condition for at least a portion of the virtual vehicle fleet, a traffic condition

Assignees

• Toyota Connected North America Inc

Inventors

• Doster Preston
• Tsai David
• Meyer Scott

Classifications

• G09B9/006

  for locating or ranging of objects · CPC title

• G08G1/202

  Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching · CPC title

• B60W2756/10

  Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title

• G06Q10/04 Primary

  Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) · CPC title

• G09B9/00

  Simulators for teaching or training purposes (for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; {protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131}) · CPC title