Vehicle based communication of location data between external applications and devices

• US 10,278,029 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Burdette, Kevin, Hu, Jeffrey Yizhou, Kurian, Robin Mathew, Shala, Kujtim
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Fayyaz
• Application Number:
  US15/711,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20190090097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• 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 vehicle and method of operation, which include a vehicle computing system having at least one controller coupled to a transceiver and configured to poll for and respond to subscribe requests from at least two mobile device applications, communicating with the transceiver near a vehicle cabin. In response to the subscribe requests, the controller(s) establish a monitored connection to an active one of the navigation applications. In response to at least one of destination, waypoint, active status, and current location signals from the monitored connection, the controller(s) communicate the signals to inactive applications, and may be further configured to communicate such signals from the inactive applications to other active and inactive applications. The controller(s) also poll the navigation and/or non-navigation applications for one or more data share permissions and messaging capabilities, and establish data push connections to the inactive applications according to the data share permissions and messaging capabilities.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a controller coupled to a transceiver and configured to;

in response to subscribe requests from at least two mobile device applications communicating with the transceiver,

establish a monitored connection to an active one of the applications, and

in response to at least one of destination and waypoint signals from the monitored connection, communicate the signals to inactive applications; and

communicate a current location to one of the inactive applications.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, comprising:

the controller further configured to, in response to one or more of the destination and waypoint signals, an active status signal, and a current location signal from one of the applications that is a navigation application;

by the transceiver, poll the applications for one or more of respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities; and

establish data push connections to the inactive applications according to the respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, comprising:

the controller further configured to, in response to the signals;

designate;

as active the navigation application that generated a most recent of the signals, and

as inactive the other applications.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, comprising:

the controller coupled to a vehicle display system, and further configured to, in response to the signals;

poll the navigation applications for one or more of respective active status signal, data share permissions, and messaging capabilities;

establish data push connections to the inactive applications according to the respective active status signal, data share permissions and messaging capabilities; and

communicate to the display, at least one of active status signal, data share permissions, messaging capabilities, and unavailability designators identifying one or more of denied permissions and unavailable messaging capabilities.

5. The vehicle according to claim 2, comprising:

the controller further configured to, in response to one or more of the destination and waypoint signals from an inactive one of the applications;

poll the inactive one of navigation applications for an active status signal;

in response to a reply active status signal; and

reassign the monitored connection to the active one of the navigation applications, and designate as inactive the other applications.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, comprising:

the controller further configured to;

poll the applications for one or more of respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities; and

establish data push connections to the inactive applications according to the respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, comprising:

the controller further configured to, in response to one or more of the destination and waypoint signals, and an active status signal, from an inactive one of the applications that is a navigation application and that asserts active status by one of the signals;

reassign the monitored connection to the active one of the navigation applications, and designate as inactive the other applications.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, comprising:

the controller coupled to a vehicle display system, and further configured to, in response to at least one of the signals including an active status assertion;

communicate one or more of changed active and inactive statuses of the applications to the display.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, comprising:

the controller further configured to;

communicate a current location to each of the applications.

10. A vehicle, comprising:

a controller coupled to a transceiver and configured to;

push subscribe requests to mobile device applications proximate a vehicle cabin,

in response to a subscribe reply, establish a monitored connection to an active one of the applications that is a navigation application,

in response to at least one of destination and waypoint signals from the monitored connection, communicate the signals to inactive applications, and

in response to one or more of the destination and waypoint signals, and an active status signal, from an inactive one of the navigation applications that asserts active status by one of the signals, reassign the monitored connection to the active one of the navigation applications, and designate as inactive the other applications.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, comprising:

the controller further configured to, in response to one or more of the destination and waypoint signals, an active status signal, and a current location signal from one of the applications that is a navigation application;

poll the applications for one or more of respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities; and

establish data push connections to the inactive applications according to the respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, comprising:

the controller further configured to, in response to the signals;

designate;

as active the navigation application that generated a most recent of the signals, and

as inactive the other applications.

13. The vehicle according to claim 11, comprising:

the controller further configured to;

poll the navigation applications for one or more of respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities; and

establish data push connections to the inactive applications according to the respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities.

14. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:

by a controller, coupled to a transceiver;

in response to subscribe requests from at least two mobile device applications communicating with the transceiver,

establishing a monitored connection to an active one of the applications that is a navigation application, and

in response to at least one of destination and waypoint signals from the monitored connection, communicating the signals to inactive applications; and

by the transceiver, in response to one or more of the destination and waypoint signals, an active status signal, and a current location signal from one of the navigation applications;

polling the applications for one or more of respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities, and

establishing data push connections to the inactive applications according to the respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising:

the controller further configured to, in response to one or more of the destination and waypoint signals, and an active status signal, from an inactive one of the navigation applications that asserts active status by one of the signals;

reassign the monitored connection to the active one of the navigation applications, and designate as inactive the other applications.

16. The method according to claim 14, comprising:

by the controller, in response to the signals;

designating;

as active the navigation application that generated a most recent of the signals, and

as inactive the other applications.

17. The method according to claim 14, comprising:

by the controller;

polling the navigation for one or more of respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities; and

establishing data push connections to the inactive applications according to the respective data share permissions and messaging capabilities.