Systems and methods for vehicle lock/unlock alerts

• US 10,414,376 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ghannam, Mahmoud Yousef, Bennie, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghulamali, Qutbuddin
• Application Number:
  US16/014,796
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 3404255
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/31 of human presence inside or outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/00 Locks giving indication of authorised or unauthorised unlocking with key identification means E05B35/001; alarm locks E05B45/00

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for providing discrete alerts to a user of the lock status of a vehicle. An example vehicle includes sensors, a communication system, and a processor. The processor is processor configured to receive a lock request from a remote device, responsive to determining that the remote device is within a threshold range, transmit a first alert to the remote device, and responsive to determining that the remote device is outside the threshold range (i) determine that a vehicle situational criteria is met, and (ii) transmit a second alert to the remote device.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

sensors;

a communication system; and

a processor configured to;

receive a lock request from a first device;

responsive to determining that the first device is within a threshold range, transmit a first alert to a second device; and

responsive to determining that the first device is outside the threshold range (i) determine that a vehicle situational criteria is met, and (ii) transmit a second alert to the second device,

wherein determining that the vehicle situational criteria is met comprises;

determining one or more remote server conditions corresponding to the vehicle;

receiving data corresponding to the one or more remote server conditions from a remote server; and

determining that vehicle situational criteria is met based on the one or more remote server conditions and the received data.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first device is a key fob, and the second device is a smartphone communicatively coupled to the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first alert is transmitted via a Bluetooth connection to the second device, and wherein the second alert is transmitted via a cellular connection to the second device.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein determining that the vehicle situational criteria is met comprises:

determining one or more vehicle based conditions;

gathering data corresponding to the one or more vehicle based conditions via the sensors; and

determining that vehicle situational criteria is met based on the vehicle based conditions and the gathered data.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein determining that the vehicle situational criteria is met comprises:

determining one or more device conditions corresponding to the second device;

receiving data corresponding to the one or more device conditions from the second device; and

determining that vehicle situational criteria is met based on the one or more device conditions and the received data.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a driver'"'"'s seat, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the driver'"'"'s seat is unoccupied; and

transmit the first alert to the second device responsive to (i) determining that the first device is within the threshold range, and (ii) determining that the driver'"'"'s seat is unoccupied.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

responsive to determining that the first device is outside the threshold range, (i) determine that the vehicle situational criteria is not met, and (ii) transmit a third alert to the second device, wherein the third alert indicates that a honk will occur when the vehicle is locked;

receive an instruction to prevent the honk from occurring from the second device in response to transmitting the third alert; and

prevent the honk from occurring when the vehicle is locked.

8. A vehicle comprising:

sensors;

a communication system; and

a processor configured to;

receive a lock request from a remote device;

responsive to determining that the remote device is within a threshold range, transmit a first alert to the remote device;

responsive to determining that the remote device is outside the threshold range;

determine that a vehicle situational criteria is met, and responsively transmit a second alert to the remote device;

determine that the vehicle situational criteria is not met, and responsively transmit a third alert to the remote device, wherein the third alert indicates that a honk will occur when the vehicle is locked;

receive an instruction to prevent the honk from occurring from the remote device in response to transmitting the third alert; and

prevent the honk from occurring when the vehicle is locked.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the remote device is a smartphone communicatively coupled to the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the first alert is transmitted via a Bluetooth connection to the remote device, and wherein the second alert is transmitted via a cellular connection to the remote device.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein determining that the vehicle situational criteria is met comprises:

determining one or more vehicle based conditions;

gathering data corresponding to the one or more vehicle based conditions via the sensors; and

determining that vehicle situational criteria is met based on the vehicle based conditions and the gathered data.

12. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein determining that the vehicle situational criteria is met comprises:

determining one or more device conditions corresponding to the remote device;

receiving data corresponding to the one or more device conditions from the remote device; and

determining that vehicle situational criteria is met based on the one or more device conditions and the received data.

13. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein determining that the vehicle situational criteria is met comprises:

determining one or more remote server conditions corresponding to the vehicle;

receiving data corresponding to the one or more remote server conditions from a remote server; and

determining that vehicle situational criteria is met based on the one or more remote server conditions and the received data.

14. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a driver'"'"'s seat, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the driver'"'"'s seat is unoccupied; and

transmit the first alert to the remote device responsive to (i) determining that the remote device is within the threshold range, and (ii) determining that the driver'"'"'s seat is unoccupied.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a vehicle processor, a lock request from a remote device;

responsive to determining that the remote device is within a threshold range, transmitting a first alert; and

responsive to determining that the remote device is outside the threshold range;

determining that a vehicle situational criteria is met, and responsively transmitting a second alert;

determining that the vehicle situational criteria is not met, and responsively transmitting a third alert, wherein the third alert indicates that a honk will occur when a vehicle is locked;

receiving an instruction to prevent the honk from occurring in response to transmitting the third alert; and

preventing the honk from occurring when the vehicle is locked.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first alert is transmitted via a Bluetooth connection, and wherein the second alert is transmitted via a cellular connection.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the vehicle situational criteria is met comprises:

determining one or more device conditions corresponding to the remote device;

receiving data corresponding to the one or more device conditions from the remote device; and

determining that vehicle situational criteria is met based on the one or more device conditions and the received data.