CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national phase application of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) international application with serial number PCT/IN2018/050294 filed in the Indian Patent Office on May 11, 2018 with the title “A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE COMPONENTS USING SMARTPHONE”, and claims the priority and the benefit of the Provisional Patent Application with serial number 201741016606, filed in the Indian Patent Office on May 11, 2017, with the title “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE COMPONENTS USING SMARTPHONE”. The contents of both the Provisional Patent Application and the PCT international application are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The embodiments herein are generally related to a field of automobiles. The embodiments herein are particularly related to a system and method for remotely controlling the operations of two/three wheeled vehicles. The embodiments herein are more particularly related to a system and method for controlling the operation of a plurality of components in two/three wheeled vehicles through mobile computing devices of the user.

Description of the Related Art

Automobile industry has grown many folds in recent times owing to daily travelling commuting involved in a day to day life of a majority of, population to day. Travel to and from a work place accounts for a significant portion of a day in everyone's life by using private or commercial or public transport systems. Thus, automobile manufacturers are always thrive to make vehicles which are safe, comfortable and enjoyable for the users.

The vehicles available in market in recent times include various personalized features for the convenience and safety of the users. These personalized/customized features are adjustable seats, adjustable mirrors, remote keyless entry systems, automatic climate control system and the like. However, all these features are formed as a part of the vehicle and are not truly personalized to a specific user. Further, these features are mostly provided in four wheeled vehicles and not in two/three wheeled vehicles which is a preferred mode of transport for the majority of people around the world.

However, with the advent of advancements in internet and cloud technologies, an enhanced user experience is desired through an addition of new features such as remotely controlling the operations of the vehicle through smartphone of the user to the two/three wheeled vehicles.

Hence, there is a need for a system and method for enhancing user experience while travelling in/riding two/three wheeled vehicles. There is also a need for a system and method for remotely controlling the operations of two/three wheeled vehicles. Further, there is a need for a system and method for controlling the operation of two/three wheeled vehicle components through smartphones or mobile devices of the user.

The above mentioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are addressed herein and which will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.

OBJECTIVES OF THE EMBODIMENTS HEREIN

The primary object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for providing enhanced user experience while travelling/riding/using two/three wheeled vehicles.

Another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for remotely controlling the operations of two/three wheeled vehicles.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for controlling the operation of two/three wheeled vehicle components through smartphones or mobile devices of the user.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for pairing the smartphone of the user with the two/three wheeled vehicle using a wired or wireless connection.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for integrating a microprocessor with the two/three wheeled vehicle for reading various vehicle parameters such as speed, engine revolutions per minute (RPM), fuel level, gear etc. and for controlling various parts/components of the vehicle.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for tracking the components such as controller, motor, BMS, lights indicators, horns and other electronic parts for two and three wheeled vehicles.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for analysing the signals received from two/three wheeled vehicle for issuing commands/events to the microprocessor integrated with the vehicle to control the various components of the vehicle.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for uploading the data related to the vehicle parameters and commands/events on a cloud to build driver profile and allow live tracking of the vehicle parameters through a smartphone.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for controlling one or more turn indicators of the two/three wheeled vehicle through the smartphone of the user.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for remotely controlling a headlight, brake light and pilot lamp of the two/three wheeled vehicle through the smartphone of the user.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for locking/unlocking, immobilizing and operating the handle lock of the two/three wheeled vehicle through the smartphone of the user.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for learning and rating user driving pattern for suggesting riding/travel shortcuts on a map specific to the two/three wheeled vehicle through the smartphone of the user.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for enhancing the overall safety features provided to the user of the two/three wheeled vehicle.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide, a system and method for mapping road conditions (bumps, humps, slippery roads etc.) based on inputs received from two/three wheeled vehicles of the users, the cloud computing system and one or more sensors provided in the smartphone.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for controlling the speed of two/three wheeled vehicles depending on a speed limit specified on a particular road using the one or more vehicle parameter sensors, microprocessor, vehicle parameter controller, smartphone, and the cloud computing system.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for triggering emergency calls, Short Message Service (SMS) or notifications using the cloud computing system based on the inputs received from the smartphone and the two/three wheeled vehicle.

