Methods and Systems for Enabling a Vehicle Drive-Away

• US 20170120864A1
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Livio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Myine Electronics, Inc. (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: FISCHER, Joel J., DICKOW, Justin, MAYLONE, Corey, BYRNE, John, SMEREKA, Scott, GROVER, Joey Ray
• Application Number:
  US14/930,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20170120864A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/197 Blocking or enabling of input functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/566 Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/569 Vehicle controlling mobile device functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5899 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/197 Blocking or enabling of input functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/55 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/566 Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/569 Vehicle controlling mobile device functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/589 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/5899 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/045 by limiting or cutting the electrical supply to the propulsion unit

Abstract

A vehicle computing system includes a processor connected to a transceiver and programmed to prompt an occupant via a user interface to pair a device detected by the transceiver. The processor is further programmed to receive input at the user interface to associate the device with a pre-approval setting for enabling a vehicle start request when the device having the pre-approval setting and a vehicle key are detected by the processor.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured with a transceiver and programmed to,

in response to detecting a device via the transceiver, prompt an occupant via a user interface to pair the device based on a predefined password; and

receive input at the user interface to associate the device with a pre-approval setting for enabling a vehicle start request when the device having the pre-approval setting and a vehicle key are detected by the processor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to, in response to at least one of the device having a preconfigured restriction limit meeting a threshold and an unpaired device not recognized by the processor, immobilize an ignition system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the preconfigured restriction limit is at least one of a selected time period and a selected day of a week via the user interface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to the device being paired, prompt the occupant to define one or more preconfigured restriction limits for the device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more preconfigured restriction limits are a first time period for the paired device to enable an ignition system and a second time period for the paired device to immobilize the ignition system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to the occupant selecting a valet mode via the user interface, authorize the vehicle start request to enable an ignition system without the device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle key is associated with a vehicle and transmits a wireless signal to an ignition system to enable the vehicle start request.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless signal includes a rolling count encrypted code that is associated with the ignition system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle key is at least one of a key blade, a key fob, and an integrated key blade and fob associated with the processor.

10. A driver authorization method comprising:

receiving, via a vehicle processor, a request to start a powertrain based on a recognized key;

searching for a previously paired mobile device based on the request to start the powertrain;

if the previously paired mobile device is detected, enabling the powertrain; and

if the previously paired mobile device is associated with a predefined restriction by the vehicle processor, immobilizing the powertrain.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to a detected device that is not paired with the vehicle processor, prompting an occupant via a user interface to pair the detected device based on a predefined password.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, in response to pairing the detected device, correlating a pre-approved setting with the detected device for authorizing an ignition system to start the powertrain when the key and the detected device are identified by the vehicle processor.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to at least one of the previously paired mobile device having a preconfigured restriction limit and a non-paired device detected by the vehicle processor, immobilizing the powertrain.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the preconfigured restriction limit is at least one of a selected time period setting and a selected day of a week setting.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising prompting an occupant to define the preconfigured restriction limit for the previously paired device via a user interface screen.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising,

in response to an occupant entering a predefined password via a user interface screen, prompting one or more driver authorization configurations, and

selecting a valet mode via the user interface screen based on the one or more driver authorization configurations, the valet mode enabling the powertrain without the previously paired device being present.

17. A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored instructions for programming a processor, comprising instructions for:

prompting an occupant via a user interface to pair a mobile device based on a predefined password; and

associating the mobile device with a start-approval setting to implement a vehicle start request by enabling a powertrain when a vehicle key and the mobile device having the start-approval setting are detected by the processor.

18. The computer-program product of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises instructions for, in response to at least one of an unpaired device and the paired mobile device having a preconfigured restriction limit, immobilizing the vehicle via the powertrain.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the preconfigured restriction limit is at least one of a time period and a day of a week.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises instructions for, in response to an occupant entering a predefined password via the user interface, prompting one or more driver authorization configurations for the mobile device, and

selecting a valet mode via the user interface based on the one or more driver authorization configurations, the valet mode enabling the vehicle without the previously paired device being present.