AUTOMATED DOOR AND GATE LOCK/UNLOCK

• US 20170103592A1
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Buttolo, Pietro, Salter, Stuart C., Tokish, Stephen Ronald, Rankin, II, James Stewart
• Application Number:
  US14/879,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20170103592A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password

Abstract

An access component of a vehicle may be in communication with a plurality of wireless transceivers of the vehicle. The access component may detect a personal device approaching a vehicle door according to signal strength information received from the transceivers, grant access to the vehicle door responsive to receiving a first access code from the personal device, and expire the first access code and issue a second access code to the personal device responsive to the grant. Granting access to the vehicle may include automatically unlocking the vehicle door or automatically opening the vehicle door. The first access code may grant access to a subset of doors of the vehicle, and the second access code may grant access to the same subset of doors.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

wireless transceivers of a vehicle; and

an access component of the vehicle, in communication with the transceivers, programmed to

detect, according to signal strength information received from the transceivers, presence of an approaching personal device,

grant access to a vehicle door responsive to a first access code received from the personal device, and

expire the first access code and issue a second access code to the personal device responsive to the grant.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the access component is further programmed to authenticate a user of the personal device according to one or more of a key, a key-fob, or a passcode entered into a vehicle keypad responsive to the first access code failing to provide access to the vehicle door.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the grant of access includes at least one of automatically unlocking the vehicle door or automatically opening the vehicle door.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first access code grants access to a subset of the vehicle doors, and the second access code grants access to the same subset of the vehicle doors.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the subset of the vehicle doors includes rear doors of the vehicle but not front doors of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the access component is further programmed to:

grant access to the vehicle via the vehicle door responsive to receiving the second access code from the personal device; and

issue a third access code and expire the second access code responsive to the grant of access responsive to receiving the second access code from the personal device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the access component is further programmed to lock the vehicle door responsive to detection of the personal device exiting the vehicle according to the signal strength information received from the transceivers.

8. A method comprising:

authenticating a user with a vehicle using a keyless entry device;

issuing a first access code to a personal device responsive to the authenticating;

detecting the personal device approaching a vehicle door;

granting access to the vehicle via the vehicle door responsive to receiving the first access code from the personal device; and

expiring the first access code and issuing a second access code to the personal device responsive to the granting.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting the personal device as approaching the vehicle door according to personal device signal strength information received from a plurality of wireless transceivers of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein granting access includes at least one of automatically unlocking the vehicle door or automatically opening the vehicle door.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first access code grants access to a subset of vehicle doors, and the second access code grants access to the same subset of the vehicle doors.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the subset of the vehicle doors includes rear doors of the vehicle but not front doors of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

granting access to the vehicle via the vehicle door responsive to receiving the second access code from the personal device; and

expiring the second access code and issuing a third access code to the personal device responsive to receiving the second access code from the personal device,

wherein the second access code grants access to a subset of vehicle doors, and the third access code grants access to the same subset of the vehicle doors.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising locking the vehicle door responsive to detection of the personal device exiting the vehicle according to signal strength information received from a plurality of transceivers of the vehicle.

15. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, in communication with the memory, programmed to

send a first access code stored to the memory to a vehicle to attempt access to the vehicle,

receive a second access code responsive to the access being granted, and

responsive to receipt of the second access code, discard the first access code and store the second access code to the memory to attempt a later access to the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive the first access code from the vehicle responsive to authentication with the vehicle using one or more of a key, a key-fob, or a passcode entered into a vehicle keypad; and

storing the first access code to the memory.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first access code is keyed to a unique identifier associated with the processor, and wherein the processor is further programmed to provide the unique identifier to the vehicle for verification of the first access code.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

send the second access code to the vehicle to attempt the later access to the vehicle,

receive a third access code responsive to grant of the later access,

discard the second access code, and

store the third access code to the memory.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the first access code grants access to a subset of doors of the vehicle, and the second access code grants access to the same subset of doors of the vehicle.