Claims:1. A system for capturing and notifying a driver of vehicle driving condition and surrounding information , the system comprising:
means for obtaining vehicle information comprising information of one or more conditions of the vehicle and one or more events occurring in the vehicle and / or means for obtaining external information comprising information of one or more events or conditions occurring external to the vehicle; and
a processor unit configured to process the vehicle information and the external information for generating at least one pre-defined audio notification and conveying the generated at least one pre-defined audio notification to the vehicle driver.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for obtaining vehicle information comprises one or more of a plurality of sensors and one or more microcontrollers.
3. The system as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the means for obtaining external information comprises a cloud platform of an internet-based server.
4. The system as claimed in any one of previous claims further comprises at least one audio output for conveying the at least one pre-defined audio notification to the vehicle driver.
5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one audio output comprises an audio codec for receiving signals from the processor unit and decoding audio therefrom, and an audio jack for transmitting the audio notification to a speaker interface.
6. The system as claimed in any one of previous claims further comprises at least one library that includes a plurality of pre-determined audio notifications mapped against various conditions of input data received from the means for obtaining vehicle information and / or the means for obtaining external information.
7. The system as claimed in any one of previous claims optionally comprises a display device configured to display at least one of the status of the vehicle as well as the vehicle information and the external information.
8. A method for capturing and notifying a driver of vehicle driving condition and surrounding information, the method comprising:
obtaining a vehicle information, comprising information of one or more conditions of the vehicle and one or more events occurring in the vehicle, and / or an external information, comprising information of one or more events or conditions occurring external to the vehicle;
computing values of triggering variables from the vehicle information and / or the external information;
generating at least one pre-defined audio notification if one or more vehicle driving conditions are met; and
conveying the generated at least one pre-defined audio notification to the vehicle driver.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vehicle information is obtained from one or more of a plurality of sensors and one or more microcontrollers.
10. The method as claimed in claims 8 or 9, wherein the external information is obtained from a cloud platform of an internet-based server. , Description:The following presents a detailed description of various embodiments of the present subject matter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The embodiments of the present subject matter are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present subject matter is not limited to these embodiments which are only provided to explain more clearly the present subject matter to a person skilled in the art of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals are used to indicate components.
The specification may refer to “an”, “one”, “different” or “some” embodiment(s) in several locations. This does not necessarily imply that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment. Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.
As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes”, “comprises”, “including” and/or “comprising” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “attached” or “connected” or “coupled” or “mounted” to another element, it can be directly attached or connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations and arrangements of one or more of the associated listed items.
The figures depict a simplified structure only showing some elements and functional entities, all being logical units whose implementation may differ from what is shown.
The present invention provides a system and a method for capturing and notifying a driver of vehicle driving condition and surrounding information. The invention is configured to capture information of an event and / or a condition occurring in the vehicle or external to the vehicle and notifying the driver of the same. The system and method according to the present invention is based on audio notifications in the form of audio messages that are triggered by specific events. In a preferred embodiment, these events or conditions are sensed by a plurality of sensors and / or microcontroller systems in the vehicle or could be triggered by a cloud-based system that communicates with an instrument cluster and / or other device(s) in the vehicle. Upon being triggered, the present system plays a pre-recorded audio message for notifying the driver about the event. For example, a notification may include but not limited to one or more audio messages such as “The car is running low on fuel”, “The left rear door of the car is open”, etc. Similarly, as an example, a notification may include but not limited to one or more of audio messages such as “There is a charging station in 5 kms”, “The road is blocked due to construction activities in 2 kms” etc.
By making these audio notifications, the present system engages the driver’s attention through their ears, thereby allowing the driver to focus visually on the road. Audio output also enables detailed and descriptive notifications of events or conditions and possible ways a driver can deal with them. In an embodiment, the audio can be personalized for the driver’s language and tone of choice. The present system comprising the audio notifications work for all types of vehicles, including but not limited to two-wheeled vehicles, three-wheeled vehicles, four wheeled vehicles, commercial and private vehicles, vehicles operating on electricity, CNG, petrol, diesel, and so on.
