MANAGING SHORT-RANGE WIRELESS DEVICE CONNECTION PREFERENCES AT A VEHICLE

• US 20150170427A1
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Hansen, Cody R., Highstrom, Matthew M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,406,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• 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 48/10 using broadcasted information

Abstract

A method of managing wireless devices at a vehicle includes detecting a plurality of wireless devices at the vehicle using a short-range wireless communication protocol; determining that one of the plurality of wireless devices belongs to a preferred group of wireless devices; and creating a short-range wireless link between the wireless device belonging to the preferred group and a vehicle telematics unit.

Claims

1. A method of managing wireless devices at a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a plurality of wireless devices at the vehicle using a short-range wireless communication protocol or a wired connection;

(b) determining that one of the plurality of wireless devices belongs to a preferred group of wireless devices; and

(c) creating a communication link between the wireless device belonging to the preferred group and a vehicle telematics unit in response to step (b).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving information at the vehicle broadcast from the plurality of wireless devices during a wireless device discoverable mode.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of storing at the vehicle at least some of the information broadcast from the plurality of wireless devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of monitoring use variables of the plurality of wireless devices and creating or communicating via the communication link based on the use variables when none of the plurality of wireless devices belongs to the preferred group.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of presenting an identity for each of the plurality of wireless devices on a visual display and receiving from a vehicle occupant a selection placing one or more of the wireless devices in the preferred group.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of prompting the vehicle occupant to assign relative preferences to the wireless devices in the preferred group.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of prompting the vehicle occupant to assign relative preferences to two or more short-range wireless protocols.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining that none of the plurality of wireless devices belongs to the preferred group of wireless devices and creating the communication link between one of the detected wireless devices and the vehicle telematics unit.

9. A method of managing wireless devices at a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a plurality of wireless devices at the vehicle using a short-range wireless communication protocol;

(b) presenting an identity for each detected wireless device on a visual display in the vehicle;

(c) receiving a selection from a vehicle occupant that places one or more of the presented identities in a preferred group; and

(d) creating a short-range wireless link with a wireless device from the preferred group.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of receiving information at the vehicle broadcast from the plurality of wireless devices during a wireless device discoverable mode.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of storing at the vehicle at least some of the information broadcast from the plurality of wireless devices.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of monitoring use variables of the plurality of wireless devices and creating a short-range wireless link based on the use variables when none of the plurality of wireless devices belongs to the preferred group.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of prompting the vehicle occupant to assign relative preferences to the wireless devices in the preferred group.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of prompting the vehicle occupant to assign relative preferences to two or more short-range wireless protocols.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of determining that none of the plurality of wireless devices belongs to the preferred group of wireless devices and creating a short-range wireless link between one of the detected wireless devices and the vehicle telematics unit.

16. A method of managing wireless devices at a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a plurality of wireless devices at the vehicle using a short-range wireless communication protocol;

(b) determining whether one or more of the detected wireless devices are associated with a preferred group;

(c) if so, establishing a short-range wireless connection between the wireless device belonging to the preferred group and a vehicle telematics unit to the exclusion of wireless devices not associated with the preferred group; and

(d) if not, establishing a short-range wireless connection between a detected wireless device not associated with the preferred group.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of monitoring use variables of the plurality of wireless devices and creating a short-range wireless link based on the use variables when none of the plurality of wireless devices belongs to the preferred group.