Mobile device connection system

• US 8,933,782 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Pierfelice, Jeffrey Edward, Schmidt, Eric Randell
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US12/980,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20120161927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 340 581- 583, 340/1.1, 340/5.1, 340/5.8, 455/39, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/66.1, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 455/512, 455/513, 455/41.1, 455/99
• US Class Current: 340/5.83
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• 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 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A mobile device connection system may identify a mobile device of a present driver and prioritize a wireless connection between the identified mobile device and a built-in hands-free device located in a motor vehicle. In one embodiment, the mobile device connection system may include a sensor and a controller. The sensor may be configured to sense an identity of a driver when the driver is within a proximity of the motor vehicle and generate a signal based on the sensed identity. The controller may be coupled to the sensor, and it may be configured to identify the mobile device based on the signal from the sensor, search and detect the identified mobile device, and establish a wireless connection between the detected mobile device and the built-in hands-free device.

Claims

1. A mobile device connection system for wirelessly connecting a mobile device to a transceiver located in a motor vehicle having a driver area including a driver seat and a steering wheel, and a passenger area including a passenger seat, comprising:

a memory for storing an association or a pairing between a key fob of a user of the motor vehicle and a mobile device;

a sensor positioned in the driver area and configured to;

sense a first key fob and a first identity data of a first user during a first pairing process, and

sense a second key fob and a second identity data of a second user during a second pairing process;

a controller coupled to the sensor and the memory, and configured to;

store a first association or pairing between the first identity data and a first mobile device of the first user that is separate from the first key fob,

store a second association or pairing between the second identity data and a second mobile device of the second user that is separate from the second key fob,

designate the first user as a driver of the motor vehicle when or after a sensed distance of the first key fob is less than a sensed distance of the second key fob,

designate the second user as the driver when or after a sensed distance of the second key fob is less than a sensed distance of the first key fob,

establish a first wireless connection between a mobile device of the driver and the transceiver and ignore establishing a second wireless connection between a previously paired mobile device of a passenger of the motor vehicle and the transceiver for expediting or enhancing the establishment of the first wireless connection, and

establish the second wireless connection when or after the first wireless connection cannot be established and ignore establishing a third wireless connection between a previously unpaired mobile device and the transceiver; and

an input-output interface coupled to the controller, and configured to receive input from and generate output for the mobile device of the driver via the first wireless connection when or after the first user or the second user is designated as the driver and the first wireless connection can be established.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

before the driver enters the motor vehicle or before the motor vehicle is started, the sensor is configured to sense the first identity data or the second identity data, and

the controller is configured to detect the first mobile device of the first user when or after the sensed distance of the first key fob indicates that the first user is the driver but before the driver enters the motor vehicle or before the motor vehicle is started.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the memory is configured to store one or more records, each record having an identifier field and a mobile device field, and

the controller is configured to;

match the sensed first identity data against the identifier field of the one or more records, and

detect the first mobile device based on the mobile device field of the matched record.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first key fob is an electronic key configured to transmit a wireless signal to the motor vehicle, the wireless signal detectable by the sensor, and the wireless signal embedding the first identity data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to sense the first identity data of the driver by sensing a biometric characteristic of the first user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the biometric characteristic is selected from a group consisting of a fingerprint, a voice pattern, a retina pattern, and combinations thereof.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is further configured to sense a third key fob and a third identity data of a third user during a third pairing process, and the controller is configured to:

store a third association or pairing between the third identity data and a third mobile device of the third user,

assign a higher priority to the second association or pairing over the third association or pairing when the second pairing process is performed before the third pairing process, and assign a higher priority to the third association or pairing over the second association or pairing when the third pairing process is performed before the second pairing process,

establish a wireless connection between the second mobile device and the transceiver when the first wireless connection cannot be established and the second association or pairing has the higher priority over the third association or pairing, and

establish a wireless connection between the third mobile device and the transceiver when the first wireless connection cannot be established and the third association or pairing has the higher priority over the second association or pairing.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the sensor is configured to sense the distance of the first key fob or the first user as the first key fob approaches the motor vehicle and is within a predetermined distance of the motor vehicle, and

the controller is configured to designate the first user as the driver when the sensed distance of the first key fob indicates that the first user is the driver, before the first user is in the motor vehicle in order to expedite or enhance the establishment of the first wireless connection.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the sensor is further configured to sense a third key fob and a third identity data of a third user during a third pairing process, and

the controller is configured to;

store a third association or pairing between the third identity data and a third mobile device of the third user,

receive a user-defined priority for the second association or pairing or for the third association or pairing, and

when the first wireless connection cannot be established, establish a wireless connection between the transceiver and one of the second mobile device and the third mobile device based on the user-defined priority.

