IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,173,774
Granted Patent B1
US 11,173,774 · App. 16/357,117 · Granted Nov 16, 2021

Systems and methods for automatic deployment of self-inflatable vehicle covering apparatus

Inventors: Gregory David Hansen (Helotes, TX); Andre Rene Buentello (San Antonio, TX); Manfred Amann (San Antonio, TX)
Assignee: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (USAA)
B60J11/04E04H15/06E04H2015/201
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,173,774
App. No.
16/357,117
Granted
Nov 16, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

Systems and methods described in this disclosure provide methods and systems for automatic deployment of a vehicle covering apparatus to protect the vehicle from environmental conditions such as severe weather.

Claims (37)

1. A vehicle protection system for deploying a vehicle covering apparatus, including a hub component with a plurality of guiding components and a plurality of inflatable components, the vehicle protection system comprising:

one or more processors, and

a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the vehicle protection system to:

receive, from a remote computing device, an instruction to initiate a deployment process to protect or to cover a vehicle;

send a signal to check whether the plurality of guiding components and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional; and

in response to determining that the plurality of guiding components and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional:

send, to a controller, a signal to deploy the plurality of guiding components and the plurality of inflatable components, and

send, to the controller, a signal to inflate the plurality of inflatable components.

2. The vehicle protection system of claim 1 , wherein the remote computing device is a mobile device associated with an owner of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle protection system of claim 1 , wherein the remote computing device receives a message from a sensor on the vehicle in response to the sensor detecting precipitation on the vehicle.

4. The vehicle protection system of claim 3 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a motion sensor, an impact sensor, a wind sensor, or a precipitation sensor.

5. The vehicle protection system of claim 1 , wherein the remote computing device sends the instruction at least partially based on a pre-determined environmental condition.

6. The vehicle protection system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inflatable components is inflated such that the inflated inflatable components at least partially cover the vehicle.

7. The vehicle protection system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of guiding components includes a plurality of cables, a plurality of ropes, or extendable, foldable mechanical arms, and wherein the guiding components are deployed to be circumferentially positioned surrounding the vehicle.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a machine to:

receive, from a remote computing device, an instruction to initiate a deployment process to protect or to cover a vehicle;

send a signal to check whether a plurality of guiding components and plurality of inflatable components of a hub component are functional; and

in response to determining that the plurality of guiding components and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional:

send, to a controller, a signal to deploy the plurality of guiding components and the plurality of inflatable components, and

send, to the controller, a signal to inflate the plurality of inflatable components.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the remote computing device is a mobile device associated with an owner of the vehicle.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the remote computing device receives a message from a sensor on the vehicle in response to the sensor detecting precipitation on the vehicle.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a motion sensor, an impact sensor, a wind sensor, or a precipitation sensor.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the remote computing device sends the instruction at least partially based on a pre-determined environmental condition.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of inflatable components is inflated such that the inflated inflatable components at least partially cover the vehicle.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of guiding components includes a plurality of cables, a plurality of ropes, or extendable, foldable mechanical arms, and wherein the guiding components are deployed to be circumferentially positioned surrounding the vehicle.

15. A method of deploying a vehicle covering apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, from a remote computing device, an instruction to initiate a deployment process to protect or to cover a vehicle;

sending a signal to check whether a plurality of guiding components and plurality of inflatable components of a hub component are functional; and

in response to determining that the plurality of guiding components and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional:

sending, to a controller, a signal to deploy the plurality of guiding components and the plurality of inflatable components, and

sending, to the controller, a signal to inflate the plurality of inflatable components.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the remote computing device is a mobile device associated with an owner of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the remote computing device receives a message from a sensor on the vehicle in response to the sensor detecting precipitation on the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a motion sensor, an impact sensor, a wind sensor, or a precipitation sensor.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the remote computing device sends the instruction at least partially based on a pre-determined environmental condition.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of inflatable components is inflated such that the inflated inflatable components at least partially cover the vehicle, wherein the plurality of guiding components include a plurality of cables, a plurality of ropes, or extendable, foldable mechanical arms, and wherein the guiding components are deployed to be circumferentially positioned surrounding the vehicle.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2021
From: UIPCO, LLC
To: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (USAA)
Reel/Frame 057777/0769 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2019
From: HANSEN, GREGORY DAVID; BUENTELLO, ANDRE RENE; AMANN, MANFRED
To: UIPCO, LLC
Reel/Frame 048652/0137 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15801170 · Nov 1, 2017
Provisional Application 62417418 · Nov 4, 2016
Cited By (1)
US 12,415,410