Method and system for vehicle location

Abstract

A method for vehicle location preferably includes determining vehicle information, and can optionally include facilitating location of the vehicle. In variants, the method can guide the user to the general vehicle vicinity by presenting the user with an imprecise vehicle location, and locally guide the user to the vehicle using vehicle information.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for locating a vehicle, comprising:
 determining vehicle information for the vehicle;   classifying a vehicle location for the vehicle as accessible or inaccessible, based on the vehicle information;   when the vehicle location is classified as accessible:
 selectively serving the vehicle information on a client application; and 
 facilitating location of the vehicle based on the vehicle information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein facilitating location of the vehicle comprises directing a user to a refined location of the vehicle, wherein the refined location is determined by short range wireless communication between a user device and the vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle information is a last location of the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein facilitating location of the vehicle further comprises:
 after a last termination event, determining a last location of the vehicle; and   facilitating location of the vehicle based on the last location.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein determining the last location comprises trilaterating the last location of the vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein facilitating location of the vehicle comprises:
 at the vehicle, receiving a notification to generate an output; and   controlling the vehicle to generate the output based on the notification.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein facilitating location of the vehicle comprises:
 detecting a wireless network broadcast, broadcast by the vehicle, at a user device; and   routing a user to the vehicle based on the wireless network broadcast.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein classifying the vehicle location is based on accessibility map data. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein when the vehicle location is classified as inaccessible, instructing a user to move the vehicle to an accessible location based on the accessibility map data. 
     
     
         10 . The method of locating a vehicle, comprising:
 determining vehicle information for the vehicle;   classifying a vehicle operation state for the vehicle as compliant or non-compliant, based on the vehicle information;   selectively serving the vehicle information on a client application; and   facilitating location of the vehicle using short-range wireless communication modules.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the short-range wireless communication modules comprise Bluetooth radios. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the vehicle information is an available battery charge of a battery on-board the vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining the vehicle information comprises receiving an image of the vehicle, the image capturing a scene proximal the vehicle, and wherein classifying the vehicle operation state comprises reviewing the image. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a remote computing system, remote from the vehicle and the client application:
 receives the image and a classification of the vehicle operation state, the classification based on the image; and   selectively serves the vehicle information on the client application based on the classification.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein reviewing the image comprises determining that the vehicle is locked to a static environment object. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein reviewing the image comprises determining vehicle proximity to an access restriction feature. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein facilitating location of the vehicle comprises:
 determining a geospatial position of a user device executing the client application;   determining an imprecise geospatial position of the vehicle, wherein the imprecise geospatial position is at least a predetermined distance from the vehicle;   determining a route from the geospatial position of the user device to the imprecise geospatial position of the vehicle;   presenting the route on the client application, wherein the route is overlaid on a map; and   when the user device is within the predetermined distance from the vehicle, locally routing a user to the vehicle.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein locally routing the user to the vehicle comprises:
 receiving an instruction from the client application to generate an output at the vehicle; and   after receiving the instruction, at the vehicle, generating the output.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein locally routing the user to the vehicle comprises:
 detecting a wireless network broadcast by the Bluetooth radio at the client application; and   routing the user to the vehicle based on the wireless network broadcast.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein classifying the vehicle operation state is based on accessibility map data, and wherein the accessibility map data can be associated with a pre-defined accessibility geofence.