Yet another object of the embodiments herein is to provide a system and method for sensing the status and locking the handle of the two/three wheeled vehicle autonomously or based on the inputs provided by the user.

These and other objects and advantages of the embodiments herein will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY

These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

The following details present a simplified summary of the embodiments herein to provide a basic understanding of the several aspects of the embodiments herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of the embodiments herein. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the embodiments herein or to delineate the scope of the embodiments herein. Its sole purpose is to present the concepts of the embodiments herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The embodiments herein provide a system for controlling the operation of vehicle components in two/three wheeled vehicles through a smartphone of the user. The system comprises a vehicle module integrated with a two/three wheeled vehicle of a user. The vehicle module is configured for reading and transmitting a plurality of vehicle parameters. The plurality of vehicle parameters comprises a speed, an engine RPM, a tyre pressure, break level, fuel level and gear level. This system also tracks a controller, a motor, a battery management system (BMS), a broadcast message system, light indicators (indicator lamps), horns and other electronic parts in two and three wheeled vehicles. The system also comprises a smartphone of a user communicatively coupled with the vehicle module. The smartphone of the user is configured for receiving the plurality of vehicle parameters transmitted from the vehicle module. The smartphone of the user comprises one or more sensors. The one or more sensors are configured for estimating/evaluating a current status of the vehicle based on the status of the plurality of vehicle parameters. The user is enabled/prompted/reminded to send one or more commands/events using the smartphone for controlling the operation of one or more parts/components of the two/three wheeled vehicle based on the data related to the plurality of vehicle parameters. The system further comprises a cloud computing system communicatively coupled with the smartphone of the user. The cloud computing system is configured for storing a data related to the plurality of vehicle parameters and the events/commands sent by the smartphone. The cloud computing system is further configured for building a driver profile and for live tracking of the plurality of vehicle parameters related to the vehicle.

According to an embodiment herein, the vehicle module further comprises a vehicle parameter reader, and wherein the vehicle parameter reader is configured for reading the plurality of vehicle parameters.

According to an embodiment herein, the vehicle module further comprises a microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured for communicating with the smartphone of the user through a transceiver using a wired or wireless connection. The microprocessor is further configured for generating one or more instructions to control the operation of one or more parts/components of the vehicle as per the one or more commands/events received from the smartphone.

According to an embodiment herein, the vehicle module further comprises a vehicle parameter controller. The vehicle parameter controller is configured for controlling the operation of one or more parts/components of the vehicle based on the one or more instructions generated by the microprocessor.

According to an embodiment herein, the cloud computing system further comprises a machine learning module. The machine learning module is configured for analyzing the data collected using the vehicle module and the smartphone.

According to an embodiment herein, the cloud computing system further comprises a pattern recognition module. The pattern recognition module is configured for identifying a plurality of patterns (present) in the data collected using the vehicle module and the smartphone.

According to an embodiment herein, the cloud computing system further comprises an artificial intelligence module. The artificial intelligence module is configured for providing a plurality of insights/predictions/details regarding the functioning of the vehicle based on the analysis performed b the machine learning module and pattern recognition module.

According to an embodiment herein, the vehicle parameter reader is configured for reading the plurality of vehicle parameters using the one or more vehicle parameter sensors. The one or more vehicle parameter sensors comprise an engine control unit (ECU), an instrument cluster, a tire-pressure sensor, a body control module, a rain sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a side/main stand sensor, a brake sensor and a handle position sensor.

According to an embodiment herein, the one or more sensors provided in the smartphone comprise GPS, accelerometer, fingerprint scanner, iris scanner, microphone, speaker, compass, camera and gyroscope.

