Smartphone dock reminder for vehicles

• US 9,519,610 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Frye, Mark S., Cepuran, Lawrence D., Swanson, Steven, Everhart, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US13/870,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20140325113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 710/300, 710/303, 710/304
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004

Abstract

A system and method for reminding a user to dock a mobile device in a docking apparatus within a vehicle are provided. A docking apparatus includes: one or more sensors for determining whether an object is present in the docking apparatus; and at least one of speakers, a vibration mechanism, and one or more display indicators for reminding a user to place the mobile device in the docking apparatus when the one or more sensors determine that an object is not present in the docking apparatus. A system includes the docking apparatus and a mobile device. The method includes receiving an indication that the vehicle ignition is turned on; determining whether the mobile device is in a docking apparatus; and reminding the user to dock the mobile device in the docking apparatus.

Claims

1. A docking apparatus for holding a mobile device during operation of a vehicle, the docking apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors, configured to detect whether the mobile device is present in the docking apparatus;

an output device from the group consisting of speakers, a vibration mechanism, and one or more display indicators, the output device being configure to provide a reminder to a user to place the mobile device in the docking apparatus;

a communication interface, configured to communicate with a telematics unit of the vehicle to receive an indication from the telematics unit that the vehicle ignition is started; and

a processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, facilitate the docking apparatus performing a method including;

determining, based on the one or more sensors and the indication received from the telematics unit, that the vehicle ignition was started without the mobile device being placed in the docking apparatus; and

causing, in response to determining that the vehicle ignition was started without the mobile device being placed in the docking apparatus, the output device to provide a reminder to the user to place the mobile device in the docking apparatus.

2. The docking apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a fastening mechanism for securing the mobile device in the docking apparatus.

3. The docking apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a charging interface for providing power to a battery of the mobile device while the mobile device is in the docking apparatus.

4. The docking apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more communication interfaces configured to establish a connection with at least one mobile device.

5. The docking apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source for providing power to the at least one of speakers, a vibration mechanism, and one or more display indicators.

6. The docking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the docking apparatus is shaped as a cradle so as to hold the mobile device in the docking apparatus while allowing a user to interact with a display of the mobile device.

7. A system for reminding a user to dock a mobile device during operation of a vehicle, the system comprising:

telematics unit of the vehicle; and

a docking apparatus, configured to hold the mobile device, the docking apparatus further comprising;

one or more sensors, configured to detect whether the mobile device is present in the docking apparatus;

an output device, configured to provide a reminder to a user to place the mobile device in the docking apparatus;

a communication interface, configured to communicate with the telematics unit to receive an indication from the telematics unit that the vehicle ignition is started;

a processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, facilitate the docking apparatus performing a method including;

determining, based on the one or more sensors and the indication received from the telematics unit, that the vehicle ignition was started without the mobile device being placed in the docking apparatus; and

causing, in response to determining that the vehicle ignition was started without the mobile device being placed in the docking apparatus, the output device to provide a reminder to the user to place the mobile device in the docking apparatus.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the docking apparatus and the mobile device are configured to communicate using a short-range wireless protocol.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the docking apparatus further comprises one or more communication interfaces for communicating with the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the docking apparatus and the mobile device are configured to pair with one another.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the docking apparatus is further configured to verify whether mobile device in the docking apparatus is the paired mobile device.

12. A method for reminding a user to dock a mobile device during operation of a vehicle in a docking apparatus having one or more sensors, an output device, a communications interface, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method comprising;

receiving, by the docking apparatus, an indication that the vehicle ignition is started from a telematics unit of the vehicle via the communication interface of the docking apparatus;

determining, by the docking apparatus, whether the mobile device is in the docking apparatus based on the one or more sensors of the docking apparatus;

determining, by the docking apparatus, based on the one or more sensors and the indication received from the telematics unit, that the vehicle ignition was started without the mobile device being placed in the docking apparatus; and

reminding, by the docking apparatus, in response to determining that the vehicle ignition was started without the mobile device being placed in the docking apparatus, the user to dock the mobile device in the docking apparatus by performing at least one of the following;

causing a sound to be played to the user, causing the mobile device or the docking apparatus to vibrate, and causing a reminder to be displayed to the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sound is played by at least one of speakers of the vehicle, speakers of the docking apparatus, and speakers of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein causing the reminder to be displayed to the user further comprises at least one of:

displaying a message to the user through the mobile device and utilizing a display indicator on the docking apparatus.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

pairing the docking apparatus with the mobile device over a short-range wireless protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether the mobile device is in the docking apparatus further comprises:

verifying that the mobile device in the docking apparatus is the mobile device that was paired with the docking apparatus.