Facilitation of remote assistance for occupant in response to detection of distressed vehicle loading condition
Herein, a technology is discussed that facilitates remote assistance for an occupant of a vehicle in response to the detection of distressed vehicle loading conditions during a power-assisted loading of cargo into the vehicle. The technology and techniques described herein detect a distressed condition that occurs during a power-assisted loading of cargo into a vehicle. In response to the detected condition, the technology and techniques notify a remote communications center and facilitate the assistance of an occupant in cooperation with that center.
1 . A method of loading cargo comprising:
loading the cargo with a power-assisted loading system from a to-be-loaded position outside a vehicle to inside the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a powered tailgate, and the power-assisted loading system includes a flat sliding panel and a scissor lift;
monitoring the loading of the cargo into the vehicle with a plurality of sensors coupled to a computer, wherein:
the monitoring includes measuring multiple durations of multiple stages of the loading; and
the multiple stages include opening the powered tailgate, moving the flat sliding panel outward from the vehicle, lowering the scissor lift, capturing the cargo in the scissor lift, raising the cargo with scissor lift, retracting the flat sliding panel into the vehicle, and closing the powered tailgate;
detecting a distressed condition during one or more of the multiple stages of the power-assisted loading system with the computer;
in response to the detecting of the distressed condition, notifying automatically a remote communications center remote from the vehicle of the detection of the distressed condition;
receiving a message from the remote communications center in response to the notifying; and
facilitating troubleshooting of the power-assisted loading system with the computer based on the message.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
associating a triggering threshold of duration with each of the multiple stages of the loading, wherein the detecting of the distressed condition includes:
comparing the multiple durations of the multiple stages of the loading to their associated triggering threshold of duration;
determining that the duration of at least one of the multiple stages of the loading exceeds its associated triggering threshold of duration; and
in response to the determination that the duration of the at least one of the multiple stages of loading exceeds its associated triggering threshold of duration, indicating that the distressed condition exists.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring further includes listening to loading-proximate ambient audio during the multiple stages of loading and/or visually observing a loading-proximate area during the multiple stages of loading.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the detecting of the distressed condition includes:
recognizing one or more sounds of distress from the power-assisted loading system; and
in response to the recognizing of the one or more sounds of distress, indicating that the distressed condition exists.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more sounds of distress includes a sound of a malfunctioning mechanism within the power-assisted loading system.
6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the detecting of the distressed condition includes:
recognizing one or more visual signs of distress of the power-assisted loading system; and
in response to the recognizing of the one or more visual signs of distress, indicating that the distressed condition exists.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more visual signs of distress include one or more of a visual of a malfunctioning mechanism of the power-assisted loading system, a visual rapid and repetitive motion in the power-assisted loading system, and a visual shaking of the vehicle.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
delivering the message to an occupant of the vehicle.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the facilitating of the troubleshooting of the power-assisted loading system further includes one of more of performing diagnostics on the power-assisted loading system, contacting nearby assistance, contacting emergency services, resetting components of the vehicle, resetting the vehicle, sounding alarms, flashing lights, and broadcasting a distress message.
10 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by one or more processors that, when executed, direct one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
controlling a loading of cargo with a power-assisted loading system from a to-be-loaded position outside a vehicle to inside the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a powered tailgate, and the power-assisted loading system includes a flat sliding panel and a scissor lift;
monitoring the loading of the cargo into the vehicle with a plurality of sensors coupled to a computer, wherein the monitoring includes:
measuring multiple durations of multiple stages of the loading; and
the multiple stages include opening the powered tailgate, moving the flat sliding panel outward from the vehicle, lowering the scissor lift, capturing the cargo in the scissor lift, raising the cargo with scissor lift, retracting the flat sliding panel into the vehicle, and closing the powered tailgate;
detecting a distressed condition during one or more of the multiple stages of the power-assisted loading system;
in response to the detecting of the distressed condition, notifying automatically a remote communications center remote from the vehicle of the detection of the distressed condition;
receiving a message from the remote communications center in response to the notifying; and
facilitating troubleshooting of the power-assisted loading system with the computer based on the message.
11 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise;
associating a triggering threshold of duration with each of the multiple stages of the loading, wherein the detecting of the distressed condition includes:
comparing the multiple durations of the multiple stages of loading to their associated triggering threshold of duration;
determining that the duration of at least one of the multiple stages of loading exceeds its associated triggering threshold of duration; and
in response to the determining that the duration of the at least one of the multiple stages of loading exceeds its associated triggering threshold, indicating that the distressed condition exists.
12 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the monitoring further includes listening to loading-proximate ambient audio during the multiple stages of loading and/or visually observing a loading-proximate area during the multiple stages of loading.
13 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the message received from the remote communication center is one or more of a short message service communication, an electronic data communication, and telephony communication.
14 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the facilitating of the troubleshooting of the power-assisted loading system includes one or more of performing diagnostics on the power-assisted loading system, contacting nearby human assistance, contacting emergency services, resetting components of the vehicle, resetting the vehicle, sounding alarms, flashing lights, and broadcasting a distress message.
15 . A method of loading cargo comprising:
loading the cargo with a power-assisted loading system from a to-be-loaded position outside a vehicle to inside the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a powered tailgate, and the power-assisted loading system includes a flat sliding panel and a scissor lift;
monitoring the loading of the cargo into the vehicle with a plurality of sensors coupled to a computer, wherein:
the monitoring includes: measuring multiple durations of multiple stages of the loading; and
the multiple stages include opening the powered tailgate, moving the flat sliding panel outward from the vehicle, lowering the scissor lift, capturing the cargo in the scissor lift, raising the cargo with scissor lift, retracting the flat sliding panel into the vehicle, and closing the powered tailgate;
associating a triggering threshold of duration with each of the multiple stages of the loading in the computer;
detecting a distressed condition during one or more of the multiple stages of the power-assisted loading system with the computer;
in response to the detecting of the distressed condition, notifying a remote communications center remote from the vehicle of the detection of the distressed condition;
receiving a message from the remote communications center in response to the notifying; and
facilitating assistance of an occupant of the vehicle based on the message.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the detecting of the distressed condition includes:
comparing multiple durations of multiple stages of the loading to their associated triggering threshold of duration;
determining that the duration of at least one of the loading stages exceeds its associated triggering threshold; and
in response to the determining that the duration of at least one of the multiple stages of loading exceeds its associated triggering threshold of duration, indicating that the distressed condition exists.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the monitoring further includes:
listening to loading-proximate ambient audio during the multiple stages of loading; and
listening to one or more sounds of distress that include at least one of a human voice requesting assistance, a human voice expressing pain or distress, a sound of a malfunctioning mechanism, a pounding on the vehicle, and a repetitive, high-pitched, or loud volume utterance from a human.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the monitoring further includes:
visually observing a loading-proximate area during the multiple stages of loading; and
visually observing one or more visual signs of distress that include at least one of a human expressing pain or distress, a visual of a malfunctioning mechanism of the power-assisted loading system, a rapid and repetitive motion in the power-assisted loading system, and a visual shaking of the vehicle.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the message received from the remote communication center includes at least one of a short message service communication, an electronic data communication, an audio voice communication, and telephony communication.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the facilitating of the assistance of the occupant includes one of more of performing diagnostics, interrogating the occupant, troubleshooting a malfunctioning mechanism on the power-assisted loading system, contacting nearby human assistance, contacting emergency services, directing to reset components of the vehicle, directing to reset the vehicle, sounding alarms, flashing lights, and broadcasting a distress message.