In an embodiment, the system according to the present invention can be installed in an instrument cluster or any other electronic device in the vehicle at the time of manufacturing of vehicles. In another embodiment, the system may be configured in a standalone instrument cluster that can be mounted as an aftermarket device in existing vehicles. In another embodiment, the system may be installed in a standalone electronic device other than the instrument cluster for mounting independently in the vehicle.
The present invention enables disambiguation of the condition associated with a tell-tale icon in conventional systems. For example, if a door-open tell-tale icon lights up, the audio message may tell the driver which door is open. In some cases, the (P) icon is used for both "parking brake is on" and "brake fluid is low". In such cases, the audio notification can provide more information to the driver than cannot be conveyed by the tell-tale sign alone.
Figure 1 illustrates a system 100 for capturing and notifying a driver of vehicle driving condition and surrounding information in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the system and method according to the present invention is incorporated in an electric vehicle, particularly a four-wheeled electric vehicle. However, the present system and method can be employed in other commercial and private vehicles running on conventional fuels like petrol, diesel etc. as well as those running on alternate fuels like CNG.
In a preferred embodiment, the driving condition information of a vehicle comprises information of one or more conditions of the vehicle, one or more events occurring in the vehicle, one or more events or conditions occurring external to the vehicle. In an embodiment, the events or conditions occurring external to the vehicle are unrelated to the vehicle but pertinent to driving about which it is desirable to inform the driver especially when the vehicle is moving. In an embodiment, the events conditions occurring external to the vehicle comprise but are not limited to environmental conditions, rainfall or flooding conditions in the driving direction of the vehicle, road and traffic conditions, availability of vehicle charging or gas station nearby, etc. In an embodiment, the system 100 of the present invention is encompassed in an instrument cluster mounted in the proximity of the steering wheel or the handlebar of the vehicle V. The placement and orientation of the instrument cluster 102 with respect to a steering wheel 200 of a vehicle in an embodiment is depicted in Figure 2 . It is clarified that the configuration and placement of the instrument cluster in Figure 2 is indicative and may be altered without limiting the scope of the present invention. In another embodiment, the instrument cluster 102 may be configured as a floating unit, i.e., an electronic device that is not fixed on the dashboard but can be adjusted manually by the driver. In an embodiment, the instrument cluster 102 comprises a connector for mounting instrument cluster 102 on the dashboard of the vehicle V for providing electric connection to the instrument cluster 102. In another embodiment, the system 100 may be configured to be encompassed in a tablet or any other electronic device that can be mounted on the dashboard of the vehicle V. In yet another embodiment, the system 100 may be configured in a separate electronic device provided in the vehicle in addition to the instrument cluster 102. In yet another embodiment, the system may be configured to be installed in a standalone device that can be separately mounted in the vehicle or attached to the audio system of the vehicle.
The system 100 according to the present invention comprises a plurality of assemblies, sub-assemblies and components. For example, and by no way limiting the scope of the present invention, the system 100 optionally comprises a display 104 for keeping the driver informed and updated with current information in and around the vehicle, particularly when the vehicle is on the move. In an embodiment, the display 104 is configured to show status of the vehicle V including but not limited to data directly obtained from sensors of the vehicle V, data derived from sensors by various microcontroller of the vehicle, data obtained from cloud platform of an internet-based server etc. In an embodiment, the display 104 comprises a 7-inch Thin-film-transistor (TFT) panel having Wide Video Graphics Array (WVGA) (800x480) resolution. In another embodiment, the display 104 employs a 24bit parallel RGB interface.
In different embodiments, the system 100 may employ either light symbols on a dark background or dark symbols on light background depending on which alternate provides the best visual perception. One or more backlight drivers 110 are provided in the system 100 for controlling the voltage and current being transmitted to the backlight comprising Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for illuminating the display 104. In an embodiment, periphery LED indication can be displayed in the IC for indicating state of charging of the battery while the charger is plugged into the electric vehicle V. In an embodiment, the display 104 provides a periphery LED indication for indicating state of charging while the charger is plugged into the electric vehicle V. In an embodiment, LED indication comprises but not limited to blue blinking while charging, blue solid when fully charged, red solid when battery is drained, and red blinking when the charger is connected but the battery is not charging.
