Keypad master code

• US 10,124,765 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wilt, Matthew, Dawson, Brandon M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Hirdepal
• Application Number:
  US15/385,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20180170311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 340 522
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A vehicle keypad lock control system includes a computer programmed to determine whether the keypad master code should be deactivated based at least on data received by or stored on the computer. The computer deactivates the keypad master code in response to a determination that the keypad master code should be deactivated. The computer may actuate the power lock to an unlocked condition in response to receiving keypad data including the keypad master code while the keypad master code is activated.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising a computer programmed to:

determine whether a keypad master code should be deactivated based at least on data received by or stored on the computer; and

deactivate the keypad master code in response to a determination that the keypad master code should be deactivated,

wherein the keypad master code is a keypad code common to a plurality of vehicles, and wherein determining whether the keypad master code should be deactivated includes determining whether the keypad master code should be deactivated for one of the plurality of vehicles,

wherein the computer is further programmed to determine a location of the one of the plurality of vehicles, compare the location of the one of the plurality of vehicles to an identified location, identify a distance driven by the one of the plurality of vehicles, and determine that the keypad master code should be deactivated based on the identified distance driven and as a result of determining that the one of the plurality of vehicles is at the identified location.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the distance driven is identified based at least on data received from an odometer.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, the computer further programmed to:

identify a mode of the one of the plurality of vehicles; and

wherein determining that the keypad master code should be deactivated is further based on the identified mode of the one of the plurality of vehicles.

4. The vehicle system of claim 3, wherein the identification of the mode of the one of the plurality of vehicles is based at least on a user input to a user device sent to the computer via wired or wireless communication, and the user device is one of a remote device or an in-vehicle user interface.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1, the computer further programmed to:

actuate a power lock to an unlocked condition in response to receiving keypad data including the keypad master code while the keypad master code is activated.

6. The vehicle system of claim 5, further comprising:

a keypad in communication with the computer; and

wherein the power lock is in communication with the computer.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein deactivating the master code includes deleting the master code.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising a computer memory and wherein the keypad master code is one of a plurality of codes stored in the computer memory.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein deactivating the keypad master code for the one of the plurality of vehicles includes deleting the keypad master code from the computer memory.

10. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein deactivating the keypad master code for the one of the plurality of vehicles includes retaining at least one of the plurality of codes, other than the keypad master code, in the computer memory.

11. A method comprising:

determining a location of one of a plurality of vehicles;

comparing the location of the one of the plurality of vehicles to an identified location;

identifying a distance driven by the one of the plurality of vehicles;

determining that a keypad master code should be deactivated for the one of the plurality of vehicles based on the identified distance driven and as a result of determining that the one of the plurality of vehicles is at the identified location; and

deactivating the keypad master code in response to determining that the keypad master code should be deactivated,

wherein the keypad master code is a keypad code common to the plurality of vehicles.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the distance driven is identified based at least on data received from an odometer.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a mode of the one of the plurality of vehicles; and

wherein determining that the keypad master code should be deactivated is further based on the identified mode of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the identification of the mode of the one of the plurality of vehicles is based at least on a user input to a user device sent to the computer via wired or wireless communication, and the user device is one of a remote device or an in-vehicle user interface.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

actuating a power lock to an unlocked condition in response to receiving keypad data including the keypad master code while the keypad master code is activated.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein deactivating the master code includes deleting the master code.