System and method for applying vehicle settings to a vehicle

• US 10,065,657 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Porembski, Joseph P., Galano, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutchinson, Alan D
• Application Number:
  US14/827,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20170050645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0064 using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit, e.g. remote keypad or mobile phone
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0065 using a personalised data carrier, e.g. magnetic card, memory card or electronic ignition key
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A method and system for applying vehicle settings to a vehicle is provided. The method and system include determining if a portable device is connected to the vehicle. The method and system also include identifying a first settings profile that is linked to the portable device upon determining that an auto-link functionality is enabled on the vehicle. The method and system further include determining if a user input is received to link a second settings profile to the portable device and identifying the second settings profile that is linked to the portable device. The method and system also include applying a settings profile to control a vehicle system during a current drive cycle of the vehicle, wherein the settings profile applied to control a vehicle system includes the first settings profile or the second settings profile.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for applying vehicle settings to a vehicle, comprising:

determining by a processor if a portable device is connected to the vehicle;

enabling automatically by the processor an auto-link functionality on the vehicle, to apply a first settings profile or a second settings profile associated with the portable device to the vehicle, based on a connection of the portable device to the vehicle;

determining by the processor if a user input is received to disable the auto-link functionality on the vehicle;

identifying automatically by the processor the first settings profile that is linked to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle when the auto-link functionality is enabled on the vehicle based on the connection of the portable device to the vehicle,

determining by the processor if a user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle;

identifying by the processor the second settings profile upon determining that the user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle; and

applying by the processor the first settings profile or the second settings profile to control a vehicle system during a current drive cycle of the vehicle,

wherein applying the first settings profile or the second settings profile of the auto-link functionality to control the vehicle system includes executing by the processor, system instructions included within the first settings profile when the first settings profile is identified to control the vehicle system to adjust at least one programmable setting of the vehicle system based on the first settings profile, and executing by the processor, system instructions included within the second settings profile when the second settings profile is identified to adjust the at least one programmable setting of the vehicle system based on the second settings profile by adjusting a seating position of a seat, a mirror position of a mirror, a seat belt height of a seat belt, a steering wheel height of a steering wheel, or a pedal position of a pedal,

wherein identifying the first settings profile includes receiving a device ID from the portable device that is connected to the vehicle, accessing a vehicle auto-link database table, querying the vehicle auto-link database table for a record containing the device ID of the portable device, and retrieving a label of the first settings profile that is linked to the device ID of the portable device from the record containing the device ID of the portable device; and

identifying the first settings profile that is linked to a vehicle control account used to login to a vehicle auto-link control application upon determining that the auto-link functionality is disabled on the vehicle, wherein identifying the first settings profile that is linked to the vehicle control account includes receiving user credentials of the vehicle control account, accessing a vehicle manual-link database table, querying the vehicle manual-link database table for a label of the vehicle control account, and retrieving the label of the first settings profile linked to the label of the vehicle control account.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining if the user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle includes determining if the user input is received to link at least one of:

a pre-existing second settings profile to the portable device and a new second settings profile to the portable device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further including linking the second settings profile to the portable device when it is determined that the user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle, wherein linking the second settings profile to the portable device includes accessing the vehicle auto-link database table, querying the vehicle auto-link database table for the record containing the device ID of the portable device that is connected to the vehicle, and overwriting a record that contains the label of the first settings profile with a label of the second settings profile by replacing the label of the first settings profile with the label of the second settings profile, wherein the label of the second settings profile is at least one of:

a label of the pre-existing settings profile and a label of the new settings profile.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein identifying the second settings profile includes accessing the vehicle auto-link database table and retrieving the label of the second settings profile within the record containing the device ID of the portable device on the vehicle auto-link database table.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein applying the first settings profile or the second settings profile to control the vehicle system includes accessing at least one of the first settings profile or the second settings profile on a head unit of the vehicle that corresponds to a label of at least one of:

the first settings profile and the second settings profile, wherein at least one of the first settings profile or the second settings profile on the head unit of the vehicle is executed to control the vehicle system during the current drive cycle of the vehicle.

6. A system for applying vehicle settings to a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle auto-link control application that is executed on a head unit of the vehicle that includes a processor and a memory storing instructions in a form of executable code that when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

determine if a portable device is connected to the vehicle;

enable automatically an auto-link functionality on the vehicle, to apply a first settings profile or a second settings profile associated with the portable device to the vehicle, based on a connection of the portable device to the vehicle;

determine if a user input is received to disable the auto-link functionality on the vehicle;

identify the first settings profile is linked to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle when the auto-link functionality is enabled on the vehicle based on the connection of the portable device to the vehicle,

wherein the processor determines if a user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle and identifies the second settings profile upon determining that the user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle; and

apply the first settings profile or the second settings profile to control a vehicle system during a current drive cycle of the vehicle,