The backlight can be regulated based on the state of headlight of the vehicle, in an embodiment. In another embodiment, the display 104 incorporates hardwired tell-tale indicators 106, such as ‘door open indicator’, ‘hi-low beam indicator’, ‘turn indicator’, ‘reverse indicator’, ‘neutral’, ‘parking brake indicator’, ‘IC Power Source indicator’, ‘Seat belt indicator’, ‘Battery temperature’, ‘ECU Warning’, ‘Master switch Enable’, ‘Forward / Reverse motion Indication’, ‘Neutral indicator’, ‘Regenerative Braking’, etc., which are directly controlled by the vehicle. The array 112 of tell-tale indicators or LEDs provides alerts or warnings regarding state of the vehicle peripherals like doors, seat belt, engine status, parking brake, headlamp state, turn indicators, battery temperature etc. through the LED drivers 114. In another embodiment, the display 104 may be configured as a digital display for displaying a subset of these tell-tale indicators in digital format instead of providing hardwired LEDs. In an embodiment, the colors of these indicators 106 are chosen as per AIS-071 standard for L category vehicles. In an embodiment, the hardwired tell-tale indicators 106 comprise a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), which are activated by digital inputs directly from the vehicle. In another preferred embodiment, the display 104 is configured to display appropriate infographics for indicating one or more events. For example, the infographics indicated on the display 104 may comprise a bar for ‘State of charge (%)’, ‘Number of Km in colour for range’, ‘Number in Kmph and bar or arc for speed’, ‘Number in Km for odometer’ ‘information about time’ etc.
In a preferred embodiment, the instrument cluster 102 is configured to be powered by a battery 116 of the vehicle V such that the instrument cluster 102 derives a voltage of about 12V from the battery 116. However, in another embodiment, a separate power source may be provided to power the instrument cluster 102.
The instrument cluster 102 receives the vehicular information either through a controlled area network (CAN) or through hardwired signal lines from various sensors located on the vehicle V in different embodiments. In a preferred embodiment, a CAN transceiver 118 is provided for communication of the vehicular information to the display 104. In an embodiment, the instrument cluster 102 comprises a connector to establish electric connection with the controlled area network for receiving communication signals therefrom. In a preferred embodiment, the display 104 is configured to receive vehicle information over CAN at 500 Kbps.
In another embodiment, the system 100 is configured to provide audio notifications in addition to the visual information to the driver through at least one dedicated audio interface 108. However, in yet another embodiment, the present system 100 may also be configured without the display without departing from the scope of the present invention. In such an embodiment, the present system 100 provides only audio notifications to the driver through at least one dedicated audio interface 108. In another embodiment, the system 100 may be configured as a standalone device that for generating only audio notifications to the user. In yet another embodiment, the system may be attached to the audio system of the vehicle for transmitting audio notifications to the driver.
In an embodiment, the audio interface 108 is configured to generate audio notifications corresponding to dynamic information like ‘speed of the vehicle’, ‘number of kilometers travelled’, ‘state of charge’, ‘engine status’, ‘time to fully charge the battery’ etc. Further, the audio interface 108 may also be configured to generate audio notifications and warnings for events comprising but not limited to ‘Hi-beam’, ‘Low-beam’, ‘Left-turn’, ‘Right-turn’, ‘Parking brake’, ‘headlamp state,’, ‘IC Power Source’, ‘Seat belt alert’, ‘Door open alert’, ‘Battery temperature alert’, ‘ECU Warning’, ‘Master switch enable alert’, ‘Forward motion alert’, ‘Reverse motion alert’, ‘Neutral’, ‘Regenerative Braking’, ‘State of charge (%)’, ‘Number of Km in colour for range’, ‘Number in Kmph and bar or arc for speed’, ‘Number in Km for odometer’ ‘information about time’ etc.
The system 100 also comprises a processor unit 120 for processing the vehicular information received through the CAN transceiver 118. This vehicular information is conveyed to the driver through the audio interface 108 and is optionally displaying on the display 104. In a preferred embodiment, the processor unit 120 comprises a dedicated microcontroller unit (MCU) for the instrument cluster 102. In another embodiment, an existing microcontroller of the vehicle can be configured as the processor unit in the present system 100. In yet another embodiment, a dedicated processor unit may be provided for processing the vehicular information. In yet another embodiment, the processor unit 120 comprises one or more processors, which one or more processors include one or more or logic circuitries for processing instructions, general-purpose processors, special purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), microprocessors, micro-controllers, controller or the like.
