Apparatus and method for selectively enabling vehicle functionality

Abstract

A method is provided. The method comprises receiving a travel plan for a vehicle including a travel path information; determining a vehicle trajectory using the travel path information; obtaining forecasts of at least one of weather and vehicles proximate in time and location to the vehicle along the vehicle trajectory; determining, based upon at least one of the weather forecast and the other vehicles forecast, if at least one optional function would be beneficial to enable during vehicle travel along the vehicle trajectory; and generating at least one enablement code corresponding to the determined at least one optional function.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a travel plan for a vehicle including a travel path information;   determining a vehicle trajectory using the travel path information;   obtaining forecasts of weather or other vehicles proximate in time and location to the vehicle along the vehicle trajectory;   determining, based upon the weather or the other vehicles, whether to enable at least one optional function during vehicle travel along the vehicle trajectory;   in response to a determination to enable the at least one optional function, generating at least one enablement code corresponding to the at least one optional function; and   transmitting the at least one enablement code to the vehicle.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the determining whether to enable the at least one optional function includes at least one of:
 determining whether at least one of the other vehicles or the weather will be proximate in time and location to the vehicle along the vehicle trajectory;   determining whether a number of destination vehicle(s) at a destination point, when the vehicle arrives at the destination point, exceeds a threshold value;   determining whether noise abatement rules are enforced in at least one of a departure point proximate to a time of departure, and the destination point proximate to a time of arrival;   determining whether any temperatures, proximate in time and location to the vehicle on the vehicle trajectory, are below a threshold level;   determining whether vehicle crew will have difficulty viewing an external environment due to at least one of time and/or weather conditions proximate to the location of the vehicle along the vehicle trajectory; and/or   determining whether the vehicle is equipped with a moving map system for the destination point.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the vehicle, confirmation data representative of at least one of: the at least one optional function being enabled along the vehicle trajectory, and the at least one optional function being enabled and used along the vehicle trajectory;   determining a fee based upon the at least one of the at least one optional function being enabled along the vehicle trajectory, and the at least one optional function being enabled and used along the vehicle trajectory; and   generating an invoice for the fee.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the determining whether to enable the at least one optional function includes:
 extracting an identifier of the vehicle from the travel plan;   identifying optional function(s) on the vehicle based upon the identifier; and   determining whether to enable one of the optional function(s) based upon the weather or the other vehicles.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising causing a display of the vehicle to display the at least one optional function so that a user may input a selection of one or more optional functions of the at least one optional function to enable the one or more optional functions. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising, before the determining whether to enable the at least one optional function:
 determining whether the vehicle, a user of the vehicle, and/or an owner of the vehicle is a subscriber to a service that permits selective enablement of optional functions in equipment on the vehicle;   in response to a determination that the vehicle, the user of the vehicle, and/or the owner of the vehicle is the subscriber to the service that permits selective enablement of optional functions, determining whether to enable the at least one optional function.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 remotely enabling the at least one optional function before departure from a destination point or along the vehicle trajectory; and   remotely disabling the at least one optional function at a conclusion of the vehicle trajectory.   
     
     
         28 . A system, the system comprising:
 at least one memory storing instructions; and   at least one processor executing the instructions to perform a process, the process including:
 transmitting, to a service, a travel plan for a vehicle including a travel path information; 
 receiving, from the service, at least one enablement code; and 
 enabling at least one optional function code based on the at least one enablement code, 
 wherein the service is configured to:
 determine a vehicle trajectory using the travel path information; 
 obtain forecasts of weather or other vehicles proximate in time and location to the vehicle along the vehicle trajectory; 
 determine, based upon the weather or the other vehicles, whether to enable the at least one optional function during vehicle travel along the vehicle trajectory; 
 in response to a determination to enable the at least one optional function, generate the at least one enablement code corresponding to the at least one optional function; and 
 transmit the at least one enablement code. 
 
