Vehicle locating using GPS

• US 7,545,259 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Nantz, John S., Ghabra, Riad, Luo, Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/511,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.13, 340/426.16, 340/426.19, 340/539.13, 340/539.32, 340/425.5, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/988, 340/426.17, 340/989, 342/350, 342/352, 342/357.01, 342/357.08, 701/36, 701/200, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/426.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning

Abstract

Method, fob, and system suitable for use in directing a user to the vehicle. The direction being determined as a function of GPS coordinates determined with GPS units on a fob and vehicle. The GPS unit being activated in coordination with each other such that the GPS coordinates associated with the same are commonly inaccurate.

Claims

1. A vehicle locating system for utilizing a fob to direct a user to a vehicle, the system comprising:

GPS units included on the vehicle and the fob that are respectively configured to determine GPS coordinates for the vehicle and fob, the GPS units being configured to activate at approximately the same time so as to facilitate determining a direction to the vehicle as a function of commonly inaccurate GPS coordinates; and

transmitting a wake up signal to the vehicle GPS unit in response to actuation of a locating button on the fob, the wake up signal used to facilitate activating the vehicle GPS unit, wherein the activating of the vehicle GPS unit and the fob GPS is defined to be at approximately the same time if both of the vehicle and fob GPS transmit requests for GPS coordinates to a GPS satellite at approximately the same time.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the fob determines the direction to the vehicle upon transmission of the vehicle GPS coordinates to the fob if the fob is within a predefined range relative to the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the fob GPS unit determines the direction to the vehicle as a function of GPS coordinates previously stored for the vehicle if the fob is beyond the predefined range to the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the fob automatically stores the GPS coordinates upon exiting the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the vehicle includes a remote keyless entry (RKE) unit configured to operate with a fob RKE unit, and wherein the vehicle RKE unit is configured to determine if the fob is within the predefined range as a function of RKE signals associated with the fob.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle and fob GPS units become active in response to actuation of a locating feature on the fob that causes the fob to communicate a wake up signal to the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle and fob GPS units become active within 10 seconds of each other.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the fob determines the direction to the vehicle without communicating the fob GPS coordinates to the vehicle.

9. A fob for use in directing a user to a vehicle having a vehicle GPS unit, the fob configured for:

after the vehicle GPS unit and a fob GPS are deactivated, activating the vehicle GPS unit in coordination with the fob GPS unit so that GPS coordinates determined by the same are commonly inaccurate;

determining a direction to the vehicle as a function of the commonly inaccurate GPS coordinates; and

delaying transmission of a coordinate request from the fob GPS unit to a GPS satellite for an amount of time sufficient to allow the vehicle GPS unit to issue a similar coordinate request at the same time; and

transmitting a wake up signal to the vehicle GPS unit in response to actuation of a locating button on the fob, the wake up signal used to facilitate activating the vehicle GPS unit, wherein the activating of the vehicle GPS unit and the fob GPS is defined to be at approximately the same time if both of the vehicle and fob GPS transmit requests for GPS coordinates to a GPS satellite at approximately the same time.

10. The fob of claim 9 further configured to determine the direction to the vehicle as a function of vehicle GPS coordinates stored before deactivation of the fob GPS unit if the fob is out of a vehicle communication range.

11. The fob of claim 10 further configured to automatically store the vehicle GPS coordinates prior to deactivation.

12. The fob claim 11 further configured to store the vehicle GPS coordinates upon occurrence of a remote keyless entry (RKE) event.

13. The fob of claim 9 further configured to transmit a wake up signal to the vehicle GPS unit in response to actuation of a locating button on the fob, the wake up signal used to facilitate activating the vehicle GPS unit.

14. The fob of claim 9 further configured for determining the direction to the vehicle without transmitting the fob GPS coordinates to the vehicle.

15. A method of locating a vehicle comprising:

determining vehicle GPS coordinates with a vehicle GPS unit included on the vehicle;

determining fob GPS coordinates with a fob GPS unit included on the fob; and

deactivating both of the vehicle and fob GPS units upon occurrence of a deactivating event and subsequently activating the vehicle and fob GPS units at approximately the same time in order to determine a direction to the vehicle as a function of the vehicle and fob GPS coordinates; and

transmitting a wake up signal to the vehicle GPS unit in response to actuation of a locating button on the fob, the wake up signal used to facilitate activating the vehicle GPS unit, wherein the activating of the vehicle GPS unit and the fob GPS is defined to be at approximately the same time if both of the vehicle and fob GPS transmit requests for GPS coordinates to a GPS satellite at approximately the same time.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining the direction to the vehicle as a function of vehicle GPS coordinates stored before deactivating of the fob GPS unit if the fob is out of a vehicle communication range.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising storing the vehicle GPS coordinates upon occurrence of a remote keyless entry (RKE) event.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising activating the vehicle and fob GPS units within 10 seconds of each other.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining the direction to the vehicle without transmitting the fob GPS coordinates to the vehicle.