In an embodiment, the audio interface 108 is triggered by predefined events and comprises an audio codec 122 for receiving signals from the processor unit 120 and decoding audio therefrom. In another embodiment, the audio interface 108 comprises an audio jack 124 for transmitting the audio notification to a speaker interface. In yet another embodiment, the audio interface 108 is configured to provide critical information regarding the real-time status of the vehicle and / or the conditions occurring external to the vehicle.
In different embodiment, the notifications can be triggered based on (a) sensors in the vehicle to indicate warning signals, for example, “left rear door is open”, etc., (b) derivative data from the sensors to indicate a condition of a vehicle, for example, “the car needs new tires”, etc., or (c) events sent to the vehicle from the cloud combining vehicle sensor data with external data, for example, “The battery only has 10% charge left; under current traffic conditions it is not enough to reach home”. These notifications are configurable for all types of vehicles, i.e., 2-wheeled, 3W-wheeled, 4W-wheeled; commercial and personal; electric, CNG, petrol, diesel, etc.
In an embodiment, the audio interface 108 is configured to provide audio notification comprising but not limited to ‘Seat belt warning’, ‘Open door warning’, ‘ECU warning’, ‘Low battery warning’, ‘Battery fully charge alert (if IC is powered)’, ‘Battery temperature alert’, ‘Tire pressure alert’, ‘Lane violation warning’, ‘Turning without indicator’, ‘Turn AC off alert’, ‘Electronics malfunction warning’, ‘Periodic service alert’, ‘Tire change alert’, ‘Oil change alert’, ‘Brake fluid change alert’, ‘Nearby petrol pump or charging station notification’, ‘Road block alert’, ‘rain / flood alert’, ‘traffic alert’ etc. In an embodiment, the audio alert can be personalized in any language or in a chosen voiceover without departing from the scope of the present invention. In an embodiment, the audio notifications can be personalized by selecting a chosen language, gender, avatar etc.
In an embodiment, the system 100 comprises a Quad serial peripheral interface 126 that is configured to read data from a plurality of sensors mounted on the vehicle and communicate the same to the processor unit 120. In another embodiment, the system 100 comprises a memory 128 to store temporary data comprising real-time information obtained from the plurality of sensors and to allow access of this data to the processor unit 120. According to a preferred embodiment, the memory 128 comprises Double Data Rate 2 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DDR2 SDRAM). In an embodiment the system 100 comprises a converter unit 130, such as a USB to UART converter unit, for converting the data from a USB 132, preferably a micro USB, into appropriate signals and transferring these signals to the processor unit 120 for processing. In a preferred embodiment, a fail-safe mechanism 134 is provided to prevent the processor unit 120 from exposure to excessive voltage and / or current. In an embodiment, the fail-safe mechanism 134 comprises a General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) protection unit having maximum voltage and current ratings. In another embodiment, the system 100 further comprises a MOSFET array 136 for amplification of electronic signals in the tell-tale indicators 106. The system 100 further comprises a power management unit 138, a load / dump reverse voltage protection unit 140, RGB interface 142, and PWM control 144.
Figure 3 illustrates a system architecture 300 of the present invention in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises an MCU controlled board 302 having a CAN interface and the display unit 104. The CAN circuitry comprising an application manager 304 is configured to communicate with the vehicle V in real-time and the display unit 104 shows the user Interface 306 along with specific details of the vehicle on the instrument cluster 102 in an embodiment. A plurality of EMI filters 146, 148 are provided to reduce electronic noise and protect electronic equipment, particularly the CAN transceiver 118 and the load / dump reverse voltage protection unit 140, from electromagnetic interference.
In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises an operation system 308 connected to the MCU controlled board 302. In a preferred embodiment, operation system 308 comprises a plurality of libraries. In an embodiment, various libraries in the operating system 308 comprise but not limited to one or more CAN libraries 310, one or more graphical libraries 312, one or more system libraries 314, and one or more audio libraries 316.
