IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,673,461
Granted Patent B1
US 11,673,461 · App. 17/502,012 · Granted Jun 13, 2023

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
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,673,461
App. No.
17/502,012
Granted
Jun 13, 2023
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 (33)

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:

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.

2. The vehicle protection system of claim 1 , wherein the signal to check whether the plurality of guiding component and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional is sent in response to receiving an instruction to initiate a deployment process to protect or to cover the vehicle.

3. The vehicle protection system of claim 1 , wherein the signal to check whether the plurality of guiding component and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional is sent in response to receiving a message from a sensor on the vehicle detecting precipitation.

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 signal to check whether the plurality of guiding components and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional is sent in response to receiving an instruction indicating a pre-determined environmental condition.

6. The vehicle protection system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to send a signal to inflate the plurality of inflatable components, 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:

send a signal to check whether a plurality of guiding components and plurality of inflatable components of a hub component of a vehicle covering apparatus 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 such that the vehicle covering apparatus protects or covers a vehicle.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the signal to check whether the plurality of guiding component and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional is sent in response to receiving an instruction to initiate a deployment process to protect or to cover the vehicle.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the signal to check whether the plurality of guiding component and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional is sent in response to receiving a message from a sensor on the vehicle detecting precipitation.

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 signal to check whether the plurality of guiding components and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional is sent in response to receiving an instruction indicating a pre-determined environmental condition.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to send a signal to inflate the plurality of inflatable components, 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 for the vehicle covering apparatus 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 of the vehicle covering apparatus 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 signal to check whether the plurality of guiding component and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional is sent in response to receiving an instruction to initiate a deployment process to protect or to cover the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the signal to check whether the plurality of guiding component and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional is sent in response to receiving a message from a sensor on the vehicle detecting precipitation.

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 signal to check whether the plurality of guiding components and plurality of inflatable components of the hub component are functional is sent in response to receiving an instruction indicating a pre-determined environmental condition.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to send a signal to inflate the plurality of inflatable components, 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 Jun 1, 2022
From: HANSEN, GREGORY DAVID; BUENTELLO, ANDRE RENE; AMANN, MANFRED
To: UIPCO, LLC
Reel/Frame 060069/0943 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2022
From: UIPCO, LLC
To: UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (USAA)
Reel/Frame 060070/0060 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16357117 · Mar 18, 2019
Continuation 15801170 · Nov 1, 2017
Provisional Application 62417418 · Nov 4, 2016
Cited By (1)
US 12,415,410