Mobile device tethering for a remote parking assist system of a vehicle

• US 10,583,830 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2018
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lavoie, Erick Michael, Elangovan, Vivekanandh, Van Wiemeersch, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramesh, Krishnan
• Application Number:
  US15/860,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20190202442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0002 Automatic control, details of type of controller or control system architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/00 Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for mobile device tethering for a remote parking assist system of a vehicle. An example vehicle includes first and second wireless modules and a processor. The processor estimates a region of probability representative of possible locations of a mobile device based on a first signal strength indicator. When the region of probability overlaps a virtual boundary, the processor polls a key fob, estimates a distance of the key fob from the vehicle based on a second signal strength indicator, and when the key fob is within the virtual boundary, enable autonomous parking.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

first and second wireless modules; and

a processor to;

estimate a region of probability representative of possible locations of a mobile device based on a first signal strength indicator;

when the region of probability overlaps a virtual boundary;

poll a key fob;

estimate a distance of the key fob from the vehicle based on a second signal strength indicator; and

when the key fob is within the virtual boundary, enable autonomous parking.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is to receive the first signal strength indicator from the first wireless module and the second signal strength indicator from the second wireless module.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is to, when the region of probability is entirely outside the virtual boundary, disable autonomous parking.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the processor is to, when the region of probability transitions from overlapping the virtual boundary to being entirely outside the virtual boundary, disable polling of the key fob.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is to, when the region of probability is entirely inside the virtual boundary, enable autonomous parking.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the processor is to, when the region of probability transitions from overlapping the virtual boundary to being entirely inside the virtual boundary, disable polling of the key fob.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the region of probability is representative of an error in estimating distance based on the first signal strength indicator.

8. A method to control a vehicle comprising:

estimating, with a processor, a region of probability representative of possible locations of a mobile device based on a first signal strength indicator received from a first wireless module;

when the region of probability overlaps a virtual boundary;

polling a key fob;

estimating a distance of the key fob from the vehicle based on a second signal strength indicator receives from a second wireless module; and

when the key fob is within the virtual boundary, enabling autonomous parking.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, including when the region of probability is entirely outside the virtual boundary, disabling autonomous parking.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, including when the region of probability transitions from overlapping the virtual boundary to being entirely outside the virtual boundary, disabling polling of the key fob.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, including when the region of probability is entirely inside the virtual boundary, enabling autonomous parking.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, including when the region of probability transitions from overlapping the virtual boundary to being entirely inside the virtual boundary, disable polling of the key fob.

13. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the region of probability is representative of an error in estimating distance based on the first signal strength indicator.

14. A system comprising:

a key fob that communicates on a first set of frequencies;

a remote parking application executing on a mobile device, the mobile device communicating on a second set of frequencies;

a vehicle with first and second wireless modules and a processor, the vehicle to;

estimate a region of probability representative of possible locations of the mobile device based on a first signal strength indicator;

when the region of probability overlaps a virtual boundary;

poll the key fob;

estimate a distance of the key fob from the vehicle based on a second signal strength indicator; and

when the key fob is within the virtual boundary, perform remote parking commands received from the remote parking application.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is to receive the first signal strength indicator via the first wireless module communicatively coupled to the mobile device and the second signal strength indicator via the second wireless module.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is to, when the region of probability is entirely outside the virtual boundary, ignore remote parking commands received from the remote parking application.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle is to, when the region of probability transitions from overlapping the virtual boundary to being entirely outside the virtual boundary, disable polling of the key fob.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is to, when the region of probability is entirely inside the virtual boundary, perform remote parking commands received from the remote parking application.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the vehicle is to, when the region of probability transitions from overlapping the virtual boundary to being entirely inside the virtual boundary, disable polling of the key fob.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the region of probability is representative of an error in estimating distance based on the first signal strength indicator.