Mobile device tools for smart vehicle features operation and automatic wireless routing selection and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11718249-B2
Application number	US-202016751826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2020
Priority date	Jan 25, 2019
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

Control methods and systems including a smart vehicle, a smart mobile device including a processor, a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, and machine readable instructions stored in the memory that may cause a system to perform at least the following when executed by the processor: use the smart mobile device to automatically control functionality of smart features of the smart vehicle based on an applied control logic and environmental inputs and/or use the smart mobile device to automatically control a wireless routing selection between a local area network associated with the smart vehicle and a remote wide area network based on an application tool switch logic.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system, the control system comprising:
a smart vehicle, the smart vehicle comprising an Internet of Things (IoT) controller and one or more smart vehicle features communicatively coupled to the IoT controller;
a smart mobile device comprising a software application tool, the smart mobile device including a user interface and comprising a processor, the software application tool paired with the IoT controller; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage communicatively coupled to the processor, the non-transitory computer readable storage comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the control system to
generate, by the IoT controller, environmental inputs with respect to the smart vehicle,
receive, by the software application tool, the environmental inputs with respect to the smart vehicle,
apply control logic based on the environmental inputs and the one or more smart vehicle features, and
control operation via the user interface of the software application tool of at least one smart vehicle feature of the one or more smart vehicle features based on the applied control logic and the environmental inputs;

wherein the control logic comprises logic to
determine as a line-of-sight (LOS) determination whether the at least one smart vehicle feature is within a LOS of a user of the smart mobile device, and
apply the control logic based on the environmental inputs, the one or more smart vehicle features, and the LOS determination; and
the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature comprise instructions to restrict operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature when the LOS determination is indicative that the at least one smart vehicle feature is not within the LOS of the user of the smart mobile device.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more smart vehicle features comprise a smart awning, one or more vent fans, or combinations thereof.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to control operation comprises opening, closing, shutting off, turning on, or locking of the at least one smart vehicle feature.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature comprise instructions to restrict operation via the user interface of the at least one smart vehicle feature.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature via the user interface comprise instructions to control operation via a control screen on the user interface, the control screen comprising one or more buttons each configured to control a respective smart vehicle feature of the one or more smart vehicle features.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the environmental inputs comprise information regarding power consumption, power connectivity, solar power performance, brake status, weather conditions, or combinations thereof.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the environmental inputs comprise information regarding power consumption as sensed by the IoT controller of the smart vehicle;
the control logic comprises logic to determine whether the power consumption as sensed by the IoT controller of the smart vehicle exceeds a threshold power consumption; and
the instructions to control operation of the at least one of the one or more smart vehicle features comprise instructions to restrict operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature when the power consumption as sensed by the IoT controller of the smart vehicle exceeds the threshold power consumption.

8. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the environmental inputs comprise a brake status of a vehicle brake of the smart vehicle as sensed by the IoT controller of the smart vehicle;
the control logic comprises logic to determine whether the brake status is indicative of activation of the vehicle brake; and
the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature comprise instructions to restrict operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature when the brake status is indicative of activation of the vehicle brake.

9. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the environmental inputs comprise information regarding weather conditions as sensed by a sensor communicatively coupled to the IoT controller of the smart vehicle;
the control logic comprises logic to determine whether the weather conditions are indicative of a risk of bad weather; and
the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature comprise instructions to restrict operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature when the weather conditions are indicative of a risk of bad weather.

10. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the smart vehicle further comprises a router, the router comprising a first router identification configured to provide wireless access as a wireless local area network (LAN) connection and a second router identification communicatively coupled with the IoT controller;
the control system further comprises network interface hardware configured to facilitate communication between the smart mobile device and the smart vehicle over a network connection, wherein the network connection comprises one of the wireless LAN connection and a wireless wide area network (WAN) connection; and
the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature comprise instructions to restrict operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature when the LOS determination is that the network connection comprises the wireless WAN connection.

Assignees

• Thor Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Sandu Ciprian R
• Kriesel Jason T
• Featherstone Mckay R
• Brady Edward
• Hileman Steven

Classifications

• B60H1/00364

  for caravans or trailers · CPC title

• B60R16/0231 Primary

  Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle (monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P) · CPC title

• B60H1/00828

  Ventilators, e.g. speed control (B60H1/00864 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60P3/343

  Hoods for caravans · CPC title

• B60R25/01

  operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens · CPC title