BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY APPROACH DETECTIONS THROUGH VEHICLE PAIRED CAPABLE DEVICES

• US 20130017816A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Talty, Timothy J., Hrabak, Robert A., Oakes, Jonathan L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• 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 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method of enabling communications between a Bluetooth low energy master communication device in a vehicle and a slave communication device. The slave communication device is successfully paired with a Bluetooth high energy master communication device in the vehicle. An identifier of the slave communication device is stored when it is successfully paired with the Bluetooth high energy master communication device. The Bluetooth low energy master communication device identifies an advertising event broadcast by the slave communication device. The advertising event relates to a notification by the slave communication device of the availability of its services. A determination is made whether the identifier of the slave communication device matches the stored identifier. Wireless communications between the Bluetooth low energy master communication device and the slave communication device is autonomously established without a manual pairing operation in response to an identifier of the slave communication device matching the stored identifier.

Claims

1. A method of enabling communications between a Bluetooth low energy master communication device in a vehicle and a slave communication device, the slave communication device being both Bluetooth low energy enabled and Bluetooth high energy enabled, the method comprising the steps of:

successfully pairing the slave communication device with a Bluetooth high energy master communication device in the vehicle;

storing in a memory associated with at least the Bluetooth high energy master communication device an identifier of the slave communication device when it is successfully paired with the Bluetooth high energy master communication device;

the Bluetooth low energy master communication device identifying an advertising event broadcast by the slave communication device, the advertising event relating to a notification by the slave communication device of the availability of its services;

verifying whether the identifier of the slave communication device matches the stored identifier; and

autonomously establishing wireless communications between the Bluetooth low energy master communication device and the slave communication device without a manual pairing operation in response to an identifier of the slave communication device matching the stored identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier is maintained on an approved identifier list, wherein the approved identifier list is a comprehensive listing of paired addresses of devices that have been authenticated for communication with the Bluetooth high energy master communication device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the approved identifier list is transmitted from the Bluetooth high energy master communication device to the Bluetooth low energy master communication device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the approved identifier list is immediately transmitted to the Bluetooth low energy master communication device when the approved identifier list is updated.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the approved identifier list is transmitted to the Bluetooth low energy master communication device on a periodic basis.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the approved identifier list is transmitted to the Bluetooth low energy master communication device upon an initiation of a predetermined event.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the approved identifier list is replicated by the Bluetooth low energy master communication device and stored in a memory module associated at least with the Bluetooth low energy master communication device.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the approved identifier list is transmitted over a LAN line.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein if the identifier of the slave communication device is not on the approved identifier list, communication between the Bluetooth low energy master communication device and the slave communication device is not enabled.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein Bluetooth high energy master communication device and Bluetooth low energy master communication device are vehicle-based devices.

11. A Bluetooth low energy communication system comprising:

a slave communication device being both Bluetooth low energy enabled and Bluetooth high energy enabled, the slave communication device including an identifier used to authenticate the slave communication device during Bluetooth communications;

a Bluetooth high energy master communication device for communicating with the slave communication device, the Bluetooth high energy master communication device storing the identifier of the slave communication device in response to a successful pairing between the Bluetooth high energy master communication device and the slave communication device; and

a Bluetooth low energy master communication device communicating with the slave communication device, wherein an advertising event of the slave communication device is identified by the Bluetooth low energy master communication device, wherein the identifier of the slave communication device is compared with the stored identifier to determine if a match is present, and wherein communication is autonomously enabled between the Bluetooth low energy master communication device and the slave communication device in response to the identifier of the slave communication device matching the stored identifier stored.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising an approved identifier list for maintaining a comprehensive listing of paired addresses of slave communication devices that have been authenticated for communication with the Bluetooth high energy master communication device.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a LAN line for communicating the approved identifier list from the Bluetooth high energy master communication device to the Bluetooth low energy master communication device.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the approved identifier list is immediately transmitted to the Bluetooth low energy master communication device when the approved identifier list is updated.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the approved identifier list is transmitted to the Bluetooth low energy master communication device upon an initiation of a predetermined event.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the approved identifier list is transmitted to the Bluetooth low energy master communication device upon an event occurring.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising a memory module associated with the Bluetooth low energy master communication device, wherein the approved identifier list initially maintained by the Bluetooth high energy master communication device is transmitted to the Bluetooth low energy master device, and wherein approved identifier list is replicated by the Bluetooth low energy master communication device and stored in the memory module.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the Bluetooth high energy master communication device and the Bluetooth low energy master communication device are vehicle-based devices.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the Bluetooth low energy master device includes an approach detection module.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the portable device includes a smartphone.