Method and system for launching an application

• US 9,357,368 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nelson, Thomas, Hatton, David Anthony, Nasrallah, Hussein F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US14/285,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20150341766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 455/569.1, 455/420, 455 411- 412, 455/418, 455/550.1, 455/567, 455/569.2, 455/557, 455/3.03, 455/566, 455/414.1, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• 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: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer read-able medium that is programmed for communicating accident data to a vehicle computing system (VCS) and at least one server. The computer-program product may comprise instructions for receiving a broadcast notification via short-range wireless communication from the VCS. The computer-program product may comprise further instructions for searching for a mobile application based on the broadcast notification. The computer-program product may comprise further instructions for enabling the mobile application matches with the broadcast notification. The computer-program product may comprise further instructions for transmitting a communication link to the VCS based on the broadcast notification. The computer-program product may comprise further instructions for receiving an accident notification from the VCS and communicating the accident notification to the server.

Claims

1. A vehicle computing system comprising:

a controller, communicating with a transceiver capable of communication with a wireless device, configured to;

in response to an accident detection, transmit identifier to the wireless device an identifier that uniquely identifies a mobile application;

establish a communication link with the mobile application on the wireless device corresponding to the identifier; and

transmit data related to the accident to the mobile application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier is transmitted by the transceiver using an iBeacon broadcast.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the iBeacon broadcast is received by the wireless device and is used to search for the mobile application configured to communicate with the controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit an accident notification via a generic attribute profile (GATT) protocol to the mobile application via the communication link with the wireless device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a request for one or more additional data variables via the GATT protocol from the mobile application;

retrieve the one or more additional data variables using a vehicle communication network; and

transmit the one or more additional data variables to the mobile application via the communication link with the wireless device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more additional data variables is at least one of latitude and longitude coordinates of a vehicle, and a number of passengers in the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to generate one or more messages based on the accident detection;

and transmit the one or more messages to at least one of a call center and a predefined contact via the mobile application.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile application comprises instructions to transmit the one or more messages by at least one of a text message, email, and short message service (SMS).

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more messages is at least one of a status update of a passenger.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile application comprises instructions to, in response to the communication link being disconnected, transmit the one or more messages via a cellular communication network.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive, over the communication link, a status bit from the mobile application to indicate that the mobile application is running.

11. A mobile device comprising:

at least one controller in communication with one or more transceivers, the one or more transceivers are capable of communication with a vehicle computing system (VCS) and a server, the at least one controller configured to;

receive a broadcast notification including an identifier that uniquely identifies a mobile application via short-range wireless communication from the VCS;

search for the mobile application based on the identifier included in the broadcast notification;

enable the mobile application that matches the broadcast notification;

transmit a communication link to the VCS based on the broadcast notification;

receive an accident notification from the VCS; and

communicate the accident notification to the server.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the broadcast notification is an iBeacon broadcast including a universal unique identifier (UUID).

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the accident notification from the VCS to the at least one controller is communicated via a generic attribute profile (GATT) protocol.

14. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the mobile application comprises instructions to generate a message for transmission to at least one of a call center or a predefined contact based on the accident notification.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to transmit the message via at least one of text, email, short message service (SMS), and a social media server.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the mobile application comprises instructions, in response to the short-range communication being disconnected, to transmit the message via a WiFi communication network.

17. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to:

transmit a request for one or more additional data variables via a generic attribute profile (GATT) protocol to the VCS;

receive the one or more additional data variables from the VCS;

generate the message based on the one or more additional data variables; and

transmit the message to at least one of the call center or the predefined contact.

18. A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer read-able medium that is programmed for communicating accident data to a vehicle computing system (VCS) and at least one server, the computer-program product comprising instructions for:

receiving a broadcast notification including an identifier that uniquely identifies a mobile application via short-range wireless communication from the VCS;

searching for the mobile application based on the identifier included in the broadcast notification;

enabling the mobile application that matches the broadcast notification;

transmitting a communication link to the VCS based on the broadcast notification;

receiving an accident notification from the VCS; and

communicating the accident notification to the server.

19. The computer-program product of claim 18, wherein the mobile application comprises instructions for generating a message for transmission to at least one of a call center or a predefined contact based on the accident notification.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19, further comprising additional instructions for:

transmitting a request for one or more additional data variables via a generic attribute profile (GATT) protocol to the VCS;

receiving the one or more additional data variables from the VCS;

generating the message based on the one or more additional data variables; and

transmitting the message to at least one of the call center or the predefined contact.

21. A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer read-able medium that is programmed for communicating accident data to a wireless device, the computer-program product comprising instructions for:

in response to an accident detection, transmitting to the wireless device an identifier that uniquely identifies a mobile application;

establishing a communication link with the mobile application on the wireless device corresponding to the identifier; and

transmitting data related to the accident to the mobile application.