Vehicle battery reporting and auto-charge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018238289-A1
Application number	US-201715437021-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 20, 2017
Priority date	Feb 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 23, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A storage maintains charge times for vehicles. A processor of a server is programmed to periodically determine a time interval since each of the vehicles has been started according to the charge times. The server sends a message over a wide-area network requesting remote start of one of the vehicles responsive to the time interval for the one of the vehicles indicating no engine restart for at least a predefined time period. A processor of a vehicle restarts the vehicle according to receipt of a restart request sent responsive to a periodic process performed by a remote server to identify that a most recent vehicle start time sent from the vehicle to the remote server is at least a predefined time interval from a current time identified by the remote server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a storage maintaining restart times for vehicles; and a processor of a server, programmed to periodically determine a time interval since each of the vehicles has been started according to the restart times and send a message over a wide-area network requesting remote start of one of the vehicles responsive to the time interval for the one of the vehicles indicating a lack of restart for at least a predefined time period.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the message is a charge indication sent to a vehicle management application of a mobile device linked to an account of the one of the vehicles, the charge indication configured to cause the mobile device to request user assent to restart the one of the vehicles.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the message is a restart request configured to cause the one of the vehicles to automatically restart.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the message is a text message sent to a mobile device linked to an account of the one of the vehicles.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to determine the time interval since each of the vehicles has been started using a time-scheduled job service of the server.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the restart times include time and date that an engine of the one of the vehicles was most recently started.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the restart times include time and date that an engine of the one of the vehicles was most recently stopped.

8 . A method comprising:
sending a vehicle start time to a remote server responsive to an engine event of a vehicle; and restarting the vehicle according to receipt of a restart request received from the remote server responsive to a periodic process performed by the remote server identifying that the engine event occurred at least a predefined period of time ago.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving the restart request from a telematics server commanded by the remote server.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving the restart request from a telematics server commanded by a mobile device linked to an account of the vehicle and receiving a charge indication from the remote server responsive to the server identifying that a most recent vehicle start time is at least a predefined time interval from a current time.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising commanding the telematics server by the mobile device responsive to receiving user assent to restart the vehicle via an interface of the mobile device, the interface being displayed by the mobile device responsive to receipt by the mobile device of the charge indication.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising executing the periodic process according to a job initiated by a time-based scheduler of the remote server.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising automatically turning off the vehicle a predetermined period of time subsequent to the restarting.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined period of time is a time interval programmed to the vehicle to automatically turn off the vehicle responsive to lack of completion of a remote start sequence.

15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the engine event is engine start.

16 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the engine event is engine shutdown.

17 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the engine event is achievement of a predefined state of charge of a vehicle battery.

18 . A system comprising:
a processor of a vehicle programmed to restart the vehicle according to receipt of a restart request sent responsive to a periodic process performed by a remote server to identify that a most recent vehicle start time sent from the vehicle to the remote server is at least a predefined time interval from a current time identified by the remote server.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further programmed to automatically turn off the vehicle a predetermined period of time subsequent to the restart.

20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the predetermined time interval is a time interval programmed to the vehicle to automatically shut down responsive to responsive to lack of completion of a remote start sequence activated from a key fob.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Khonizi Mohammed

Classifications

• F02N2300/306

  with external senders or receivers, e.g. receiving signals from traffic lights, other vehicles or base stations · CPC title

• B60L50/61

  by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles · CPC title

• F02N11/0862

  characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery · CPC title

• B60L2260/32

  Auto pilot mode · CPC title

• B60L58/14

  Preventing excessive discharging · CPC title