AUTOMATIC IN-VEHICLE MOBILE DEVICE DETECTION

• US 20080287064A1
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Secure Registry LLC
• Original Assignee: Universal Secure Registry LLC
• Inventors: Weiss, Kenneth P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for automatically configuring a communications system between a local mode in which a local communications device (such as an in-vehicle device or “land-line phone”) is active and a remote mode in which a mobile communications device is active and coupled to the communications system. One example of the method includes searching for a Bluetooth™ enabled device, selecting the remote mode of operation responsive to detection of the Bluetooth™ enabled device, and selecting the local mode of operation responsive to failure to detect the Bluetooth™ enabled device. In one example, selecting the local mode of operation includes activating the local communications device, and selecting the remote mode of operation includes activating local Bluetooth™ systems to connect the Bluetooth™ enabled device to the communications system.

Claims

1. A method of automatic mode selection for a vehicular communications system, the method comprising:

searching for a Bluetooth™

enabled device;

selecting a remote mode of operation responsive to detection of the Bluetooth™

enabled device; and

selecting a local mode of operation responsive to failure to detect the Bluetooth™

enabled device;

wherein selecting the local mode of operation includes activating an in-vehicle communications device; and

wherein selecting the remote mode of operation includes activating in-vehicle Bluetooth™

systems to connect the Bluetooth™

enabled device to the vehicle communications system.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

activating the vehicular communications system prior to searching for the Bluetooth™

enabled device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein searching for the Bluetooth™

enabled device includes searching for a registered Bluetooth™

enabled device, the registered Bluetooth™

enabled device being registered with the vehicular communications system.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein selecting the local mode of operation includes activating the in-vehicle communications device responsive to failure to detect the registered Bluetooth™

enabled device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein further comprising:

detecting a plurality of Bluetooth™

enabled devices;

selecting one of the plurality of Bluetooth™

enabled devices; and

connecting the selected one of the plurality of Bluetooth™

enabled devices to the vehicular communications system.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein detecting the plurality of Bluetooth™

enabled devices includes detecting a registered Bluetooth™

enabled device; and

wherein selecting one of the plurality of Bluetooth™

enabled devices includes selecting the registered Bluetooth™

enabled device.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable signals stored thereon that define instructions that, as a result of being executed by a processor, instruct the processor to implement the method of claim 1.

8. A method of automatically configuring a vehicular communications system between a local mode in which an in-vehicle communications device is active and a remote mode in which a mobile communications device is active and coupled to the vehicular communications system, the method comprising:

searching for the mobile communications device;

activating the remote mode responsive to successful detection of the mobile communications device; and

activating the local mode responsive to failure to detect the mobile communications device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein searching for the mobile communications device includes searching for a registered mobile communications device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein activating the remote mode includes activating the remote mode responsive to successful detection of the registered mobile communications device;

and

wherein activating the local mode includes activating the local mode responsive to failure to detect the registered mobile communications device.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a plurality of mobile communications devices; and

selecting one of the plurality of mobile communications devices to be coupled to the vehicular communications system.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein detecting a plurality of mobile communications devices includes detecting a registered mobile communications device;

and

wherein selecting one of the plurality of mobile communications devices includes selecting the registered mobile communications device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein searching for the mobile communications device includes searching for a Bluetooth™

enabled mobile communications device.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein searching for the Bluetooth™

enabled mobile communications device includes searching for a Bluetooth™

enabled mobile phone.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein activating the remote mode includes coupling the Bluetooth™

enabled mobile communications device to an in-vehicle transceiver via a Bluetooth™

interface.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable signals stored thereon that define instructions that, as a result of being executed by a processor, instruct the processor to implement the method of claim 8.

17. A communications system configurable between a local mode and a remote mode, the system comprising:

a local infrastructure;

a local communications device coupled to the local infrastructure;

a Bluetooth™

interface coupled to the local infrastructure and configured to communication with a Bluetooth™

enabled device; and

a controller coupled to the local infrastructure and the Bluetooth™

interface and configured to activate the remote mode responsive to detection of the Bluetooth™

enabled device and to activate the local mode responsive to failure to detect the Bluetooth™

enabled device;

wherein in the remote mode, the Bluetooth™

enabled device is coupled to the local infrastructure via the Bluetooth™

interface.

18. The communications system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the local infrastructure comprises at least one of a telephone handset and a telephone base unit.

19. The communications system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the local infrastructure comprises a transceiver integrated within a vehicle.