Managing features associated with a user equipment based on a location of the user equipment within a vehicle

• US 9,537,989 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Atkinson, William Lloyd, Kwong, Tung Chuen, Chan, Benjamin Koon Pan, Law, Henry Hing, Yu, Wilson Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Dung
• Application Number:
  US14/196,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20150256668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455418-419, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• 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 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• 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 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• 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

Abstract

In an aspect, a user equipment (UE) is positioned within a driver operation zone of a vehicle, one or more UE-based user interfaces (UIs) are restricted and forwarded to a vehicle-based UI controller to permit access to the one or more UE-based features via a vehicle-based UI. In another aspect, the UE in the driver operation zone is engaged in hands-free speakerphone mode via a vehicle audio system of the vehicle, and an attempt to transition the UE to handset-based audio mode is blocked. In another aspect, when a handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt of the UE is detected, the UE interacts with a vehicle audio system to temporarily reduce volume being output by one or more proximal speakers. In another aspect, the UE streams media to a media presentation device in its own zone or another zone of the vehicle for presentation thereon.

Claims

1. A method of operating a user equipment (UE) within a vehicle with an in-vehicle configuration including a plurality of zones, comprising:

detecting a handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt by the UE while audio is being output in accordance with an in-vehicle audio output scheme by a vehicle audio system that includes a plurality of speakers provisioned within the vehicle;

determining that the UE is located within a given zone from the plurality of zones based upon interaction between the UE and an in-vehicle location detection system; and

interacting with the vehicle audio system to temporarily reduce volume of two or more speakers of the plurality of speakers,

wherein a degree of volume reduction for the two or more speakers is based on one or more volume reduction parameters including a proximity of the two or more speakers to the given zone, and

wherein the two or more speakers have different degrees of volume reduction based on the one or more volume reduction parameters.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt includes an audio capture component and an audio playback component, and

wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt corresponds to an incoming call received by the UE, a call that is originated by the UE and/or activation of an audio recording function of the UE.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt corresponds to an attempt by the UE to play a file containing an audio component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more volume reduction parameters further include an expected impact of sound upon the given zone, a volume level prior to the temporary volume reduction and/or a target volume level for the two or more speakers during handset-based audio capture and/or playback within the given zone.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the in-vehicle location detection system includes a plurality of Bluetooth transceivers deployed throughout the vehicle, and

wherein the determining determines that the UE is located within the given zone of the vehicle based upon a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) between the UE and at least one of the plurality of Bluetooth transceivers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes:

partitioning an interior area of the vehicle into the plurality of zones,

determining a relative position of the UE within the interior area based upon the interaction between the UE and the in-vehicle location detection system, and

detecting that the determined relative position of the UE within the interior area is inside of the partitioned area corresponding to the given zone.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt has ended; and

interacting with the vehicle audio system to reset the two or more speakers to one or more volume levels preceding the temporary volume reduction in response to the determination that the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt has ended.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the given zone is an administrator operation zone or a guest operation zone;

permitting a first level of access to data and/or services via the UE if the given zone corresponds to the administrator operation zone; and

permitting a second level of access to the data and/or services via the UE if the UE corresponds to the guest operation zone.

9. A user equipment (UE) within a vehicle with an in-vehicle configuration including a plurality of zones, comprising:

means for detecting a handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt by the UE while audio is being output in accordance with an in-vehicle audio output scheme by a vehicle audio system that includes a plurality of speakers provisioned within the vehicle;

means for determining that the UE is located within a given zone from the plurality of zones based upon interaction between the UE and an in-vehicle location detection system; and

means for interacting with the vehicle audio system to temporarily reduce volume of two or more speakers of the plurality of speakers,

wherein a degree of volume reduction for the two or more speakers is based on one or more volume reduction parameters including a proximity of the two or more speakers to the given zone, and

wherein the two or more speakers have different degrees of volume reduction based on the one or more volume reduction parameters.

10. The UE of claim 9,

wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt includes an audio capture component and an audio playback component, and

wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt corresponds to an incoming call received by the UE, a call that is originated by the UE and/or activation of an audio recording function of the UE.

11. The UE of claim 9, wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt corresponds to an attempt by the UE to play a file containing an audio component.