According to an embodiment herein, the machine learning module is further configured for identifying new routes based on a location related data gathered/collected/acquired from the smartphone.

According to an embodiment herein, the one or more operations controlled with the system comprise controlling one or more turn/direction indicators or indicator lamps of the vehicle by providing aa unique way of navigational guidance, controlling the headlight, brake light and pilot lamp of the vehicle based on ambient light conditions and lock/unlock, immobilizing and operating the handle lock of the vehicle by adding biometric authentication using the smartphone.

According to an embodiment herein, the system is further configured for learning and rating user driving patterns and for suggesting riding/travel shortcuts (shortcut routes for ridings/travels) a map specific to each two/three wheeled vehicle.

According to an embodiment herein, the system is further configured for providing a software application downloadable on the smartphone of the user. The user is enabled/prompted with the microprocessor to send one or more commands/events for operating the various pans/components of the vehicle using the software application.

According to an embodiment herein, a method is provided for controlling the operation of vehicle components in two/three wheeled vehicles through smartphone of the user. The method comprises the steps of pairing the smartphone of the user with a vehicle module integrated with the vehicle and reading a plurality of vehicle parameters using vehicle parameter reader via one or more vehicle parameter sensors provided in the vehicle module. The method also comprises transferring a data related to the one or more vehicle parameters to a microprocessor that transmits the data to a paired smartphone using a transceiver. The method further comprises processing the data received from the microprocessor using the smartphone for generating and transmitting/forwarding an one or more commands/even is to the microprocessor to control various parts/components of two/three wheeled vehicle. The method still further comprises sending commands to the microprocessor and directing the vehicle parameter controller to control a plurality of parts/components in the two/three wheeled vehicle.

According to an embodiment herein, the method further comprises uploading the data related to the plurality of vehicle parameters and related to the events/commands to a cloud computing system.

According to an embodiment herein, the method further comprises analyzing the uploaded data with an artificial intelligence module, machine learning algorithms and pattern recognition module for further processing.

According to an embodiment herein, the method further comprises communicating with the smartphone of the user through a transceiver provided in the vehicle module through a wired or wireless connection.

According to an embodiment herein, the method further comprises for identifying new routes based on the location related data gathered/collected from the smartphone.

According to an embodiment herein, the method farther comprises performing one or more vehicle operations remotely through the smartphone of the user. The one or more operations comprise controlling one or more turn indicators (direction indicators, side indicators, indicator lamps) of the vehicle by providing a unique way of navigational guidance, controlling the headlight, brake light and pilot lamp of the vehicle based on an ambient light conditions, locking/unlocking operations, immobilizing operation, and operating the handle lock of the vehicle by adding biometric authentication using the smartphone.

According to an embodiment herein, the method further comprises learning and rating a user driving patterns and for suggesting riding shortcuts on a map specific to each two/three wheeled vehicle.

The embodiments herein provide a system and method for controlling the operation of two/three wheeled vehicle components through smartphones or mobile devices of the user. The system comprises a vehicle module, a smartphone and a cloud computing system. The vehicle module comprises one or more vehicle parameter sensors, a vehicle parameter reader, a vehicle parameter controller, a microprocessor and a transceiver. The vehicle module is integrated with the two/three wheeled vehicle. The vehicle parameter reader is configured for reading plurality of vehicle parameters such as speed, engine RPM, fuel level gear etc, using one or more vehicle parameter sensors. This system also tracks controller, motor, BMS, lights indicators, horns and other electronic parts for two and three wheeled vehicles. The vehicle parameter reader is further configured for sending the read parameters to the microprocessor.

According to an embodiment herein, the microprocessor is configured for receiving a plurality of vehicle parameters from the vehicle parameter reader and for communicating with the smartphone through the transceiver using a wired or wireless connection. The microprocessor is configured to send/forward the data related to plurality of vehicle parameters to the smartphone.