   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein, to determine whether to enable the at least one optional function, the service is further configured to:
 determine whether at least one of the other vehicles or the weather will be proximate in time and location to the vehicle along the vehicle trajectory;   determine whether a number of destination vehicle(s) at a destination point, when the vehicle arrives at the destination point, exceeds a threshold value;   determine whether noise abatement rules are enforced in at least one of a departure point proximate to a time of departure, and the destination point proximate to a time of arrival;   determine whether any temperatures, proximate in time and location to the vehicle on the vehicle trajectory, are below a threshold level;   determine whether vehicle crew will have difficulty viewing an external environment due to at least one of time and/or weather conditions proximate to the location of the vehicle along the vehicle trajectory; and/or   determine whether the vehicle is equipped with a moving map system for the destination point.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the process further includes:
 transmitting, to the service, confirmation data representative of at least one of: the at least one optional function being enabled along the vehicle trajectory, and the at least one optional function being enabled and used along the vehicle trajectory; and   wherein the service is further configured to:
 determine a fee based upon the at least one of the at least one optional function being enabled along the vehicle trajectory, and the at least one optional function being enabled and used along the vehicle trajectory; and 
 generate an invoice for the fee. 
   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein, to determine whether to enable the at least one optional function, the service is further configured to:
 extract an identifier of the vehicle from the travel plan;   identify optional function(s) on the vehicle based upon the identifier; and   determine whether to enable one of the optional function(s) based upon the weather or the other vehicles.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the process further includes, before enabling at least one optional function code based on the at least one enablement code:
 displaying the at least one optional function;   receiving a selection of one or more optional functions of the at least one optional function; and   enabling the one or more optional functions.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the service is further configured to, before the determining whether to enable the at least one optional function:
 determine whether the vehicle, a user of the vehicle, and/or an owner of the vehicle is a subscriber to a service that permits selective enablement of optional functions in equipment on the vehicle;   in response to a determination that the vehicle, the user of the vehicle, and/or the owner of the vehicle is the subscriber to the service that permits selective enablement of optional functions, determine whether to enable the at least one optional function.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the process further includes:
 enabling the at least one optional function before departure from a destination point or along the vehicle trajectory; and   disabling the at least one optional function at a conclusion of the vehicle trajectory.   
     
     
         35 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
 receiving a travel plan for a vehicle including a travel path information;   determining a vehicle trajectory using the travel path information;   obtaining forecasts of weather or other vehicles proximate in time and location to the vehicle along the vehicle trajectory;   determining, based upon the weather or the other vehicles, whether to enable at least one optional function during vehicle travel along the vehicle trajectory;   in response to a determination to enable the at least one optional function, generating at least one enablement code corresponding to the at least one optional function; and   transmitting the at least one enablement code to the vehicle.   
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the determining whether to enable the at least one optional function includes at least one of:
 determining whether at least one of the other vehicles or the weather will be proximate in time and location to the vehicle along the vehicle trajectory;   determining whether a number of destination vehicle(s) at a destination point, when the vehicle arrives at the destination point, exceeds a threshold value;   determining whether noise abatement rules are enforced in at least one of a departure point proximate to a time of departure, and the destination point proximate to a time of arrival;   determining whether any temperatures, proximate in time and location to the vehicle on the vehicle trajectory, are below a threshold level;   determining whether vehicle crew will have difficulty viewing an external environment due to at least one of time and/or weather conditions proximate to the location of the vehicle along the vehicle trajectory; and/or   determining whether the vehicle is equipped with a moving map system for the destination point.   
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , the method further includes:
 receiving, from the vehicle, confirmation data representative of at least one of: the at least one optional function being enabled along the vehicle trajectory, and the at least one optional function being enabled and used along the vehicle trajectory;   determining a fee based upon the at least one of the at least one optional function being enabled along the vehicle trajectory, and the at least one optional function being enabled and used along the vehicle trajectory; and   generating an invoice for the fee.   
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the determining whether to enable the at least one optional function includes:
 extracting an identifier of the vehicle from the travel plan;   identifying optional function(s) on the vehicle based upon the identifier; and   determining whether to enable one of the optional function(s) based upon the weather or the other vehicles.   
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the method further includes, before the determining whether to enable the at least one optional function:
 determining whether the vehicle, a user of the vehicle, and/or an owner of the vehicle is a subscriber to a service that permits selective enablement of optional functions in equipment on the vehicle;   in response to a determination that the vehicle, the user of the vehicle, and/or the owner of the vehicle is the subscriber to the service that permits selective enablement of optional functions, determining whether to enable the at least one optional function.   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the method further includes:
 remotely enabling the at least one optional function before departure from a destination point or along the vehicle trajectory; and   remotely disabling the at least one optional function at a conclusion of the vehicle trajectory.