In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises a plurality of IO drivers or interface drivers comprising but not limited to one or more of a CAN driver 318, a display driver 320, a PWM driver 322, a LINFlex driver 324, Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) driver 326, a memory or DRAM controller driver 328, a General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) driver 330, an I2C driver 332, and an I2S driver 334. The drivers enable the MCU controlled board 302 to communicate with a device that is connected to that interface. For example, the display driver 320 refreshes the displayed content, say 24 times per second, or as configured.
In a preferred embodiment, the system 100 comprises a plurality of hardware units comprising but not limited to a CAN transceiver unit 336, a display unit 338, UART to USB unit 340, a QSPI unit 342, a DRAM unit 344, one or more tell-tale signal units 346, one or more Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) 348 and an audio codec unit 350.
Figure 4 illustrates a block diagram of a system 400 for capturing and notifying a driver of vehicle driving condition and surrounding information in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the system 400 is configured to capture information of an event or a condition occurring internal or external to a vehicle V and notifies the same to a user. In an embodiment, the present system 400 is provided in the instrument cluster 102. However, the present system 400 may be incorporated in any other electronic device external to the instrument cluster 102 without departing from the scope of the present subject matter. Moreover, in another embodiment, the system 400 may be configured in a standalone device that can be separately mounted in the vehicle or attached to the audio system of the vehicle.
In a preferred embodiment, the processor unit 120 of the system 400 is configured to process the data received from one or more sensors S1, S2, S3…Sn of the vehicle V. In a preferred embodiment, the processor unit 120 comprises a micro controller unit (MCU). In an embodiment, the sensors S1, S2, S3…Sn comprise but are not limited to ‘one or more seatbelt sensors’, ‘one or more parking brake sensors’, ‘one or more door open sensors’ and so on. The system 400 is configured inside the processor unit 120 and comprises a storage device comprising at least one library 402 that includes a plurality of pre-defined audio messages mapped against various conditions of input data received from sensors S1, S2, S3…Sn. In an embodiment the library 402 comprises a look-up table that maps various conditions of input data versus pre- defined audio messages, as shown in Figure 4.
In an embodiment, the MCU 120 is configured to receive the input data from the sensors S1, S2, S3…Sn and evaluate said input data to trigger an audio message through an audio output 404 if at least any one of the pre-defined driving condition is satisfied. For example, in case a sensor indicates ‘low tire pressure’, the MCU 120 triggers a respective audio message such as ‘Low pressure in rear right tire’ and sends this audio message to the audio output 404. In an embodiment, the audio output 404 comprises but is not limited to an audio speaker that plays the audio message.
In another embodiment, the MCU 120 is configured to receive data from the sensors S1, S2, S3…Sn and compute values of triggering variables from the input data received by it. In an embodiment, the MCU 120 computes whether two or more pre-defined driving conditions of the vehicle are satisfied and based on the computed result, triggers a corresponding signal to generate a desired audio message through the audio output 404. For example, if condition 1 comprising ‘door open’ and condition 2 comprising ‘vehicle speed greater than zero’ are met, the MCU 120 triggers a corresponding audio message ‘Rear door is open’ and plays this audio message through the audio output 404. In another example, if condition 1 comprising ‘parking brake on’ and condition 2 comprising ‘vehicle speed greater than zero’ are met, the MCU 120 triggers a corresponding audio message ‘Please disengage the parking brake’ and plays this audio message through the audio output 404. In yet another example, if condition 1 comprising ‘seat belt off’ and condition 2 comprising ‘vehicle speed greater than zero’ are met, the MCU 120 triggers a corresponding audio message ‘Driver’s seat belt is off’ and plays this audio message through the audio output 404. Figure 5 illustrates a block diagram of a system 500 for capturing and notifying a driver of vehicle driving condition and surrounding information.
in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the system 400 is configured to capture information of an event or a condition occurring internal or external to a vehicle V and notifies the same to a user. In the present embodiment, the processor unit or MCU 120 in the instrument cluster 102 is configured to compute the input data received from one or more processor units or microcontrollers M1, M2, M3….Mn of the vehicle. In an embodiment, one or more processor units or microcontrollers M1, M2, M3….Mn comprise but are not limited to ‘body control module’, ‘vehicle control unit’ etc., which receive inputs from one or more sensors of the vehicle and compute these sensor inputs for generating desired output. According to the present invention, the processor units or microcontrollers M1, M2, M3….Mn also send the data computed by them, as input data, to the MCU 120 over the CAN network or other vehicle networks. Therefore, in the present embodiment, processor units or microcontrollers M1, M2, M3….Mn are directly connected to the MCU 120.
