Vehicle control and communication via device in proximity

• US 8,195,106 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Malamud, Mark A., Lord, Robert W., Levien, Royce A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Wood, JR., Lowell L., Rinaldo, Jr., John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US11/645,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20070279241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/126, 700/83, 340/5.26, 340/5.61, 340/5.72, 340/7.2, 340/426.13, 340/426.25, 340/426.17, 340/447, 340/825.69, 340/3.1, 340/3.32, 340/5.63, 342/357.31, 342/357.07, 342/357.13, 701/1, 701/2, 701/36, 701/49, 701/201, 701/210, 702/188
• US Class Current: 455/126
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

An apparatus, device, methods, computer program product, and system are described that make a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device, transmit a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle, and perform an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium bearing one or more instructions for performing program instructions operable to perform a process in a computing device, the process comprising;

(a) one or more instructions for making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device based at least partially on a signal from an image capture device;

(b) one or more instructions for transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle; and

(c) one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprise:

one or more instructions for making a determination by the first device that the first device is in proximity to the wireless device based on a received wireless signal from the wireless device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprise:

one or more instructions for determining of a touching between the wireless device and the vehicle; and

one or more instructions for establishing a wireless communications link between the first device and the wireless device responsive to the one or more instructions for determining of the touching between the wireless device and the vehicle.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprise:

one or more instructions for determining that the first device coupled to the vehicle is in proximity to the wireless device without the wireless device touching the vehicle; and

establishing a wireless communications link between the first device and the wireless device responsive to the one or more instructions for determining that the first device coupled to the vehicle is in proximity to the wireless device without the wireless device touching the vehicle.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprise:

one or more instructions for receiving a radio frequency identification (RFID) signal from the wireless device.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprise:

one or more instructions for controlling the vehicle to perform a default operation responsive to the one or more instructions for receiving the radio frequency identification (RFID) signal from the wireless device.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle comprise:

one or more instructions for transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display a menu of vehicle operations for the vehicle.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprise:

one or more instructions for performing by the first device a first default operation with respect to the vehicle responsive to the one or more instructions for making the determination that the first device associated with the vehicle is in proximity to the wireless device.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprise:

one or more instructions for actuating by the first device a door lock of the vehicle.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprise:

one or more instructions for controlling, by the first device, an ignition system on the vehicle based at least in part on the determination.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprise:

one or more instructions for controlling, by the first device, the vehicle to perform an operation with respect to one or more of a security system, a lock system, an air conditioning system, a heating system, an audio system or a video system for the vehicle based at least in part on the determination.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprise:

one or more instructions for controlling, by the first device, the vehicle to perform an operation with respect to one or more of a navigation system, an information system, an ignition system, a lighting control system, a communication system, a driver settings system, or a user customization system for the vehicle based at least in part on the determination.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprise:

one or more instructions for receiving a signal at the first device from the wireless device; and

one or more instructions for performing, by the first device, an operation with respect to one or more of a security system, a lock system, an air conditioning system, a heating system, an audio system, a video system, a navigation system, an information system, an ignition system, a lighting control system, a communication system, a driver settings system, or a user customization system for the vehicle responsive to the one or more instructions for receiving the signal at the first device from the wireless device.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle comprise:

one or more instructions for transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information identifying an operation that has been performed with respect to the vehicle.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprise:

one or more instructions for disabling a security system for the vehicle.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprise:

one or more instructions for performing, by the first device, a first non-default operation with respect to the vehicle in response to receiving at the first device a signal from the wireless device corresponding to a user selection.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

one or more instructions for executing, by the first device, a financial transaction relating to a product or service.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

one or more instructions for executing, by the first device, a financial transaction relating to the vehicle based on receiving a signal from the wireless device corresponding to a user selection provided at the wireless device.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

one or more instructions for transmitting vehicle-related information from the first device to the wireless device.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

one or more instructions for receiving, at the first device, a trip configuration from the wireless device.

2. A device comprising:

(a) a determination component configured to make a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device based at least partially on a signal from an image capture device;

(b) a communication component configured to transmit a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle; and

(c) a processor configured to control performance of an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination, wherein at least one of the determination component, the communication component, and the processor are at least partially implemented using hardware.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the communication component configured to transmit a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle comprises:

a communication component configured to transmit a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display a menu of vehicle operations for the vehicle.

4. A system comprising:

determination means for making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device based at least partially on a signal from an image capture device;

communication means for transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle; and

processing means for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination, wherein at least one of the determination means, the communication means, and the processing means are at least partially implemented using hardware.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the determination means for making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprises:

determination means for making a determination by the first device associated with the vehicle that the first device is in proximity to the wireless device based on a signal from an image capture device.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the determination means for making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprises:

determination means for making a determination by the first device that the first device is in proximity to the wireless device based on a received wireless signal from the wireless device.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the determination means for making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprises:

means for determining that the first device coupled to the vehicle is in proximity to the wireless device without the wireless device touching the vehicle; and

means for establishing a wireless communications link between the first device and the wireless device responsive to the means for determining that the first device coupled to the vehicle is in proximity to the wireless device without the wireless device touching the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the determination means for making a determination that a first device associated with a vehicle is in proximity to a wireless device comprises:

means for receiving a radio frequency identification (RFID) signal from the wireless device.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the processing means for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

means for controlling the vehicle to perform a default operation responsive to the means for receiving the radio frequency identification (RFID) signal from the wireless device.

10. The system of claim 4 wherein the communication means for transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle comprises:

communication means for transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display a menu of vehicle operations for the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 4 wherein the processing means for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

means for actuating by the first device a door lock of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 4 wherein the communication means for transmitting a signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information related to the vehicle comprises:

communication means for transmitting the signal from the first device to the wireless device to cause the wireless device to display information identifying an operation that has been performed with respect to the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 4 wherein the processing means for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

means for disabling a security system for the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 4 wherein the processing means for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

means for performing, by the first device, a first non-default operation with respect to the vehicle responsive to means for receiving at the first device a signal from the wireless device corresponding to a user selection.

15. The system of claim 4 wherein the processing means for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

means for executing, by the first device, a financial transaction relating to a product or service based at least in part on the determination.

16. The system of claim 4 wherein the processing means for performing an operation with respect to the vehicle based at least in part on the determination comprises:

means for transmitting vehicle-related information from the first device to the wireless device.