ESTABLISHING SHORT RANGE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A VEHICLE AND A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20160323921A1
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: THANAYANKIZIL, Lakshmi V., POP, David P., BAI, Fan
• Granted Patent: US 10,321,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A mobile communication system and a method of establishing short range wireless communication (SRWC) between a vehicle and a mobile device. The method includes: establishing a first short range wireless communication (SRWC) link between the vehicle and a first mobile device; receiving at the vehicle a request to establish a second SRWC link from a second mobile device; and disconnecting the first SRWC link between the vehicle and the first mobile device and, in response to the request, establishing the second SRWC link between the vehicle and the second mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of establishing short range wireless communication (SRWC) between a vehicle and a mobile device, comprising the steps of:

establishing a first short range wireless communication (SRWC) link between the vehicle and a first mobile device;

receiving at the vehicle a request to establish a second SRWC link from a second mobile device; and

disconnecting the first SRWC link between the vehicle and the first mobile device and, in response to the request, establishing the second SRWC link between the vehicle and the second mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second SRWC link uses a Wi-Fi Direct protocol.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request is a phone projection request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the request from the second mobile device, providing to the first mobile device an indication to temporarily pause communications;

performing the disconnecting step during the temporary pause; and

then

re-establishing the first SRWC link between the vehicle and the first mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the indication to temporarily pause communications further comprises an indication of an intent to change channels.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second mobile devices establish the first and second SRWC links, respectively, with a vehicle infotainment system (VIS).

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second mobile devices establish the first and second SRWC links, respectively, using a vehicle telematics unit.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the vehicle includes a first transceiver and a second transceiver.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first transceiver is configured for 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz) communication and the second transceiver is configured for 5 GHz communication.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the first SRWC link between the vehicle and the first mobile device uses the first transceiver and re-establishing the first SRWC link between the vehicle and the first mobile device uses the second transceiver.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing the second SRWC link between the vehicle and the second mobile device uses the first transceiver after the vehicle disconnects the first mobile device therefrom.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing the first SRWC link between the vehicle and the first mobile device is according to a 5 Gigahertz (GHz) channel and re-establishing the first SRWC link between the vehicle and the first mobile device is according to a 2.4 GHz channel.

13. A method of establishing short range wireless communication (SRWC) between a vehicle and two mobile devices, a first mobile device and a second mobile device, comprising the steps of:

receiving at the vehicle a short range wireless communication (SRWC) link request from the second mobile device while the vehicle and the first mobile device have an established first SRWC link over a first channel;

temporarily terminating the first SRWC link and establishing a second SRWC link between the vehicle and the second mobile device over the first channel; and

re-establishing the first SRWC link between the vehicle and the first mobile device over a second channel.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second SRWC links are between the two mobile devices and a vehicle infotainment system (VIS).