Rain onset detection auto-close user interface

MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

PATENT TITLE No. 374045

<td>Title(s):</td><td>FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC</td>

<td>Home:</td><td>Fairlane Plaza South, Suite 800, 330 Town Center Drive, Dearborn, Michigan, 48126, USA</td>

<td>Denomination:</td><td>USER INTERFACE FOR AUTOMATIC CLOSURE DUE TO RAIN DETECTION.</td>

<td>Classification:</td><td>CIP: E05F15/71; B60J1/00; B60J7/00; B60K35/00; E05F15/77; G08B21/18 CPC: E05F15/71; B60J1/00; B60J7/00; B60K35/00; B60K37/06; E05F15/77; G07C9/00309; G08B21/18; B60K2370/11; B60K2370/55; B60K2370/566; B60K2370/573; B60K2370/589</td>

<td>Inventor(s):</td><td>JOHN ROBERT VAN WIEMEERSCH; PATRICK KEVIN HOLUB; OLEG YURIEVITCH GUSIKHIN APPLICATION</td>

<td colspan="2">Number: Date of Presentation: Time:</td>

<td colspan="2">MX/a/2016/008854 July 5, 2016 2:25 PM</td>

PRIORITY

Country: US

Date:

July 2015

Number:

14/797,682

Validity: Twenty years

Expiration Date: July 5, 2036

Date of Issue: July 27, 2020

The reference patent is granted on the basis of articles 1^either, 2^either Section V, 6^either Section III, and 59 of the Industrial Property Law.

Pursuant to Article 23 of the Industrial Property Law, this patent is valid for twenty years, non-renewable, starting from the date of filing the application, and is subject to payment of a fee to maintain the rights.

The undersigned of this title does so on the basis of the provisions of articles 6^either Section III, 7^either BIS 2 and 59 of the Industrial Property Law; articles 1^either, 3^either Section V, paragraph a), sub-paragraph iii), 4^either and 12° sections I and III of the Regulations of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property; articles 1^either, 3^either, 4^either, 5^either Section V, paragraph a), sub-paragraph iii), 16, sections I and III, and 30 of the Organic Statute of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property; 1^either, 3^either and 5^either Section a) and the penultimate paragraph of the Agreement that delegates powers to the Deputy General Directors, Coordinator, Divisional Directors, Heads of Regional Offices, Divisional Deputy Directors, Departmental Coordinators and other subordinates of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property.

This document is signed with an advanced electronic signature (FIEL), pursuant to Article 7 BIS 2 of the Industrial Property Law; Article 3 of its Regulations; and Articles 1, Section III, 2, Section V, 26 BIS, and 26 TER of the Agreement Establishing the Guidelines for the Use of the Electronic Payments and Services Portal (PASE) of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (Instituto Mexicano de Propiedad Industrial) in the procedures indicated.

DIVISIONAL DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PATENT SUBSIDY EXAMINATION, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND UTILITY MODEL AREAS

<img file="MX374045B_D0001.tif" />

Pedro David Fragoso Lopez

Original Chain:

PEDRO DAVID FRAGOSO LOPEZ | 00001000000405457619 | Administration Department

Tax|1052||MX/2020/52815|MX/a/2016/008854|Normal patent title|1027|RGZ|Page(s) |tXjtHnBwMWV9zHd8nxjGJL09rXc=

Digital Seal:

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MX/2020/52815 www.gob.mx/impi

Arenal No. 550, Santa María Tepepan Town, Mexico City, CP 16020. CDMX

Creativity for Well-being

<img file="MX374045B_D0002.tif" />

IMPI

MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

USER INTERFACE FOR AUTOMATIC CLOSURE DUE TO RAIN DETECTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates, in general, to a user interface for automatic rain detection functionality for a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Systems have been proposed to close vehicle power windows (including, but not limited to, front and rear door windows, side vent windows, sunroofs, moonroofs, and convertible tops) in the event of rain. These systems typically use dedicated rain sensors and automatically close the windows based on the detected precipitation. These methods may seem logical, but they are not economically effective in terms of parts costs or the power-off discharge (KOL) current budget for a parked vehicle. Adding a sensor solely for rain monitoring proves to be difficult from a commercial perspective, as rain entering through the windows is a relatively unlikely scenario. Thus, while automatic window closers may be welcome at a low or no cost, customers may be reluctant to pay extra for this rarely used option.

To address the cost of additional sensors, some systems propose using existing windshield rain sensors to activate or change wiper speed based on windshield moisture. These systems can sample the windshield rain sensor while the vehicle is off and can provide an automatic wiper-closing feature upon detection of wet glass. However, such systems are impractical for vehicles that lack windshield wiper systems.

<img file="MX374045B_D0003.tif" />

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY intelligent systems are not economically effective from a KOL perspective, since windshield rain sensors consume considerable KOL while active. To keep the additional KOL manageable, windshield rain sensors can be tested at extended intervals, but this may reduce the effectiveness of such a system below acceptable limits.

As an additional disadvantage, such systems fail to take into account safety considerations for animals or people who may be inside the vehicle when an automatic locking event occurs. For example, if rainy conditions change to sunny, the vehicle's cabin may experience a dangerous increase in temperature due to increased solar load.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a first illustrative embodiment, a system includes a telematics control unit; and a controller in communication with the telematics control unit and a plurality of capacitive sensors, configured to access notification settings to determine that a mobile device shall notify of a rain condition identified using the sensors; Instruct the telematics control unit to send a rain alert to the mobile device to obtain confirmation for taking action in response to the rain condition; and close the vehicle's openings in response to receiving the confirmation.

In a second illustrative embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a mobile device of a user, notification settings to be applied to a controller of the vehicle determining rain conditions; identifying, by the vehicle controller, a rain condition according to a capacitive change in sensor data received from a plurality of external capacitive sensors of the vehicle; and send a rain alert to the mobile device to obtain confirmation to perform the actions in response to the rain condition specified by the notification settings.

In a third illustrative embodiment, a system includes a mobile device configured to display a user interface for specifying settings.

<img file="MX374045B_D0004.tif" />

IMPI

Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY) notification to be applied to a vehicle controller configured to determine rain conditions; receive a rain alert from the vehicle controller requesting confirmation to perform the rain-related actions specified by the notification settings; and send, in response to user input on the mobile device, confirmation to perform the rain-related actions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates an example vehicle system for detecting rain and closing windows, a sunroof, or a vent;

FIG. 1B illustrates an example system for using information from a weather service to assist in determining rainfall conditions;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example detection of a sudden rain condition using sensor data from a capacitive sensor and a detection threshold;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example detection of a rain condition using sensor data from a plurality of capacitive sensors;

FIG. 4A illustrates an example user interface of the notification application showing a main menu for configuring notification settings;

FIG. 4B illustrates an example user interface of the notification application showing the activation submenu;

FIG. 4C illustrates an example user interface of the notification application showing the alert submenu;

FIGS. 4D and 4E illustrate an example user interface of the notification application 120 showing the closing conditions submenu;

FIG. 4F illustrates an example user interface of the notification application showing the rain finished submenu;

FIG. 5A illustrates an example user interface for selecting applications for use on a vehicle head-up display;

<img file="MX374045B_D0005.tif" />

IMPI

MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

FIG. 5B illustrates an example user interface of the notification application showing a main menu for configuring notification settings on a vehicle head-up display;

FIG. 6A illustrates an example user interface illustrating an alert displayed on the monitor of the mobile device;

FIG. 6B illustrates an example user interface illustrating a closing confirmation displayed on the monitor of the mobile device;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example process for rain detection to perform actions upon rain condition; and

FIG. 8 illustrates an example process for performing rain condition actions in response to a detected rain condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention, which may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching a person skilled in the art to employ the present invention in a variety of ways.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 of a vehicle 102 for detecting rain and closing the windows, sunroof, or vent. The system 100 may include aspects of a passive keyless entry/start system (PEPS) for detecting rain, aspects of a power window system for generating window closing (e.g., a power window system for generating window closing). e.g., closing of power windows for front and rear doors, power window side vents, power sunroofs and moonroofs, as examples), and aspects of a telematics system for user notification and configuration. System 100 may

<img file="MX374045B_D0006.tif" />

IMPI

Mexican Institute of Industrial Property may take many different forms and include multiple and/or alternative components and attributes. While an example system 100 is shown in FIG. 1, the illustrated example components of system 100 are not intended to be limiting. Certainly, additional and/or alternative components and/or implementations may be used.

In a PEPS system, a user may carry an electronic transmission device, such as a PEPS key fob 104, to enable keyless entry into the vehicle 102. To initiate a door unlock sequence, the user may touch or move in close proximity to a PEPS handle capacitive sensor 106 of a door handle of the vehicle 102. Upon identification by a capacitive sensor 106 of the potential presence of a user, a controller 108 of the vehicle 102 may initiate a stimulus-acceptance sequence with the key fob 104. The sequence may include the controller 108 sending a low frequency message to the key fob 104, and listening for a high frequency response from the key fob 104 that includes an identification code. Upon receipt of the correct identification code, the vehicle controller 108 can unlock the doors of the vehicle 102.

A vehicle 102 equipped with PEPS capacitive sensors 106 may have multiple capacitive sensors 106 on each door handle. For example, each door handle may have one capacitive sensor 106 for performing a locking function and a second capacitive sensor 106 for performing an unlocking function. A trunk lid or tailgate of a vehicle may typically have only one unlocking capacitive sensor 106. As another example, capacitive sensors 106 may include capacitive keypads used in some vehicles 102 to facilitate entry into the vehicle 102 upon receiving a correct key code entered into the keypad. Even other types of capacitive sensors 106 of the vehicle 102 may also be utilized by the system 100, such as any other exterior capacitive sensors that may be utilized for keyless entry purposes, such as lock/unlock, unlock, or keypad operations.

<img file="MX374045B_D0007.tif" />

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

The controller 108 may be configured to receive capacitive values from the capacitive sensors 106 and to identify an initial capacitance level. This may be done, for example, based on an average of the values received from the sensors, or based on data received from other environmental sensors of the vehicle 102. The initial capacitance level may shift up or down based on various environmental conditions, such as changes in temperature or humidity. If the controller 108 detects a substantial change from the initial capacitance level over a relatively short period of time, the controller 108 may determine the potential presence of a user. For example, capacitive sensors 106 may detect a change in capacitance based on the presence of an approaching human hand. Capacitive sensors 106, such as FIFO handle sensors 106 and keypad sensors 106, may also be sensitive to the appearance of moisture. Thus, capacitive sensors 106 may be considered rain sensors sensitive to detecting a rainy condition.

A vehicle 102 equipped with a PEPS system may include one or more capacitive sensors 106 on each of a plurality of door handles, resulting in a sensor array 106 that may be used for rain detection. For example, a vehicle 102 that includes two capacitive sensors 106 on each of the four doors may be considered to have a set of eight rain sensors, while a vehicle 102 with two capacitive sensors 106 on the two front doors may be considered to have a set of four sensors. Additionally, in some vehicles 102 with a capacitive trunk release, the rear trunk release sensor 106 may allow for a set of nine rain sensors 106 in a four-door sedan or a set of five sensors 106 in a two-door sedan. Other vehicles 102 may include different sets of capacitive sensors 106, such as capacitive sensors with a numeric keypad 106 for unlocking the associated doors of the vehicle. However, since PEPS keyless entry systems may be standard on many vehicles 102 and since PEPS capacitive handle sensors 106 may be active when the vehicle 102 is off to facilitate keyless entry,

<img file="MX374045B_D0008.tif" />

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY the use of PEPS 106 handle capacitive sensors for rain detection provides the controller 108 of a set of capacitive sensors 106 that may not have increasing cost on the part and increasing KOL.

The controller 108 may be configured to receive sensor data from the PEPS capacitive handle sensors 106 indicative of relative capacitance levels. These inputs to the controller 108 from the PEPS capacitive handle sensors 106 may be used to identify the onset of a rain condition. For example, if sensor data received from two or more capacitive sensors 106 includes relatively simultaneous changes in capacitance and further, if the vehicle is locked, that the controller 108 does not detect the key fob 104 as being within proximity of the exterior stimulus zone of a door handle, and if the vehicle is unlocked, If there is no occurrence of a door opening within a stipulated period of time after the detected change in capacitance, the controller 108 may conclude that the onset of a rain condition has occurred. As another example, if sensor data received from at least one capacitive sensor 106 per door handle records a detection of a change in capacitance that is not followed by the occurrence of a door opening for a door corresponding to the at least one capacitive sensor 106, then the controller 108 may conclude that an onset of a rain condition has been generated.

In some cases, the controller 108 may implement a two-stage process to determine the onset of a rain condition. For example, based on receiving a change in capacitance of a PEPS capacitive handle sensor 106, absent detection of a PEPS key fob handle 104 in proximity to the sensor 106 or an occurrence of a door opening, the system 100 may alert the vehicle 102 and look for secondary signs of rain before concluding that a rain condition exists. As examples of the secondary signs, the controller 108 may: activate a rain sensor of the smart wiper 112 to identify if the windshield appears wet, activate connectivity to a local weather information source via the telematics control unit 114 to determine if rain is anticipated (e.g., as shown in Figure 1).

<img file="MX374045B_D0009.tif" />

IMPI

MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY explains in greater detail regarding FIG. 1B), using the onboard humidity sensors of a vehicle 102 to determine whether humidity levels are indicative of rain, comparing the lock and unlock capacitive sensors 106 in a given door handle to data from sensor 202 confirming the rain condition, comparing readings from other locations of the capacitive sensor 106 of the vehicle 102 to data from sensor 202 confirming the rain condition, or use the solar load sensors on board the vehicle 102 to identify the solar load present on the vehicle 102. As a more specific example, the solar load sensors may be used to exclude data from the capacitive sensor 106 otherwise indicative of closing a window in the event of solar load values that are contradictorily high for an actual rain condition. However, the use of solar load sensors for confirming a rain condition may be limited to use during certain time periods, e.g., the time of day as determined by time and date information on board the vehicle 102, potentially supplemented by location information available to the vehicle (e.g., according to a navigation system or a global positioning system receiver).

Upon determining a reasonable probability of rain, the controller 108 may be configured to perform various actions. For example, the controller 108 may be configured to provide instructions to the power window actuators 110 configured to cause the windows (e.g., e.g., the front and rear door power windows, power window side vents, power sunroofs and moonroofs) of vehicle 102 from closing, thereby preventing rain from entering vehicle 102. In some cases, controller 108 may identify that the vehicle doors are locked and that the closed vehicle window was previously opened more than a predefined limit for the window (e.g., a window with a locking mechanism is opened). In such a case, the controller 108 may unlock at least one of the vehicle doors (e.g., the door whose window was closed) to maintain access to the vehicle 102. As another example, the controller 108 may be configured to alert the user of the vehicle 102 to the presence of rain and

<img file="MX374045B_D0010.tif" />

IMPI

Mexican Institute of Industrial Property request user confirmation to close the windows. The alert may be sent to the user, for example, to a mobile device 118 of the user via a telematics control unit 114 of the vehicle 102.

In some embodiments, the controller 108 may be further configured to determine the end of the rain condition. For example, similar to determining the onset of a rain condition, the controller 108 may detect a reverse change in the capacitance level returning to an initial capacitance level. Upon determining the end of a rain condition, the controller 108 may be configured to perform various additional actions. For example, the controller 108 may be configured to cause the windows of the vehicle 102 to reopen. For vehicles 102 that support reporting of window position information, the controller 108 may be configured to reopen the windows by recording a window position prior to closing, and to return the windows to the recorded position upon detecting the end of the rain condition. For vehicles 102 that do not support reporting of window position information, the controller 108 may record, for example, an amount of time it takes to close a window and may provide a reopen command to the window for the recorded amount of time after detecting the end of the rain condition.

The actions taken by the vehicle 102 when rain is detected, or when the end of rain is detected, may be based on the notification settings 116 of the vehicle 102. Notification settings 116 may include, as some examples without limitation, whether to enable the rain auto-lock feature, if enabled, whether to send alerts to the user, whether to require confirmation of alerts before performing closing actions, which specific windows to close, geographic differences in behavior, differences in behavior based on which key fob 104 was used most recently, differences in behavior based on which mobile device 118 was most recently connected to the telematics control unit 114, and the

<img file="MX374045B_D0011.tif" />

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY adjustments regarding the reopening of windows after the end of the rainy season.

The controller 108 may maintain the notification settings 116 and may be accessible to the telematics control unit 114 over the vehicle's controller area network (CAN) bus. In another example, the notification settings 116 may be maintained in another storage device of the vehicle 102, such as in a memory of the telematics control unit 114.

The telematics control unit 114 may be configured to provide telematics services to the vehicle 102. These services may include, but are not limited to, navigation, turn-by-turn directions, vehicle status reports, local business searches, accident reporting, and hands-free calling. In one example, the system 100 may include the SYNC system manufactured by The Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, MI. To support these and other telematics services, the telematics control unit 114 may utilize network hardware configured to facilitate communication between vehicle ECUs, such as the controller 108, and with other devices in the system 100. In one example, the telematics control unit 114 may interface with a wireless transceiver configured to communicate via one or more of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and wired USB with a user's mobile device 118.

The mobile device 118 may undergo a process the first time the mobile device 118 connects to the telematics control unit 114, in which the telematics control unit 114 searches for mobile devices 118, and the user manually confirms an identification of the mobile device 118 with which the telematics control unit 114 will connect. This process may be referred to as pairing. The telematics control unit 114 may maintain paired device data indicating device identifiers or other information related to mobile devices 118 that have previously been paired with the telematics control unit 114. Consequently, once the pairing process is complete, the telematics control unit 114 may use the paired device data to reconnect.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY automatically with the mobile device 118 when it is identified by means of the wireless transceiver that the mobile device 118 is in proximity to the telematics control unit 114. The telematics control unit 114 may further maintain an indication of the mobile device 118 that was most recently paired to the telematics control unit 114.

Mobile devices 118 may be any of several types of portable computing devices, such as cellular phones, tablets, smart watches, laptop computers, portable music players, or other devices capable of generating communication over a communications network (e.g., communications network 124 shown in FIG. 1B). In one example, mobile devices 118 may communicate with communications network 124 via a wireless transceiver of mobile device 118. Mobile devices 118 may include one or more processors configured to execute instructions of mobile applications loaded into a memory of mobile device storage medium of mobile device 118.

The notification application 120 may be an example of a mobile application installed on the mobile device 118. The notification application 120 may be configured to receive input (e.g., user input to a user interface of the mobile device 118), and communicate with the vehicle 102 via the telematics control unit 114, as discussed in greater detail below. In particular, users may use the notification application 120 to configure notification settings 116 of the vehicle 102, receive rain alerts from the vehicle 102, and provide confirmations of received alerts to the vehicle 102.

FIG. 1B illustrates an example system 100 for using information from a weather service 126 to assist in determining rainfall conditions. As shown, the system portion 100 may include the weather service 126 and a database server 122 in communication with the vehicle 102 via the communications network 124. The weather service 126 may be configured to provide information regarding rainfall conditions.

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IMPI

Mexican Institute of Industrial Property forecasted weather conditions, and the database server 122 may be configured to maintain location, window status, or other information about the vehicle 102 that may be used to assist in rainfall determinations based on the forecasted weather conditions from the weather service 126.

In one example, periodically or based on a trigger such as parking of vehicle 102 or shutting off of vehicle 102, telematics control unit 114 of vehicle 102 may send a current global positioning location of vehicle 102 and the current state of windows (e.g., which windows/vents are open) to database server 122 via communications network 124. Additionally or alternatively, the telematics control unit 114 may send to the database server 122 information indicative of whether the vehicle 102 is identified as being parked outside or inside (e.g., determined based on solar load sensors on board the vehicle 102 to identify the solar load presented to the vehicle 102, based on the current location associated with a garage or other indoor structure).

The database server 122 may be configured to maintain information received from the vehicles 102. The database server 122 may further be configured to access the weather service 126 to periodically check or otherwise check the weather forecast for the maintained locations of the vehicles 102. If the weather forecast indicates a potential for rain, the database server 122 may be configured to optionally send a notification to the driver's mobile device 118 for instructions, e.g., close the windows now, close immediately before rain, etc. When the weather service notifies of impending rain, the database server 122 may send an alert or other communication to the vehicle 102 to perform the rain-inducing automatic closing actions. Alternatively, the message to the vehicle 102 may cause the vehicle 102 to activate the smart wiper rain sensor 112 to confirm the rain condition before triggering the rain-inducing automatic closing actions.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example detection of a sudden rain condition using sensor data 202 from a capacitive sensor 106 and a

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY detection threshold 204. The data from the sensor 202 may include periodically obtained data from a capacitive FIFO sensor 106. The controller 108 may receive the raw data from the sensor 202, and may identify if the value of the data received from the sensor 202 changes beyond that of the detection threshold 204. In some examples, the sensor 106 may process and evaluate capacitive changes and report only sudden changes to the controller 108. The detection threshold 204 may be set, in some examples, to be a predetermined distance above the current data from the sensor 202, or to be a predetermined distance above an average of the most recent samples of the data from the sensor 202. In some examples, the controller 108 may adjust the threshold level in the sensor or in the memory of the controller 108 based at least in part on vehicle-specific information 102 programmed into the vehicle 102 (e.g., during assembly) to compensate for different vehicle chassis styles and different handle styles on which a common capacitive handle sensor 106 may be used. In some cases, the detection threshold 204 may be the threshold used to determine a potential presence of a user by the capacitive sensor 106. If the controller 108 determines that the value of the data received from the sensor 202 has changed beyond the detection threshold 204, then the controller 108 may identify that the data from the sensor 202 is indicative of the onset of a rain condition.

If the controller 108 instead determines that the value of the data received from the sensor 202 has changed without triggering the detection threshold 204, then the controller 108 may selectively adjust the detection threshold 204 according to the new sample. As a result, the controller 108 may be able to selectively adjust the detection threshold 204 to account for changes in humidity and temperature, thereby maintaining a relative detection threshold 204 as the capacitance changes.

Furthermore, if the controller 108 determines that the value of the data received from the sensor 202 has changed back below the detection threshold 204, then the controller 108 may identify the termination of the rain condition.

^ΙΜΡΙ

MEXICAN INSTITUTE^F OF THE PROPERTY

INDUSTRIAL

FIG. 3 illustrates an example detection of a rain condition using sensor data 202 from a plurality of capacitive sensors 106. As illustrated, sensor data 202-A may include periodically obtained data from FIFO capacitive sensor 106-A, while sensor data 202-B may include periodically obtained data from a second FIFO capacitive sensor 106-B. The controller 108 may receive the data from the sensor 202-A and 202-B and may identify a rain condition based on identifying a substantially simultaneous or otherwise relatively consistent change across the data from the sensor 202-A and 202-B in the absence of a door opening occurrence. As shown, based on an identification of a relatively large change in capacitance in the data from sensor 202-A and also in the data from sensor 202-B, the controller 108 identifies an indication of a rain condition. Furthermore, based on a further determination that the value of the data received from sensor 202-A and 202-B each changed back to the initial capacitance level, the controller 108 may further identify a termination of the rain condition.

It should be noted that variations in the example capacitive measurements and the use of this information to determine the onset of rain conditions are possible. For example, while capacitive measurements include 20 a detection of a rain condition with the use of capacitive sensors

PEPS 106, it should be noted that more capacitive sensors 106 may also be utilized. Furthermore, it should be further noted that the use of detection thresholds 204 as described with respect to FIG. 2 may be utilized with respect to multiple sensors 106 as described with respect to FIG. 3.

FIG. 4A illustrates an example user interface 400-A of the notification application 120 showing a main menu for configuring notification settings 116. As shown, the user interface 400-A may be presented by the notification application 120 on a display 402 of the mobile device 118 and may include a list of selectable menu items 404-A through 404-D (collectively 404) of the notification application's features.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY notifications 120. Each of the selectable menu items 404 may indicate a category of notification settings 116. The user interface 400-A may also include a title label 406 indicating to the user that the user interface

As illustrated, the main menu includes a menu item 404-A for an activation submenu, a menu item 404-B for an alert submenu, a menu item 404-C for a closure conditions submenu, and a menu item 404-D for a rain finished submenu. In some cases, menu items 404 may be displayed on a touch screen such that the user may be able to touch menu item 404 to select and invoke associated functions. As another example, user interface 400-A may support voice command selection of menu items 404. For example, to invoke the alert submenu, the user may give the voice command Alert. Please note that the illustrated menu items 404 are merely examples, and further sub-menus or different option systems may be available.

FIG. 4B illustrates an example user interface 400-B of the notification application 120 showing the activation submenu. As with the user interface 400-A, the user interface 400-B may also be presented by the notification application 120 on the display 402 of the mobile device. The user interface 400-B may be invoked, in one example, in response to the user selecting the menu item 404-A of the user interface 400-A. When compared to user interface 400-A, title label 406 may indicate to the user that user interface 400-B displays the notification application activation submenu 120. Furthermore, instead of the main menu items 404, the user interface 400-B may include an enable button 408-A that, when selected by a user, is configured to cause the notification application 120 to update the notification settings 116 to indicate that the controller 108 will activate the rain auto-close functionality, and a disable button 408-B that, when selected by a user, is configured to cause the notification application 120 to update the notification settings 116 to indicate that the controller 108 will activate the rain auto-close functionality. is set to cause the notification app 120 to update the notification settings 116 for

<img file="MX374045B_D0016.tif" />

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Mexican Institute of Industrial Property indicate that the controller 108 will deactivate the automatic rain-close feature. Thus, the user may be able to use the activation submenu to activate or deactivate the automatic rain-close feature without altering the system 100 settings. The user interface 400-B may also include a return to menu button 410 that, when selected by the user, is configured to cause the notification application 120 to return to the main menu user interface monitor 400-A.

FIG. 4C illustrates an example user interface 400-C of the notification application 120 showing the alert submenu. As with user interfaces 400-A and 400-B, the user interface 400-C may also be presented by the notification application 120 on the display 402 of the mobile device. The user interface 400-C may be invoked, in one example, in response to the user selecting input 406-B of the user interface 400-A. Title label 406 may indicate to the user that user interface 400-B displays the alert submenu of notification application 120.

The alert submenu may include options that, when selected by a user, cause the notification application 120 to update notification settings 116 related to the vehicle 102 by providing alerts to the mobile device 118 when the controller 108 identifies a rain condition. For example, the alert submenu might include: a control 412-A that allows the user to select whether or not the auto-close functionality is enabled, a control 412-B that allows the user to select whether or not alerts are sent to the mobile device 118 when the controller 108 identifies a rain condition, and a 412-C control that allows the user to select whether or not an automatic shutdown functionality should be performed if the user does not respond to acknowledge the alert within a predetermined time period (e.g., within a two-minute period).

The user interface 400-C may also include a return to menu button 410 that, when selected by the user, is configured to cause the notification application 120 to return to the main menu user interface monitor 400-A.

<img file="MX374045B_D0017.tif" />

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

FIGS. 4D and 4E illustrate an example user interface 400-D of the notification application 120 showing the closing conditions submenu. As with user interfaces 400-A through 400-C, the user interface 400-C may also be presented by the notification application 120 on the display 402 of the mobile device. User interface 400-D may be invoked, in one example, in response to the user selecting input 406-C of user interface 400-A. Title label 406 may indicate to the user that user interface 400-B displays the notification application 120 shutdown conditions submenu.

The closure conditions submenu may include options that, when selected by a user, cause the notification application 120 to update notification settings 116 related to the vehicle 102 by providing alerts to the mobile device 118 when the controller 108 identifies a rain condition. For example, the closing conditions submenu might include: a control 412-D that allows the user to select all openings of the vehicle 102 when rain is detected, a control 412-E that allows the user to select all openings of the vehicle 102 except the vents when rain is detected, a control 412-F that allows the user to choose to close the openings of the vehicle 102 regardless of the location of the vehicle 102, a control 412-G that allows the user to choose to close the openings of the vehicle 102 in response to the vehicle 102 receiving a weather report indicating rain (i.e., from the weather service 126 with the use of the telematics control unit 114, as confirmation of rain, or in other cases without direct detection of rain from the controller 108 with the use of data from the capacitive sensors 106), a control 412-H that allows the user to select that the vehicle 102 does not close the vehicle 102 openings when at the vehicle 102 home location, and a control 412-1 that allows the user to select that the vehicle 102 does not close the vehicle 102 openings during daylight hours.

Referring to FIG. 4E, the closing conditions submenu may also include: a control 412-J that allows the user to select

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY lock all doors of vehicle 102 when rain is detected, a 412K control that allows the user to select to lock all doors of vehicle 102 except the driver's door (e.g., the driver's door). e.g., to prevent the driver from being locked out after closing the window), a control 412-L that allows the user to select activation of the automatic locking functionality for a key fob 104, a control 412-M that allows the user to select activation of the automatic locking functionality only for a specific key fob 104 of the user, and a control 412-N that allows the user to select activation of automatic closing for parked vehicles that have been most recently paired with one of a list of mobile devices 118. The user interface 400-C may also include a device listing control 414 that can be used by the user to include mobile device identifiers 118 that, when newly paired with the telematics control unit 114, cause the auto-lock functionality to be activated. In some cases, the device listing control 114 may be populated with data from the paired devices of the telematics control unit 114.

Since the closing conditions submenu may include more controls 412 than can be included on the display 402 at one time, the user interface 400-D may include a scroll down control 416 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4D) and a scroll up control 418 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4E) to allow the user to navigate the user interface 400-D to display the available controls. The user interface 400-D may also include a return to menu button 410 that, when selected by the user, is configured to cause the notification application 120 to return to the main menu user interface monitor 400-A.

FIG. 4C illustrates an example user interface 400-E of the notification application 120 showing the rain finished submenu. As with user interfaces 400-A through 400-D, the user interface 400-D may also be presented by the notification application 120 on the display 402 of the mobile device. The user interface 400-E may be invoked, in one example, in response to the user selecting the user interface input 406-D.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

400-A. Title label 406 may indicate to the user that user interface 400-D displays the rain finished submenu of notification application 120.

The rain over submenu may include options that, when selected by a user, cause the notification application 120 to update the notification settings 116 related to actions that the vehicle 102 will take when the controller 108 no longer identifies a rain condition. For example, a rain over submenu may include: a control 412-0 that allows the user to choose to have the controller 108 open the vents of the vehicle 102 after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed after the rain has ended (e.g., a rain shower). e.g., 10 minutes later); a control 412-P that allows the user to choose to have the controller 108 return the vents of the vehicle 102 to whatever state they were in before automatically closing, after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed; and a control 412-Q that allows the user to choose to have the controller 108 leave the vents closed even after the rain has stopped.

The user interface 400-E may also include a return to menu button 410 that, when selected by the user, is configured to cause the notification application 120 to return to the main menu user interface monitor 400-A.

Although the user interfaces 400-A to 400-E for configuring the notification settings 116 are described as being displayed to the user via the notification application 120 running on the user's mobile device 118, the configuration of the notification settings 116 may additionally or alternatively be performed using the vehicle 102.

FIG. 5A illustrates an example user interface 500-A for selecting applications for use on a headunit monitor 502 of the vehicle 102. The headunit monitor 502 may be operated, for example, via a video connection to the telematics control unit 114 of the vehicle 102. The user interface 500-A may include a category listing 504 of one or more content screens to be displayed in the main screen area 506 of the upper unit monitor 502. As some examples, the category listing 504 may

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY include an audio screen from which the audio settings of the vehicle 102 can be configured, a climate control screen from which the climate control settings of the vehicle 102 can be configured, a telephone screen from which call services can be used, a navigation screen from which maps and routes can be made, an applications screen from which installed applications may be invoked, and a settings screen from which backlight or other general settings of the top unit monitor 502 may be accessed. The user interface 500-A may also include an overview area 508 from which the time, current temperature, and other information may remain visible to the user, regardless of the specific screen or application that is active in the main screen area 506.

As shown, the screen of applications that is selected from the category listing 504 is illustrated, and the area of the main screen 506 is illustrated showing a listing of available applications that can be invoked. These applications may include, for example, an application spot for finding new applications 510-A, an Internet radio spot 510-B, a satellite radio spot 510-C, a streaming radio spot 510-D, an icon 510-E for selecting the notification application 120, a maps spot 510-F, a messages icon 510-G, and a weather icon 510-G.

FIG. 5B illustrates an example user interface 500-B of notification application 120 showing a main menu for configuring notification settings 116. User interface 500 may further be capable of displaying and allowing configuration using any of the sub-menus 25 and options described above with respect to user interfaces 400-B through 400-E. Thus, similar to user interface 400-A, user interface 500-B may be used to select the various notification setting screens 116 of notification application 120, but with the use of head unit monitor 502 of vehicle 102 instead of monitor 402 of mobile device 118.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

Whether setting with the use of mobile device 118 or upper unit monitor 502, controller 108 may use notification settings 116 to perform rain detection and any indicated action.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example user interface 600-A illustrating an alert 602 displayed on the display 402 of the mobile device 118. The alert 602 may be displayed by the notification application 120, for example, in response to the mobile device 118 receiving a message from the telematics control unit 114 of the vehicle 102 based on rain detection by the controller 108 of the vehicle 102.

As shown, alert 602 may include a title label 604 to indicate to the user that alert 602 indicates the presence of rain on vehicle 102. The alert 602 may further include an acknowledge button 606-A that, when selected by a user, is configured to cause the notification application 120 to send an alert response message to the vehicle to indicate that the controller 108 will perform the rain auto-shutdown actions specified by the notification settings 116, and a reject button 606-B that, when selected by a user, is configured to cause the notification application 120 to send an alert response message to the vehicle 102 indicating that the controller 108 will not perform the automatic rain closing actions. Thus, the alert 602 may allow the user of the mobile device 118 to decide whether to perform the window closings or other actions specified by the notification settings 116.

FIG. 6B illustrates an example user interface 600-B illustrating a closing confirmation 608 displayed on the display 402 of the mobile device 118. The closing confirmation 608 may be displayed by the notification application 120, for example, in response to receiving a message by the mobile device 118 sent from the telematics control unit 114 of the vehicle 102 in response to the completion of actions specified by the notification settings 116 to be performed by the controller 108 of the vehicle 102.

As shown, the closing confirmation 608 may include a title label 610 to indicate to the user that the notification settings 116 were made (or were not made if, e.g., a window was obstructed or could not be closed).

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY confirmation of closure 608 may also include a summary tag 612 indicating that the actions were performed. For example, the summary tag 612 may indicate which openings were closed (e.g., all windows, all windows except vents), whether any doors were locked or unlocked (e.g., e.g., all doors locked, driver's door remains unlocked, etc.), any additional conditional locking details (e.g., whether locking was approved based on an approved key fob 104 or a mobile device 118 that was most recently used with the vehicle 102 prior to the detection of the rain condition), and what actions, if any, the vehicle 102 may take after the rain condition concludes (e.g., e.g., reopening openings, leaving openings closed, etc.).

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary process 700 for detecting rain to perform actions in response to the rain condition. The process 700 may be performed by various devices, such as by the controller 108 of the vehicle 102 in communication with one or more capacitive sensors 106.

During operation 702, the controller 108 identifies whether the preconditions for activating rain detection are met. For example, the rain detection functionality may be activated if the vehicle 102 has all its doors closed and is not in gear (e.g., the vehicle is parked or in neutral). In another example, controller 108 may access notification settings 116 to confirm that the rain detection functionality is enabled. If the preconditions are met, control passes to operation 704. Otherwise, process 700 terminates.

During operation 704, controller 108 identifies a capacitive changing characteristic of a rain condition. In some embodiments, controller 108 may detect a rain condition using sensor data 202 of capacitive sensor 106 and a detection threshold 204 as previously discussed with respect to FIG. 2, or may detect a rain condition using data from sensor 202 of capacitive sensors 106 as discussed above with respect to FIG. 3.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

During operation 706, the controller 108 determines whether the vehicle 102 was parked with the doors electronically locked. In some scenarios, such as a family picnic or when parked in a driveway, users may leave their vehicles 102 unlocked. When a vehicle 102 is unlocked, or if a door is ajar, many FIFO systems may not search for a FIFO key fob 104. If vehicle 102 is electronically unlocked, control advances to operation 712. Otherwise, control advances to operation 708.

During operation 708, the controller 108 searches for an electronic key fob 104 in the vicinity of the handles of the vehicle 102. For example, the controller 108 may send a low frequency key message to an electronic key fob 104, and may listen for a high frequency response from the electronic key fob 104 that includes an identification code. If the key fob 104 is present, then the capacitive change may, in fact, be the result of a user attempting to enter the vehicle 102, regardless of the rain condition.

During operation 710, the controller 108 determines whether or not the key fob 104 is in proximity to a door handle of the vehicle 102. For example, the controller 108 may determine whether the FIFO key fob 104 is in proximity to the low frequency stimulus region of a door handle, indicating normal FIFO passive entry operation. If no response is received from the key fob 104, or if no correct response is received from a key fob 104, or if it is determined that the key fob 104 is within the vehicle's interior, then the controller 108 may conclude that the key fob 104 is not in proximity to the vehicle's handle 102. If there is no key fob 104 in the vicinity of the handle, control advances to step 714. Otherwise, process 700 ends. In some cases, if the electronic key fob 104 is detected, the process 700 may advance or return to a key unlocking process performed by the PEPS system.

During operation 712, controller 108 determines whether a vehicle door 102 is opened after the identified capacitance change detected by capacitive sensors 106. This may be done to distinguish between the

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Mexican Institute of Industrial Property conditions under which (a) the capacitance change is a result of the user's proximity to an unlocked door handle or (b) a result of rain. For example, a user may approach an unlocked vehicle without the key fob 104 in their possession and may open a door of the vehicle 102. In such an example, the identified capacitance change may be due to a rainy condition, a hand being in proximity to the capacitive sensor of the handle 106, or both (e.g., a user running toward their own vehicle 102 due to rain). Furthermore, it is also possible that two or more arriving passengers may grasp the door handles at nearly the same time to open the doors of the vehicle 102. To distinguish between a rain condition and those other types of situations that include vehicle entry, the controller 108 may be configured to look for the occurrence of a door opening within a predetermined time range (e.g., a rain shower). e.g., 2-3 seconds) coincident with, or immediately following, the detection of a large persistent capacitance change over the vehicle door capacitive sensor 106 which detected a capacitance change characteristic of a rain condition.

During operation 714, controller 108 makes second-stage determinations of the presence of a rain condition. For example, controller 108 may: activating a rain sensor of the smart wiper 112 to identify if the windshield appears wet, activating connectivity to a local weather information source via an embedded telematics modem to determine if rain is anticipated, using the onboard humidity sensors of a vehicle 102 to determine if humidity levels are indicative of rain, comparing the lock and unlock capacitive sensors 106 on a given door handle to data from sensor 202 confirming the rain condition, comparing readings from other locations of the capacitive sensor 106 on the vehicle 102 to data from sensor 202 confirming the rain condition, or utilizing the onboard solar charge sensors of the vehicle 102 to identify solar charge present on the vehicle 102.

During operation 716, the controller 108 determines whether the evaluation in the second stage confirms the rain condition. For example, if the rain sensor 112

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY indicates a wet condition, or if a humidity sensor confirms a wet condition, the controller 108 may identify the rain condition as confirmed and may advance to operation 718. Otherwise, the process 700 ends.

During operation 718, controller 108 performs rain response actions. An example of additional aspects of rain response actions is described in detail below with respect to process 800. After operation 718, process 700 ends. Variations to process 700 may be possible. For example, controller 108 may be based on the capacitive change characteristic of a rain condition, without further making the second stage determinations during operation 714 and operation 716.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary process 800 for performing rain actions in response to a detected rain condition. As with process 700, process 800 may be performed by various devices, such as controller 108 of vehicle 102.

In operation 802, the controller 108 determines whether to send an alert 602 to the user. In one example, the controller 108 may access the notification settings 116 to determine whether the user has selected to receive alerts of the rain condition. If the controller 108 determines to send the alert 602 to the user, control advances to operation 804. Otherwise, control advances to operation 810.

During operation 804, the controller 108 sends an alert message 602 to the user's mobile device 118. In one example, the controller 108 instructs the telematics control unit 114 to send the alert message to the mobile device 118 most recently paired with the telematics control unit 114. In another example, the controller 108 instructs the telematics control unit 114 to send the alert message to a mobile device 118 specified by the notification settings 116. An example display of the alert message 602 by the mobile device 118 was discussed above with respect to FIG. 6A.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

During operation 806, the controller 108 determines whether an acknowledgment of the alert 602 was requested. In one example, the controller 108 may access the notification settings 116 to determine whether the user has selected to acknowledge the rain condition before allowing the controller 108 to perform actions upon the rain condition. If the controller 108 determines that acknowledgment is required, control advances to operation 808. Otherwise, control advances to operation 810.

During operation 808, controller 108 determines whether vehicle 102 received an alert acknowledgment 602. In one example, controller 108 may receive a message from telematics control unit 114 indicating that the alert response message was returned to vehicle 102 to indicate that the automatic rain closure actions specified by notification settings 116 will be performed by controller 108 (e.g., e.g., in response to the user selecting the confirmation button 606-A of the alert 602). In another example, the controller 108 may receive a message indicating that the automatic rain closing actions will not be performed. In yet another example, the controller 108 may not receive a confirmation message within a predetermined period of time (e.g., two minutes, ten minutes, etc.). If an acknowledgment is received within the predetermined timeout period, control advances to operation 810. Otherwise, process 800 ends.

During operation 810, the controller 108 closes the openings of the vehicle 102. For example, the controller 108 may access the notification settings 116 to determine which openings of the vehicle 102 to close (e.g., all windows, all windows except vents, etc.). For openings identified as closed, the controller 108 may initiate a closing action for at least one power window actuator 110 (e.g., a window opener 110). e.g., a closing action for a door window, a vent window, or a sunroof). For vehicles 102 that support reporting of window position information, the controller 108 may be configured to record window positions before closing, and may close only those windows indicated as open. For vehicles 102 that do not support reporting of window position information, the controller 108 may be configured to record the window positions before closing.

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Mexican Institute of Industrial Property window position, the controller 108 may, for example, record the amount of time it takes to close a window until the electric window actuator 110 indicates a closed condition. These window closing times may also be saved.

During operation 812, the controller 108 adjusts the locking state of the vehicle 102. For example, the controller 108 may access the notification settings 116 to determine what locking actions of the vehicle 102 to perform (e.g., lock all doors, lock all doors but ensure the driver's door remains unlocked, etc.). As another example, based on the recorded window position information, the controller 108 may determine whether the doors of the vehicle 102 are locked, and further whether any automatically closed windows were previously open beyond a particular threshold (e.g., a predefined distance or percentage of open time). In such a situation, the user may have intentionally left a window open to gain access to the passenger compartment of the vehicle 102. Since the open windows were closed during operation 810, the passenger compartment can no longer be accessed by the user and can be effectively locked out. Consequently, if a closed window is determined to have been opened more than a particular threshold (e.g., a distance or percentage opening), then the controller 108 may unlock one or more doors of the vehicle 102 (e.g., a door). e.g., the door with the window automatically closed previously opened more than a particular amount or percentage, all doors, etc.) to allow the user to maintain access to the vehicle 102 and not be locked out. As another example, the controller 108 may identify whether the PEPS key fob 104 is inside the passenger compartment of a locked vehicle 102 with automatically closed windows that were previously opened beyond a particular threshold, and may unlock one or more doors of the vehicle 102 if these conditions are met. The controller 108 may also maintain a record of which doors were automatically unlocked.

During operation 814, controller 108 determines whether to update the user regarding the actions performed. For example, controller 108

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The Mexican Institute of Industrial Property may access notification settings 116 to determine whether the user wishes to receive a closing confirmation 608 of the actions performed. If notification settings 116 indicate that the user should be alerted, control advances to operation 816. Otherwise, control advances to operation 818.

During operation 816, the controller 108 sends the lock confirmation 608 to the user's mobile device 118. In one example, the controller 108 instructs the telematics control unit 114 to send the lock confirmation message 608 to the mobile device 118 most recently paired with the telematics control unit 114. In another example, the controller 108 instructs the telematics control unit 114 to send the closing confirmation message 608 to a mobile device 118 specified by the notification settings 116. An example display of the closing confirmation message 608 by the mobile device 118 was discussed above with respect to FIG. 6B.

During operation 818, controller 108 determines whether the rain condition has concluded. For example, as discussed above with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3, controller 108 may identify a capacitive change characteristic of the conclusion of a rain condition. In some cases, the controller 108 may further make a second stage determination to confirm the termination of the rain condition, such as by a rain sensor 112 no longer indicating a wet condition, or a solar load sensor indicating a solar load level consistent with the outside sun.

During operation 820, controller 108 performs the rain-stopping actions. For example, controller 108 may access notification settings 116 to determine whether to reopen the vents of vehicle 102, return the windows to their previous state, or keep the vents of vehicle 102 in the closed state. The controller 108 may further utilize the notification settings 116 to determine a time period to wait before reopening the vehicle vents 102 (e.g., immediately, a two minute wait, a ten minute wait, etc.). Based on the notification settings 116, the controller 108 may initiate an opening action to at least one electric actuator of the vehicle vents 102.

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Mexican Institute of Industrial Property windows 110 (e.g., an opening action for a door window, a vent window, or a sunroof). For vehicles 102 that support reporting of window position information, the controller 108 may be configured to reopen the windows to the recorded window positions before closing. For vehicles 102 that do not support reporting of window position information, the controller 108 may, for example, turn on the power window actuators 110 for the recorded amounts of time it takes to close the windows. In some embodiments, based on the recorded door unlock information, the controller 108 may also relock the doors that were automatically unlocked in operation 812.

During operation 822, controller 108 determines whether to alert the user of the completion of the rain-ending actions. For example, controller 108 may access notification settings 116 to determine whether to alert the user of the actions upon completion of the rain. If so, control advances to operation 824. Otherwise, process 800 ends.

During operation 824, the controller 108 sends a reopening confirmation message to the user's mobile device 118. In one example, the controller 108 instructs the telematics control unit 114 to send the reopening confirmation message to the mobile device 118 to which the alert 602 and the closing confirmation 608 were sent. The reopening confirmation message may be similar to the closing confirmation message 608, but may include information related to changes made after the rain condition ended rather than because of it. Similar to the closing confirmation 608, the reopening confirmation may be displayed on the mobile device user interface 118. After operation 824, process 800 ends.

Thus, a vehicle's rain-sensing system 102 can automatically close the windows upon detection of rain using existing capacitive sensors 106, which may not result in increased parts costs and increased KOL. Furthermore, additional features or applications may be made possible by the rain-sensing system 100.

As an example, similar to identifying rain due to a detected change in capacitance, the rain detection system 100 may similarly detect snow accumulation on a stopped vehicle. Upon a determination of snow accumulation, the rain detection system 100 may be configured to request a telematics control unit 114 of the vehicle 102 to send a telematics alert to inform the user of the vehicle that additional time may be required to clear their vehicle or driveway of accumulated snow. Alternatively, upon determining the presence of snow, the rain detection system 100 may query the vehicle user as to whether the vehicle 102 should initiate a remote start action.

As another example, data from the rain detection system 100 may be sent to a data aggregation system for further aggregation and processing. For example, vehicles 102 may provide rainfall activity data indicative of when rain conditions are detected (regardless of whether any windows are closed), along with location data for the vehicles 102. Based on the received data, the data aggregation system may construct a weather map indicative of precipitation in the area in which the vehicles 102 may be located. Such a data aggregation system may be particularly useful in relatively rural regions lacking radar and adequate weather services, but in which vehicles 102 implementing the rain detection system 100 may be located.

In general, the computing systems and/or devices described may utilize any number of operating systems, including, but not limited to, versions and/or varieties of the Ford Sync® operating system, Microsoft Windows® operating system, Unix operating system (e.g., the Solaris® operating system distributed by Oracle Corporation of Redwood Shores, California), the AIX UNIX operating system distributed by International Business Machines of Armonk, New York, Linux operating system, Mac operating systems

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OS X and iOS distributed by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California, BlackBerry OS operating system distributed by Research in Motion of Waterloo, Canada, and the Android operating system developed by the Open Handset Alliance.

Computing devices such as controller 108, telematics control unit 114, and mobile device 118, generally include instructions executable by one or more processors of the computing devices. Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages and/or technologies including, but not limited to, and whether alone or in combination, Java™, C, C++, Visual Basic, Java Script, Perl, etc. Generally, a processor or microprocessor receives instructions from, e.g., a memory, a computer-readable medium, etc. and executes these instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions and other data may be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable media.

A computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readable medium) includes any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that is involved in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a computer processor). Such a medium can take many forms, including, but not limited to, permanent media and volatile media. Permanent media may include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media may include, for example, dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes main memory. Such instructions may be transmitted via one or more transmission media, including coaxial cables, copper cables, and optical fiber, including cables comprising a system bus coupled to a computer processor. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punched cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns on it.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY perforations, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, any other medium from which a computer can read.

The databases, data warehouses, and other data stores described herein may include various types of mechanisms for storing, accessing, and retrieving various types of data, including a hierarchical database, a set of files in a file system, an application database in a proprietary format, a relational database management system (RBDMS), etc. Each such data store is generally included within a computing device that employs a computer operating system, such as one of those mentioned above, and is accessed over a network in one or more of a variety of ways. A file system can be accessed from a computer operating system and may include files stored in a variety of formats. An RBDMS typically employs Structured Query Language (SQL) in addition to a language for creating, storing, editing, and executing stored procedures, such as the PL/SQL language mentioned above.

In some examples, the system elements may be implemented as computer-readable instructions (e.g., software) on one or more computing devices (e.g., servers, personal computers, etc.), stored on computer-readable media associated therewith (e.g., disks, memory, etc.). A computer program product may comprise such instructions stored on computer-readable media to perform the functions described herein.

Some or all of the operations disclosed herein as being performed by the controller 108 may be such computer program products. In some examples, these computer program products may be provided as software that, when executed by one or more processors, provides the operations described herein. Alternatively, computer program products may be provided as hardware or firmware, or as combinations of software, hardware and/or firmware.

With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that while the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring in a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in a different order than the order described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, that other steps may be added, or that certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the process descriptions herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments and should in no way be construed to limit the claims.

Accordingly, it should be understood that the preceding description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many different embodiments and applications than the examples provided would be apparent upon reading the preceding description. The scope should be determined not by reference to the foregoing description but, rather, by reference to the appended claims, together with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims entitle. It is expected and intended that future developments in the technologies discussed herein will occur, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In summary, it should be understood that the application allows for modifications and variations.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable interpretation and their usual meanings as understood by persons having knowledge of the technologies described herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. In particular, it should be understood that the use of singular articles such as “a”, “the”, “said”, etc., indicates one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim indicates an explicit limitation to the contrary.

The Disclosure Summary is included to allow the reader to quickly determine the nature of the technical disclosure. It is provided in the

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY, with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, in the aforementioned Detailed Description, it is possible to see that different features are grouped together in different embodiments for the purpose of optimizing disclosure. This disclosure method should not be construed as an intention that the claimed embodiments require more mechanisms than those expressly stated in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, the scope of the invention lies in fewer of all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are included within the Detailed Description, with each claim functioning independently as a separately claimed subject matter.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description and not limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, features of several implementation embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments of the invention.