Mode changing of a mobile communication device and vehicle settings when the mobile communications device is in proximity to a vehicle

• US 10,178,220 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Prosper Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Zellner, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US15/601,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A driver of a vehicle is identified and a command is sent to a mobile communications device that is associated with the identified driver and that is in proximity of the vehicle to force the mobile communications device to change modes such as to enter a hands-free or other suitable mode. The driver may be identified through one or more techniques including biometric sensing, key detection, switch controls, and so forth. Additionally, the driver and/or feature settings preferred by the current driver may be identified by receiving data from the mobile communications device. The data may identify the driver ID with preferred feature settings, the mobile communications device which has an association to a driver ID with preferred feature settings, or the data may specify the preferred feature settings.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first mobile device; and

a second mobile device coupled to a vehicular system, the vehicular system comprising;

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving an indication that the first mobile device is associated with a first driver of a vehicle associated with the vehicular system when the first mobile device comes into proximity with the vehicular system;

determining that the second mobile device is associated with the first driver of the vehicle;

based on the indication received from the first mobile device, instructing the vehicular system to cause the first mobile device and the second mobile device to enter a mode;

detecting an override from the first mobile device; and

responsive to detecting the override, instructing the vehicular system to release the second mobile device from the mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second mobile device is associated with a second driver of the vehicle, wherein the second driver of the vehicle comprises the current driver of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, based on the indication received from the first mobile device, instructing the vehicular system to configure a feature of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the feature comprises a climate control feature or a radio feature.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second mobile device is coupled with the vehicular system via a cradle connection.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise maintaining an association of identifications of a plurality of mobile devices to features of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the mode comprises one of a control redirection mode, a video redirection mode, a camera redirection mode, or a text-to-speech (TTS) mode.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mode comprises a hands-free mode.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the vehicular system further comprises a hands-free component and the operations further comprise instructing the vehicular system to permit the first mobile device to communicate with the hands-free component.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicular system comprises a plurality of hands-free components.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause said computing device to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving an indication that a first mobile device is associated with a first driver of a vehicle associated with a vehicular system when the first mobile comes into proximity with the vehicular system;

determining that a second mobile device is associated with the first driver of the vehicle, wherein the second mobile device is coupled with the vehicular system;

based on the indication received from the first mobile device, instructing the vehicular system to cause the first mobile device and the second mobile device to enter a mode;

detecting an override from the first mobile device; and

responsive to detecting the override, instructing the vehicular system to release the second mobile device from the mode.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the mode comprises one of a hands-free mode, a text-to-speech (TTS) mode, a control redirection mode, a camera redirection mode, or a video redirection mode.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise maintaining an association of identifications of a plurality of mobile devices to features of the vehicle.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second mobile device is associated with the current driver of the vehicle.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise, based on the indication received from the first mobile device, instructing the vehicular system to configure a feature of the vehicle.

16. A method comprising:

communicatively connecting with a first mobile device when the first mobile device comes into close proximity with a vehicular system of the vehicle;

receiving from the first mobile device information comprising an indication of a first driver associated with the first mobile device;

determining that a second mobile device is associated with the first driver of the vehicle, wherein the second mobile device is coupled with the vehicular system;

based on the information received from the first mobile device, instructing the vehicular system to cause the first mobile device and the second mobile device to enter a mode;

detecting an override to the mode change from the first mobile device; and

responsive to detecting the override, instructing the vehicular system to release the second mobile device from the mode.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second mobile device is associated with a second driver of the vehicle, wherein the second driver of the vehicle comprises the current driver of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising maintaining an association of identifications of mobile devices to features of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the mode comprises one of a hands-free mode, a text-to-speech (TTS) mode, a control redirection mode, or a video redirection mode.