IN-VEHICLE CONTROL LOCATION

• US 20170057437A1
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Buttolo, Pietro, Salter, Stuart C., Rankin, James Stewart II, Tokish, Stephen Ronald, Strumolo, Gary Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,914,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel

Abstract

Zones may be associated with respective seating positions of a vehicle. In-vehicle components may also be associated with at least one of the zones of the vehicle. A processor may locate a personal device as being within one of the zones; identify notification settings of the personal device; and invoke notification devices of the in-vehicle components associated with the zone when the notification settings indicate that the personal device has not been previously located in the zone. Invoking the notification devices may include invoking at least one of backlights of the in-vehicle components or existing lighting elements of the in-vehicle component.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

in-vehicle components, each associated with at least one zone associated with a respective seating position of a vehicle; and

a processor programmed to

locate a personal device as being within one of the zones;

identify notification settings of the personal device; and

invoke notification devices of the in-vehicle components associated with the zone when the notification settings indicate that the personal device has not been previously located in the zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification devices of the in-vehicle components include at least one of backlights of the in-vehicle components, lighting elements of the in-vehicle components, haptic feedback devices of the in-vehicle components or audio feedback devices of the in-vehicle components.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is a processor of the personal device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is a processor of one of the in-vehicle components.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a notify request for all modules within the zone; and

invoke the notification devices of the in-vehicle components of the zone responsive to the notify request.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to discontinue notification from the notification devices in accordance with a time period specified by the notification settings.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a notify request for a specific in-vehicle component within the zone; and

invoke notification for the specific in-vehicle component of the zone responsive to the notify request while discontinuing notification for all other in-vehicle components of the zone.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

locating a personal device within one of a plurality of zones defined as respective seating positions of a vehicle, each zone including at least one in-vehicle component;

displaying a user interface to the personal device describing the in-vehicle components of the zone;

receiving a notify request from the user interface; and

invoking notification devices of at least one of the in-vehicle components of the zone responsive to the notify request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the notify request is a request to locate all in-vehicle components included within the zone, and further comprising invoking the notification devices for all the in-vehicle components included within the zone responsive to the notify request.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the notify request is a request to locate a specific in-vehicle component included within the zone, and further comprising invoking notification for the specific in-vehicle component of the zone responsive to the notify request while discontinuing notification for all other in-vehicle components of the zone.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising discontinuing notification from the notification devices in accordance with a time period specified by notification settings of the personal device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the user interface to the display of the personal device responsive to locating the personal device as being within the one of the plurality of zones.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein invoking notification devices includes invoking at least one of backlights or lighting elements of the at least one of the in-vehicle components of the zone.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein invoking notification devices includes invoking at least one of haptic feedback devices or audio feedback devices of the at least one of the in-vehicle components of the zone.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising, responsive to locating the personal device as being within the one of the plurality of zones, invoking the notification devices when notification settings indicate that the personal device has not been previously located in the zone.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising

receiving a second notify request from the user interface to invoke notification devices of at least one in-vehicle component of a second zone other than the zone;

and

invoking the notification devices of the at least one in-vehicle component of the second zone responsive to the second notify request.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

locate a personal device within one of a plurality of zones defined as respective seating positions of a vehicle, each zone including at least one in-vehicle component;

identify notification settings of the personal device; and

invoke notification devices of the in-vehicle components associated with the zone when the notification settings indicate that the personal device has not been previously located in the zone.

18. The medium of claim 17, further including instructions that cause the processor to:

receive a notify request for all modules within the zone; and

invoke the notification devices of the in-vehicle components of the zone responsive to the notify request.

19. The medium of claim 17, further including instructions that cause the processor to discontinue notification from the notification devices in accordance with a time period specified by notification settings.

20. The medium of claim 17, further including instructions that cause the processor to:

receive a notify request for a specific in-vehicle component within the zone; and

invoke notification for the specific in-vehicle component of the zone responsive to the notify request while discontinuing notification for all other in-vehicle components of the zone.