Control of Vehicle Features Based on Weather and Location Data

1 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by a microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module of a vehicle, one or more signals from a plurality of sensing elements respecting an environment external to the vehicle;

interpreting, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, the one or more signals to determine if at least one predetermined environmental condition exists;

determining, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, that the predetermined environmental condition exists;

determining, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, a severity of the predetermined environmental condition using one or more of rules and templates in a memory;

determining, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, if control of one or more vehicle functions is required based on the determined severity;

displaying an alert on an instrument display of the vehicle; and

performing the one or more vehicle functions, wherein the one or more vehicle functions is at least one of activating vehicle head-lights, activating vehicle fog lights, changing a brake system mode, changing a steering system mode, changing a setting of collision avoidance system, changing a setting of an automatic response system, activating a traffic sign translation system, activating an automobile controller, and deactivating multimedia and infotainment systems within the vehicle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instrument display comprises at least one of a configurable dash display and a heads-up display.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert is selected from one or more preconfigured environmental condition alerts, wherein the one or more preconfigured environmental condition alerts comprise one or more of a maximum safe speed to drive, a recommended speed to drive, a fog warning, an ice warning, a snow warning, a water on road warning, an object in road warning, a flood warning, and a high wind warning.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the least one predetermined environmental condition comprises one or more of:

a low visibility condition associated with one or more of rain, fog, dust, smoke, and snow;

a low traction condition associated with one or more of water, ice, snow, and loose material on a road surface;

an obstructed road condition;

a high wind condition; and

a darkness condition.

5 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein changing the braking mode includes changing the function of brakes of the vehicle based on the predetermined environmental condition;

wherein changing the steering mode includes changing the responsiveness of a steering system of the vehicle based on the predetermined environmental condition;

wherein changing the setting of collision avoidance system comprises selecting a collision avoidance system setting associated with the predetermined environmental condition;

wherein changing the setting of an automatic response system comprises selecting a automatic response system setting associated with the predetermined environmental condition; and

wherein activating the automobile controller comprises the vehicle control system controlling the vehicle and bringing the vehicle to a stop in a safe location.

6 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of sensing elements includes sensors associated with the vehicle, non-vehicle sensors, information from communication networks, and information from a communication device;

wherein sensors associated with the vehicle include one or more of optical sensors, light sensors, photo sensors, inductive sensors, infra-red sensors, thermometers, moisture sensors, wind sensors, wheel state sensors, force sensors, capacitive sensors, laser-based sensors, radar, lidar, ladar, acoustic-type sensors, and a communications module; and

wherein non-vehicle sensors include one or more of sensors located: in a road, adjacent to the road; and in a plurality of other vehicles.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is privately owned and is not operated by a government.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing one or more vehicle functions comprises at least one of changing a sensitivity of the steering system, changing a response time of the brake system, and limiting a range of motion of a steering wheel.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating a traffic sign translation module and displaying traffic sign information on at least one of a configurable dash display and a heads-up display.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the interpreting further comprises referring to the rules and templates in the memory of the vehicle environment monitoring module, and wherein rules and templates define a plurality of signal conditions corresponding to the plurality of predetermined environmental conditions.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending the alert to a communication device associated with a user, wherein the user is not located in the vehicle, and wherein the communication device is one of a cell phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and a personal digital assistant;

modifying, by the user, at least one of the rules and templates in the memory of the vehicle control system using the communication device;

determining, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, a new determined severity of the predetermined environmental condition using one or more of the modified rules and templates;

determining, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, if control of one or more additional vehicle functions is required based on the new determined severity; and

performing the one or more additional vehicle functions.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, an identity of a driver of the vehicle;

accessing, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, rules and templates associated with the driver;

interpreting, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, the one or more signals based at least partially on the rules and templates associated with the driver to determine if at least one predetermined environmental condition exists;

determining, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, the severity of the predetermined environmental condition using the rules and templates associated with the driver;

determining, by the microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, if control of one or more vehicle functions is required based on the determined severity;

displaying the alert on the instrument display of the vehicle; and

performing the one or more vehicle functions.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the driver is less than 16 years old and the rules prohibit the driver from operating the vehicle at night.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the rules prohibit the driver from operating the vehicle in a low fraction condition associated with one or more of ice and snow on a road surface.

