METHOD FOR PROVIDING A VALET MODE IN A VEHICLE

• US 20120322462A1
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: MOELLER, Douglas S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method for providing a valet mode for a vehicle comprises: providing a mobile router in the vehicle; operating the mobile router to substantially continuously determine the current location of the vehicle; providing a valet application program to a wireless device; utilizing the valet application program to program the wireless device to provide a valet user interface; utilizing the valet user interface to activate and deactivate a valet mode at the mobile router; operating the mobile router such that when the valet mode is activated, the mobile router activates a predetermined a boundary of predetermined radius about the current location of the vehicle; automatically operating the mobile router when the valet mode is activated to detect if the boundary is exceeded; and operating the mobile router to automatically cause a notification to be sent to the wireless device upon the router detecting that the vehicle exceeds the boundary.

Claims

1. A method for providing a valet mode for a vehicle, said method comprising:

providing a mobile router in said vehicle;

operating said mobile router to substantially continuously determine the current location of said vehicle;

providing a valet application program to a wireless device;

utilizing said valet application program to program said wireless device to provide a valet user interface;

utilizing said valet user interface to activate and deactivate a valet mode at said mobile router;

operating said mobile router such that when said valet mode is activated, said mobile router activates a predetermined a boundary of predetermined radius about the current location of said vehicle;

automatically operating said mobile router when said valet mode is activated to detect if said boundary is exceeded; and

operating said mobile router to automatically cause a notification to be sent to said wireless device upon said router detecting that said vehicle exceeds said geo-fence.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

providing said valet application program to said wireless device as a downloadable program from a source accessed via the Internet.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

operating said mobile router in said valet mode for a predetermined period of time after said valet mode is activated; and

automatically deactivating said valet mode upon expiration of said predetermined period.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

utilizing said valet user interface to select said predetermined radius.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, comprising:

storing said predetermined radius in said mobile router.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, comprising:

coupling said router to a standardized vehicle bus; and

obtaining distance traveled by said vehicle from said vehicle bus.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, comprising:

providing said vehicle with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver coupled to said router; and

utilizing said GPS receiver in cooperation with said router to obtain distance traveled by said vehicle.

8. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein:

said wireless device comprises at least one of a link to a wireless local area network and a link to a wireless wide area network.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, comprising:

downloading said valet application program to said wireless device via one of said device wireless local area network and said wireless wide area network.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8, comprising:

operating said wireless device activates said valet mode at said mobile router via one of said device wireless local area network and said device wireless wide area network; and

activating said mobile router valet mode via one of a router local area network and a router wireless wide area network.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, comprising:

operating said wireless device to deactivate said valet mode at said mobile router via one of said device wireless local area network and said device wireless wide area network; and

deactivating said mobile router valet mode via one of said mobile router local area network and said mobile router wireless wide area network.

12. A method in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

operating said mobile router to send a notification message to said wireless device via one of a mobile router local area network and a mobile router wireless wide area network when said mobile router detects said one or both of said geo-fence boundary and said maximum speed limit are exceeded.

13. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

providing said vehicle with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver coupled to said router; and

operating said router to utilize said GPS receiver to obtain distance traveled by said vehicle.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, comprising:

operating said mobile router to send a notification message to said wireless device when said mobile router detects that said pre-determined radius is exceeded.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, comprising:

operating said mobile router in said valet mode for a predetermined period of time after said valet mode is activated; and

automatically deactivating said valet mode upon expiration of said predetermined period.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, comprising:

utilizing said valet user interface to select said predetermined radius and said predetermined period of time.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, comprising:

storing said selected predetermined radius and said selected predetermined period of time in said mobile router.

