Abstract:
A home control system and a method of home control from a vehicle includes determining a distance between the vehicle and a home, and controlling a home system of the home in response to the distance or the estimated amount of time for the vehicle to reach home.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to a vehicle, and more particularly to a home control system therefor. 
         [0002]    Various conventional home automation systems that automatically control home appliances are available, such as climate control systems, lighting systems, security systems, and sprinkler systems. Automatic control of home appliances in such home automation systems typically involve transitioning such appliances between a powered and unpowered state, between a fully powered state and power-conserving state, or between an active and inactive state. Although effective, such automatic control of home appliances may be relatively restricted in operation. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    The home control system from a vehicle described herein can be used to control home systems based on a distance relationship between the vehicle and the home. The home control system is also operable to associate a distance with a time to achieve a desired change of state in a home system. The home control system thereby provides a method of home control from a vehicle that operates automatically to increase home safety and convenience. 
         [0004]    A method of home control from a vehicle according to one non-limiting embodiment includes determining a distance between the vehicle and a home and controlling a home system of the home in response to the distance. 
         [0005]    A method of home control from a vehicle according to another non-limiting embodiment includes determining a time associated with a desired state of a home system of the home with respect to a distance between the home and the vehicle. Controlling the home system from the vehicle at a distance from the home associated with the time. 
         [0006]    A home control system according to another non-limiting embodiment includes a vehicle positional system operable to determine a distance between a vehicle and a home. A control system is in communication with the vehicle positional system and a communication system. The control system is in communication with a home system via the communication system such that the home system is controlled in response to the distance. 
         [0007]    The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, the following description and drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Various features will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the disclosed non-limiting embodiments. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a vehicle for use with a home control system;  FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the home control system relationship with a home; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating operations of the home control system according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a vehicle with a home control system according to another disclosed non-limiting embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    A home control system for a vehicle is disclosed. The home control system is operable to control a home system based on a distance relationship between the vehicle and the home. A vehicle positional system such as a GPS system may be utilized to determine the distance relationship. The distance relationship may alternatively or additionally be determined via a visual system to control a home system such as a garage door. The distance relationship can also be associated with a time to achieve a desired change of state in a home system such as home climate control system to achieve a desired temperature when the vehicle arrives at the home. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a vehicle  20  with a home control system  22 . The home control system  22  generally includes a sensor system  24 , a control system  26  and a communication system  28 . It should be appreciated that although particular systems are separately defined, each or any of the systems may be otherwise combined or segregated via hardware and/or software of the home control system  22 . 
         [0014]    The sensor system  24  may include various sensors operable to identify a condition associated with the vehicle  20 . In one disclosed non-limiting embodiment, a vehicle positional system  30  such as a GPS, NFC, Bluetooth, etc. is provided. 
         [0015]    The control system  26  generally includes a control module  40  with a processor  42 , a memory  44 , and an interface  46 . The control module  40  may be a portion of a central vehicle control, a stand-alone unit, or other system such as a cloud-based system. The processor  42  may be any type of microprocessor having desired performance characteristics. The memory  44  may include any type of computer readable medium that stores the data and control algorithms  48  described below. Other operational software for the processor  42  may also be stored in the memory  44 . The interface  46  facilitates communication with other systems such as the sensor system  24 , and the communication system  28 . 
         [0016]    The communication system  28  includes a wireless communication system  50  operable to communicate with a home system  52  of a home  54  associated with the vehicle  20 . It should be appreciated that various network interfaces, e.g., a wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) interface, cellular network interface or other interface may be provided within the home  54  to control the one or more home systems  52 . The home system  52  may include, but not be limited to, a climate control system  52 A, a security system  52 B, a lighting system  52 C, a garage door  52 D, a home appliance  52 E, etc. It should be appreciated that numerous such home systems  52  may be controlled either separately or in combination. 
         [0017]    The vehicle positional system  30  includes data associated with the location of the home  54  such that the control system  26  is operable to determine a distance between the vehicle  20  and the home  54  ( FIG. 2 ). The location of the home  54  may be stored or otherwise programmed in the memory  44  such that the control system  26  is operable to continuously calculate a relative distance to the home system  52 . 
         [0018]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , in one disclosed non-limiting embodiment, an algorithm  48  for operation of the home control system  22  is schematically illustrated. The functions of the algorithm  48  are disclosed in terms of functional block diagrams and it should be understood that these functions may be enacted in either dedicated hardware circuitry or programmed software routines as a computer readable storage medium capable of execution as instructions in a microprocessor based electronics control embodiment such as the processor  42  of the control system  26 . 
         [0019]    The algorithm  48  provides a method  100  for home system control of the home system  54 . Initially, the method  100  determines a distance between the vehicle  20  and a home  54  (step  102 ;  FIG. 2 ). In response to identification of the distance and a control distance, the control module  40  utilizes the communication system  28  to selectively control the desired home system  52  (step  104 ). 
         [0020]    For example, in reference to the climate control system  52 A, the home control system  22  determines a temperature difference between a current home temperature and a desired temperature to actuate the climate control system  52 A when the vehicle is at a particular control distance from the home system  52  such that the climate control system  52 A achieves the desired temperature when the vehicle  20  arrives at the home  54 . That is, the control distance is associated with a time required to effect the desired temperature change (step  104 A). 
         [0021]    In another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the control module  40  utilizes the communication system  28  to control the desired home system when the estimated time of arrival of the vehicle to the home  54  is of a fixed value such as  30  minutes (step  104 B). 
         [0022]    In still another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the home control system  22  determines a status of the home system  52  and selectively switches the home system  52  in response to a fixed distance from the home  54  (step  104 C). That is, the range or time is fixed such that once the vehicle  20  is within such a control range, the home system  52  is operated. For example, if the vehicle  20  is out of a driveway of the home, the home control system  22  turns off the lighting system  52 C, particular home appliances  52 E such as a stove, arms the security system  52 B, closes the garage door  52 D, and/or switches other such home systems to a desired state. It should be appreciated that any number or combination of such home systems  52  may be controlled. 
         [0023]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , in another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, the sensor system  24  includes a camera system  32  such that the home control system  22 , for example, is operable to control the home garage door  52 D when the home  54  enters into or leaves the view of the camera system  32 . Examples of the camera system  32  include, but are not limited to, charge coupled devices, forward looking infrared, thermal systems and combinations thereof. It should be appreciated that the visual control may additionally be combined with distance control to assure proper operation thereof. 
         [0024]    The use of the terms “a,” “an,” “the,” and similar references in the context of description (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or specifically contradicted by context. The modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity). All ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. 
         [0025]    Although the different non-limiting embodiments have specific illustrated components, the embodiments of this invention are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from any of the non-limiting embodiments in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments. 
         [0026]    It should be appreciated that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. It should also be appreciated that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed in the illustrated embodiment, other arrangements will benefit herefrom. 
         [0027]    Although particular step sequences are shown, described, and claimed, it should be understood that steps may be performed in any order, separated or combined unless otherwise indicated and will still benefit from the present disclosure. 
         [0028]    The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined by the limitations within. Various non-limiting embodiments are disclosed herein, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that various modifications and variations in light of the above teachings will fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is therefore to be appreciated that within the scope of the appended claims, the disclosure may be practiced other than as specifically described. For that reason the appended claims should be studied to determine true scope and content.