Method For Off-Loading Driver Wireless Activities To Passengers Via The Vehicle Wireless Interface

• US 20150223032A1
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: GOLSCH, Kyle, VARUGHESE, Sibu, UPMANUE, Vikas, ZHANG, Yu, MCBRIDE, Justin, DAMAN, Laith, HORVATH, Cary, KRZYZAK, Thomas Jr., NESPOLO, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,479,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• 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: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A smart device interface for a vehicle. The smart device interface includes a transmitter/receiver and a controller. The transmitter/receiver is configured to communicate with a first smart device of a driver and a second smart device of a passenger. The controller is configured to permit the passenger to perform tasks on behalf of the driver using the second smart device. The tasks include responding to messages received by the first smart device of the driver, entertainment system operation, and navigation system operation.

Claims

1. A smart device interface for a vehicle comprising:

a transmitter/receiver configured to communicate with a first smart device of a driver and a second smart device of a passenger; and

a controller configured to permit the passenger to perform tasks on behalf of the driver using the second smart device, including responding to messages received by the first smart device of the driver, entertainment system operation, and navigation system operation.

2. The smart device interface of claim 1, further comprising:

a first reader configured to read a first identification code of the first smart device to pair the first smart device with the controller; and

a second reader configured to read a second identification code of the second smart device to pair the second smart device with the controller.

3. The smart device interface of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to notify the driver that the first smart device of the driver has received a message.

4. The smart device interface of claim 1, wherein:

the passenger is a first passenger, and the transmitter/receiver is configured to communicate with a third smart device of a second passenger;

the controller is configured to notify the driver that the first smart device of the driver has received a message;

the controller is configured to accept an input from the driver requesting that the message be transferred to at least one of the first passenger or the second passenger for response; and

the controller is configured to transmit an instruction to respond to the message to the at least one of the first passenger or the second passenger selected, thereby excluding any passenger not selected.

5. The smart device interface of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to notify the driver by way of a heads-up display that the first smart device of the driver has received a message.

6. The smart device interface of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to transmit an instruction to the second smart device instructing the passenger to respond to a message received by the first smart device.

7. The smart device interface of claim 1, further comprising an RFID reader at each passenger seat of the vehicle configured to read an identification code of the second smart device to pair the second smart device with the controller.

8. The smart device interface of claim 1, wherein the first smart device and the second smart device are each smart phones.

9. The smart device interface of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control an entertainment system of the passenger cabin to play music from the second smart device.

10. The smart device interface of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control a display of the passenger cabin to display navigation information in response to commands from the second smart device.

11. A vehicle smart device interface comprising:

a vehicle display configured to notify a driver that a first mobile smart device of the driver has received a message; and

a controller configured to transfer the message from the first mobile smart device of the driver to a second mobile smart device of a passenger for the passenger to respond to the message on behalf of the driver.

12. The vehicle smart device interface of claim 11, wherein the vehicle display is a heads-up display of the driver.

13. The vehicle smart device interface of claim 11, further comprising a vehicle transmitter/receiver configured to transmit data to, and receive data from, both the first mobile smart device and the second mobile smart device.

14. The vehicle smart device interface of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of readers mounted throughout a passenger cabin of the vehicle configured to read device identification information from the first mobile smart device and the second mobile smart device to pair the first and the second mobile smart devices with the controller.

15. A method for transferring operation of tasks to a passenger of a vehicle comprising:

pairing a first mobile smart device of a driver with a smart device interface of the vehicle;

pairing a second mobile smart device of a passenger with the smart device interface of the vehicle; and

transferring control of tasks from a driver to a passenger for the passenger to control using the second mobile smart device, the transferred tasks including;

responding to messages received by the first mobile smart device of the driver, entertainment system operation, and navigation system operation.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

pairing the first mobile smart device using a first RFID reader mounted in a passenger cabin of the vehicle; and

pairing the second mobile smart device using a second RFID reader mounted in the passenger cabin.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the passenger is a first passenger, and further comprising:

pairing a third mobile smart device of a second passenger with the smart device interface of the vehicle; and

transferring the task of responding to messages received by the first mobile smart device of the driver to at least one of the second mobile smart device or the third mobile smart device.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising transferring the received message from the first mobile smart device to the second mobile smart device for the passenger to respond to the message using the second mobile smart device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting a music playlist from the second mobile smart device to an entertainment system of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting navigation information from the second mobile smart device to a navigation system of the vehicle and displaying the navigation system information on a display of the vehicle.