Method of making a vehicle available and corresponding system for making a vehicle available

• US 9,566,943 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Ferrieres, Lionel, Levallois, Eugenie, Dubois, Jean-Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US14/761,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20150343993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A method of making a vehicle available, including sending a message to unlock at least one vehicle door from a remote vehicle management server, following a user request, the user request having been subject to identification of the user and authorization of use by the user for the vehicle. The method further includes sending a message, independent of the above-mentioned unlocking message, authorizing starting of the vehicle by a control system of the vehicle from the remote vehicle management server.

Claims

1. A method for making a vehicle available for a user to use the vehicle, comprising:

identifying, via a remote user server, the user and authorizing the use of the vehicle by the user upon reception of a user request;

sending, via a remote vehicle management server in communication with the remote user server and once the user is authorized, a message to unlock at least one door of the vehicle;

sending, from the remote vehicle management server, another message, independent of the message to unlock the at least one door, authorizing starting of an engine of the vehicle by a control system of the vehicle; and

allowing, by the control system of the vehicle, the user to use the vehicle;

wherein the remote user server is separate from the remote vehicle management server,

wherein the remote user server sends an unlock message to unlock the at least one door of the vehicle and an unprotect message to authorize the starting of the engine of the vehicle by the control system of the vehicle to the remote vehicle management server prior to the sending of the message and another message.

2. The method for making a vehicle available as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the message to unlock the at least one door is sent by the remote vehicle management server to the vehicle upon reception of the unlock message sent by the remote user server after processing the user request by the remote user server,

the message authorizing the starting of an engine of the vehicle is sent by the remote vehicle management server to the vehicle upon reception of the unprotect message sent by the remote user server,

the unlock and unprotect messages sent by the remote user server to the remote vehicle management server do not include an identifier of the user.

3. The method for making a vehicle available as claimed in claim 2, wherein the remote vehicle management server sends the another message authorizing the starting of the engine of the vehicle when the remote user server has received from the user a value of a variable parameter relating to the vehicle, and the value corresponds to a value previously recorded by the remote vehicle management server or by the remote user server.

4. The method for making a vehicle available as claimed in claim 2, wherein the remote user server does not authorize a release of the vehicle by the user until the remote user server:

detects availability of a communication network allowing the vehicle to communicate with the remote vehicle management server, and/or receives an inventory validation message from the user.

5. The method for making a vehicle available as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

booking the vehicle by the user, during which the user supplies to the remote user server a value for delaying by a predetermined duration the sending of the message allowing the unlocking of the at least one door of the vehicle.

6. The method for making a vehicle available as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control system of the vehicle authorizes the starting of the engine of the vehicle when a key or a fob of the vehicle is identified, and after the vehicle receives the message and another message allowing the unlocking of the at least one door and authorizing the starting of the engine of the vehicle.

7. The method for making a vehicle available as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote vehicle management server sends the another message authorizing the starting of the engine of the vehicle after detecting a manual opening of the at least one door of the vehicle.

8. The method for making a vehicle available as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sending of the message to unlock the at least one door of the vehicle takes place after determining a distance between the user and the vehicle, and when the distance determined during the determination is less than a predetermined threshold.

9. The method for making a vehicle available as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon reception by the vehicle of the message to unlock the at least one door of the vehicle, the vehicle inhibits a visual and/or audible door-opening indicating function.

10. A system for making a vehicle available for a user to use the vehicle, comprising:

a remote user server configured to identify the user and to authorize the use of the vehicle by the user upon reception of a user request; and

a remote vehicle management server configured to;

communicate with the remote user server,

send to the vehicle a message to unlock at least one door of the vehicle in response to reception of an unlock message sent by the remote user server, and

send to the vehicle another message independent of the message allowing the unlocking, authorizing starting of an engine of the vehicle by a control system of the vehicle, upon reception of an unprotect message sent by the remote user server, and

allow, by the control system of the vehicle, the user to use the vehicle,

wherein the remote user server is separate from the remote vehicle management server,

wherein the remote user server sends an unlock message to unlock the at least one door of the vehicle and an unprotect message to authorize the starting of the engine of the vehicle by the control system of the vehicle to the remote vehicle management server prior to the sending of the message and another message.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method for making a vehicle available for a user to use the vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying, via a remote user server, a user and authorizing the use of the vehicle by the user upon reception of a user request;

sending, via a remote vehicle management server in communication with the remote user server and based on the authorization, a message to unlock at least one door of the vehicle;

sending, via the remote vehicle management server, another message, independent of the message to unlock the at least one door, authorizing starting of an engine of the vehicle by a control system of the vehicle; and

allowing, by the control system of the vehicle, the user to use the vehicle,

wherein the remote user server is separate from the remote vehicle management server,

wherein the remote user server sends an unlock message to unlock the at least one door of the vehicle and an unprotect message to authorize the starting of the engine of the vehicle by the control system of the vehicle to the remote vehicle management server prior to the sending of the message and another message.