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

• US 10,585,431 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: Golgiri, Hamid M., Van Wiemeersch, John Robert, DeLong, Aaron Matthew, Elangovan, Vivekanandh, Lavoie, Erick Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US15/860,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20190204825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 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: B60Q 1/48 for parking purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• 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 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1452 detecting bar code edges
• 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 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for mobile device tethering for a remote parking assist system of a vehicle. An example vehicle includes an active safety module and a body control module. The active safety module to, when active, autonomously parks the vehicle. The body control module determines an initial location of the mobile device and determines a current location of the mobile device using a current position received from the mobile device. The current position received from the mobile device is defined relative to the initial location. Additionally, the body control module, when the mobile device is within a virtual boundary, enables an autonomous parking system of the active safety module.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

projector lamps;

an active safety module configured to, when activated, autonomously park the vehicle; and

a body control module configured to;

determine an initial location of a mobile device;

determine a current location of the mobile device using a current position received from the mobile device, the current position being defined relative to the initial location; and

when the mobile device is within a virtual boundary, enable an autonomous parking system of the active safety module;

visually indicate the current location in relation to the virtual boundary; and

with the projector lamps, project a representation of the virtual boundary, wherein characteristics of the representation of the virtual boundary change depending on at least one of a state of the autonomous parking system, whether the vehicle is in motion, and the current location of the mobile device in relation to the virtual boundary.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the body control module is configured to determine the initial location of the mobile device when at least one of a threshold time or a threshold distance has passed since the initial location was determined for the mobile device.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein to determine the initial location of the mobile device, the body control module is configured to:

capture an image of the mobile device with a camera; and

determine the initial location relative to the vehicle based on the image.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, further comprising a database of mobile device dimensions, wherein the body control module is configured to determine the initial location relative to the vehicle based on first dimensions of the mobile device in the image and second dimensions of the mobile device stored in the database of mobile device dimensions.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein to determine the initial location of the mobile device, the body control module is to:

determine which door of the vehicle the mobile device exited; and

assign a location on the vehicle associated with the door as the initial location.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein to determine which door of the vehicle mobile device exited, the body control module is configured to:

determine which side of the vehicle that the mobile device exited; and

select a door based on indicia of seat occupancy from occupant detection sensors associated with the side from which the mobile device exited.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein to determine the initial location of the mobile device, the body control module is configured to:

detect, with proximity sensors, the mobile device proximate to a fixed location on the vehicle; and

assign, as the initial location, the fixed location on the vehicle associated with the one of the proximity sensors that detected the mobile device.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the proximity sensors are at least one of:

(a) near field communication nodes, (b) wireless communication nodes configured to determine, based on signal strength, when the mobile device is proximate the wireless communication nodes, (c) inductive charging nodes, and (d) pressure sensors that detect when the mobile device is pressed against the pressure sensor.

9. A method to control a vehicle comprising:

determining an initial location of a mobile device, wherein determining the initial location of the mobile device comprises;

determining which door of the vehicle the mobile device exited; and

assigning a location on the vehicle associated with the door as the initial location;

determining a current location of the mobile device using a current position received from the mobile device, the current position being defined relative to the initial location; and

when the mobile device is within a virtual boundary;

enabling autonomous parking system of an active safety module; and

in response to receiving a command from the mobile device, autonomously parking the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the initial location of the mobile device comprises determining when at least one of a threshold time or a threshold distance has passed since the initial location was determined for the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising visually indicating the current location in relation to the virtual boundary.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein visually indicating the current location of the mobile device in relation to the virtual boundary includes projecting a representation of the virtual boundary, and wherein characteristics of the representation of the virtual boundary change depending on a state of an autonomous parking system, whether the vehicle is in motion, and the current location of the mobile device in relation to the virtual boundary.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the initial location of the mobile device comprises:

capturing an image of the mobile device with a camera; and

determining the initial location relative to the vehicle based on the image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the initial location relative to the vehicle based on the image comprises comparing first dimensions of the mobile device in the image and second dimensions of the mobile device stored in a database of mobile device dimensions.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein determining which door of the vehicle the mobile device exited comprises:

determining which side of the vehicle that the mobile device exited; and

selecting the door based on indicia of seat occupancy from occupant detection sensors associated with the side of the vehicle the mobile device exited.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the initial location of the mobile device comprises:

detecting, with proximity sensors, the mobile device proximate to a fixed location on the vehicle; and

assigning, as the initial location, the fixed location on the vehicle associated with the one of the proximity sensors that detected the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the proximity sensors are at least one of:

(a) near field communication nodes, (b) wireless communication nodes configured to determine, based on signal strength, when the mobile device is proximate the wireless communication nodes, (c) inductive charging nodes, and (d) pressure sensors that detect when the mobile device is pressed against the pressure sensor.

18. A vehicle comprising:

an active safety module configured to, when activated, autonomously park the vehicle; and

a body control module configured to;

determine a first initial location of a mobile device;

determine a first current location of the mobile device relative to the first initial location using dead reckoning with inertial sensors in the mobile device;

determine a second initial location of the mobile device when at least one of a threshold time or a threshold distance has passed since the first initial location was determined for the mobile device;

determine a second current location of the mobile device relative to the second initial location using dead reckoning with the inertial sensors in the mobile device; and

when the mobile device is within a virtual boundary, enable an autonomous parking system of the active safety module.