METHODS, SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING NOTIFICATION THAT A VEHICLE HAS BEEN ACCESSED

• US 20150116100A1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: YANG, LINXUAN, CHAU, JARVIS, GAUTAMA, NEERAJ R., MANICKARAJ, MARK A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,227,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.19
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods, systems and apparatus are disclosed for providing a notification when a vehicle has been accessed by an unauthorized person. An onboard computer system of a vehicle is activated in response to a trigger event indicating that the vehicle has been accessed. It is determined whether an authorized consumer electronics device (CED), that is associated with an authorized person, is connected to a wireless communication interface of an onboard computer system. When an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface, a notification message is communicated that indicates that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface.

Claims

1. A method for providing a notification that a vehicle has been accessed by an unauthorized person, the method comprising:

activating an onboard computer system of a vehicle in response to a trigger event indicating that the vehicle has been accessed, the onboard computer system comprising a wireless communication interface;

determining whether an authorized consumer electronics device (CED), that is associated with an authorized person, is connected to the wireless communication interface; and

when an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface, communicating a notification message that indicates that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

when it is determined that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface, communicating a warning message to a server, wherein the warning message indicates that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

when an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface;

communicating, from the onboard computer system via a server, an activation message to an application at a master CED associated with an owner of the vehicle, wherein the activation message indicates to the application that Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking of the master CED is to be activated to start GPS tracking of the master CED;

after communicating the activation message, periodically sending, from the onboard computer system, first GPS information comprising first GPS coordinates of the vehicle to the server, and each time the server receives the first GPS coordinates forwarding the first GPS coordinates to the application at the master CED.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

after activating GPS tracking at the master CED, periodically determining second GPS information comprising second GPS coordinates of the master CED; and

each time the application at the master CED receives the first GPS coordinates from the server,

computing, at the application executing at the master CED, a separation distance between vehicle and the master CED based on a difference between the first GPS coordinates and the second GPS coordinates; and

determining, at the application executing at the master CED, whether the separation distance between the vehicle and the master CED is less than a threshold.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of communicating a notification message, comprises:

when the application executing at the master CED determines that the separation distance between the vehicle and the master CED is greater than or equal to the threshold;

sending the notification message from the application to a human machine interface of the master CED to indicate that vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to vehicle.

6. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

when the application executing at the master CED determines that the separation distance between the vehicle and the master CED is greater than or equal to the threshold;

sending the warning message from the application to the server indicating that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to vehicle.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

sending, from the server, the warning message to other devices associated with the owner to indicate that vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to vehicle.

8. A method according to claim 1, after communicating the notification message, further comprising:

generating a query via the application executing at the master CED, and presenting the query to an owner of the vehicle at a human machine interface, wherein the query requests an input from the owner, wherein the input comprises either an affirmative input to indicate to a service at a server that authorities should be contacted, or a negative input to indicate to the service at the server that authorities should not be contacted; and

in response to the affirmative input, sending a request message to the server to contact the authorities to report the vehicle as missing, wherein the request message indicates at least one of a vehicle identification number (VIN), a license plate number of the vehicle, and the second GPS information for the vehicle.

9. A method according to claim 1, after communicating the notification message, further comprising:

generating, via the application executing at the master CED, a query requesting an authorization input from an owner of the vehicle, and presenting the query to the owner at a human machine interface, wherein the authorization input comprises either an affirmative input to indicate to a service at a server that an authorized person has accessed the vehicle, or a negative input to indicate to the service at the server that an unauthorized person has accessed the vehicle; and

in response to the negative input;

generating another query, via the application executing at the master CED, requesting an input from the owner, and presenting the query at a human machine interface, wherein the input comprises either;

a second affirmative input to indicate to the service at the server that authorities should be contacted, or a second negative input to indicate to the service at the server that authorities should not be contacted; and

in response to the second affirmative input, sending a request message to the server to contact the authorities to report the vehicle as missing, wherein the request message indicates at least one of a vehicle identification number (VIN), a license plate number of the vehicle, and the second GPS information for the vehicle.

10. A system, comprising:

a vehicle comprising an onboard computer system comprising a wireless communication interface, wherein the onboard computer system is configured to;

determine, in response to a trigger event indicating that the vehicle has been accessed, whether an authorized consumer electronics device (CED), that is associated with an authorized person, has connected to the wireless communication interface, and

communicate, when the onboard computer system determines that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface of the AHU, a notification message that indicates that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface.

11. A system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a server; and

when an authorized CED is determined not to be connected to the wireless communication interface, wherein the onboard computer system is further configured to;

communicate a warning message to the server, wherein the warning message indicates that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface.

12. A system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a master CED associated with an owner of the vehicle, wherein the master CED comprises a processor configured to execute an application;

when an authorized CED is determined not to be connected to the wireless communication interface, wherein the onboard computer system is further configured to;

communicate an activation message to the application via the server, wherein the activation message indicates that GPS tracking of the master CED is to be activated to start GPS tacking of the master CED, and wherein the onboard computer system is configured to periodically send first GPS information comprising first GPS coordinates of the vehicle to the server, and wherein the server is configured to forward the first GPS coordinates to the application each time the server receives the first GPS coordinates.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the master CED is configured to periodically determine, after activating GPS tracking at the master CED, second GPS information comprising second GPS coordinates of the master CED,

wherein the application executing at the processor of the master CED is configured to compute, each time the application at the master CED receives the first GPS coordinates from the server, a separation distance between vehicle and the master CED based on a difference between the first GPS coordinates and the second GPS coordinates, and to determine whether the separation distance between the vehicle and the master CED is less than a threshold.

