Key fob security copy to a mobile phone

• US 9,349,231 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hatton, David Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/848,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20150379790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• 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 2009/00865 remotely by wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234

Abstract

A mobile device having a transceiver, a microphone, and a processor programmed to control a vehicle function at a vehicle computing system based on a received voice command via the microphone. The transceiver is configured to receive key fob security codes having predefined key assignments from the vehicle computing system. The microphone is configured to receive voice command inputs associated with the key fob security codes. The processor is programmed to configure a mobile device application to initiate vehicle control functions using the security codes, and in response to a voice command, transmit a vehicle function request to the vehicle computing system via the transceiver.

Claims

1. A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored instructions for programming a processor, comprising instructions for:

in response to received key fob security properties and a predefined key assignment from a vehicle computing system, generating voice command prompts for vehicle control functions based on the security properties; and

in response to a voice command via a microphone, transmitting a control function request to the vehicle computing system via a transceiver.

2. The computer-program product of claim 1, the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising instructions for initializing a predefined timer for the key fob security properties, and enabling the voice command to implement the vehicle control functions using the key fob security properties during the predefined timer.

3. The computer-program product of claim 1, the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising instructions for outputting vehicle control functions at a mobile device user-interface display, and receiving input at the user-interface display to activate the control function request.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the voice command for the vehicle control functions is at least one of unlocking doors, locking doors, starting the vehicle, and opening a vehicle trunk.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprising instructions for pairing the processor with the vehicle computing system and transmitting user information from the processor to the vehicle computing system.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the predefined key assignment is one of a primary and secondary key assignment based on the user information, and the primary key assignment provides greater control over vehicle functionality than the secondary key assignment.

7. A mobile device comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive key fob security codes having predefined key assignments from a vehicle computing system;

a microphone configured to receive voice command inputs associated with the key fob security codes; and

a processor programmed to;

configure a mobile device application to initiate vehicle control functions using the security codes, and

in response to a voice command, transmit a vehicle function request to the vehicle computing system.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further programmed to transmit the vehicle function request to the vehicle computing system only during a predefined time after receiving the key fob security codes.

9. The mobile device of claim 7, the processor further programmed to:

output available vehicle control functions to a mobile device user-interface display;

receive input via the mobile device user-interface display to select one of the available vehicle control functions; and

transmit a vehicle function request for the selected vehicle control function to the vehicle computing system.

10. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the voice command comprises one of unlocking doors, locking doors, starting the vehicle, and opening a vehicle trunk.

11. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further programmed to pair the processor with the vehicle computing system and transmit user information associated with the mobile device application to the vehicle computing system.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the key assignments include a primary and a secondary key based on the user information, and the primary key provides greater control over vehicle functionality than the secondary key.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the primary key is configured to activate or deactivate at least one vehicle feature.

14. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further programmed to establish a communication connection with the vehicle computing system using at least one of near field communication, BLUETOOTH, and Bluetooth Low Energy.

15. A mobile device key fob method comprising:

in response to received key fob security codes from a vehicle computing system, configuring, via a processor, a mobile device application to initiate a vehicle control function; and

in response to a voice command received at a mobile device microphone, transmitting a vehicle command to the vehicle computing system, via a mobile device transceiver, based on the received key fob security codes.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising initializing a predefined timer for the key fob security codes, and enabling the voice command to initiate the vehicle control function using the key fob security codes during a predefined time associated with the timer.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising outputting available vehicle control functions at a mobile device user-interface display, and receiving input at the mobile device user-interface display to activate a selected vehicle control function.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the voice command comprises at least one of unlocking doors, locking doors, starting the vehicle, and opening a vehicle trunk.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising pairing the processor with the vehicle computing system and transmitting user information associated with the mobile device application to the vehicle computing system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the user information is associated with a predefined key assignment as a primary key or a secondary key, and the primary key provides greater control over vehicle functionality than the secondary key.