POSITION DETECTION FOR ACTIVATION OF DEVICE AND METHODS THEREOF

• US 20110224870A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tan, Adrian K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,478,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of position detection devices for vehicles and methods of position detection. One embodiment of a detection device comprises a wireless device inside a vehicle, a mobile communication device paired to the wireless device, such that the wireless device automatically activates when it senses the mobile communication device within an operable range of the wireless device, a position sensing system configured to generate an output indicative of the mobile communication device'"'"'s presence within the vehicle and a controller responsive to the output and configured to deactivate the wireless device when the output indicates that the mobile communication device'"'"'s presence is not within the vehicle but is still within the operable range.

Claims

1. A detection device for a vehicle comprising:

a wireless device inside a vehicle;

a mobile communication device paired to the wireless device, such that the wireless device automatically activates when it senses the mobile communication device within an operable range of the wireless device;

a position sensing system configured to generate an output indicative of the mobile communication device'"'"'s presence within the vehicle; and

a controller responsive to the output and configured to deactivate the wireless device when the output indicates that the mobile communication device'"'"'s presence is not within the vehicle.

2. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the position sensing system comprises a mobile transmitter and a receiver located within the vehicle.

3. The detection device of claim 2, wherein the mobile transmitter is within the mobile communication device.

4. The detection device of claim 2, wherein the mobile transmitter is a key fob having a radio frequency identification transmitter.

5. The detection device of claim 4, wherein the mobile communication device and the key fob are transported by a single user.

6. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to provide a warning to a user upon deactivation of the wireless device.

7. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to reactivate the wireless device if the controller receives output from the position sensing system that indicates the mobile communication device'"'"'s presence is within the vehicle.

8. The detection device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is integrated into an audio system of the vehicle.

9. The detection device of claim 2, wherein the position sensing system comprises more than one mobile transmitter,

wherein the wireless device is paired with more than one mobile communication device, one mobile communication device associated with one of the more than one mobile transmitter,

wherein the receiver is configured to generate an output indicative of each mobile communication device'"'"'s presence within the vehicle, and

wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the wireless device for each of the mobile communication devices having an associated output indicative that the mobile communication device'"'"'s presence is not within the vehicle.

10. The detection device of claim 9, wherein one of the more than one mobile communication devices is associated with a driver and the other of the more than one mobile communication devices is associated with passengers, and wherein when an output is received by the controller indicative of the presence of the driver'"'"'s mobile communication device'"'"'s presence outside of the vehicle, the controller deactivates the wireless device for the driver and activates the wireless device for the at least one of the passengers.

11. A method of detecting a device within a vehicle comprising:

pairing a wireless device located within the vehicle with a mobile communication device such that the wireless device is activated when the mobile communication device is within an operable range of the wireless device;

detecting a mobile communication device'"'"'s presence with a position sensing system;

generating an output indicative of the mobile communication device'"'"'s presence and communicating the output to a controller responsive to the output; and

deactivating the wireless device with the controller when the output indicates that the mobile communication device'"'"'s position is not within the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the position sensing system comprises a mobile transmitter associated with the mobile communication device and a receiver located within the vehicle, the receiver detecting the mobile transmitter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the mobile transmitter is a key fob having a radio frequency identification transmitter, wherein the key fob and the mobile communication device are transported by a user.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing a warning upon deactivation of the wireless device.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

reactivating the wireless device if the controller receives output from the position sensing system that indicates the mobile communication device'"'"'s presence is within the vehicle when the mobile communication device reenters the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless device is integrated into an audio system of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the position sensing system comprises more than one mobile transmitter,

wherein pairing of the wireless device occurs with more than one mobile communication device, one mobile communication device associated with one of the more than one mobile transmitter,

wherein generating the output includes generating output indicative of each mobile communication device'"'"'s presence within the vehicle, and

wherein deactivating the wireless device includes deactivating the wireless device for each of the mobile communication devices when the output is indicative of those mobile communication device'"'"'s presence being not within the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile transmitter is within the mobile communication device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein one of the mobile communication devices is associated with a driver and the others are associated with passengers, and wherein when an output is received by the controller indicative of the driver'"'"'s mobile communication device outside of the vehicle, deactivation of the wireless device includes deactivation of the wireless device for the driver and activation of the wireless device for at least one of the passengers.