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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11932185-B2
Application number	US-202318299186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2023
Priority date	Jan 25, 2019
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

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 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, wherein the smart vehicle further comprises at least one smart vehicle feature communicatively coupled to the IoT controller;
a smart mobile device comprising a software application tool, the software application tool comprising a processor, the software application tool paired with the IoT controller;
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 at a first time; 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
determine a LAN performance metric of the wireless LAN connection,
determine a WAN performance metric of the wireless WAN connection,
compare the LAN performance metric and the WAN performance metric to determine which of the wireless LAN connection or the wireless WAN connection comprises an optimal network connection at a second time based on device control, diagnostics, monitoring, telemetry, or combinations thereof, wherein the instructions to determine which of the wireless LAN connection or the wireless WAN connection comprises the optimal network connection comprise instructions to (i) determine a line-of-sight (LOS) determination indicative of whether the smart vehicle feature is within a LOS of a user of the smart mobile device to satisfy a LOS requirement, and (ii) determine the wireless LAN connection comprises the optimal network connection when the LOS determination satisfies the LOS requirement,
apply application tool switch logic based on the optimal network connection to determine whether to switch the network connection at the second time to the optimal network connection, and
automatically switch the network connection to the optimal network connection based on the application tool switch logic when the network connection is one of the wireless LAN connection and the wireless WAN connection and the optimal network connection is the other of the wireless LAN connection and the wireless WAN connection.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the LAN performance metric comprises a LAN connectivity level of the wireless LAN connection;
the WAN performance metric comprises a WAN connectivity level of the wireless WAN connection; and
the instructions to compare the LAN performance metric and the WAN performance metric comprise instructions to identify which of the LAN connectivity level or the WAN connectivity level is a higher level indicative of a better connectivity quality such that the higher level is associated with the optimal network connection.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the LAN performance metric comprises a LAN ping signal level associated with a ping of the router via the wireless LAN connection; and
the WAN performance metric comprises a WAN ping level associated with a ping of the router via the wireless WAN connection.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine which of the wireless LAN connection or the wireless WAN connection comprises the optimal network connection comprise instructions to:
determine a data usage determination indicative of whether a high amount of data is being used or expected to be used, and
determine which of the wireless LAN connection or the wireless WAN connection comprises the optimal network connection at least partially based on the data usage determination.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the smart vehicle further comprises at least one smart vehicle feature communicatively coupled to the IoT controller, and further comprising instructions 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 at least one smart vehicle feature, and
control operation via a user interface of the software application tool of the at least one smart vehicle feature based on the applied control logic, the environmental inputs, and the optimal network connection.

6. A control system, the control system comprising:
a smart vehicle, the smart vehicle comprising an Internet of Things (IoT) controller, a router, and one or more smart vehicle features communicatively coupled to the IoT controller, the router comprising a router identification card configured to provide wireless access as a wireless local area network (LAN) connection;
a smart mobile device comprising a software application tool including a user interface, the software application tool comprising a processor, the software application tool paired with the IoT controller;
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
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
determine a LAN performance metric of the wireless LAN connection,
determine a WAN performance metric of the wireless WAN connection,
compare the LAN performance metric and the WAN performance metric to determine which of the wireless LAN connection or the wireless WAN connection comprises an optimal network connection at a second time based on device control, diagnostics, monitoring, telemetry, or combinations thereof, wherein the instructions to determine which of the wireless LAN connection or the wireless WAN connection comprises the optimal network connection comprise instructions to (i) determine a line-of-sight (LOS) determination indicative of whether the smart vehicle feature is within a LOS of a user of the smart mobile device to satisfy a LOS requirement, and (ii) determine the wireless LAN connection comprises the optimal network connection when the LOS determination satisfies the LOS requirement,
apply application tool switch logic based on the optimal network connection to determine whether to switch the network connection at the second time to the optimal network connection,
automatically switch the network connection to the optimal network connection based on the application tool switch logic when the network connection is one of the wireless LAN connection and the wireless WAN connection and the optimal network connection is the other of the wireless LAN connection and the wireless WAN connection,
receive, by the software application tool, 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 of the one or more smart vehicle features based on the applied control logic, the environmental inputs, and the optimal network connection.

7. The control system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more smart vehicle features comprise a smart awning, o

Assignees

• Thor Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Sandu Ciprian R
• Kriesel Jason T
• Featherstone Raymond McKay
• 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