System and method for configuring an interior of a vehicle based on preferences provided with multiple mobile computing devices within the vehicle

• US 9,358,940 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Cooper, Rotem, Lane, Frank, Gujral, Sunvir, Jacobs, Paul, Chandhok, Ravinder, Ben-Zur, Liat, Sharma, Sandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US14/550,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/45, 701/48, 701/49, 701/34.4, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 340/426.13, 340/426.15, 340/426.16, 340/426.17, 340/426.2, 340/426.28, 340/426.35, 340/426.36
• 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: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• 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 4/48 for in-vehicle communication

Abstract

In response to detecting the entry condition, a determination is made as to when multiple mobile computing devices are present within the vehicle. An occupancy zone is determined for each multiple mobile computing device that is determined as being present within the vehicle. Profile information is determined for each mobile computing device. At least one of an operational or usage facet of the vehicle can be configured at each occupancy zone in which one of the mobile computing devices is determined to be present. The operational or usage facet of the vehicle at a location of each occupancy zone can be based at least in part on the profile information determined from the mobile computing device that is deemed to be present at that occupancy zone.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for implementing vehicle configurations, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

detecting one or more mobile computing devices;

determining a sensor comparison profile for each seat of a vehicle, from a sensor input or output (I/O) resource provided with or in proximity to each seat;

determining a sensor output profile from a motion sensor of each of the one or more mobile computing devices;

determining a seat position of each mobile computing device based on a comparison of the sensor output profile of each mobile computing device and the sensor comparison profile for each seat;

obtaining profile information from a specific mobile computing device which is in closest proximity to a specific operational or usage facet of the vehicle; and

initiating configuration of one or more operational or usage facets of the vehicle, including configuration of the specific operational or usage facet using the profile information of the specific mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting at least one of;

a mobile computing device communicating a digital key to unlock the vehicle, a door of the vehicle being opened or closed, or a seat of the vehicle being occupied.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the configuration comprises:

configuring multiple types of operational or usage facets of the vehicle based on the profile information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each type of operational or usage facet may correspond to one of a seat position or orientation, content setting or media output selection from a media output device, lighting, seat temperature, or air temperature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity is determined by the specific mobile computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more mobile computing devices each operate a common communication platform within the vehicle for enabling wireless communication exchanges amongst the one or more mobile computing devices as peers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific mobile computing device operates a common communication platform with a controller of the vehicle, and wherein the proximity is determined by the controller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile information includes preferences that are specific to the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile information includes preferences that are non-specific to the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific mobile computing device includes profile information for multiple users.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each seat position corresponds to at least one of:

a seat row in which a user of each mobile computing device is determined to be seated, a left or right region of the vehicle in which the user of each mobile computing device is determined to be seated, or a designation of whether the user of each mobile computing device is a driver or a passenger of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a seat location of the specific mobile computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining an identity of a user of the specific mobile computing device based at least in part on the determined seat location.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the seat location comprises:

communicating with motion sensors provided with each seat within the vehicle to receive a corresponding seat sensor output profile for each seat;

determining a device sensor output profile from a motion sensor of the specific mobile computing device;

determining, for each seat, a strength of correlation between the device sensor output profile and the seat sensor output profile for the corresponding seat; and

determining the seat location of the specific mobile computing device based on the strength of correlation for each seat.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the seat location comprises:

initiating a sequence of sensor-detectable events, wherein each event is associated with a corresponding seat within the vehicle;

determining a sensor output profile from a sensor of the specific mobile computing device based on the sequence of sensor-detectable events; and

determining the seat location of the specific mobile computing device by correlating the sensor output profile to one of the events in the sequence.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each sensor-detectable event corresponds to at least one of:

generating a magnetic field, causing movement of a corresponding seat, or generating an acoustic signal.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the seat location of the specific mobile computing device includes triangulating the seat location of the vehicle using a radio frequency or acoustic resource of the vehicle.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining second profile information for a user of a second specific mobile computing device which is in closest proximity to a second specific operational or usage facet of the vehicle;

configuring the second specific operational or usage facet of the vehicle based at least in part on the second profile information.

18. A mobile computing device comprising:

a short-range wireless port;

a memory resource storing instructions for implementing vehicle configurations; and

a processor that, upon executing the instructions, causes the mobile computing device to;

detect a vehicle within a threshold proximity of the mobile computing device;

enable entry to the vehicle based at least in part on a stored digital key on the mobile computing device;

determine profile information for a user of the mobile computing device based on the digital key used for enabling entry to the vehicle;

determine a seat position for the mobile computing device within the vehicle based on a comparison of a sensor output profile of the mobile computing device and a sensor comparison profile for each seat in the vehicle; and

configure a specific operational or usage facet of the vehicle based at least in part on profile information stored in the memory resource, the specific operational or usage facet being in closest proximity to the determined seat position.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein execution of the instructions to detect the vehicle causes the mobile computing device to:

detect at least one of;

the mobile computing device communicating the digital key to unlock the vehicle, a door of the vehicle being opened or closed, or a seat of the vehicle being occupied.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the mobile computing device to:

configure multiple types of operational or usage facets of the vehicle based at least in part on the profile information.

21. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein the seat position corresponds to at least one of:

a seat row in which the user of the mobile computing device is determined to be seated, a left or right region of the vehicle in which the user of the mobile computing device is determined to be seated, or a designation of whether the user of the mobile computing device is a driver or a passenger of the vehicle.

22. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the mobile computing device to:

determine an identity of the user of the mobile computing device based at least in part on the determined seat position.

23. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein execution of the instructions to determine the seat position causes the mobile computing device to:

communicate with motion sensors provided with each seat within the vehicle to receive a corresponding seat sensor output profile for each seat;

determine a device sensor output profile from a motion sensor of the mobile computing device;

determine, for each seat, a strength of correlation between the device sensor output profile and the seat sensor output profile for the corresponding seat; and

determine the seat position of the mobile computing device based on the strength of correlation determined for each seat.

24. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein execution of the instructions to determine the seat position causes the mobile computing device to:

initiate a sequence of sensor-detectable events, wherein each event is associated with a corresponding seat within the vehicle;

determine a sensor output profile from a sensor of the mobile computing device based on the sequence of sensor-detectable events; and

determining the seat position of the mobile computing device by correlating the sensor output profile to one of the events in the sequence.

25. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein the mobile computing device communicates with one or more other devices within the vehicle using a wireless, peer-to-peer connection.

31. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the mobile computing device to:

detect a presence of another mobile computing device within the vehicle;

determine second profile information for a user of the other mobile computing device;

determine a second seat position for the other mobile computing device within the vehicle; and

configure at least one of an operational or usage facet of the vehicle at the second seat position based at least in part on the second profile information.

26. A vehicle comprising:

a controller;

a set of interfaces for controlling operational and usage facets of the vehicle;

a short-range wireless port;

a sensor input or output resource provided with or in proximity to each seat;

wherein the controller operates to;

determine a sensor comparison profile for each seat from the sensor input or output resource provided with or in proximity to each seat;

determine a sensor output profile from a motion sensor of each mobile computing device in a set of mobile computing devices;

determine a seat position of each mobile computing device of the set based on a comparison of the sensor output profile from the motion sensor of each of the mobile computing devices of the set and the sensor comparison profile for each seat;

obtain profile information from one or more of the mobile computing devices in the set; and

initiate, through the set of interfaces, configuration of multiple operational or usage facets of the vehicle, including configuration of a specific operational or usage facet using profile data of the mobile computing device in the set that is at the seat position which is in closest proximity to the specific operational or usage facet.

27. The vehicle of claim 26, wherein the sensor input or output resource provided with or in proximity to each seat includes a seat sensor provided with each seat, and wherein the sensor comparison profile is determined from a seat sensor output profile generated by each seat sensor over a duration of time;

wherein the controller determines the seat position of each mobile computing device of the set using seat correlation logic that compares the seat sensor output profile generated by each seat sensor with the sensor output profile from the motion sensor of each of the mobile computing devices of the set.

28. The vehicle of claim 26, wherein the sensor input or output resource provided with or in proximity to each seat includes a sensor output resource that generates a sensor-detectable event at or near each seat, and wherein the sensor comparison profile identifies a sequence of the sensor-detectable events at or near each seat;

wherein the controller determines the seat position of each mobile computing device of the set using position determination logic that compares the sensor comparison profile with the sensor output profile from the motion sensor of each of the mobile computing devices of the set.

29. A vehicular system comprising:

a vehicle sub-system comprising a controller, a set of interfaces to for controlling operational and usage facets of the vehicle, a short-range wireless port, and a sensor input or output resource provided with or in proximity to each seat of the vehicle;

a set of multiple mobile computing devices, each mobile computing device including a processor, a memory resource and a motion sensor;

wherein the vehicle sub-system and each of the set of multiple computing devices operate a communication platform for communicating with each other in order to establish a network of multiple devices within the vehicle;

wherein at least one of the multiple devices of the network is configured to;

operates the input or output resource to generate a sensor comparison profile for each seat;

determines a sensor output profile for a specified duration from the motion sensor of each of the mobile computing devices of the set;

use one of position determination logic or sensor correlation logic to determine a seat position of each mobile computing device of the set;

obtain profile information from one or more of the mobile computing devices in the set; and

initiates, from the controller of the vehicle sub-system through the set of interfaces, configuration of multiple operational or usage facets of the vehicle, including configuration of a specific operational or usage facet using profile data of the mobile computing device in the set that is at the seat position which is in closest proximity to the specific operational or usage facet.