Method and Apparatus for a Near Field Communication System to Exchange Occupant Information

• US 20130054051A1
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Cuddihy, Mark A., Rao, Manoharprasad K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,612,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/32 Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3291 mounted in or on other locations inside the vehicle or vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0056 for use in interrogation, identification or read/write systems record carriers G06K7/00, G06K19/00; for railways B61L3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of antennas, positioned to be capable of receiving a wireless near field communication (NFC) device signal associated with a device located in any one of a driver'"'"'s back pocket or front pocket, a center console or a passenger seat. The system also includes an NFC reader, in communication with the plurality of antennas. The NFC reader is operable to assign, based at least in part on a number of signals received and a signal strength, one of one or more devices associated with detected signals to a driver. The NFC reader is in communication with a vehicle computing system, operable to retrieve additional information associated with the device assigned to the driver and to apply that information to control vehicle settings.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of antennas, positioned to be capable of receiving a wireless near field communication (NFC) device signal associated with a device located in any one of a driver'"'"'s back pocket or front pocket, a center console or a passenger seat;

an NFC reader, in communication with the plurality of antennas, wherein the NFC reader is operable to assign, based at least in part on a number of signals received and a signal strength, one of one or more devices associated with detected signals to a driver, wherein

the NFC reader is in communication with a vehicle computing system, operable to retrieve additional information associated with the device assigned to the driver and to apply that information to control vehicle settings.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas includes four antennas.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the four antennas are deployed, individually, forward of a driver, rearward of a driver, in a center console and relative to a passenger seat, further from the driver than a center console antenna.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas includes three antennas.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the three antennas are deployed, individually, in a driver side door, in a passenger side door, and in a center console.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein, if a plurality of signals are detected, the NFC reader further evaluates whether any one signal was received by multiple antennas, wherein, if no signal was received by multiple antennas and at least one driver side antenna received at least one signal, the device associated with the signal received by the at least one driver side antenna is assigned to the driver, wherein, if no signal was received by multiple antennas and no one driver side antenna received at least one signal, no device is assigned to the driver.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein, if a single signal is only received by either one or both of the center console and passenger side antenna, and the passenger seat is occupied, as determined by the vehicle computing system, the NFC reader does not assign a device to the driver.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein, if a plurality of signals are received, the NFC determines that a signal detected by more than one antenna corresponds to the driver.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein, if a plurality of signals are detected by any number of the antennas forward of the driver, rearward of the driver and in the center console, the NFC assigns a device associated with a signal being detected by multiple antennas to the driver.

10. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting one or more near field communication (NFC) IDs, each corresponding to a wireless device;

contingent on detecting a plurality of IDs, ranking the IDs by a number of antennas detecting each ID and an associated signal strength, respectively;

determining a single ID detected by the most antennas;

contingent on a single ID being detected by the most antennas, associating the wireless device with which the ID corresponds with a driver;

contingent on a single ID not being detected by the most antennas, determining if a single ID was detected by one or more antennas associated with a driver'"'"'s side of a vehicle;

contingent on a single ID having being detected by one or more antennas associated with the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle, associating the wireless device with which the ID corresponds with a driver; and

applying, via a vehicle computing system, a plurality of vehicle system settings correlating to a wireless device associated with the driver, wherein, if a wireless device has not been associated with the driver, a standard set of vehicle system settings are applied.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a total number of antennas equals four.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the antennas are deployed, respectively, forward of the driver, rearward of the driver, in a center console and relative to a passenger seat, further from the driver than a center console deployed antenna.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a total number of antennas equals three.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the three antennas are deployed, individually, in a driver side door, in a passenger side door, and in a center console.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein if a plurality of IDs are detected, associating a device corresponding to a signal detected by more than one antenna to the driver.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising, contingent on a single ID being detected solely by a passenger seat antenna, determining if a passenger seat is occupied, wherein contingent on passenger seat occupation, ensuring that the device with which the single ID corresponds is not associated with the driver.

17. A computer readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method comprising:

detecting one or more near field communication (NFC) IDs, each corresponding to a wireless device;

contingent on detecting a plurality of IDs, ranking the IDs by a number of antennas detecting each ID and an associated signal strength, respectively;

determining a single ID detected by the most antennas;

contingent on a single ID being detected by the most antennas, associating the wireless device with which the ID corresponds with a driver;

contingent on a single ID not being detected by the most antennas, determining if a single ID has a greatest signal strength associated therewith;

contingent on a single ID having a greatest signal strength associated therewith, associating the wireless device with which the ID corresponds with a driver; and

applying a plurality of vehicle system settings correlating to a wireless device associated with the driver, wherein, if a wireless device has not been associated with the driver, a standard set of vehicle system settings are applied.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein a total number of antennas equals four.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein each of the antennas are deployed, respectively, forward of the driver, rearward of the driver, in a center console and relative to a passenger seat, further from the driver than a center console deployed antenna.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

if a plurality of IDs are detected, associating a device corresponding to a signal detected by more than one antenna to the driver.