18. A method for providing a valet mode for a vehicle, said method comprising:

providing a mobile router in said vehicle, said mobile router comprising a wireless wide area network interface and a wireless local area network interface;

providing said vehicle with a global positioning system GPS receiver;

coupling said GPS receiver to said mobile router;

providing a valet application program to a wireless device comprising a touch screen display, said wireless device having access to at least one of a wireless local area network and a wireless wide area network;

utilizing said valet application program to produce an image of a button on said touch screen display;

utilizing said button to activate and deactivate a valet mode such that when said valet mode is activated, said mobile router and said GPS receiver cooperate to establish a predetermined radius about the current location of said vehicle; and

operating said mobile router in cooperation with said GPS receiver to detect if said GPS receiver indicates that said predetermined radius is exceeded.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, comprising:

operating said mobile router to send a notification message to said wireless device when said mobile router detects said predetermined radius is exceeded.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, comprising:

operating said mobile router in said valet mode for a predetermined period of time after said valet mode is activated; and

automatically deactivating said valet mode upon expiration of said predetermined period.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20, comprising:

utilizing said valet user interface to select said predetermined radius and said predetermined period of time.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, comprising:

storing said predetermined radius and said predetermined period of time in said mobile router.

23. A method in accordance with claim 18, comprising:

downloading said valet application program to said wireless device via one of said device wireless local area network and said wireless wide area network.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, comprising:

utilizing said valet application program to associate said mobile router with said wireless device.

25. A method in accordance with claim 18, comprising:

said wireless device activates said valet mode at said mobile router via one of said device wireless local area network and said device wireless wide area network; and

said mobile router valet mode is activated via one of said router local area network and said router wireless wide area network.

26. A method in accordance with claim 25, comprising:

said wireless device deactivates said valet mode at said mobile router via one of said device wireless local area network and said device wireless wide area network;

said mobile router valet mode is deactivated via one of said mobile router local area network and said mobile router wireless wide area network.

27. A method in accordance with claim 18, comprising:

operating said mobile router to send a notification message to said wireless device via one of said mobile router local area network and said mobile router wireless wide area network when said mobile router detects said predetermined radius is exceeded.

28. A method for providing a valet mode for a vehicle, said method comprising:

providing a mobile router in said vehicle, said mobile router comprising a wireless wide area network interface and a wireless local area network;

operating said mobile router to substantially continuously determine the current location of said vehicle;

providing a valet application program to a wireless device programmable to comprise a customizable user interface, said wireless device having access to at least one of a wireless local area network and a wireless wide area network;

utilizing said valet application program to program said wireless device to provide a valet user interface;

utilizing said valet user interface to activate and deactivate a valet mode at said mobile router;

operating said mobile router such that when said valet mode is activated, said mobile router activates a predetermined a boundary of predetermined radius about the current location of said vehicle and a maximum speed limit for said vehicle;

operating said mobile router to detect if said vehicle said boundary or said speed limit are exceeded; and

operating said mobile router to cause a notification to be sent to said wireless device upon said router detecting if said vehicle exceeds said geo-fence or said speed limit.

29. A method in accordance with claim 28, comprising:

providing said valet application program to said wireless device as a downloadable program from a source accessed via the Internet.

30. A method in accordance with claim 28, comprising:

operating said mobile router in said valet mode for a predetermined period of time after said valet mode is activated; and

automatically deactivating said valet mode upon expiration of said predetermined period.

31. A method in accordance with claim 28, comprising:

utilizing said valet user interface to select said predetermined radius, said maximum speed limit and said predetermined period of time.

32. A method in accordance with claim 31, comprising:

storing said predetermined radius, said maximum speed limit and said predetermined period of time in said mobile router.

33. A method in accordance with claim 32, comprising:

coupling said router to a standardized vehicle bus;

obtaining distance traveled by said vehicle from said vehicle bus; and

obtaining vehicle speed from said vehicle bus.

34. A method in accordance with claim 32, comprising:

providing said vehicle with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver coupled to said router;

utilizing said GPS receiver in cooperation with said router to obtain distance traveled by said vehicle; and

utilizing said GPS receiver in cooperation with said router to obtain vehicle speed from said vehicle bus.

35. A method in accordance with claim 29, comprising:

downloading said valet application program to said wireless device via one of said device wireless local area network and said wireless wide area network.

36. A method in accordance with claim 35, comprising:

utilizing said valet application program to associate said mobile router with said wireless device.

