VIRTUAL KEY FOB WITH TRANSFERABLE USER DATA PROFILE

• US 20150356797A1
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McBride, Gregory E., Reed, David C., Smith, Max D.
• Application Number:
  US14/296,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20150356797A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards

Abstract

A method for controlling various aspects of a vehicle includes registering a first mobile general-purpose processing device, such as a smart phone, with a vehicle. The method further authorizes the first mobile general-purpose processing device to be used as a key fob for controlling the vehicle. The method generates a user profile associated with a user of the vehicle. The user profile is stored on one or more of the first general-purpose processing device and the vehicle and contains information related to controlling the vehicle. The method enables at least part of the user profile to be downloaded to a second mobile general-purpose processing device to enable the second mobile general-purpose processing device to be used as a key fob for controlling the vehicle. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for controlling various aspects of a vehicle, the method comprising:

registering a first mobile general-purpose processing device with a vehicle;

authorizing the first mobile general-purpose processing device to be used as a key fob for controlling the vehicle;

generating a user profile associated with a user of the vehicle, the user profile stored on at least one of the first general-purpose processing device and the vehicle, the user profile containing information needed to control the vehicle;

enabling at least part of the user profile to be downloaded to a second mobile general-purpose processing device, thereby enabling the second mobile general-purpose processing device to be used as a key fob for controlling the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile is downloaded from a server in the cloud.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile is downloaded from the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile is downloaded from the first mobile general-purpose processing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile contains authentication information needed to authenticate the user prior to enabling control of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the authentication information comprises password authentication information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the authentication information comprises biometric authentication information.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein authenticating the user enables temporary control of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporary control enables control for a selected number of uses.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporary control enables control for a selected amount of time.

11. A computer program product for controlling various aspects of a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable program code embodied therein, the computer-usable program code comprising:

computer-usable program code to register a first mobile general-purpose processing device with a vehicle;

computer-usable program code to authorize the first mobile general-purpose processing device to be used as a key fob for controlling the vehicle;

computer-usable program code to generate a user profile associated with the first general-purpose processing device, the user profile containing information needed to control the vehicle;

computer-usable program code to enable the user profile to be downloaded from the remote location to a second mobile general-purpose processing device, thereby enabling the second mobile general-purpose processing device to be used as a key fob for controlling the vehicle.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the user profile is downloaded from a server in the cloud.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the user profile is downloaded from the vehicle.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the user profile is downloaded from the first mobile general-purpose processing device.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the user profile contains authentication information needed to authenticate the user prior to enabling control of the vehicle.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the authentication information comprises password authentication information.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the authentication information comprises biometric authentication information.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein authenticating the user comprises enabling temporary control of the vehicle.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the temporary control enables control for a selected number of uses.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the temporary control enables control for a selected amount of time.