US 11,809,181 B2
Systems and methods for remote control of vehicles
Pietro Buttolo, Dearborn Heights, MI (US); John Randolf Vincent, Livonia, MI (US); and Yifan Chen, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Feb. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/174,253.
Prior Publication US 2022/0253055 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 3/03 (2006.01); G06F 3/0346 (2013.01); G06F 3/038 (2013.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0044 (2013.01) [G05D 1/0038 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A remote vehicle control system, comprising:
a horizontal display;
a vehicle bot configured to move on the horizontal display, to be selected to activate a control mode, and to provide a visual indicator when selected, wherein the vehicle bot is a physical vehicle bot configured to physically move on the horizontal display, and wherein the visual indicator is located on the vehicle bot;
an input device comprising at least one input mechanism; and
a remote computer, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory, comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
display, using the horizontal display:
a digital image of a map of a geographical area; and
a vehicle graphic at a location on the map, wherein the location of the vehicle graphic on the map is based on vehicle location data of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle bot is configured to link to the vehicle and, when linked, a first position and first direction of the vehicle bot is configured to correspond with a second position and second direction of the vehicle graphic;
determine a first device input from the at least one input mechanism of the input device;
determine the first device input matches one of a set of stored device inputs; and
determine a vehicle control input that is associated with the one of the set of stored device inputs.