System and method for forming automatically launching user set default app from smartphone

• US 8,805,351 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Myine Electronics, Inc. (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Myine Electronics, Inc. (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sigal, Jacob R., Danne, Philip J., Grover, Joey R., Nice, Erika
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US13/655,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20130102300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/420, 348/14.08
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A system is disclosed for automatically restarting an application running on a smartphone present in a predetermined environment, after the application has been paused. A hardware interconnect apparatus may be configured to establish a first communications link with the smartphone, and also to establish a second communications link with an electronic device present at the predetermined environment. A processor executable auto launch application may be adapted to run on the smartphone to detect when a previously selected application has been at least one of stopped or paused, and to automatically re-start the previously selected application without a command being physically entered on the smartphone by a user of the smartphone.

Claims

1. A system for automatically restarting an application running on a smartphone, the system comprising:

a hardware interconnect apparatus configured to establish a first communications link with the smartphone, and a second communications link with an electronic device present within a vehicle; and

a processor executable auto launch application adapted to run on the smartphone, to obtain and start a previously selected default application, and to detect when the previously selected default application has been at least one of stopped or paused as a result of the smartphone is removed from the vehicle, and to automatically command a re-start of the previously selected default application running on the smartphone without requiring a separate command to be physically entered on the smartphone by a user of the smartphone when the smartphone is again physically moved into the vehicle by the user and an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on by the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communications link comprises a wireless communications link.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communications link comprises a hardwired connection between the smartphone and the hardware interconnect apparatus.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a device that produces an audio signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a radio.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor executable watcher service application configured to run on the smartphone, and further configured to assist in establishing the first communications link with the hardware interconnect apparatus.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the watcher service application automatically attempts to establish the first communications link when the smartphone is brought in proximity to the electronic device of the vehicle by the user of the smartphone.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communications link established between the hardware interconnect apparatus and the electronic device comprises a second wireless communications link.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable auto launch application is further configured to obtain at least one variable associated with the user selected default application.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware interconnect apparatus is configured to broadcast a connection request signal when the hardware interconnect apparatus is initially powered on.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the connection request signal comprises a radio identification signal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first communications link comprises a short range wireless signal formed by a serial port profile (SPP) signal link which is established subsequent to transmission of the connection request signal to the smartphone.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein a splash screen notification is generated on a display of the smartphone while the auto launch application obtains the at least one variable.

14. A system for automatically restarting an application running on a smartphone present in a vehicle, after the application has been one of paused or stopped at a first time when a user leaves the vehicle, and then re-enters the vehicle at a second time subsequent to the first time, the system comprising:

a hardware interconnect apparatus configured to transmit a first wireless signal to establish a first wireless communications link with the smartphone, and a second wireless signal to establish a second wireless communications link with an electronic device of the vehicle;

a processor executable auto launch application adapted to run on the smartphone and to automatically obtain and launch a previously user preselected default application when the smartphone is powered on, as well as additional user selected variables associated with the previously user preselected default application;

a processor executable watcher service application adapted to run on the smartphone and to monitor for the first wireless signal being transmitted from the hardware interconnect apparatus, and to assist in establishing the first wireless communications link without intervention by the user; and

the processor executable auto launch application further being configured to detect when a previously selected default application has been at least one of stopped or paused as a result of the smartphone being physically removed from the vehicle, and to automatically re-start the previously selected default application without intervention by a user of the smartphone when the smartphone is brought back into the vehicle in proximity with the hardware interconnect apparatus by the user, and an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on by the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor executable auto launch application is further configured to obtain at least one variable associated with the user selected default application.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the hardware interconnect apparatus is configured to broadcast a connection request signal when the hardware interconnect apparatus is initially powered on.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first wireless signal comprises a serial port profile (SPP) signal link which is established subsequent to transmission of the connection request signal to the smartphone.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein a splash screen notification is generated on a display of the smartphone while the auto launch application obtains the at least one variable.

19. A smartphone adapted to automatically re-start an application running on the smartphone that had been previously interrupted, because of removal of the smartphone from within a vehicle, without intervention or assistance by a user of the smartphone once the smartphone is again brought back into the vehicle, the smartphone comprising:

a hardware interconnect apparatus configured to establish a short range wireless communications link with the smartphone, and a second communications link with an electronic device present within the vehicle;

a processor executable auto launch application adapted to run on the smartphone, to obtain and launch a previously selected default application set by the user, and to detect when the previously selected default application has been at least one of stopped or paused as a result of the smartphone having been removed from the vehicle, and to automatically re-start the previously selected default application without a command being physically entered on the smartphone by a user of the smartphone, when the smartphone is again brought back into the vehicle and an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on;

a processor executable watcher service application adapted to run on the smartphone and to monitor for a wireless signal being transmitted from a remote hardware interconnect apparatus, and to assist in establishing the first communications link with the remote hardware interconnect apparatus without intervention by the user; and

the first communications link enabling the re-started, previously selected default application to supply content being received by the smartphone to the remote hardware interconnect apparatus.

20. The smartphone of claim 19, wherein the processor executable auto launch application is further configured to obtain at least one variable associated with the previously selected default application.

21. The smartphone of claim 19, wherein the processor executable watcher service application is configured to watch for a broadcast connection signal from the hardware interconnect apparatus.

22. A method for automatically restarting an application running on a smartphone present in a vehicle, after the application has been paused, the method comprising:

using an interconnect apparatus, configured to establish a first wireless communications link with the smartphone, to also establish a second wireless communications link with an electronic device present in the vehicle;

using an auto launch application adapted to run on the smartphone, to obtain and launch a previously user selected default application, and to detect when the previously user selected default application has been at least one of stopped or paused, as a result of the smartphone having been being removed from the vehicle;

using the auto launch application to automatically re-start the previously user selected default application without a command being physically entered on the smartphone by a user of the smartphone, when the smartphone is again brought back into the vehicle and an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on;

using a watcher application on the smartphone to inform the smartphone when a wireless signal is detected from the interconnect apparatus;

subsequent to receiving the wireless signal from the interconnect apparatus, establishing the first wireless communications link between the interconnect apparatus and the smartphone without user intervention; and

using the first wireless communications link to supply content being received by the smartphone to the interconnect apparatus, and using the second wireless communications link to communicate between the interconnect apparatus and the electronic device.