Vehicle control and communication via device in proximity

• US 20070224939A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward, Malamud, Mark, Lord, Robert, Levien, Royce, Rinaldo, John, Wood, Lowell
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An apparatus, device, methods, computer program product, and system are described that make a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device, transmit a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle, and perform an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device;

transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle; and

performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprises:

making a determination by the first device associated with the vehicle that the first device is in proximity to the wireless device based on a signal from an image capture device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprises:

determining of a touching between the wireless device and the vehicle; and

establishing a wireless communications link between the first device and the wireless device in response to the determining of the touching between the wireless device and the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprises:

receiving a radio frequency identification (RFID) signal from the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

controlling the vehicle to perform a default operation in response to the receiving the radio frequency identification (RFID) signal from the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle comprises:

transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display a menu of vehicle operations for the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

performing by the first device a first default operation with respect to the vehicle in response to the making the determination that the first device associated with the vehicle is in proximity to the wireless device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

controlling, by the first device, an ignition system on the vehicle based at least in part on the determination.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle comprises:

transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information identifying an operation that has been performed with respect to the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

disabling a security system for the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

performing, by the first device, a first non-default operation with respect to the vehicle in response to receiving at the first device a signal from the wireless device corresponding to a user selection.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

executing, by the first device, a financial transaction relating to the vehicle based on receiving a signal from the wireless device corresponding to a user selection provided at the wireless device.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

receiving, at the first device, a trip configuration from the wireless device.

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26. A system comprising:

a computing device; and

instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to

(a) make a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device;

(b) transmit a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle; and

(c) perform an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination.

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