Method and system for selectively activating a vehicle near field communication module

• US 9,544,853 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Gu, Wen, Kalhous, Amanda J., Juzswik, Karen
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilodeau, David
• Application Number:
  US15/075,549
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and system for selective activation of a vehicle near field communication (NFC) module. The vehicle NFC module may be part of a vehicle communication and access system capable of initiating various vehicle functions, such as unlocking one or more doors of the vehicle or starting a motor or engine of the vehicle. With the method and system, a user'"'"'s mobile device can be used in lieu of a key or a key fob. In situations where the battery power level of the user'"'"'s mobile device is low, such that Bluetooth or the generation of an active NFC signal is unavailable, the vehicle NFC module is maintained in an active mode. In the active mode, the vehicle NFC module can initiate a connection with a passive mobile NFC target. Otherwise, depending on the battery level of the user'"'"'s mobile device, the vehicle NFC module is maintained in a standard sleep mode to save power.

Claims

1. A method of selectively activating a vehicle near field communication (NFC) module, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first mobile device battery signal indicating that a battery power level of a mobile device is at or below a threshold battery power level;

in response to receiving the first mobile device battery signal indicating that the battery power level of the mobile device is at or below the threshold battery power level, changing the vehicle NFC module to an active mode;

receiving a second mobile device battery signal indicating that the battery power level of the mobile device is above the threshold battery power level; and

in response to receiving the second battery signal indicating that the battery power level of the mobile device is above the threshold battery power level, changing the vehicle NFC module to a sleep mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold battery power level is a dynamic threshold that changes based on battery usage.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold battery power level is representative of an estimate of remaining battery time based on current battery usage.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the threshold battery power level is representative of about five minutes of remaining battery time based on current battery usage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold battery power level is a static threshold based on remaining battery capacity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold battery power level is representative of about 10% remaining battery capacity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle NFC module is located in a vehicle door handle and configured to lock or unlock one or more vehicle doors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle NFC module is located near a vehicle identification number (VIN) plate and configured to lock or unlock one or more vehicle doors.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle NFC module is located in a center console and configured to start an engine or a motor of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending an NFC signal from the vehicle NFC module to a mobile NFC module of the mobile device to activate the vehicle communication and access system when the mobile device is within a range of the vehicle NFC module and the vehicle NFC module is in the active mode.

11. A method of selectively activating a vehicle near field communication (NFC) module, the method comprising the steps of:

pairing a mobile device with a vehicle communication and access system;

wirelessly transmitting a first mobile device battery signal to a remote server, wherein the first mobile device battery signal indicates that a battery power level of the previously paired mobile device is at or below a threshold battery power level;

in response to wirelessly transmitting the first mobile device battery signal to the remote server, sending an activation signal from the remote server to change the vehicle NFC module from a standard sleep mode to an active mode; and

when the previously paired mobile device is within a range of the vehicle NFC module and the vehicle NFC module is in the active mode, sending an NFC signal from the vehicle NFC module to a mobile NFC module of the previously paired mobile device to activate the vehicle communication and access system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

wirelessly transmitting a second mobile device battery signal to the remote server, wherein the second mobile device battery signal indicates that a battery power level of the previously paired mobile device is above the threshold battery power level; and

in response to wirelessly transmitting the second mobile device battery signal to the remote server, sending a deactivation signal from the remote server to change the vehicle NFC module from the active mode to the standard sleep mode.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the active mode of the vehicle NFC module includes low power operation and normal operation, wherein low power operation has a power consumption of about 150 μ

A and normal operation has a power consumption of about 50-100 mA.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the standard sleep mode of the vehicle NFC module has a power consumption savings of about 12-24 Ah for 10 days.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote server is a cloud-based server.

16. A vehicle communication and access system comprising:

a control unit having a processor and memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a recognizable code for a previously paired mobile device; and

a vehicle near field communication (NFC) device coupled to the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to receive a first mobile device battery signal, the first battery power signal indicating that a battery power level of the previously paired mobile device is at or below a threshold battery power level, and in response to receiving the first mobile device battery signal indicating that the battery power level of the previously paired mobile device is at or below the threshold battery power level, the control unit is configured to change the mode of the vehicle NFC module from sleep to active.

17. The vehicle communication and access system of claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to receive a second mobile device battery signal, the second battery power signal indicating that the battery power level of the previously paired mobile device is above the threshold battery power level, and in response to receiving the second mobile device battery signal indicating that the battery power level of the previously paired mobile device above the threshold battery power level, the control unit is configured to change the mode of the vehicle NFC module from active to sleep.