# US 11,077,860 B2 · Embedded in-vehicle platform for providing immersive user experiences > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,860 B2 - Document ID: US11077860B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/295,959 - Filed: 2019-03-07 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-07 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Ayush Shah; Jeffrey Yeung; Harald C. Martinez; Oleg Gusikhin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077860B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/0098: {Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for} - A61B 5/0205: Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition - A61B 5/6893: {Cars} - A61M 21/02: for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia (for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021) - B60H 1/00964: {Control systems or circuits characterised by including features for automatic and non-automatic control, e.g. for changing from automatic to manual control} - B60H 3/0035: {characterised by the control methods for adding the substance} - B60Q 3/80: Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47) - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping] - A61B 5/02438: {with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient} - A61B 5/165: {Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety} - A61B 2503/12: Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey - A61M 2021/0016: {by the smell sense} - A61M 2021/0027: {by the hearing sense} - A61M 2021/0044: {by the sight sense} - B60H 2003/0064: {adding more than one substance} - B60Q 2900/50: Arrangements to reconfigure features of lighting or signalling devices, or to choose from a list of pre-defined settings - B60W 2540/22: Psychological state; Stress level or workload - B60W 2710/30: Auxiliary equipments - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Systems and methods are disclosed for an embedded in-vehicle platform that provides immersive user experiences. An example method includes obtaining, by a vehicle controller of a vehicle, a preference profile for a user; loading the preference profile by the vehicle controller; determining a shopping experience of the user occurring on a vehicle shopping platform within the vehicle; determining an ambience profile of a merchant identified in the shopping experience; and controlling, by the vehicle controller, an in-vehicle ambience within the vehicle based on the ambience profile and the preference profile. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: obtaining, by a vehicle controller of a vehicle, a preference profile for a user; loading the preference profile by the vehicle controller; determining a shopping experience of the user occurring on a vehicle shopping platform within the vehicle; determining an ambience profile of a merchant identified in the shopping experience; and controlling, by the vehicle controller, an in-vehicle ambience within the vehicle based on the ambience profile and the preference profile. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein controlling, by the vehicle controller, the in-vehicle ambience within the vehicle based on the ambience profile and the preference profile further comprises activating a scent dispensing device that comprises scents. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein controlling, by the vehicle controller, the in-vehicle ambience within the vehicle based on the ambience profile and the preference profile further comprises controlling an entertainment or infotainment system of the vehicle to output audio content to the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein controlling, by the vehicle controller, the in-vehicle ambience within the vehicle based on the ambience profile and the preference profile further comprises selectively changing at least one of a luminance or a hue of one or more lighting elements within an interior of the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising executing a voice assist protocol to guide the user during the shopping experience, the voice assist protocol being a part of the ambience profile. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: during the shopping experience, obtaining biometric feedback from the user from one or more biometric sensors in a seat of the vehicle; determining at least one of a mood, a heart rate, or a comfort level for the user based on the biometric feedback; and updating the user profile with the mood, the heart rate, or the comfort level for the user. ### Claim 7 A vehicle, comprising: a micro-environment assembly configured to selectively adjust an ambience within a vehicle by providing any combination of one or more of visual, auditory, or olfactory output; and a vehicle controller comprising a processor and a memory, the processor being configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to: obtain a preference profile for a user; load the preference profile by the vehicle controller; determine a shopping experience of the user occurring on a vehicle shopping platform within the vehicle; determine an ambience profile of a merchant identified in the shopping experience; and control the micro-environment assembly to selectively adjust the ambience within the vehicle based on the ambience profile and the preference profile to provide the user with an immersive experience. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the micro-environment assembly comprises a scent dispenser that outputs scented compounds in accordance with at least one of the ambience profile or the preference profile. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause an entertainment or infotainment system of the vehicle to output audio content to the user in accordance with at least one of the ambience profile or the preference profile. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising one or more lighting elements within an interior of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to selectively change at least one of a luminance or a hue of the one or more lighting elements in accordance with at least one of the ambience profile or the preference profile. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a voice command system, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to implement a voice assist protocol on the voice command system to guide the user during the shopping experience. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the voice assist protocol is a part of the ambience profile, the voice assist protocol comprising an interactive chat feature that provides question and answer engagement with the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause a climate control system of the vehicle to increase or decrease temperature or airspeed within the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising one or more biometric sensors within a seat of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to: during the shopping experience, obtain biometric feedback from the user from the one or more biometric sensors; determine at least one of a mood, a heart rate, or a comfort level for the user based on the biometric feedback; and update the user profile with the mood, the heart rate, or the comfort level for the user. ### Claim 15 A system, comprising: a service provider that: generates and maintains preference profiles of users; and obtains ambience profiles from third-party entities; and a vehicle comprising: a micro-environment assembly configured to selectively adjust an ambience within a vehicle by providing any combination of one or more of visual, auditory, or olfactory output; and a vehicle controller comprising a processor and a memory, the processor being configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to: obtain a preference profile for a user from the service provider; load the preference profile by the vehicle controller; determine a shopping experience of the user occurring on a vehicle shopping platform within the vehicle; determine an ambience profile of a merchant identified in the shopping experience; load the ambience profile by the vehicle controller; and control the micro-environment assembly to selectively adjust the ambience within the vehicle based on the ambience profile and the preference profile. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, further comprising one or more biometric sensors within a seat of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to: during the shopping experience, obtain biometric feedback from the user from the one or more biometric sensors; determine at least one of a mood, a heart rate, or a comfort level for the user based on the biometric feedback; and update the user profile with the mood, the heart rate, or the comfort level for the user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the micro-environment assembly comprises a scent dispenser that outputs scented compounds in accordance with at least one of the ambience profile or the preference profile. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause an entertainment or infotainment system of the vehicle to output audio content to the user in accordance with at least one of the ambience profile or the preference profile. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, further comprising one or more lighting elements within an interior of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to selectively change at least one of a luminance or a hue of the one or more lighting elements in accordance with at least one of the ambience profile or the preference profile. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, further comprising a voice command system, wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to implement a voice assist protocol on the voice command system to guide the user during the shopping experience.