Vehicle function determination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016009188-A1
Application number	US-201414326093-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2014
Priority date	Jul 8, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The disclosure includes a system and method for performing one or more vehicle functions associated with a vehicle. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to: receive sensor data indicating that a vehicle has arrived at a destination location; determine a synchronized arrival time describing when the vehicle arrived at the destination location, the synchronized arrival time determined based in part on the sensor data; and determine one or more vehicle functions associated with the vehicle based in part on the synchronized arrival time.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
receiving sensor data indicating that a vehicle has arrived at a destination location; determining a synchronized arrival time describing when the vehicle arrived at the destination location, the synchronized arrival time determined based in part on the sensor data; and determining one or more vehicle functions associated with the vehicle based in part on the synchronized arrival time; wherein determining the one or more vehicle functions based in part on the synchronized arrival time comprises:
estimating departure time data including a departure time range associated with the vehicle based in part on the synchronized arrival time, wherein the departure time range indicates an uncertainty of the vehicle departure time; and
determining the one or more vehicle functions based in part on the departure time range indicating the uncertainty of the vehicle departure time; and
executing at least one of the one or more vehicle functions.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the departure time range indicating uncertainty of the vehicle departure time, the at least one vehicle function is executed substantially immediately in order to minimize a risk of failure to execute the at least one vehicle function due to a time shortage.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein estimating the departure time data based in part on the synchronized arrival time comprises:
determining a distribution pattern describing a relationship between arrival times and departure times; and estimating the departure time data based in part on the distribution pattern and the synchronized arrival time.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the distribution pattern includes a probability density distribution table.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a user preference based on the departure time range indicating an uncertainty of the vehicle departure time, wherein the user preference describes a timing for executing the one or more vehicle functions; and wherein the at least one vehicle function is executed in conformity to the user preference.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the user preference is described by user profile data provided by a social network server that hosts a social network service and the user preference indicates that the user prefers to charge the vehicle as soon as the vehicle arrives at the destination location and the at least one vehicle function is executed substantially immediately.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating graphical data for providing a user interface that depicts a notification describing the vehicle function to the user and a time slot for performance of the vehicle function and providing the graphical data to a client device that displays the user interface on a display of the client device.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more vehicle functions include charging the vehicle, and determining the one or more vehicle functions comprises:
determining a charging completion time as a time before the estimated departure time; receiving DR event data; analyzing the DR event data to determine one or more DR requirements; determining available time slots for charging the vehicle based in part on the one or more DR requirements and the charging completion time; retrieving price data associated with the available time slots; determining a target state of charge for a battery associated with the vehicle; selecting one or more charging time slots from the available time slots based in part on the target state of charge and the price data; and assigning the one or more charging time slots to the vehicle.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more vehicle functions include one or more of charging the vehicle, controlling temperature in the vehicle, transferring data between the vehicle and a server, and transferring data between the vehicle and a client device.

10 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium including a computer-readable program, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:
receive sensor data indicating that a vehicle has arrived at a destination location; determine a synchronized arrival time describing when the vehicle arrived at the destination location, the synchronized arrival time determined based in part on the sensor data; determine an arrival day associated with the synchronized arrival time, wherein the arrival day may be a weekday, weekend or a holiday; determine one or more vehicle functions associated with the vehicle based in part on the synchronized arrival time and the arrival day; wherein determining the one or more vehicle functions based in part on the synchronized arrival time and the arrival day comprises:
selecting, based on the arrival day, a distribution pattern from a set of distribution patterns describing relationships between arrival times and departure times, wherein the departure time varies based on the arrival day and the set includes (1) a first distribution pattern for weekdays, (2) a second distribution pattern for weekends and (3) a third distribution pattern for holidays, wherein the distribution pattern is selected from the set based on a correspondence between the arrival day and the selected distribution pattern;
estimating the departure time data based in part on the selected distribution pattern, the arrival day and the synchronized arrival time; and
determining the one or more vehicle functions based in part on the departure time data; and
executing at least one of the one or more vehicle functions determined based in part on the departure time data.

11 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein if the arrival day corresponds to both (1) a holiday and (2) a weekday or a weekend, the selected distribution pattern is the third distribution pattern for holidays.

12 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the holidays for a user of the vehicle are based on user profile data provided by a social network server communicatively coupled to the vehicle via a network to provide a social network service for the user.

13 . The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the distribution pattern includes a probability density distribution table.

14 . The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the departure time data includes a departure time range.

15 . The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein determining the one or more vehicle functions based in part on the departure time data comprises:
determining that the departure time range indicates the vehicle departs from the destination location after a predetermined time window; determining a distribution pattern describing a relationship between arrival times and departure times; estimating a departure time satisfying the departure time range based in part on the synchronized arrival time and the distribution pattern; and determining the one or more vehicle functions to be performed at the destination location based in part on the estimated departure time.

16 . The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the departure time data includes an estimated departure time describing when the vehicle departs from the destination location.

17 . The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the one or more vehicle functions include charging the vehicle, and determining the one or more vehicle functions comprises:
determining a charging completion time as a time before the estimated departure time; receiv

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yokoyama Akihisa
• Shimizu Takayuki
• Kumita Kunihiko
• Ohno Tomoya

Classifications

• B60L11/1809 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• Y02E60/00

  Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation · CPC title

• Y02T10/72

  Electric energy management in electromobility · CPC title