Method for locating a vehicle

• US 9,041,556 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tucker, Brian J., Schubert, Emily C., Dorogusker, Jesse L., Linde, Joakim, Chick, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US13/278,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 705/14.1, 705/32
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A portable computing device can be used to locate a vehicle in a parking structure. In particular, the portable computing device can communicate with a parking system that manages the parking structure and/or with a vehicle in order to locate the vehicle. Communications between the portable computing device, parking system and vehicle can be based on one or more wireless connections, such as Bluetooth and/or Bluetooth LE connections.

Claims

1. A method for locating a vehicle in a parking structure, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server, via a first sensor installed in the parking structure, a vehicle signal from a low-power wireless transmitter in the vehicle;

determining, by the server, a location of the vehicle based at least in part on the location of the first sensor;

receiving, at the server, via a second sensor installed in the parking structure, a device signal from a low-power wireless transmitter in a portable computing device carried by a user;

determining, by the server, based on the vehicle signal and the device signal, that the portable computing device is associated with the vehicle; and

transmitting, to the portable computing device, information indicative of the determined location of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the low-power wireless transmitter in the vehicle and the low-power wireless transmitter in the portable computing device are Bluetooth LE transmitters.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the parking structure comprises a plurality of levels, wherein determining the location of the vehicle includes determining on which of the plurality of levels the vehicle is located, and wherein the information indicative of the determined location includes an identifier of the level on which the vehicle is located.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle signal is received when the vehicle is in a parked state.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle signal includes a first identifier and the device signal includes a second identifier, wherein the first and second identifiers have the same value.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a current location of the portable computing device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the information indicative of the determined location includes guidance instructions, wherein the guidance instructions include directions usable to navigate from the current location of the portable computing device to the determined location.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising operating an elevator based at least on the current location of the portable computing device and the determined location of the vehicle.

9. A parking system for locating a vehicle, the parking system comprising:

a plurality of wireless sensors; and

a processor connected to each of the plurality of wireless sensors, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive a first identifier from a vehicle via one of the plurality of wireless sensors;

determine a parking location for the vehicle based on a location of the one of the plurality of wireless sensors that received the first identifier;

store the first identifier and the parking location for the vehicle;

receive a second identifier from a portable computing device via one of the plurality of wireless sensors;

determine a current location for the portable computing device based on a location of the one of the plurality of wireless sensors that received the second identifier;

determine that the first identifier and the second identifier match; and

generate guidance information based on the current location and the parking location.

10. The parking system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the guidance information to the portable computing device.

11. The parking system of claim 9 wherein the guidance information includes navigational instructions for moving from the current location to the parking location.

12. The parking system of claim 9 wherein the guidance information includes an identifier of the parking location.

13. A method for locating a vehicle in a parking structure, the method comprising:

determining that the vehicle is in a parked state;

receiving, by a portable computing device, a first signal from a first wireless sensor of a parking system associated with the parking structure;

determining a parking location for the vehicle based at least in part on the first signal;

storing the parking location for the vehicle;

receiving by the portable computing device, a second signal from a second wireless sensor of the parking system;

determining a current location for the portable computing device based at least in part on the second signal;

generating guidance instructions based at least in part on the stored parking location for the vehicle and the determined current location for the portable computing device;

presenting the guidance instructions; and

transmitting a command to a third wireless sensor of the parking system, wherein the command instructs the parking system to operate an elevator.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the signals are received using a Bluetooth LE wireless interface of the portable computing device.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the third wireless sensor is installed within the elevator.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein operating the elevator includes moving the elevator from a first floor of the parking structure to a second floor of the parking structure.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the first signal includes a parking stall identifier, wherein the parking stall identifier indicates the parking location for the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving, at the portable computing device, a third signal from a third wireless sensor of the parking system;

and

wherein determining the parking location for the vehicle is further based in part on the third signal.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein determining the parking location for the vehicle is based at least in part on a signal strength of the first signal and a signal strength of the third signal.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein determining the parking location for the vehicle includes:

computing a first distance between the portable computing device and the first wireless sensor based at least in part on a signal strength of the first signal;

computing a second distance between the portable computing device and the third wireless sensor based at least in part on a signal strength of the third signal; and

determining a parking location for the vehicle based on at least the first and second computed distances.

21. A portable computing device for locating a vehicle, the portable computing device comprising:

a wireless interface configured to;

receive signals from a plurality of wireless sensors of a parking guidance system; and

a processor coupled to the wireless interface, the processor configured to;

receive, via the wireless interface, a first plurality of signals from a first subset of the plurality of wireless sensors;

determine a parking location for the vehicle based on the first plurality of signals;

subsequently receive, via the wireless interface, a second plurality of signals from a second subset of the plurality sensors;

determine a current location based on the second plurality of signals;

generate guidance instructions based on the determined parking location for the vehicle and the determined current location for the portable computing device; and

transmit, via the wireless interface, a command to a third subset of the plurality of wireless sensors, wherein the command instructs the parking guidance system to operate an elevator.

22. The portable computing device of claim 21 wherein the wireless interface is a Bluetooth LE wireless interface.

23. The portable computing device of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the vehicle is in a parked state; and

receive the first plurality of signals in response to determining that the vehicle is in the parked state.

24. The portable computing device of claim 23, wherein determining whether the vehicle is in a parked state includes determining whether a connection between the portable computing device and the vehicle has been terminated.

25. The portable computing device of claim 23, wherein determining whether the vehicle is in a parked state includes receiving one or more of an indication from the vehicle that an engine of the vehicle is turned off or an indication from the vehicle that a gear selector of the vehicle is set to a parked position.

26. A method comprising:

determining whether a vehicle is currently in a parked state;

in the event that the vehicle is currently in the parked state, receiving a first wireless signal at a portable computing device;

determining a parking location for the vehicle based at least in part on a signal strength for the first wireless signal;

storing the parking location for the vehicle;

at a later time, receiving a second wireless signal at the portable computing device;

determining a current location for the portable computing device based at least in part on a signal strength for the second wireless signal;

determining a path from the current location to the parking location; and

transmitting a command, wherein the command instructs the parking system to operate an elevator based on the determined path.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein determining whether the vehicle is currently in a parked state includes determining whether the vehicle has been stationary in excess of a threshold period of time.