7. A mobile communication device connection system of a motor vehicle having a driver area including a driver seat and a steering wheel, and a passenger area including a passenger seat, comprising:

a memory for storing an association or a pairing between a key fob of a user of the motor vehicle and a mobile communication device;

a sensor positioned in the driver area and configured to;

sense a first identity data of a first user from a first key fob within a detection range of the sensor and a second identity data of a second user from a second key fob within the detection range of the sensor,

sense a first distance between a distance reference in the driver area and the first key fob and a second distance between the distance reference and the second key fob, and

generate a signal based on the sensed first and second identity data and the sensed first and second distances;

a controller positioned within the motor vehicle and responsive to the signal, and configured to;

store a first association or pairing between the first identity data and a first mobile communication device of the first user that is separate from the first key fob,

store a second association or pairing between the second identity data and a second mobile communication device of the second user that is separate from the second key fob,

designate the first user as a driver of the motor vehicle when or after the sensed first distance is less than the sensed second distance, and

designate the second user as the driver when or after the sensed second distance is less than the sensed first distance; and

a transceiver positioned within the motor vehicle and coupled to the controller, and configured to;

establish a first wireless connection with the first mobile communication device,

ignore establishing a second wireless connection between a previously paired mobile communication device of a passenger of the motor vehicle and the transceiver for expediting or enhancing the establishment of the first wireless connection, and

establish the second wireless connection when or after the first wireless connection cannot be established and ignore establishing a third wireless connection between a previously unpaired mobile communication device and the transceiver; and

a communication interface coupled to the controller, and configured to receive input from and generate output for the first mobile communication device via the first wireless connection when or after the first user is designated as the driver and the first wireless connection can be established.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the memory is configured to store one or more records, each record having an identifier field and a mobile communication device field, and

the controller is further configured to;

receive the signal from the sensor,

extract the sensed first identity data of the first key fob from the signal when or after the sensed first distance is less than the sensed second distance,

match the sensed first identity data against the identifier field of one of the records, and

associate the sensed first identity data with the first mobile communication device based on the mobile communication device field of the matched record.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first key fob is configured to transmit a wireless signal to the motor vehicle, the wireless signal detectable by the sensor, and the wireless signal embedding the first identity data.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first key fob is one of an active radio frequency device and a passive radio frequency device.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first wireless connection is a blue-tooth connection.

12. A method for connecting one or more mobile devices to a motor vehicle having a driver area, including a driver seat and a steering wheel, and a passenger area including a passenger seat, comprising:

sensing, using a sensor positioned in the driver area, a first key fob and a first identity data of a first user during a first pairing process and a second key fob and a second identity data of a second user during a second pairing process;

storing, in a memory, a first association or pairing between the first identity data and a first mobile device of the first user and a second association or pairing between the second identity data and a second mobile device of the second user;

generating, using the first key fob, a first signal having a first signal wave characteristic and embedding the first identity data;

generating, using the second key fob, a second signal having a second signal wave characteristic and embedding the second identity data;

sensing, using the sensor, the first identity data and the first signal wave characteristic when the first key fob is within a proximity of the motor vehicle;

sensing, using the sensor, the second identity data and the second signal wave characteristic when the second key fob is within the proximity of the motor vehicle;

determining, using a controller positioned within the motor vehicle and coupled to the sensor, a first distance between a distance reference in the driver area and the first key fob based on the sensed first signal wave characteristic, and determining, using the controller, a second distance between the distance reference and the second key fob based on the sensed second signal wave characteristic;

designating, using the controller, the first key fob as a key fob of a driver when the determined first distance is less than the determined second distance and designating, using the controller, the second key fob as the key fob of the driver when the determined second distance is less than the determined first distance;

searching for, using the controller, establishing a first wireless connection between a mobile device associated with the sensed identity data of the designated key fob of the driver and the transceiver; and

searching for, using the controller, establishing a second wireless connection between a previously paired mobile device and the transceiver when the first wireless connection cannot be established and ignoring a third wireless connection between an unpaired paired mobile device and the transceiver.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein establishing the first wireless connection includes:

detecting the mobile device associated with the sensed identity data of the designated key fob of the driver, and

wirelessly connecting the detected mobile device to the transceiver.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the mobile device associated with the sensed identity data of the designated key fob of the driver includes:

matching the sensed identity data of the designated key fob of the driver against one or more records, and

identifying the mobile device associated with the sensed identity data of the designated key fob of the driver based on the matched record.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the mobile device associated with the sensed identity data of the designated key fob of the driver includes ignoring the rest of the one or more mobile devices.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the first and the second key fobs is one of a passive radio frequency device and an active radio frequency device when the each of the first and the second key fobs is within about 1 m to about 5 m of the motor vehicle.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein,

sensing the first signal wave characteristic includes sensing a first signal strength or amplitude of the first signal, and sensing the second signal wave characteristic includes sensing a second signal strength or amplitude of the second signal, and

determining the first distance is based on the sensed first signal strength or amplitude and determining the second distance is based on the sensed second signal strength or amplitude, such that the first distance is determined to be less than the second distance when the sensed first signal strength or amplitude is greater than the sensed second signal strength or amplitude, and the second distance is determined to be less than the first distance when the sensed second signal strength or amplitude is greater than the sensed first signal strength or amplitude.

21. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

establishing a wireless connection between the transceiver and an unpaired mobile device without any associated identity data stored in the memory when wireless connections with mobile devices of users having associated or paired identity data stored in the memory cannot be established.