IP Library Granted Patent US 11,718,249
Granted Patent B2
US 11,718,249 · App. 16/751,826 · Granted Aug 8, 2023

Mobile device tools for smart vehicle features operation and automatic wireless routing selection and methods of use

Inventors: Ciprian R. Sandu (Coppell, TX); Jason T. Kriesel (Grand Prairie, TX); McKay R. Featherstone (Tipp City, OH); Edward Brady (Delaware, OH); Steven Hileman (Coldwater, OH)
Assignee: Thor Tech, Inc.
B60R16/0231B60H1/00828B60P3/343B60R25/01B60R25/24E04H15/08H04L67/12G16Y10/75G16Y20/10G16Y40/30H04L12/28
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,718,249
App. No.
16/751,826
Granted
Aug 8, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Control methods and systems including a smart vehicle, a smart mobile device including a processor, a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, and machine readable instructions stored in the memory that may cause a system to perform at least the following when executed by the processor: use the smart mobile device to automatically control functionality of smart features of the smart vehicle based on an applied control logic and environmental inputs and/or use the smart mobile device to automatically control a wireless routing selection between a local area network associated with the smart vehicle and a remote wide area network based on an application tool switch logic.

Claims (33)

1. A control system, the control system comprising:

a smart vehicle, the smart vehicle comprising an Internet of Things (IoT) controller and one or more smart vehicle features communicatively coupled to the IoT controller;

a smart mobile device comprising a software application tool, the smart mobile device including a user interface and comprising a processor, the software application tool paired with the IoT controller; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage communicatively coupled to the processor, the non-transitory computer readable storage comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the control system to

generate, by the IoT controller, environmental inputs with respect to the smart vehicle,

receive, by the software application tool, the environmental inputs with respect to the smart vehicle,

apply control logic based on the environmental inputs and the one or more smart vehicle features, and

control operation via the user interface of the software application tool of at least one smart vehicle feature of the one or more smart vehicle features based on the applied control logic and the environmental inputs;

wherein the control logic comprises logic to

determine as a line-of-sight (LOS) determination whether the at least one smart vehicle feature is within a LOS of a user of the smart mobile device, and

apply the control logic based on the environmental inputs, the one or more smart vehicle features, and the LOS determination; and

the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature comprise instructions to restrict operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature when the LOS determination is indicative that the at least one smart vehicle feature is not within the LOS of the user of the smart mobile device.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more smart vehicle features comprise a smart awning, one or more vent fans, or combinations thereof.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to control operation comprises opening, closing, shutting off, turning on, or locking of the at least one smart vehicle feature.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature comprise instructions to restrict operation via the user interface of the at least one smart vehicle feature.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature via the user interface comprise instructions to control operation via a control screen on the user interface, the control screen comprising one or more buttons each configured to control a respective smart vehicle feature of the one or more smart vehicle features.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the environmental inputs comprise information regarding power consumption, power connectivity, solar power performance, brake status, weather conditions, or combinations thereof.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:

the environmental inputs comprise information regarding power consumption as sensed by the IoT controller of the smart vehicle;

the control logic comprises logic to determine whether the power consumption as sensed by the IoT controller of the smart vehicle exceeds a threshold power consumption; and

the instructions to control operation of the at least one of the one or more smart vehicle features comprise instructions to restrict operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature when the power consumption as sensed by the IoT controller of the smart vehicle exceeds the threshold power consumption.

8. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:

the environmental inputs comprise a brake status of a vehicle brake of the smart vehicle as sensed by the IoT controller of the smart vehicle;

the control logic comprises logic to determine whether the brake status is indicative of activation of the vehicle brake; and

the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature comprise instructions to restrict operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature when the brake status is indicative of activation of the vehicle brake.

9. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:

the environmental inputs comprise information regarding weather conditions as sensed by a sensor communicatively coupled to the IoT controller of the smart vehicle;

the control logic comprises logic to determine whether the weather conditions are indicative of a risk of bad weather; and

the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature comprise instructions to restrict operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature when the weather conditions are indicative of a risk of bad weather.

10. The control system of claim 1 , wherein:

the smart vehicle further comprises a router, the router comprising a first router identification configured to provide wireless access as a wireless local area network (LAN) connection and a second router identification communicatively coupled with the IoT controller;

the control system further comprises network interface hardware configured to facilitate communication between the smart mobile device and the smart vehicle over a network connection, wherein the network connection comprises one of the wireless LAN connection and a wireless wide area network (WAN) connection; and

the instructions to control operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature comprise instructions to restrict operation of the at least one smart vehicle feature when the LOS determination is that the network connection comprises the wireless WAN connection.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE TRANSPOSITION ERROR OF INVENTOR FEATHERSTONE'S FIRST AND MIDDLE NAMES PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 051638 FRAME 0328. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 21, 2023
From: SANDU, CIPRIAN R.; KRIESEL, JOHN T.; FEATHERSTONE, RAYMOND MCKAY; BRADY, EDWARD; HILEMAN, STEVEN
To: AIRSTREAM, INC.
Reel/Frame 065360/0024 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2020
From: SANDU, CIPRIAN R.; KRIESEL, JASON T.; FEATHERSTONE, MCKAY R.; BRADY, EDWARD; HILEMAN, STEVEN
To: AIRSTREAM, INC.
Reel/Frame 051638/0328 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2020
From: AIRSTREAM, INC.
To: THOR TECH, INC.
Reel/Frame 051638/0422 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62796690 · Jan 25, 2019
Related Publication 20200238928A1 · Jul 30, 2020
Cited By (1)
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