Activity profile application and portability to facilitate vehicle cabin configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11597340-B2
Application number	US-201916543375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2019
Priority date	Aug 16, 2019
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

Example methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to facilitate application and portability of activity profiles and vehicle cabin configuration are disclosed. An example method includes receiving an activity profile and a user setting associated with a user. The activity profile is one of multiple predetermined activity profiles selectable by or associated with the user. The method includes applying the activity profile and the user setting to the vehicle to adjust at least one characteristic of the vehicle's cabin to facilitate a performance of an activity during navigation of the vehicle and/or while the vehicle is stationary. The activity profile and the user setting may be received during, prior to, or after receipt of data indicative of the user's identity. Applying of at least the activity profile to the vehicle may be performed upon successful authentication of the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a vehicle, from a user device, data indicative of an identity of a user;
receiving, by the processor, a request to navigate from a starting point to a destination point;
receiving, by the processor, an activity profile associated with the identity of the user, wherein the activity profile is one of a group of activity profiles associated with the identity of the user;
initiating, by the processor, navigating the vehicle to the starting point, resulting in the vehicle being in motion;
determining, by the processor, whether a user customization of a characteristic of a cabin of the vehicle defined in the activity profile is able to be safely applied while the vehicle is in motion;
in response to determining that the user customization of the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle is able to be safely applied while the vehicle is in motion, applying, by the processor, the activity profile to the vehicle to adjust the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle to facilitate a performance of an activity by the user during navigation of the vehicle;
in response to determining that the user customization of the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle is unable to be safely applied while the vehicle is in motion:
sending, by the processor, to the user device, a message inquiring whether the vehicle is able to be navigated to a specified location and placed in a stationary mode for application of the activity profile to the vehicle to adjust the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle; and
in response to receiving an approval response from the user device responsive to the message:
altering, by the processor, the navigating of the vehicle to be navigating to the specified location,
after the vehicle has navigated to the specified location, placing, by the processor, the vehicle in the stationary mode, and
applying, by the processor, the activity profile to the vehicle to adjust the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle, and
after the applying, navigating, by the processor, the vehicle from the specified location to the starting point; and

navigating, by the processor, the vehicle from the starting point to the destination point.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying comprises:
determining a predetermined characteristic of the cabin associated with the activity profile; and
configuring a cabin system of the vehicle based at least in part on the predetermined characteristic to adjust the characteristic of the cabin.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising transmitting, by the processor, a user setting to a server to facilitate adjustment of the predetermined characteristic based at least in part on the user setting and at least one additional user setting from at least one other user other than the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the processor from the user device, a user setting; and
adjusting, by the processor, another characteristic of the cabin, other than the characteristic, based on the user setting.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is a first request, the vehicle is a first vehicle, and the first request is associated with a second request for a second vehicle to navigate to the destination point and perform a coordinated activity with the first vehicle at the destination point.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic further comprises at least one of a behavior, a location or an orientation associated with an object in the cabin, and the object is selected from a group consisting of a table, a chair, a window, a projector, a projection screen, a power source, a light source, an audio system, a video system, a telecommunications system, a computing device, an air conditioning system, or a heating and cooling system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is a first request, and further comprising transmitting, by the processor, a second request associated with the user to a server, wherein the activity profile is received from the server subsequent to the transmitting of the second request.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving a disapproval response from the user device responsive to the message, preventing, by the processor, application of the activity profile to the vehicle to adjust the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data comprises biometric authentication data used to authenticate the identity of the user.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user device is a first user device, the user is a first user, and the activity profile is a first activity profile, and further comprising:
receiving, by the processor, an indication to transfer profile setting privileges to a second user;
receiving, by the processor from a second user device associated with the second user, a second activity profile to apply to the vehicle, wherein the second activity profile is one of the group of activity profiles and different from the first activity profile; and
applying, by the vehicle, the second activity profile to the vehicle to adjust the characteristic of the cabin.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, that a distance between the second user device and the vehicle is above a threshold;
transmitting, by the processor to the first user device, a second request for a confirmation to transition to the first activity profile; and
transitioning, by the processor, to applying the first activity profile and the first user setting to the vehicle in response to receiving the confirmation.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is received with the activity profile.

13. A vehicle, comprising:
processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
detecting a user device associated with a user identity is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle;
determining an activity profile associated with the user identity, wherein the activity profile is one of a group of predetermined activity profiles;
determining whether a user customization of a characteristic of a cabin of the vehicle defined in the activity profile is able to be safely applied while the vehicle is in a driving mode;
in response to determining that the user customization of the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle is able to be safely applied while the vehicle is in the driving mode, applying the activity profile to the vehicle to adjust the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle to facilitate performing of an activity associated with the user identity during navigation of the vehicle; and
in response to determining that the user customization of the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle is unable to be safely applied while the vehicle is in the driving mode:
transmitting, to the user device, a communication requesting approval to navigate the vehicle to a defined location where the vehicle is able to be placed in a stationary mode for application of the activity profile to the vehicle to adjust the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle;
receiving, from the user device, a response to the communication;
in response to determining that the response to the communication comprises the approval:
navigating the vehicle to the defined location,
placing the vehicle in the stationary mode, and
applying the activity profile to the vehicle to adjust the characteristic of the cabin of the vehicle; and

in response to determining that the response to the communic

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Vardharajan Satya B

Classifications

• G05D1/6445

  for optimising payload operation, e.g. camera or spray coverage · CPC title

• B60N2/0244

  with logic circuits · CPC title

• B60N2/01

  Arrangement of seats relative to one another · CPC title

• B60R16/037 Primary

  for occupant comfort {, e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel} · CPC title

• B60N2/0292

  Multiple configuration seats, e.g. for spacious vehicles or mini-buses · CPC title