12. The UE of claim 9,

wherein the in-vehicle location detection system includes a plurality of Bluetooth transceivers deployed throughout the vehicle, and

wherein the means for determining determines that the UE is located within the given zone of the vehicle based upon a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) between the UE and at least one of the plurality of Bluetooth transceivers.

13. The UE of claim 9, further comprising:

means for determining that the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt has ended; and

means for interacting with the vehicle audio system to reset the two or more speakers to one or more volume levels preceding the temporary volume reduction in response to the determination that the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt has ended.

14. The UE of claim 9, further comprising:

means for determining whether the given zone is an administrator operation zone or a guest operation zone;

means for permitting a first level of access to data and/or services via the UE if the given zone corresponds to the administrator operation zone; and

means for permitting a second level of access to the data and/or services via the UE if the UE corresponds to the guest operation zone.

15. A user equipment (UE) within a vehicle with an in-vehicle configuration including a plurality of zones, comprising:

a processor and memory configured to;

detect a handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt by the UE while audio is being output in accordance with an in-vehicle audio output scheme by a vehicle audio system that includes a plurality of speakers provisioned within the vehicle;

determine that the UE is located within a given zone from the plurality of zones based upon interaction between the UE and an in-vehicle location detection system; and

interact with the vehicle audio system to temporarily reduce volume of two or more speakers of the plurality of speakers,

wherein a degree of volume reduction for the two or more speakers is based on one or more volume reduction parameters including a proximity of the two or more speakers to the given zone, and

wherein the two or more speakers have different degrees of volume reduction based on the one or more volume reduction parameters.

16. The UE of claim 15,

wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt includes an audio capture component and an audio playback component, and

wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt corresponds to an incoming call received by the UE, a call that is originated by the UE and/or activation of an audio recording function of the UE.

17. The UE of claim 15, wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt corresponds to an attempt by the UE to play a file containing an audio component.

18. The UE of claim 15,

wherein the in-vehicle location detection system includes a plurality of Bluetooth transceivers deployed throughout the vehicle, and

wherein the processor and memory determine that the UE is located within the given zone of the vehicle based upon a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) between the UE and at least one of the plurality of Bluetooth transceivers.

19. The UE of claim 15, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:

determine that the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt has ended; and

interact with the vehicle audio system to reset the two or more speakers to one or more volume levels preceding the temporary volume reduction in response to the determination that the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt has ended.

20. The UE of claim 15, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:

determine whether the given zone is an administrator operation zone or a guest operation zone;

permit a first level of access to data and/or services via the UE if the given zone corresponds to the administrator operation zone, and

permit a second level of access to the data and/or services via the UE if the UE corresponds to the guest operation zone.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a user equipment (UE) within a vehicle with an in-vehicle configuration including a plurality of zones, cause the UE to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction configured to cause the UE to detect a handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt by the UE while audio is being output in accordance with an in-vehicle audio output scheme by a vehicle audio system that includes a plurality of speakers provisioned within the vehicle;

at least one instruction configured to cause the UE to determine that the UE is located within a given zone from the plurality of zones based upon interaction between the UE and an in-vehicle location detection system; and

at least one instruction configured to cause the UE to interact with the vehicle audio system to temporarily reduce volume of two or more speakers of the plurality of speakers,

wherein a degree of volume reduction for the two or more speakers is based on one or more volume reduction parameters including a proximity of the two or more speakers to the given zone, and

wherein the two or more speakers have different degrees of volume reduction based on the one or more volume reduction parameters.

22. The UE of claim 21,

wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt includes an audio capture component and an audio playback component, and

wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt corresponds to an incoming call received by the UE, a call that is originated by the UE and/or activation of an audio recording function of the UE.

23. The UE of claim 21, wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt corresponds to an attempt by the UE to play a file containing an audio component.

24. The UE of claim 21,

wherein the in-vehicle location detection system includes a plurality of Bluetooth transceivers deployed throughout the vehicle, and

wherein the at least one instruction configured to cause the UE to determine determines that the UE is located within the given zone of the vehicle based upon a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) between the UE and at least one of the plurality of Bluetooth transceivers.

25. The UE of claim 21,

at least one instruction configured to cause the UE to determine that the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt has ended;

and

at least one instruction configured to cause the UE to interact with the vehicle audio system to reset the two or more speakers to one or more volume levels preceding the temporary volume reduction in response to the determination that the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt has ended.