METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING AN AUTHORIZED VEHICLE DRIVEAWAY

• US 20150314750A1
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: VAN WIEMEERSCH, John Robert, HILLE, Kevin Thomas, KLEVE, Robert Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 9,580,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

Various embodiments may include methods and system for enabling an authorized vehicle driveaway. A vehicle driveaway authorization code for authorizing a vehicle to be driven and a user authorization code that corresponds to the vehicle driveaway authorization code may be generated. The codes may be generated by, for example, at least one server configured to generate the authorization codes. The at least one server may be communicating with a nomadic device and a vehicle driveaway authorization system. A vehicle driveaway request signal may be received. In response to a receipt of the vehicle driveaway request signal, the vehicle driveaway authorization code may be transmitted to the vehicle driveaway authorization system and the user authorization code may be transmitted to the nomadic device for input to the vehicle driveaway authorization system in order to enable the vehicle to be driven.

Claims

1. A vehicle computing system for authorizing vehicle drive away comprising:

a vehicle computer configured to;

in response to information received from a preregistered RFID tag associated with a user via a tag receiver, transmit a wakeup command to unlock a vehicle door while not allowing an engine start request;

output a request for an authorization code at a touch screen display based on the wakeup command;

receive input from the user at the touch screen display defining a code for the requested authorization code to use in authorizing drive away of the vehicle;

in response to the received information from the preregistered RFID tag and the authorization code via the touch screen display, receive authorization information from a remote server via a cellular telephone for authorizing drive away of the vehicle; and

enable the engine start request for drive away of the vehicle based on the authorization information.

2. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle computing is further configured to receive the code stored on the preregistered RFID tag.

3. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone is embedded in the vehicle.

4. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 wherein the code is encrypted.

5. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 wherein the code is displayed at a nomadic device.

6. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 additionally comprising a remote computer to generate the code for use in authorizing the vehicle drive away event.

7. The vehicle computing system of claim 6 wherein the code is wirelessly communicated to the vehicle.

8. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 wherein the preconfigured code is a user defined code.

9. The vehicle computing system of claim 1 wherein the preconfigured code is defined during user registration.

10. A system for authorizing vehicle drive away comprising:

a server configured to communicate with a remote computer and a vehicle computing system having an embedded cellular phone, the server configured to;

in response to a user configuration request for participation in a vehicle drive away event, receive input via the remote computer from the user defining a preconfigured code for use in activating a vehicle and requesting participation of the vehicle drive away event;

in response to the received input, generate user-identifying RFID information corresponding to the user;

generate one or more look-up tables to correlate the user with the RFID information;

receive the user-identifying RFID information from an RFID tag transmitted through the embedded cellular phone;

determine an authorized status based on the user-identifying RFID information and the preconfigured code based on the one or more look-up tables; and

in response to the authorized status, transmit a vehicle drive-away authorization to the embedded cellular telephone at the vehicle computing system, wherein the vehicle drive-away authorization enables an engine start request to a vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the vehicle computing system is configured to communicate with an RFID tag scanner so that the RFID information is received at the RFID tag scanner.

12. A system for authorizing vehicle drive away comprising:

a vehicle computer system having a RFID tag reader capable of communication with one or more RFID tags, the vehicle computer configured to;

in response to a user RFID tag via the RFID tag reader, output a request for an authorization code at a touch screen display;

receive input at the touch screen display defining a code, preconfigured during user registration, for the requested authorization code to use in authorizing drive away of the vehicle;

receive RFID information including authorized registered user identification information associated with the user RFID tag;

authorize the registered user based on the received RFID information and authorization information;

in response to the authorized registered user, compare the code received at the touch screen to at least one of the RFID information and the authorization information;

if the code does not correspond to the at least one of RFID information and the authorization information, lockout the touch screen display for a predefined amount of time; and

if the code corresponds to the at least one of RFID information and the authorization information, enable drive away of the vehicle if drive away is authorized.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the vehicle computing is further configured to receive the code from the user RFID tag.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the vehicle computer system is further configured to communicate with a remote server via an embedded cellular phone and receive the RFID information from the remote server based on the user RFID tag.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the RFID information is encrypted.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the code is preconfigured during registration at a nomadic device.

17. The system of claim 12 additionally comprising a remote computer to generate the code for use in authorizing the vehicle drive away event.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the code is wirelessly communicated to the vehicle.