Motor vehicle configuration system

• US 10,005,407 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Preissinger, Joerg, Schoellermann, Tobias, Steffen, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Justus, Ralph H
• Application Number:
  US13/048,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20110237186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,660 Days
• Field of Search: 180329, 180 90, 180326, 180334, 710 8, 710 72, 710 36, 710 49, 701 36, 701 49, 340 561- 564, 340 572, 3404261, 34042614, 34042636, 340 101, 318567, 307 101, 455 411, 455 412, 455 413
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel

Abstract

Motor vehicle configuration system, including a motor vehicle, in the interior of which at least one transponder that is capable of wireless near field communication is attached and which has a receiving unit for wireless reception of vehicle configuration data over a wireless communication link independent of the wireless near field communication. A portable device has at least one data memory for storing the memory data and has a transmitting unit for a wireless transmission of data on the basis of the memory data. The portable device is programmed such that, when an approach of the portable device to a transponder is detected on the basis of wireless near field communication, the data are transferred from the portable device to the motor vehicle a wireless communication link between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit for the purpose of providing the motor vehicle with configuration data. The communication link is independent of the wireless near field communication.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle configuration system, comprising:

a plurality of target transponders, each attached to a unique corresponding location interior to a motor vehicle and configured to establish respective wireless near-field-communication links over which location identification data unique to each transponder is transmitted, the plurality of target transponders including;

a first target transponder located at a first location inside the motor vehicle, and

a second target transponder located at a second location inside the motor vehicle;

a wireless receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive personal settings data over a wireless communication link independent of the respective near-field-communication links;

a portable device including;

a memory configured to store first personal settings data that is specific to the first location, and second personal settings data that is specific to the second location,

an initiator transponder configured to establish a first wireless near-field-communication link with the first target transponder in response to the portable device approaching the first target transponder, and a second wireless near-field-communication link with the second target transponder in response to the portable device approaching the second target transponder, and

a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the first personal settings data over the wireless communication link in response to the portable device establishing the first near-field-communication link with the first target transponder and to receiving first location identifying information thereover, and to transmit the second personal settings data over the wireless communication link in response to the portable device establishing the second near-field-communication link with the second target transponder and to receiving second location identifying information thereover,

wherein each of the plurality of target transponders capable of wireless near-field-communication is assigned a specific display unit of the motor vehicle from a plurality of display units in the motor vehicle, and

wherein upon detecting the approach of the portable device to one of the plurality of target transponders multimedia data are transferred from the portable device to the motor vehicle for display on the assigned specific display unit.

2. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of target transponders are constructed as a passive NFC tag in conformity with one of an ISO 14443 and ISO 18092 FeliCa standard.

3. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable device is a mobile phone.

4. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication link that is independent of the wireless near-field-communication is configured to respond to the detection of the approach of the portable device to at least the first transponder and second transponder.

5. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication link that is independent of the wireless near-field-communication is configured as a Bluetooth link.

6. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon detecting the approach of the portable device to a particular one of the plurality of target transponders, a pointer to at least one of such target transponder and a corresponding location is transferred to the motor vehicle.

7. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first transponder and second transponder is arranged under a cover in the interior of the motor vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cover exhibits an optically detectable marking as a pointer to at least one of a mounting place and a detection range of the at least one of the first transponder and the second transponder.

9. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first transponder and the second transponder has an adhesive face and is attachable on a surface in the interior of the motor vehicle.

10. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a user interface of the portable device is capable of influencing at least one of the following:

(a) which of the first and second personal settings data shall be sent in an event of a detection of an approach of the portable device to at least one of the first transponder and the second transponder; and

(b) which personal settings shall be made in an event of a detection of an approach.

11. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 10, wherein the portable device is programmable starting from the user interface of the motor vehicle as a function of the influencing.

12. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the first transponder and the second transponder has specification information regarding a potential wireless communication link that is independent of the wireless near-field-communication; and

the specification information is readable by the portable device via near-field-communication, in order to at least one of;

(a) set up, taking into consideration this specification information, the wireless communication link between the transmitter and the receiving unit, and

(b) communicate, taking into consideration this specification information, over this communication link.

13. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable device is operatively configured to execute a software application preconfigurable on detection of the approach of the portable device, as a function of a particular one of the plurality of transponders, for a certain functionality that is assigned to such particular transponder and/or that is assigned to a position in the vehicle interior recognizable by the transponder.

14. The motor vehicle configuration system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitted first and second personal settings data comprises at least one of seat setting data, air conditioning setting data and sound setting data.