Bluetooth apparatus of vehicle and method and apparatus for managing communication connection of vehicle

• US 10,341,481 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Jeong Hun
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Wen W
• Application Number:
  US15/809,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20180352066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• 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: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A Bluetooth apparatus for a vehicle controls a connection between a plurality of Bluetooth profiles and a terminal of a user based on whether a driver'"'"'s seat is occupied by the user or based on whether the driver'"'"'s seat is occupied by the user and whether the terminal of the user is located in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A Bluetooth apparatus for a vehicle, which is configured to control a connection between a plurality of Bluetooth profiles, which includes a first Bluetooth profile and a second Bluetooth profile, and a terminal of a user based on whether a driver'"'"'s seat is occupied by the user or based on whether the driver'"'"'s seat is occupied by the user and whether the terminal of the user is located in the vehicle,

wherein, when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied, the first Bluetooth profile or the second Bluetooth profile is connected to the terminal based on whether the terminal of the user is located in the vehicle, and

when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied and the terminal is located in the vehicle, the first Bluetooth profile is not connected to the terminal while the second Bluetooth profile is connected to the terminal.

2. The Bluetooth apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first Bluetooth profile is a hands-free profile (HFP), and the second Bluetooth profile is an advanced audio distribution profile (A²DP) or an audio/video remote control profile (AVRCP).

3. The Bluetooth apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first Bluetooth profile and the second Bluetooth profile are connected to the terminal when the driver'"'"'s seat is occupied.

4. The Bluetooth apparatus of claim 2, wherein, when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied and the terminal is not located in the vehicle, the first Bluetooth profile and the second Bluetooth profile are not connected to the terminal.

5. The Bluetooth apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied, the terminal is not located in the vehicle, and a passenger exists in the vehicle, the first Bluetooth profile is not connected to the terminal and the second Bluetooth profile is connected to the terminal.

6. An apparatus for managing a communication connection of a vehicle, comprising:

a driver seat detection sensor configured to detect whether a driver'"'"'s seat is occupied;

a terminal detection sensor configured to detect whether a terminal of a user is located in the vehicle; and

a Bluetooth connection management controller configured to control a connection between a plurality of Bluetooth profiles, which include a first Bluetooth profile and a second Bluetooth profile, and the terminal based on whether the driver'"'"'s seat is occupied by the user or based on whether the driver'"'"'s seat is occupied by the user and whether the terminal of the user is located in the vehicle,

wherein, when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied, the first Bluetooth profile or the second Bluetooth profile is connected to the terminal based on whether the terminal of the user is located in the vehicle, and

when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied and the terminal is located in the vehicle, the Bluetooth connection management controller connects the second Bluetooth profile to the terminal without connecting the first Bluetooth profile to the terminal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first Bluetooth profile is an HFP, and the second Bluetooth profile is an A²DP or an AVRCP.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, when the driver'"'"'s seat is occupied, the Bluetooth connection management controller connects the first Bluetooth profile and the second Bluetooth profile to the terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied and the terminal is not located in the vehicle, the Bluetooth connection management controller disconnect the first Bluetooth profile and the second Bluetooth profile to the terminal.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the driver seat detection sensor comprises a driver seat occupancy sensor or a seat-belt sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the terminal detection sensor is configured to determine that the terminal is located in the vehicle when the terminal detection sensor periodically transmits an ultrasonic wave to the terminal and receives a response message from the terminal.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein, when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied, the terminal is not located in the vehicle, and a passenger exists in the vehicle, the first Bluetooth profile is not connected to the terminal and the second Bluetooth profile is connected to the terminal.

13. A method for managing a communication connection of a vehicle, comprising steps of:

detecting, by a driver seat detection sensor, whether a driver'"'"'s seat is occupied;

detecting, by a terminal detection sensor, whether a terminal of a user is located in the vehicle; and

controlling, by a Bluetooth connection management controller, a connection between a plurality of Bluetooth profiles, which include a first Bluetooth profile and a second Bluetooth profile, and the terminal based on whether the driver'"'"'s seat is occupied by the user or based on whether the driver'"'"'s seat is occupied by the user and whether the terminal of the user is located in the vehicle,

wherein the step of controlling comprises, when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied, connecting the first Bluetooth profile or the second Bluetooth profile to the terminal based on whether the terminal of the user is located in the vehicle,

wherein when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied and the terminal is located in the vehicle, connecting the second Bluetooth profile to the terminal without connecting the first Bluetooth profile to the terminal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first Bluetooth profile is an HFP, and the second Bluetooth profile is an A²DP or an AVRCP.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of controlling comprises connecting the first Bluetooth profile and the second Bluetooth profile to the terminal in the case that the driver'"'"'s seat is occupied.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of controlling comprises disconnecting the first Bluetooth profile and the second Bluetooth profile to the terminal in the case that the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied and the terminal is not located in the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of controlling comprises when the driver'"'"'s seat is not occupied, the terminal is not located in the vehicle, and a passenger exists in the vehicle, connecting the second Bluetooth profile to the terminal without connecting the first Bluetooth profile to the terminal.