VEHICLE DETECTION

• US 20140375477A1
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jain, Amit, Russell, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,844,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/933
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

In embodiments of vehicle detection, a first wireless device includes an interface to establish a wireless connection with a second wireless device. The first wireless device further includes a vehicle detection application that is configured to determine that the user is in a vehicle based on a connection status of the second wireless device with a vehicle kit device associated with the vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle detection application initiates a driver mode responsive to determining that the user is a driver of the vehicle, and initiates a passenger mode responsive to determining that the user is a passenger in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A first wireless device, comprising:

an interface configured to establish a wireless connection with a second wireless device associated with a user;

a memory coupled to the interface; and

a processor coupled to the interface to implement a vehicle detection application, the vehicle detection application configured to determine whether the user is in a vehicle based on a connection status of the second wireless device with a vehicle kit device associated with the vehicle.

2. The first wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first wireless device comprises a wearable wireless device.

3. The first wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is further configured to initiate a vehicle mode on at least one of the first wireless device or the second wireless device responsive to determining that the user is in the vehicle.

4. The first wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is further configured to:

determine that the user is a driver of the vehicle or a passenger in the vehicle based on the connection status of the second wireless device with the vehicle kit device associated with the vehicle; and

initiate a driver mode on at least one of the first wireless device or the second wireless device responsive to determining that the user is the driver of the vehicle;

or

initiate a passenger mode on at least one of the first wireless device or the second wireless device responsive to determining that the user is the passenger in the vehicle, the driver mode different than the passenger mode.

5. The first wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is further configured to:

determine that the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device; and

determine that the user is a driver of the vehicle based on determining that the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device.

6. The first wireless device as recited in claim 5, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to determine that the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device by receiving a notification, from the second wireless device, indicating that the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device.

7. The first wireless device as recited in claim 5, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to determine that the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device by receiving an indication, from the second wireless device, of a name or a manufacturer of the vehicle kit device.

8. The first wireless device as recited in claim 5, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to determine that the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device by detecting communication packets transmitted from the vehicle kit device to the second wireless device, the communication packets containing an identifier of the second wireless device.

9. The first wireless device as recited in claim 5, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to determine that the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device by:

receiving a device identifier of the vehicle kit device from the second wireless device; and

searching a database that associates device identifiers to device manufacturers to determine a manufacturer of the vehicle kit device.

10. The first wireless device as recited in claim 9, wherein the identifier of the vehicle kit device comprises a media access control (MAC) address of the vehicle kit device.

11. The first wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is further configured to:

determine that the second wireless device is not connected to the vehicle kit device;

detect the vehicle kit device;

determine that the user is a passenger in the vehicle based on determining that the second wireless device is not connected to the vehicle kit device and detecting the vehicle kit device.

12. The first wireless device as recited in claim 11, wherein the vehicle detection application is further configured to detect the vehicle kit device by scanning for communication packets.

13. The first wireless device as recited in claim 11, wherein the vehicle detection application is further configured to determine that the user is the passenger in the vehicle based on sensor data that indicates that at least one of the first wireless device or the second wireless device is moving at a speed or acceleration corresponding to vehicle movement.

14. The first wireless device as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises a smart watch, and wherein the second wireless device comprises a smart phone.

15. A method in a first wireless device, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless connection with a second wireless device associated with a user;

determining whether the second wireless device is connected to a vehicle kit device associated with a vehicle;

when the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device,

determining that the user is a driver of the vehicle; and

initiating a driver mode on at least one of the first wireless device or the second wireless device.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

when the second wireless device is not connected to the vehicle kit device,

scanning to detect the vehicle kit device; and

determining that the user is a passenger in the vehicle when the vehicle kit device is detected.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

initiating a passenger mode on at least one of the first wireless device or the second wireless device when the user is a passenger in the vehicle.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the determining that the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device associated with the vehicle further comprises receiving a message, from the second wireless device, indicating that the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the determining that the second wireless device is connected to the vehicle kit device associated with the vehicle further comprises detecting communication packets, transmitted from the vehicle kit device to the second wireless device, that contain an identifier of the second wireless device.

20. A wearable device comprising:

an interface configured to establish a wireless connection with a wireless device over a network;

a memory coupled to the interface; and

a processor coupled to the interface to implement a vehicle detection application, the vehicle detection application configured to;

determine whether the wireless device is connected to a vehicle kit device over the network;

initiate a driver mode on at least one of the wearable device or the wireless device when the communication device is determined to be connected to the vehicle kit device; and

initiate a passenger mode on at least one of the wearable device or the wireless device when the communication device is determined not to be connected to the vehicle kit device and the vehicle kit device is detected.