The MCU 120 is configured to calculate the values of triggering variables in the input data received from processor units or microcontrollers M1, M2, M3….Mn and trigger a desired corresponding pre- defined audio message from the library 502 through the audio output 504 if one or more triggering driving conditions are met. For example, considering M1 comprises a body control module and M2 comprises a speed monitoring module. Both the body control module M1 and the speed monitoring module M2 perform their respective calculations based on the data received by them from their respective sensors. The respective outputs of the body control module M1 and the speed monitoring module M2 are fed into the MCU 120 as the input data. The MCU 120 then computes values of triggering variables from the input data received by it and triggers corresponding audio messages through the audio output 504. In another example, the battery MCU sends a value for state of charge to the MCU 120 of the system. The MCU 120 checks whether, say, the state of charge is less than 10, and if so, triggers the audio notification "battery is running low" to the driver. In yet another example, the vehicle control unit monitors temperatures of the motor and motor controller of an electric vehicle and sends these temperature values to the MCU 120 of the system. The MCU 120 checks these temperature values against temperature limits and triggers an audio notification "The motor or motor controller temperature is high" to the driver.
Figure 6 illustrates a block diagram of a system 600 for capturing and notifying a driver of vehicle driving condition and surrounding information in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the system 400 is configured to capture information of an event or a condition occurring internal or external to a vehicle V and notifies the same to a user. In the present embodiment, the processor unit or MCU 120 sends a request to cloud 606 and receives the desired data as input data from the cloud 606. In an embodiment, the request sent to the cloud 606 may include but is not limited to seeking information about vehicle charging stations. In the present embodiment, the MCU 120 is configured to compute the input data received from the cloud 606 and generate the desired pre-defined audio message from the library 602 through the audio output 604. For example, upon detecting low charging of an electric vehicle, the MCU 120 sends current GPS coordinates to the cloud 606 along with a request seeking information about all vehicle charging stations or gas stations within 5 kms from the current coordinates of the vehicle. Upon receiving a list of all charging stations, the MCU 606 may select information of the nearest charging station and trigger an audio message "The battery is running low, but there is a charging station nearby at the intersection of 4th Avenue and King St." from the library 602 to the user through the audio output 604. In another example, the MCU 120 sends current GPS coordinates of the vehicle and destination coordinates to the cloud 606 and receives the time to reach the destination under current traffic conditions. This information can be used to trigger a voice message like "You do not have enough charge in the battery to reach the destination" if the battery charge is running low.
Figure 7 illustrates a block diagram of a system 700 for capturing and notifying a driver of vehicle driving condition and surrounding information in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the system 400 is configured to capture information of an event or a condition occurring internal or external to a vehicle V and notifies the same to a user. In the present embodiment, the processor unit or MCU 120 does not send a request to cloud 706 but the cloud 706 pushes data as input data to the MCU 120. In an embodiment, the data pushed by the cloud 706 to the MCU 120 may include but is not limited to information about temporary flooding or heavy traffic on the route of the vehicle. Upon receipt of the input data, the MCU 120 computes if the coordinates of the vehicle are near the site with temporary flooding or heavy traffic and triggers an audio message from the library 702 to the user through the audio output 704. In another example, the vehicle’s manufacturer may push a message to the present system through the cloud 706 regarding vehicles bought from say 01 April 2010 to 17 Sept 2012, that they need to visit the service center to get the battery replaced (recall issue). In yet another example, the cloud 706 may push a message to the system about adverse traffic or weather conditions in the area, which can trigger voice messages. The present invention also provides methods for capturing and notifying a driver of vehicle driving condition and surrounding information implementing the systems described above.
