DEAD ZONE MITIGATION FOR A PASSIVE ENTRY SYSTEM OF A VEHICLE

• US 20190256049A1
• Filed: 02/20/2018
• Published: 08/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Jawany, Jalal, Elangovan, Vivekanandh, Hassani, Ali, Seashore, Patricia, Thivierge, JR., Timothy, Jawad, Yasmin, Lavoie, Erick Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• 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 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for dead zone mitigation for a passive entry system of a vehicle. An example vehicle includes antenna modules to measure signal strengths of broadcasts from a mobile device. The example vehicle also includes a wireless module to, when the mobile device is in a dead zone, generate first and second predictors and enable passive entry when the first and second predictors match and indicate that the mobile device is in a passive entry zone, and a sensor detects a user. The example vehicle also includes a body control module to unlock a door when passive entry is enabled.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

antenna modules to determine signal strengths of communication with a mobile device;

a wireless module to;

when the mobile device is in a dead zone, generate first and second predictors, wherein the first and second predictors are estimated locations of the mobile device within the dead zone, wherein the dead zone is an area within a theoretical communication range of the antenna modules where the wireless module cannot determine the location of the mobile device based on the signal strengths of the communication with the mobile device;

enable passive entry when the first and second predictors match and indicate that the mobile device is in a passive entry zone, and a sensor detects a user; and

a body control module to unlock a door when passive entry is enabled.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein before the mobile device enters into the dead zone, the wireless module is to track the location of the mobile device based on the measured signal strength.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the wireless module is to store the measured signal strength for generating the first and second predictors.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the wireless module is to:

generate the first predictor using a first model; and

generate the second predictor using a second model, the second model being generated using a different technique than the first model.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first and second models are generated using at least two of a Kalman filter, a Bayesian Net, double exponential smoothing algorithm, a Markov chain, or a linear quadratic equation.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, when the first and second predictors match, the wireless module is to enable passive entry for a limited amount of time.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, when the first and second predictors match, the wireless module is to enable passive entry for the door proximate the dead zone.

2. (canceled)

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein coverage areas of the antenna modules define the dead zone.

8. (canceled)

11. A method comprising:

determining, with antenna modules of a vehicle, signal strength measurements of broadcasts from a mobile device;

upon determining that the mobile device is in a dead zone near the vehicle, generating multiple predictors that are estimated locations of the mobile device within the dead zone with a wireless module that includes a processor and memory, wherein the dead zone is an area within a theoretical communication range of the antenna modules where the wireless module cannot determine the location of the mobile device based on the signal strengths measurements of the broadcasts from the mobile device;

enabling, with the wireless module, passive entry when the multiple predictors match within a passive entry zone near a door of the vehicle; and

unlocking, with a body control module, the door when passive entry is enabled and a sensor detects a user is touching a handle of the door.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the dead zone is an area proximate the vehicle where the antenna modules do not accurately measure the signal strength of the broadcasts from the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein coverage areas of the antenna modules define the dead zone.

14. The method of claim 11, including, to determine when the mobile device enters into the dead zone, tracking, with the wireless module, the mobile device based on the signal strength measurements before the mobile device enters into the dead zone.

15. The method of claim 14, including storing, in memory, the signal strength measurements to use to generate the multiple predictors.

16. The method of claim 11, including:

generating a first one of the multiple predictors using a first model; and

generating a second one of the multiple predictors using a second model, the second model being generated using a different technique than the first model.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second models are generated using at least two of a Kalman filter, a Bayesian Net, double exponential smoothing algorithm, a Markov chain, or a linear quadratic equation.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the each of the multiple predictors is generated using a different model.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein when the multiple predictors match, enabling passive entry for a limited amount of time.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein when the multiple predictors match, enabling passive entry for the door proximate the dead zone.

21. A vehicle comprising:

antenna modules to determine signal strengths of communication with a mobile device;

a controller to generate first and second estimated locations of the mobile device upon determining the mobile device is within a dead zone, wherein the dead zone is an area within a theoretical communication range of the antenna modules where the controller cannot determine the location of the mobile device based on the signal strengths of the communication with the mobile device; and

a body control module to unlock a door responsive to the controller determining;

the first and second estimated locations match within the passive entry zone; and

a sensor detects a user in the passive entry zone.