Accessory control with geo-fencing

• US 9,168,927 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louboutin, Sylvain
• Primary Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US14/519,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20150105944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/36, 340/539.13, 340/426.19, 455/456.2, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• 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 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A vehicle accessory can transmit a first signal to a mobile device, the first signal including a location of a vehicle. The mobile device can monitor its own location. The mobile device can assess whether one or more location-based criteria have been satisfied based on the location of the mobile device and the location of the vehicle. Upon determining that a location-based criterion has been satisfied, the mobile device can transmit a second signal to the vehicle accessory indicating that a function of the vehicle is to be controlled. Thus, for example, the mobile device can activate or de-activate vehicle features (e.g., door locking, vehicle defrosting, etc.) in a manner that capitalizes on efficient signal transmission.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, at a mobile device, a rule that identifies;

a location criterion that identifies a relationship between a vehicle-associated location and a location of the mobile device; and

an identification of a control command that is to be transmitted from the mobile device when the location criterion is satisfied;

estimating, by the mobile device, the vehicle-associated location, wherein the vehicle-associated location corresponds to a location of a vehicle;

subsequently estimating, by the mobile device, a current location of the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device, whether the location criterion of the rule is met, the determination being based on the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location; and

in the event that the location criterion is met, facilitating a transmission of the control command to the vehicle or an electronic device located inside the vehicle, wherein the control command includes an instruction to control a function of the vehicle or the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the rule includes a specification as to how a geofence boundary is to be defined, and wherein the relationship identified in the location criterion indicates that the mobile device is within the geofence.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the rule includes a specification as to how a geofence boundary is to be defined, and wherein the relationship identified in the location criterion indicates that the mobile device has crossed the geofence.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the location criterion identifies a threshold distance, and wherein determining whether the location criterion of the rule is met includes determining whether the current location of the mobile device is within the threshold distance from the vehicle-associated location or determining a distance between the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location exceeds the threshold distance.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the rule is determined, at least in part, based on analysis of data identifying empirical use of a function related to the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the rule is determined, at least in part, based on input from a user of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the control command includes an instruction to lock a door of the vehicle, unlock a door of the vehicle, open a trunk of the vehicle, start an engine in the vehicle, stop an engine in the vehicle, start a temperature control feature of the vehicle, initiate a navigation operation, adjust a position of a seat in the vehicle, or initiate a music control associated with the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, at a mobile device, a second rule that identifies;

a second location criterion that identifies a second relationship between a vehicle-associated location and a location of the mobile device; and

an identification of a second control command that is to be transmitted from the mobile device when the second location criterion is satisfied;

determining, by the mobile device, whether the second location criterion of the rule is met, the determination being based on the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location; and

in the event that the second location criterion is met, facilitating a transmission of the second control command to the vehicle or the electronic device located inside the vehicle.

9. A mobile device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions including;

accessing a rule that identifies;

a location criterion that identifies a relationship between a vehicle-associated location and a location of the mobile device; and

an identification of a control command that is to be transmitted from the mobile device when the location criterion is satisfied;

estimating the vehicle-associated location, wherein the vehicle-associated location corresponds to a location of a vehicle;

subsequently estimating a current location of the mobile device;

determining whether the location criterion of the rule is met, the determination being based on the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location; and

in the event that the location criterion is met, facilitating a transmission of a control signal to the vehicle or an electronic device located inside the vehicle, wherein the control signal includes an instruction to control a function of the vehicle or the electronic device.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the rule includes a specification as to how a geofence boundary is to be defined, and wherein the relationship identified in the location criterion indicates that the mobile device is within the geofence.

11. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the rule includes a specification as to how a geofence boundary is to be defined, and wherein the relationship identified in the location criterion indicates that the mobile device has crossed the geofence.

12. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the location criterion identifies a threshold distance, and wherein determining whether the location criterion of the rule is met includes determining whether the current location of the mobile device is within the threshold distance from the vehicle-associated location or determining a distance between the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location exceeds the threshold distance.

13. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the rule is determined, at least in part, based on analysis of data identifying empirical use of a function related to the vehicle.

14. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the rule is determined, at least in part, based on input from a user of the mobile device.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the control command includes an instruction to lock a door of the vehicle, unlock a door of the vehicle, open a trunk of the vehicle, start an engine in the vehicle, stop an engine in the vehicle, start a temperature control feature of the vehicle, initiate a navigation operation, adjust a position of a seat in the vehicle, or initiate a music control associated with the vehicle.

16. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the actions further include:

accessing a second rule that identifies;

a second location criterion that identifies a second relationship between a vehicle-associated location and a location of the mobile device; and

an identification of a second control command that is to be transmitted from the mobile device when the second location criterion is satisfied;

determining whether the second location criterion of the rule is met, the determination being based on the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location; and

in the event that the second location criterion is met, facilitating a transmission of the second control command to the vehicle or the electronic device located inside the vehicle.

17. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to perform actions including:

accessing a rule that identifies;

a location criterion that identifies a relationship between a vehicle-associated location and a location of a mobile device; and

an identification of a control command that is to be transmitted from the mobile device when the location criterion is satisfied;

estimating the vehicle-associated location, wherein the vehicle-associated location corresponds to a location of a vehicle;

subsequently estimating a current location of the mobile device;

determining whether the location criterion of the rule is met, the determination being based on the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location; and

in the event that the location criterion is met, facilitating a transmission of a control command to the vehicle or an electronic device located inside the vehicle, wherein the control command includes an instruction to control a function of the vehicle or the electronic device.

18. The computer-program product of claim 17 wherein the rule includes a specification as to how a geofence boundary is to be defined, and wherein the relationship identified in the location criterion indicates that the mobile device is within the geofence.

19. The computer-program product of claim 17 wherein the rule includes a specification as to how a geofence boundary is to be defined, and wherein the relationship identified in the location criterion indicates that the mobile device has crossed the geofence.

20. The computer-program product of claim 17 wherein the location criterion identifies a threshold distance, and wherein determining whether the location criterion of the rule is met includes determining whether the current location of the mobile device is within the threshold distance from the vehicle-associated location or determining a distance between the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location exceeds the threshold distance.