According to an embodiment herein, the smartphone is configured to process the data received from the microprocessor. The smartphone comprises one or more sensors for accessing the current status of the vehicle based on the status of the plurality of vehicle parameters. The smartphone is further configured to generate and forward commands/events to the microprocessor to control the plurality of parts/components in the two/three wheeled vehicle.

According to an embodiment herein, the microprocessor is further configured for receiving the commands from the microprocessor for sending a signal to the vehicle parameter controller to control the operation of one or more parts/components of the vehicle such as headlight, indicators, engine immobilizer, throttle controller, engine control unit, handle lock, handle motor control, etc. The commands/events are generated based on the data related to plurality of vehicle parameters acquired from the microprocessor.

According to an embodiment herein, the data related to the plurality of vehicle parameters and to the events/commands is also uploaded to a cloud for further processing by the smartphone. The data uploaded via the smartphone is utilized to build a driver profile and to allow a live tracking of the plurality of vehicle parameters related to the two/three wheeled vehicle. The location related data received from the smartphone is analyzed using one or more machine learning algorithms to search and identify patterns such as new routes etc.

According to an embodiment herein, the cloud computing system forms the backend of the system and is configured for storing the data collected via microprocessor and smartphone. The cloud computing system also performs several analytical operations on the stored data using artificial intelligence module and machine learning module. Patterns are identified in the data using a pattern recognition module to provide insights and to control the various parts/components of the two/three wheeled vehicle via smartphone. This also helps in mapping various road conditions and surrounding details such as speed breakers, pot holes, slippery roads, bumpy roads and the like.

According to an embodiment herein, the system is configured for performing a variety of operations such as controlling one or more turn indicators of the two/three wheeled vehicle by providing unique way of navigational guidance, controlling the headlight, brake light and pilot lamp of the two/three wheeled vehicle based on ambient light conditions, performing lock/unlock operations, and immobilizing and operating the handle lock of the two/three wheeled vehicle by adding biometric authentication using the smartphone and the like. The system is further configured for learning and rating user driving pattern and also suggesting riding shortcuts on map specific to two/three wheeled vehicle. The system also provides details about the road conditions and triggers emergency responses (such as emergency calls, SMS or notifications) on detecting any crash, fall etc. The system performs all these operations by using the functionalities of the microprocessor, smartphone, cloud computing system, one or more vehicle parameter sensors and the one or more sensors provided in the smartphone.

According to an embodiment herein, the system is configured for providing a software application hosted on the smartphone of the user. The user registers with the system through the software application by providing various personal details. The smartphone of the user is paired with the vehicle module using a wired or wireless connection on successful authentication via the software application present on the smartphone. The user authentication is performed using fingerprint scan, iris scan or voice recognition. The smartphone additionally is equipped with artificial intelligence algorithms, machine learning algorithms and pattern recognition algorithms as part of the installed software application. These algorithms are used for issuing commands to microprocessor provided in the vehicle module for controlling the parts of vehicle.

According to an embodiment herein, a method for controlling the operation of two/three wheeled vehicle components through smartphones of the user is provided. The method comprises the steps of pairing a smartphone of the user with a vehicle module integrated with the vehicle. A plurality of vehicle parameters are read using vehicle parameter reader via one or more vehicle parameter sensors provided in the vehicle module. The data related to the one or more vehicle parameters is transferred to the microprocessor that in turn transmits the data to the paired smartphone using a transceiver. The smartphone is configured to process the data received from the microprocessor to generate commands/events to be transmitted to the microprocessor to control the plurality of parts/components of the two/three wheeled vehicle. The microprocessor is configured to receive the commands from the smartphone to direct the vehicle parameter controller to control various parts/components of the two/three wheeled vehicle. The data related to the plurality of vehicle parameters and data related to the events/commands is also uploaded to the cloud computing system by the smartphone. The uploaded data is analyzed using artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms and pattern recognition for further processing. The analysed data is used for providing insights to the user and for controlling the vehicle via smartphone.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can, be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