wherein applying the first settings profile or the second settings profile of the auto-link functionality to control the vehicle system includes executing system instructions included within the first settings profile when the first settings profile is identified to control the vehicle system to adjust at least one programmable setting of the vehicle system based on the first settings profile, and executing system instructions included within the second settings profile when the second settings profile is identified to adjust the at least one programmable setting of the vehicle system based on the second settings profile, wherein the adjusting the programmable setting includes adjusting a seating position of a seat, a mirror position of a mirror, a seat belt height of a seat belt, a steering wheel height of a steering wheel, or a pedal position of a pedal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a device ID is received from the portable device, a vehicle auto-link database table is accessed and queried for a record containing the device ID of the portable device, and a label of the first settings profile is retrieved that is linked to the device ID of the portable device from the record containing the device ID of the portable device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein it is determined if the user input is received to link at least one of:

a pre-existing second settings profile to the portable device and a new second settings profile to the portable device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second settings profile is linked to the portable device when it is determined that the user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle, wherein the vehicle auto-link database table is accessed and queried for the record containing the device ID of the portable device that is connected to the vehicle, and a record of the vehicle auto-link database table that contains the label of the first settings profile is overwritten with a label of the second settings profile by replacing the label of the first settings profile with the label of the second settings profile, wherein the label of the second settings profile is at least one of:

a label of the pre-existing settings profile and a label of the new settings profile.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle auto-link database table is accessed to retrieve the label of the second settings profile within the record containing the device ID of the portable device on the vehicle auto-link database table.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first settings profile that is linked to a vehicle control account is identified upon determining that the auto-link functionality is disabled on the vehicle, wherein user credentials for the vehicle control account are received and a vehicle manual-link database table is accessed and queried for a label of the vehicle control account and the label of the first settings profile linked to the label of the vehicle control account is retrieved.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the first settings profile or the second settings profile on the head unit of the vehicle is accessed that corresponds to a label of at least one of:

the first settings profile and the second settings profile, wherein at least one of the first settings profile or the second settings profile on the head unit of the vehicle is executed in order to control the vehicle system during the current drive cycle of the vehicle.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions in a form of executable code for applying vehicle settings to a vehicle that, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the processor of the computer to perform a method, comprising:

determining if a portable device is connected to the vehicle;

enabling automatically an auto-link functionality on the vehicle, to apply a first settings profile or a second setting profile associated with the portable device to the vehicle, based on a connection of the portable device to the vehicle;

determining if a user input is received to disable the auto-link functionality on the vehicle;

identifying the first settings profile that is linked to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle when the auto-link functionality is enabled on the vehicle based on the connection of the portable device to the vehicle,

determining if a user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle;

identifying the second settings profile upon determining that the user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle; and

applying the first settings profile or the second settings profile to control a vehicle system during a current drive cycle of the vehicle,

wherein applying the first settings profile of the auto-link functionality to control the vehicle system includes executing system instructions included within the first settings profile when the first settings profile is identified to control the vehicle system to adjust at least one programmable setting of the vehicle system based on the first settings profile, and executing system instructions included within the second settings profile when the second settings profile is identified to adjust the at least one programmable setting of the vehicle system based on the second settings profile by adjusting a seating position of a seat, a mirror position of a mirror, a seat belt height of a seat belt, a steering wheel height of a steering wheel, or a pedal position of a pedal.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein identifying the first settings profile includes receiving a device ID from the portable device that is connected to the vehicle, accessing a vehicle auto-link database table, querying the vehicle auto-link database table for a record containing the device ID of the portable device, and retrieving a label of the first settings profile that is linked to the device ID of the portable device from the record containing the device ID of the portable device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein determining if the user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle includes determining if the user input is received to link at least one of:

a pre-existing second settings profile to the portable device and a new second settings profile to the portable device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further including linking the second settings profile to the portable device when it is determined that the user input is received to link the second settings profile to the portable device that is connected to the vehicle, wherein linking the second settings profile to the portable device includes accessing the vehicle auto-link database table, querying the vehicle auto-link database table for the record containing the device ID of the portable device that is connected to the vehicle, and overwriting a record that contains the label of the first settings profile with the label of the second settings profile by replacing the label of the first settings profile with the label of the second settings profile, wherein the label of the second settings profile is at least one of:

a label of the pre-existing settings profile and a label of the new settings profile.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein identifying the second settings profile includes accessing the vehicle auto-link database table and retrieving the label of the second settings profile within the record containing the device ID of the portable device on the vehicle auto-link database table.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further including identifying the first settings profile that is linked to a vehicle control account upon determining that the auto-link functionality is disabled on the vehicle, wherein identifying the first settings profile that is linked to the vehicle control account includes receiving user credentials of the vehicle control account, accessing a vehicle manual-link database table, querying the vehicle manual-link database table for a label of the vehicle control account, and retrieving the label of the first settings profile linked to the label of the vehicle control account.