15 . A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a microprocessor executable vehicle environment monitoring module, perform a method comprising:

receiving one or more signals from a plurality of sensing elements respecting an environment external to a vehicle;

interpreting the one or more signals to determine if at least one predetermined environmental condition exists;

determining that the predetermined environmental condition exists;

determining a severity of the predetermined environmental condition using one or more of rules and templates in a memory of the vehicle control system;

determining if control of one or more vehicle functions is required based on the determined severity;

displaying an alert on an instrument display of the vehicle; and

performing the one or more vehicle functions, wherein the one or more vehicle functions is at least one of activating vehicle head-lights, activating vehicle fog lights, changing a brake system mode, changing a steering system mode, changing a setting of collision avoidance system, changing a setting of an automatic response system, activating a traffic sign translation system, activating an automobile controller, and deactivating multimedia and infotainment systems within the vehicle.

16 . The tangible non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 :

wherein the plurality of sensing elements includes sensors associated with the vehicle, non-vehicle sensors, information from communication networks, and information from a communication device;

wherein sensors associated with the vehicle include one or more of optical sensors, light sensors, photo sensors, inductive sensors, infra-red sensors, thermometers, moisture sensors, wind sensors, wheel state sensors, force sensors, capacitive sensors, laser-based sensors, radar, lidar, ladar, acoustic-type sensors, and a communications module; and

wherein non-vehicle sensors include one or more of sensors located: in a road, adjacent to the road; and in a plurality of other vehicles.

17 . The tangible non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving an identity of a driver of the vehicle;

accessing rules and templates associated with the driver;

interpreting the one or more signals based at least partially on the rules and templates associated with the driver to determine if at least one predetermined environmental condition exists;

determining the severity of the predetermined environmental condition using the rules and templates associated with the driver;

determining if control of one or more vehicle functions is required based on the determined severity;

displaying the alert on the instrument display of the vehicle; and

performing the one or more vehicle functions.

18 . The tangible non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising:

sending the alert to a communication device associated with a user, wherein the user is not located in the vehicle, and wherein the communication device is one of a cell phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and a personal digital assistant;

modifying, by the user, at least one of the rules and templates associated with the driver using the communication device;

determining a new severity of the predetermined environmental condition using one or more of the modified rules and templates;

determining if control of one or more additional vehicle functions is required based on the new determined severity; and

performing the one or more additional vehicle functions.

19 . A vehicle control system of a vehicle, comprising:

a memory; and

a microprocessor in communication with the memory, the microprocessor operable to execute a vehicle environment monitoring module, the vehicle environment monitoring module operable to:

receive one or more signals from a plurality of sensing elements respecting an environment external to the vehicle;

interpret the one or more signals to determine if at least one predetermined environmental condition exists;

determine that the predetermined environmental condition exists;

determine a severity of the predetermined environmental condition using one or more of rules and templates in a memory of the vehicle control system;

determine if control of one or more vehicle functions is required based on the determined severity;

display an alert on an instrument display of the vehicle; and

perform the one or more vehicle functions, wherein the one or more vehicle functions is at least one of activating vehicle head-lights, activating vehicle fog lights, changing a brake system mode, changing a steering system mode, changing a setting of collision avoidance system, changing a setting of an automatic response system, activating a traffic sign translation system, activating an automobile controller, and deactivating multimedia and infotainment systems within the vehicle.

20 . The vehicle control system of claim 19 , further comprising:

wherein the plurality of sensing elements includes sensors associated with the vehicle, non-vehicle sensors, information from communication networks, and information from a communication device;

wherein sensors associated with the vehicle include one or more of optical sensors, light sensors, photo sensors, inductive sensors, infra-red sensors, thermometers, moisture sensors, wind sensors, wheel state sensors, force sensors, capacitive sensors, laser-based sensors, radar, lidar, ladar, acoustic-type sensors, and a communications module; and

wherein non-vehicle sensors include one or more of sensors located: in a road, adjacent to the road; and in a plurality of other vehicles.