METHOD OF DETERMINING USER INTENT TO USE SERVICES BASED ON PROXIMITY

• US 20140248863A1
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Golsch, Kyle N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,247,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method for accessing functionality of a mobile electronic device through a vehicle system onboard a motor vehicle. The method includes making functionality of the mobile electronic device accessible through the vehicle system based on where a sensor that the mobile electronic device is paired with is physically located about the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for accessing functionality of a mobile electronic device through a vehicle system onboard a motor vehicle comprising:

making functionality of the mobile electronic device accessible through the vehicle system based on where a sensor that the mobile electronic device is paired with is physically located about the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly pairing the mobile electronic device with the vehicle system; and

entering a device ID of the mobile electronic device into the vehicle system, the device ID is read by a sensor of the vehicle system when the mobile electronic device is brought into close proximity to the sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device is wirelessly paired with a hands-free telephone communication subsystem of the vehicle system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device is wirelessly paired with an audio subsystem of the vehicle system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device is wirelessly paired with an Internet access subsystem of the vehicle system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the mobile electronic device on a recharging pad, the sensor incorporated within the charging pad.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising disconnecting the mobile electronic device from the vehicle system when the mobile electronic device is moved out of range of the sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

positioning a first mobile electronic device on a driver'"'"'s side of a recharging pad and positioning a second mobile electronic device on a passenger'"'"'s side of the recharging pad; and

making select functionality of only the first mobile electronic device assessable through the vehicle system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning a first mobile electronic device on a first side of a recharging pad and positioning a second mobile electronic device on a second side of the recharging pad;

making select functionality of the first mobile electronic device accessible through the onboard vehicle system by positioning the first mobile electronic device proximate to a first sensor on the first side and positioning the second mobile electronic device away from a second sensor on the second side; and

making select functionality of the second mobile electronic device accessible through the onboard vehicle system by positioning the second mobile electronic device proximate to the second sensor and positioning the first mobile electronic device away from the first sensor.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning a first mobile electronic device on a first side of a recharging pad proximate to a first sensor and positioning a second mobile electronic device on a second side of the recharging pad proximate to a second sensor, the first side including a first sensor and the second side including a second sensor;

making select functionality of only the first mobile electronic device accessible through the onboard vehicle system by actuating a first switch proximate to the first mobile electronic device; and

making select functionality of only the second mobile electronic device accessible through the onboard vehicle system by actuating a second switch proximate to the second mobile electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning a first mobile electronic device on a first side of a recharging pad proximate to a first sensor and positioning a second mobile electronic device on a second side of the recharging pad proximate to a second sensor;

selecting a functionality of the first mobile electronic device to be accessible through the onboard motor vehicle system by actuating a switch proximate to the first device representing the functionality of the first device to be selected;

or

selecting a functionality of the second mobile electronic device to be accessible through the onboard vehicle system by actuating a switch proximate to the second device representing the functionality of the second device to be selected.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the functionality of the mobile electronic device to be accessible through the onboard vehicle system from a plurality of available functions listed on a display.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting the functionality by positioning the mobile electronic device in close proximity to the sensor located at the display when the display is navigated to a screen showing the functionality to be selected.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing an alert as a user exits the vehicle to notify the user that the mobile electronic device remains in the vehicle, wherein the alert emanates from at least one of the mobile electronic device or the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

positioning the mobile electronic device in close proximity to a door handle sensor mounted to an exterior of the vehicle to transfer the device ID of the device to the vehicle system;

determining whether entry to the vehicle is authorized based on the device ID; and

unlocking the door if the device ID is authorized.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a vehicle start subsystem if the device ID is authorized to permit engine start.

17. A method for accessing functionality of a mobile electronic device through a vehicle system onboard a vehicle comprising:

wirelessly pairing the mobile electronic device with the vehicle system;

reading a device ID from the mobile electronic device with a sensor mounted proximate to a storage location in response to placement of the mobile electronic device at the storage location; and

providing access to functionality of the mobile electronic device through the vehicle system, the functionality selected by a user of the vehicle system.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising selecting functionality of one of a first mobile electronic device or a second mobile electronic device seated at the storage location based on the positions of the first and the second mobile electronic devices at the storage location, the storage location including a charging pad.

19. A method for accessing functionality of a mobile electronic device through a vehicle system onboard a vehicle comprising:

wirelessly pairing the mobile electronic device with the vehicle system; and

identifying functionality of the mobile electronic device to be accessible through the vehicle system based on either user inputs entered using a display screen of the vehicle system, or functionality of the mobile electronic device selected directly through the device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising identifying the mobile electronic device to be controlled by the vehicle system by reading a device ID from the mobile electronic device with a sensor of the vehicle system in response to the mobile electronic device being moved into close proximity to the sensor;

wherein selecting functionality of the mobile electronic device includes selecting at least one of hands-free telephone functionality, audio functionality, or internet access functionality.