Methods and apparatus for categorization of vehicle loading and display thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10933824-B2
Application number	US-202016818616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2020
Priority date	Aug 17, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for categorization of vehicle loading and display thereof. An example method includes comparing a summation of first load data and second load data to a threshold, the first or second load data associated with input from a vehicle sensor or a user interface, sorting the first and second load data into one or more categories, each of the categories based on input associated with the first load data or the second load data, the load data including vehicle load data or external vehicle load data, and displaying the sorted load data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
comparing a summation of first load data and second load data to a threshold, the first load data associated with input from a vehicle, sensor second load data associated with a user interface;
sorting the first and second load data into one or more categories, each of the categories based on input associated with the first load data or input associated with the second load data, the second load data including vehicle load data or external vehicle load data; and
displaying the sorted load data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of an occupant sensor, an axle load sensor, a trailer weight sensor, or a fuel level sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more categories include at least one of a vehicle cargo category, an occupants category, a fuel category, an accessories category, or a trailer category.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including receiving, via the user interface, an input indicating at least one of an accessory mounted to the vehicle, an occupancy of the vehicle, or a trailer coupled to the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4 , further including receiving, via the user interface, an input including a load parameter of the accessory.

6. The method of claim 1 , further including generating a recommendation for display via the user interface, the recommendation to recommend decreasing at least one of a first or second load such that the summation does not exceed the threshold.

7. The method of claim 6 , further including generating the recommendation based on a vehicle profile or a trip parameter used to rank the first and second load, the ranking to determine whether to recommend decreasing the first or the second load.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the trip parameter is based upon at least one of a length of trip or a destination determined by at least one of a navigation system of the vehicle or a schedule associated with a user of the vehicle.

9. A method, comprising:
categorizing first load data and second load data associated with a vehicle into one or more categories, each of the categories based on sensor input associated with the first load data or user input associated with the second load data, the first load data including vehicle load data and the second load data including an external load on the vehicle;
comparing a summation of the first and second load data to a threshold; and
generating an alert for display aria a user interlace when the summation of the first and second load data exceeds the threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first load data or the second load data are received from a sensor including at least one of an occupant sensor, an axle load sensor, a trailer weight sensor, or a fuel level sensor.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more categories include at least one of a vehicle cargo category, an occupants category, a fuel category, an accessories category, or a trailer category.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first load data or the second load data are received from an input via a user interface indicating at least one of an accessory mounted to the vehicle, an occupancy of the vehicle, or a trailer coupled to the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the user interface receives an input including a load parameter of the accessory.

14. The method of claim 9 , further including generating a recommendation for display via the user interface, the recommendation to recommend decreasing a load on the vehicle such that the summation does not exceed the threshold.

15. The method of claim 14 , further including generating the recommendation based on a vehicle profile or a trip parameter used to rank the first and second load, the ranking to determine whether to recommend decreasing the first or the second load.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
comparing a summation of first load data and second load data to a threshold, the first load data associated with input from a vehicle sensor and second load data associated with a user interface;
sorting the first and second load data into one or more categories, each of the categories based on input associated with the first load data or input associated with the second load data, the second load data including vehicle load data or external vehicle load data; and
displaying the sorted load data.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a processor to receive, via the user interface, an input indicating at least one of an accessory mounted to the vehicle, an occupancy of the vehicle, or a trailer coupled to the vehicle.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a processor to receive, via the user interface, an input including a load parameter of the accessory.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a processor to generate a recommendation for display via the user interface, the recommendation to recommend decreasing at least one of a first or second load such that the summation does not exceed the threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a processor to generate the recommendation based on a vehicle profile or a trip parameter used to rank the first and second load, the ranking to determine whether to recommend decreasing the first or the second load.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Niedert Andrew
• Rogness Anton
• Pearson Elliott
• Rajasingh Joshua

Classifications

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• G01C21/26

  specially adapted for navigation in a road network · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title