While the embodiments of Figures 4 and 7 have been explained separately, it is clarified that a combination of these embodiments is also possible. For example, the MCU 120 may process input data coming directly from sensors as explained in Figure 4, over the vehicle network cloud as depicted in Figure 5 and / or from the cloud as depicted in Figures 6 or 7 and employ a logic to decide whether to trigger an audio output or not.
A person having ordinary skills in the art will appreciate that the system, modules, and sub-modules have been illustrated and explained to serve as examples and should not be considered limiting in any manner. It will be further appreciated that the variants of the above disclosed system elements, or modules and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined to create other different systems or applications.
Various embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed hereinabove. However, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications in addition to those described, are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The embodiments, therefore, are not restrictive, except in the spirit of the disclosure. Moreover, in interpreting the disclosure, all terms should be understood in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps, in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.
The disclosed methods and systems, as illustrated in the ongoing description or any of its components, may be embodied in the form of a computer system. Typical examples of a computer system include a general-purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor, a microcontroller, a peripheral integrated circuit element, and other devices, or arrangements of devices that are capable of implementing the steps that constitute the method of the disclosure.
In an embodiment, the computer system comprises a computer, an input device, a display unit and the Internet. In a preferred embodiment, the computer comprises a microprocessor and a memory. In an embodiment, the microprocessor is connected to a communication bus. The memory may be Random Access Memory (RAM) or Read Only Memory (ROM). In an embodiment, the computer system comprises a storage device, which may be a hard-disk drive or a removable storage drive, such as, a floppy-disk drive, optical-disk drive, and the like. In another embodiment, the storage device may also be a means for loading computer programs or other instructions into the computer system. In an embodiment, the computer system also includes a communication unit that allows the computer to connect to other databases and the Internet through an input/output (I/O) interface, thereby allowing the transfer as well as reception of data from other sources. In an embodiment, the communication unit may include a modem, an Ethernet card, or other similar devices, which enable the computer system to connect to databases and networks, such as, LAN, MAN, WAN, and the Internet. The computer system facilitates input from a user through input devices accessible to the system through an I/O interface.
In order to process input data, the computer system executes a set of instructions that are stored in one or more storage elements. The storage elements may also hold data or other information, as desired. The storage element may be in the form of an information source, or a physical memory element present in the processing machine.
The programmable or computer-readable instructions may include various commands that instruct the processing machine to perform specific tasks, such as steps that constitute the method of the disclosure. The systems and methods described can also be implemented using only software programming or using only hardware or by a varying combination of the two techniques. The disclosure is independent of the programming language and the operating system used in the computers. The instructions for the disclosure can be written in all programming languages including, but not limited to, “C,” “C++,” “Visual C++,” Java, and “Visual Basic.” Further, the software may be in the form of a collection of separate programs, a program module containing a larger program or a portion of a program module, as discussed in the ongoing description. The software may also include modular programming in the form of object-oriented programming. The processing of input data by the processing machine may be in response to user commands, the results of previous processing, or from a request made by another processing machine. The disclosure can also be implemented in various operating systems and platforms including, but not limited to, “Unix,” “DOS,” “Android,” “Symbian,” and “Linux.”
The programmable instructions can be stored and transmitted on a computer-readable medium. In an embodiment, the present system may also be embodied in a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium, or with any product capable of implementing the above methods and systems, or the numerous possible variations thereof.
Various implementations of the systems and techniques described here can be realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry, specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof. These various implementations may include implementation in one or more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device.
These computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor and can be implemented in a high-level procedural and/or object-oriented programming language, and/or in assembly/machine language. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, apparatus and/or device (e.g., magnetic discs, optical disks, memory, Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.
To provide for interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described here can be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or a trackball) by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.
The systems and techniques described here can be executed in a computing platform that includes a backend component (e.g., as a data server), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an application server), or that includes a front end component (e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the systems and techniques described here), or any combination of such backend, middleware, or front end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include a local area network ("LAN"), a wide area network ("WAN"), and the Internet.
The claims can encompass embodiments for hardware, software, or a combination thereof.
While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described hereinabove, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations, and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive.