Method and apparatus for changing either driver behavior or vehicle behavior based on current vehicle location and zone definitions created by a remote user

摘要

A remote user can define one or more zone based driver/vehicle behavior definitions. Current vehicle location is analyzed at the vehicle or remotely to determine if the vehicle is approaching or has arrived at a location for which a zone based driver/vehicle behavior has been defined. For zone based driver behavior definitions, a display in the vehicle automatically displays the zone based driver behavior definition to the driver. In some embodiments driver compliance is tracked and non-compliance is reported to the remote user. For zone based vehicle behavior definitions, a vehicle controller at the vehicle responsible for controlling the defined behavior is reprogrammed to impose the defined behavior (no regeneration at location, max speed at location, no idle over 2 minutes at location, etc.). Once the vehicle has left the zone, the controller programming reverts to its prior state, and/or zone based driver behavior definition is no longer displayed.

主权项

1. A method for controlling at least one of vehicle behavior and driver based on a location of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:
(a) enabling a remote user to define a location and a zone based behavior to impose at that location, wherein the zone based behavior comprises requiring that vehicle lighting must be placed into a specific state while the vehicle is at the location, to be implemented by one of at least a vehicle controller or a driver; (b) automatically collecting vehicle location data during operation of the vehicle; (c) automatically analyzing the current location of the vehicle to determine if the vehicle is within a predetermined distance from the location for which the zone based behavior has been defined; and (d) when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance, automatically implementing the steps of:
(i) for vehicle controller implementation, automatically using a vehicle controller associated with the vehicle lighting to impose that vehicle lighting specific state so long as the vehicle is within the predetermined distance of the location; or(ii) for driver implementation, automatically using a vehicle controller to present the required driver behavior for that location, for placing the vehicle lighting into the specific state, to a driver of the vehicle, using at least one of a display and an audible announcement.