37. A method in accordance with claim 29, comprising:

said wireless device activates said valet mode at said mobile router via one of said device wireless local area network and said device wireless wide area network;

said mobile router valet mode is activated via one of said router local area network and said router wireless wide area network.

38. A method in accordance with claim 37, comprising:

said wireless device deactivates said valet mode at said mobile router via one of said device wireless local area network and said device wireless wide area network;

said mobile router valet mode is deactivated via one of said mobile router local area network and said mobile router wireless wide area network.

39. A method in accordance with claim 29, comprising:

operating said mobile router to send a notification message to said wireless device via one of said mobile router local area network and said mobile router wireless wide area network when said mobile router detects said one or both of said geo-fence boundary and said maximum speed limit are exceeded.

40. A method in accordance with claim 28, comprising:

providing said vehicle with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver coupled to said router;

operating said router to utilize said GPS receiver to obtain distance traveled by said vehicle; and

operating said router to utilize said GPS receiver to obtain vehicle speed from said vehicle bus.

41. A method in accordance with claim 40, comprising:

operating said mobile router to send a notification message to said wireless device when said detects said one or both of said geo-fence boundary and said maximum speed limit are exceeded.

42. A method in accordance with claim 41, comprising:

operating said mobile router in said valet mode for a predetermined period of time after said valet mode is activated; and

automatically deactivating said valet mode upon expiration of said predetermined period.

43. A method in accordance with claim 42, comprising:

utilizing said valet user interface to select said predetermined radius, said maximum speed limit and said predetermined period of time.

44. A method in accordance with claim 43, comprising:

storing said predetermined radius, said maximum speed limit and said predetermined period of time in said mobile router.

45. A method for providing a valet mode for a vehicle, said method comprising:

providing a mobile router in said vehicle, said mobile router comprising a wireless wide area network interface and a wireless local area network interface;

providing said vehicle with a global positioning system GPS receiver;

coupling said GPS receiver to said mobile router;

providing a valet application program to a wireless device comprising a touch screen display, said wireless device having access to at least one of a wireless local area network and a wireless wide area network;

utilizing said valet application program to produce an image of a button on said touch screen display;

utilizing said button to activate and deactivate a valet mode such that when said valet mode is activated, said mobile router and said GPS receiver cooperate to establish a boundary of predetermined radius about the current location of said vehicle and a maximum speed limit for said vehicle; and

operating said mobile router in cooperation with said GPS receiver to detect if said GPS receiver indicates that said boundary or said speed limit are exceeded.

46. A method in accordance with claim 45, comprising:

operating said mobile router to send a notification message to said wireless device when said mobile router detects said one or both of said geo-fence boundary and said maximum speed limit are exceeded.

47. A method in accordance with claim 46, comprising:

operating said mobile router in said valet mode for a predetermined period of time after said valet mode is activated; and

automatically deactivating said valet mode upon expiration of said predetermined period.

48. A method in accordance with claim 47, comprising:

utilizing said valet user interface to select said predetermined radius, said maximum speed limit and said predetermined period of time.

49. A method in accordance with claim 48, comprising:

storing said predetermined radius, said maximum speed limit and said predetermined period of time in said mobile router.

50. A method in accordance with claim 45, comprising:

downloading said valet application program to said wireless device via one of said device wireless local area network and said wireless wide area network.

51. A method in accordance with claim 50, comprising:

utilizing said valet application program to associate said mobile router with said wireless device.

52. A method in accordance with claim 45, comprising:

said wireless device activates said valet mode at said mobile router via one of said device wireless local area network and said device wireless wide area network;

said mobile router valet mode is activated via one of said router local area network and said router wireless wide area network.

53. A method in accordance with claim 52, comprising:

said wireless device deactivates said valet mode at said mobile router via one of said device wireless local area network and said device wireless wide area network;

said mobile router valet mode is deactivated via one of said mobile router local area network and said mobile router wireless wide area network.

54. A method in accordance with claim 45, comprising:

operating said mobile router to send a notification message to said wireless device via one of said mobile router local area network and said mobile router wireless wide area network when said mobile router detects said one or both of said boundary and said maximum speed limit are exceeded.