Methods and systems for interacting with and controlling multiple vehicles at once

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11157019-B2
Application number	US-201916395570-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2019
Priority date	Apr 26, 2019
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

In exemplary embodiments, methods, communication systems, and vehicle systems are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a vehicle system is provided that includes a fleet of vehicles and a remote server. The remote server is remote from the fleet of vehicles, and includes a transceiver and a processor. The transceiver is configured to receive, over a wireless communication network, a communication with a request for a command to be performed by the fleet of vehicles. The processor is configured to: (A) identify a plurality of vehicles of the fleet of vehicles subject to the command; and (B) provide instructions for each of the plurality of vehicles to perform a vehicle action corresponding to the command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a communication with a request for a command to be performed by a plurality of vehicles within a predetermined geofence;
identifying, via a processor, the plurality of vehicles subject to the command, based on whether each of the plurality of vehicles is disposed within the predetermined geofence;
determining, via the processor, whether each of the plurality of vehicles is capable of performing an automatic vehicle control action based on a state of the vehicle and a roadway on which the vehicle is located;
taking the automatic vehicle control action, for each of the identified vehicles, that simultaneously and automatically restricts driving operation of each of the identified vehicles, based on instructions provided by the processor, corresponding to the command, such that the vehicle control action is executed for each of the plurality of vehicles at the same time, when the plurality of vehicles are capable of performing the automatic vehicle control action; and
providing a notification, instead of taking the automatic vehicle control action, when one or more of the identified vehicles are not physically capable of performing the vehicle control action.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of receiving the communication comprises receiving the request for the plurality of vehicles to turn off respective engines of the identified vehicles; and
the step of taking the automatic vehicle control action comprises automatically and simultaneously turning off respective engines of each of the identified vehicles, based on the instructions provided by the processor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of receiving the communication comprises receiving the request for the plurality of vehicles to turn on respective engines of the identified vehicles; and
the step of taking the automatic control action comprises automatically and simultaneously turning on the respective engines of each of the identified vehicles.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of receiving the communication comprises receiving the request for the plurality of vehicles to lock respective doors of the identified vehicles; and
the step of taking the automatic control action comprises automatically and simultaneously locking the respective doors of each of the identified vehicles.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of receiving the communication comprises receiving the request for the plurality of vehicles to unlock respective doors of the identified vehicles; and
the step of taking the automatic control action comprises automatically and simultaneously unlocking the respective doors of each of the identified vehicles.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of receiving the communication comprises receiving the request for the plurality of vehicles to honk a horn of the identified vehicles; and
the step of taking the automatic control action comprises automatically and simultaneously honking the respective horns of each of the identified vehicles.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
confirming which of the identified vehicles have successfully performed the vehicle control action; and
providing a report with respect to which of the identified vehicles have successfully performed the vehicle control action.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiving step comprises receiving the communication with respect to the request for the command to be performed by a plurality of vehicles within a particular garage;
the identifying step comprises identifying, via the processor, the plurality of vehicles subject to the command, based on whether each of the plurality of vehicles is disposed within the particular garage; and
the step of taking the automatic vehicle control action comprises taking the automatic vehicle control action, for each of the identified vehicles in the particular garage, that simultaneously and automatically restricts driving operation of each of the identified vehicles that are in the particular garage, based on instructions provided by the processor corresponding to the command.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether each of the plurality of vehicles is capable of performing the automatic vehicle control action is based on whether the vehicle is being operated on a highway.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether each of the plurality of vehicles is capable of performing the automatic vehicle control action is based on an amount of traffic on a roadway in which the vehicle is travelling.

11. A communication system comprising:
a transceiver configured to receive, over a wireless communication network, a communication with a request for a command to be performed by a plurality of vehicles within a predetermined geofence; and
a processor configured to:
identify the plurality of vehicles subject to the command, based on whether each of the plurality of vehicles is disposed within the predetermined geofence;
determine whether each of the plurality of vehicles is capable of performing an automatic vehicle control action based on a state of the vehicle and a roadway on which the vehicle is located;
take an automatic vehicle control action, for each of the identified vehicles, that simultaneously and automatically restricts driving operation of each of the identified vehicles, based on instructions provided by the processor corresponding to the command, such that the vehicle control action is executed for each of the plurality of vehicles at the same time, when the plurality of vehicles are capable of performing the automatic vehicle control action; and

provide a notification, instead of taking the automatic vehicle control action, when one or more of the identified vehicles are not physically capable of performing the vehicle control action.

12. The communication system of claim 11 , wherein:
the transceiver is configured to receive the request for the plurality of vehicles to turn off respective engines of the identified vehicles; and
the processor is configured to automatically and simultaneously turn off the respective engines of each of the identified vehicles.

13. The communication system of claim 11 , wherein:
the transceiver is configured to receive the request for the plurality of vehicles to lock respective doors of the identified vehicles; and
the processor is configured to automatically and simultaneously lock the respective doors of each of the identified vehicles.

14. The communication system of claim 11 , wherein:
the transceiver is configured to receive the request for the plurality of vehicles to honk a horn of the identified vehicles; and
the processor is configured to automatically and simultaneously honk the respective horns of each of the identified vehicles.

15. A vehicle system comprising:
a fleet of vehicles; and
a remote server that is remote from the fleet of vehicles, the remote server including:
a transceiver configured to receive, over a wireless communication network, a communication with a request for a command to be performed by the fleet of vehicles, provided that such vehicles are within a predetermined geofence; and
a processor configured to:
identify a plurality of vehicles of the fleet of vehicles subject to the command, based on whether each of the plurality of vehicles is disposed within the predetermined geofence;
determine whether each of the plurality of vehicles is capable of performing an automatic vehicle control action based on a state of the vehicle and a roadway on which the vehicle is located;
pe

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Kamini Aditya S
• Velvadapu Chakradhar V
• Elswick Richard L

Classifications

• G08G1/20

  Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/207

  with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries · CPC title

• G05D1/0297 Primary

  by controlling means in a control room · CPC title

• G05D1/0027 Primary

  involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00) · CPC title

• G05D2201/0213

  Physics · mapped topic