Systems and methods for querying fleet information stored in a distributed data center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11776327-B2
Application number	US-202117175093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2021
Priority date	Aug 8, 2018
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a distributed data center that includes resources carried by a fleet of vehicles. Individual vehicles carry sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to the vehicles and/or the surroundings of the vehicles. The system includes a remote computing server configured to obtain executable code from a user, and subsequently transmit the executable code to individual vehicles in the fleet. Individual vehicles locally execute the executable code to produce local results, and subsequently transfer the results to the remote computing server for presentation to the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system configured to use a distributed data center to query a fleet of vehicles, the system configured to couple with the fleet of vehicles, wherein the fleet includes a first vehicle, the system comprising:
a remote storage server including one or more particular processors, wherein the remote storage server is separate and discrete from the fleet of vehicles, wherein the remote storage server is configured to electronically store information, wherein the information is received from the fleet of vehicles, wherein the information includes vehicle-specific information that is based on output signals generated by vehicle-specific sensors, wherein the output signals convey vehicle-specific operation information related to operation of individual vehicles; and
a remote computing server including one or more processors, wherein the remote computing server is separate and discrete from the fleet of vehicles, and wherein the one or more processors are configured via machine-readable instructions to:
obtain, at the remote computing server, executable code from a user, wherein the executable code includes one or more function calls to a standardized Application Program Interface (API), wherein the one or more function calls operate on the vehicle-specific operation information, related to the operation of the individual vehicles, that has previously been stored at the remote storage server, and wherein the executable code includes a definition of one or more of (i) a particular vehicle event, (ii) a particular maneuver of a vehicle, and/or (iii) a particular condition of a vehicle operator of a vehicle; and
transmit the executable code to the remote storage server for execution;

wherein the one or more particular processors of the remote storage server are further configured to:
receive the executable code from the remote computing server,
subsequent to receipt of the executable code from the remote computing server, execute the received executable code to produce a first result, wherein the first result is based on the vehicle-specific operation information that has previously been stored at the remote storage server;
transfer information based on the first result to the remote computing server; and

wherein the one or more processors of the remote computing server are further configured to:
obtain the first result; and
facilitate a presentation based on the first result to the user.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to enable an operator of the remote computing server to control access by the executable code to the standardized Application Program Interface (API) such that a first subset of the standardized API is not accessible to the executable code and a second subset of the standardized API is accessible to the executable code, and wherein control of the access by the executable code to the standardized Application Program Interface (API) includes an ability to modify elements of the first and/or second subset of the standardized API.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first result is based on the definition included in the executable code.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first result includes video information based on image information captured by a vehicle-specific image sensor.

5. A method for using a distributed data center to query a fleet of vehicles, wherein the distributed data center includes a remote computing server and a remote storage server, wherein the fleet includes a first vehicle, the method comprising:
electronically storing information, by the remote storage server that is separate and discrete from the fleet of vehicles, wherein the information includes vehicle-specific information that is based on output signals generated by vehicle-specific sensors, wherein the output signals convey vehicle-specific operation information related to operation of individual vehicles;
obtaining, by the remote computing server, executable code from a user, wherein the executable code includes one or more function calls to a standardized Application Program Interface (API), wherein the one or more function calls operate on the vehicle-specific operation information, related to the operation of the individual vehicles, that has previously been stored at the remote storage server, and wherein the executable code includes a definition of one or more of (i) a particular vehicle event, (ii) a particular maneuver of a vehicle, and/or (iii) a particular condition of a vehicle operator of a vehicle;
transmitting, by the remote computing server, the executable code to the remote storage server for execution;
receiving, by the remote storage server, the executable code from the remote computing server;
executing, by the remote storage server, the received executable code to produce a first result, wherein the first result is based on the vehicle-specific operation information that has previously been stored at the remote storage server;
transferring, by the remote storage server, information based on the first result to the remote computing server;
obtaining, by the remote computing server, the first result; and
facilitating a presentation based on the first result to the user.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
enabling an operator of the remote computing server to control access by the executable code to the standardized Application Program Interface (API) such that a first subset of the standardized API is not accessible to the executable code and a second subset of the standardized API is accessible to the executable code, and wherein control of the access by the executable code to the standardized Application Program Interface (API) includes an ability to modify elements of the first and/or second subset of the standardized API.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first result is based on the definition included in the executable code.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first result includes video information based on captured image information captured by a vehicle-specific image sensor.

Assignees

• Smartdrive Systems Inc

Inventors

• Ghanbari Reza
• Deninger Daniel Andrew
• Freitas Mark
• Brookins Nicholas Shayne
• Sljivar Slaven
• Palmer Jason
• Griswold Jeffrey
• Forney David

Classifications

• G07C5/008 Primary

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• G07C5/0866 Primary

  the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera · CPC title

• G07C5/0816

  Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction · CPC title

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• H04L67/01

  Protocols · CPC title