IP Library Granted Patent US 11,600,173
Granted Patent B2
US 11,600,173 · App. 16/507,810 · Granted Mar 7, 2023

Devices, systems, and methods for driving incentivization

Inventors: Liang Kong (Santa Clara, CA); Joerg Christian Wolf (Foster City, CA)
G08G1/0145G06Q20/10G08G1/0125G08G1/052G08G1/0962
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,600,173
App. No.
16/507,810
Granted
Mar 7, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods related to incentives for complying with suggested driving operations can include determining suggested driving operations, determining a desirability of the suggested driving operations, communicating the desirability of the suggested driving operations, and optionally monitoring compliance with the suggested driving operations.

Claims (32)

1. A method of determining and communicating a suggested driving operation to a user of a transportation vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, by communication circuitry installed within the transportation vehicle, information from a traffic information system for consideration in determining a suggested driving operation,

determining, by a processor installed within the transportation vehicle, based on the received information, a suggested driving operation of the transportation vehicle to reduce traffic impedance, wherein the determining of the suggested driving operation includes calculating a suggested speed based on the information received from the traffic information system,

communicating the suggested driving operation to the transportation vehicle user for execution including outputting the suggested driving operation onto at least one user interface including a display for presentation to the transportation vehicle user,

determining a value of desirability of the suggested driving operation,

determining an accumulated compliance value based on historical compliance information, and

presenting both the value of desirability and the accumulated compliance value together, as a graphical image on the display of the at least one user interface, to the transportation vehicle user to encourage compliance with the suggested driving operation,

wherein the value of desirability is presented as a potential additional accumulated compliance rating if compliance with the suggested driving operation is undertaken.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the value of desirability includes determining a severity of the traffic impedance, and the suggested driving operation is determined based on the severity of the traffic impedance.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising verifying compliance with the suggested driving operation.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein verifying compliance includes determining whether the suggested driving operation has occurred, and the method further comprises, in response to successful confirmation that the suggested driving operation has occurred, presenting the accumulated compliance value determined according to the value of desirability.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein verifying compliance includes monitoring at least one of speed and location of the transportation vehicle for a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the likelihood of compliance with suggested driving operation is based on historical compliance information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accumulated compliance value comprises an accumulated value of a preferred vehicular-access status award comprising preferred traffic signal operations.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accumulated compliance value comprises an accumulated value of a preferred vehicular-access status award comprising access to exclusive lanes of travel comprising at least one of carpool lanes and low-emission vehicle lanes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accumulated compliance value comprises an accumulated value of a preferred vehicular-access status award comprising preferred parking status includes low-emission vehicle parking status.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating a compliance indication to other vehicles on the roadway execution of the suggested driving operation.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving information from a traffic information system includes receiving traffic signal information.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein calculating the suggested driving operation includes determining a suggested reduced speed based on the received traffic signal information to delay arrival at the traffic signal.

13. A vehicle control system onboard a transportation vehicle for determining and communicating a suggested driving operation to a user of a transportation vehicle, the vehicle control system comprising:

communication circuitry for receiving information from a traffic information system for consideration in determining a suggested driving operation,

at least one processor configured to execute instructions stored on memory, to determine a suggested driving operation of the transportation vehicle to reduce traffic impedance based on the received information, wherein the determining of the suggested driving operation includes calculating a suggested speed based on information received from the traffic information system, to communicate the suggested driving operation to the transportation vehicle user for execution, to determine a value of desirability of the suggested driving operation, and to determine an accumulated compliance value based on historical compliance information,

and

at least one user interface in communication with the at least one processor, the at least one user interface including a display, the user interface configured to present both the value of desirability and the accumulated compliance value together to the transportation vehicle user as a graphical image to encourage compliance with the suggested driving operation, wherein the value of desirability is presented as a potential additional accumulated compliance rating if compliance with the suggested driving operation is undertaken.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a severity of the traffic impedance, and the at least one processor is configured to determine the suggested driving operation based on the severity of the traffic impedance.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to verify compliance with the suggested driving operation including to determine whether the suggested driving operation has occurred, and in response to successful confirmation that the suggested driving operation has occurred, communicating with the at least one interface to present an accumulated compliance value determined according to the value of desirability.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to verify compliance includes monitoring at least one of speed and location of the transportation vehicle for a predetermined period of time.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the determining of the suggested driving operation includes determining a likelihood of compliance with the suggested driving operation based on historical compliance information.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the accumulated compliance value comprises an accumulated value of a preferred vehicular-access status award comprising preferred traffic signal operations.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the accumulated compliance value comprises an accumulated value of a preferred vehicular-access status award comprising exclusive lanes of travel comprising at least one of carpool lanes and low-emission vehicle lanes.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the accumulated compliance value comprises an accumulated value of a preferred vehicular-access status award comprising preferred parking status includes low-emission vehicle parking status.

21. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to communicate a compliance indication to other vehicles, responsive to execution of the suggested driving operation.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2020
From: VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC.
To: VOLKSWAGEN AG; AUDI AG; PORSCHE AG
Reel/Frame 053484/0441 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2019
From: KONG, LIANG; WOLF, JOERG CHRISTIAN
To: VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 049716/0649 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210012652A1 · Jan 14, 2021