14. A system according to claim 12, when the application executing at the processor of the master CED determines that the separation distance between the vehicle and the master CED is greater than or equal to the threshold, wherein the application executing at the processor of the master CED is configured to send:

the notification message to a human machine interface of the master CED to notify the owner of the vehicle that vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to vehicle; and

the warning message to the server indicating that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to vehicle; and

wherein the server is further configured to send the warning message to other devices associated with the owner to notify the owner of the vehicle that vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to vehicle.

15. A system according to claim 10, wherein, after communicating the notification message, the application executing at the processor of the master CED is further configured to:

generate and present a query to an owner of the vehicle at a human machine interface requesting an input from the owner, wherein the input comprises either an affirmative input to indicate to a service at a server that authorities should be contacted, or a negative input to indicate to the service at the server that authorities should not be contacted; and

send, in response to the affirmative input, a request message to the server to contact the authorities to report the vehicle as missing, wherein the request message indicates at least one of a vehicle identification number (VIN), a license plate number of the vehicle, and the second GPS information for the vehicle.

16. A system according to claim 10, wherein, after communicating the notification message, the application executing at the processor of the master CED is further configured to:

generate and present a query to an owner of the vehicle at a human machine interface requesting an authorization input from the owner, wherein the authorization input comprises either an affirmative input to indicate to a service at a server that an authorized person has accessed the vehicle, or a negative input to indicate to the service at the server that an unauthorized person has accessed the vehicle; and

in response to the negative input;

generate and present a query to the owner of the vehicle at the human machine interface requesting an input from the owner, wherein the input comprises either;

a second affirmative input to indicate to the service at the server that authorities should be contacted, or a second negative input to indicate to the service at the server that authorities should not be contacted; and

in response to the second affirmative input, send a request message to the server to contact the authorities to report the vehicle as missing, wherein the request message indicates at least one of a vehicle identification number (VIN), a license plate number of the vehicle, and the second GPS information for the vehicle.

17. A vehicle, comprising:

an onboard computer system comprising a wireless communication interface, wherein the onboard computer system is configured to;

determine, in response to a trigger event indicating that the vehicle has been accessed, whether an authorized consumer electronics device (CED), that is associated with an authorized person, has connected to the wireless communication interface, and

communicate, when the onboard computer system determines that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface, a notification message that indicates that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface to provide notice that the vehicle has been accessed by an unauthorized person.

18. A vehicle according to claim 17, when an authorized CED is determined not to be connected to the wireless communication interface, wherein the onboard computer system is further configured to:

communicate, to a server, a warning message that indicates that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface.

19. A vehicle according to claim 18, when an authorized CED is determined not to be connected to the wireless communication interface, wherein the onboard computer system is further configured to:

communicate, to an application at a master CED via the server, an activation message that indicates that GPS tracking of the vehicle is to be activated to start GPS tracking of the vehicle; and

periodically send, to the server, first GPS information comprising first GPS coordinates of the vehicle.

20. A vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the onboard computer system determines whether an authorized CED has connected to the wireless communication interface by determining whether there is a wireless connection between the wireless communication interface and an authorized CED.

21. A consumer electronics device (CED) associated with an owner of a vehicle, the CED comprising:

a human machine interface;

a memory comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium configured to store an application comprising at least one module comprising processor executable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the application in response to receiving an indication that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to a wireless communication interface of the vehicle, wherein the application comprises;

a first module that when executed by the processor is configured to;

compute, each time first GPS coordinates of the vehicle are received from a server, a separation distance between vehicle and the CED based on a difference between the first GPS coordinates and second GPS coordinates of the CED;

determine whether the separation distance between the vehicle and the CED is less than a threshold;

send, when the separation distance is determined to be greater than or equal to the threshold, a notification message to the human machine interface to indicate that vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface, and a warning message to the server indicating that the vehicle has been accessed and that an authorized CED has not connected to the wireless communication interface.

22. A CED according to claim 21, wherein the application further comprises:

a second module that when executed by the processor is configured to;

generate and present a query at the human machine interface requesting an authorization input from the owner comprising either;

an affirmative input to indicate that an authorized person has accessed the vehicle, or a negative input to indicate that an unauthorized person has accessed the vehicle; and

in response to the negative input;

generate and present a query at the human machine interface requesting an input from the owner comprising either;

a second affirmative input to indicate that authorities should be contacted, or a second negative input to indicate that authorities should not be contacted; and

in response to the second affirmative input, send a request message to the server to contact the authorities to report the vehicle as missing, wherein the request message indicates at least one of a vehicle identification number (VIN), a license plate number of the vehicle, and the second GPS information for the vehicle.