Methods and apparatus for lost connection handling

• US 9,572,191 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Elliott, Doron M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US14/599,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20150134190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, executable by a vehicle computing system (VCS), includes determining that a connection between a wireless device and a VCS has been lost. The method further includes determining if a driver is present in the vehicle, upon a lost link detection. The method additionally includes waiting until an enter-event occurs and then attempting to re-establish a connection between the wireless device and the VCS. This last step may be conditional upon a determination that a driver is not present.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor programmed to;

initiate a data transfer through a first device paired with a vehicle computer;

determine a vehicle transmission park-state;

identify an available secondary device to complete the data transfer, responsive to the park-state;

prepare the data transfer for completion on the secondary device; and

upon detection of a first vehicle exit event, pair with and transfer processing of the data transfer from the first device to the secondary device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

prepare the data transfer for pausing in a resumable state for resumption utilizing the first device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

detect a second vehicle exit event; and

pause the data transfer upon occurrence of the second exit event.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

pause the data transfer if the secondary device is unavailable.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

detect a vehicle entry event; and

resume the data transfer utilizing the first device, following the entry event.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

detect a loss of connection with the first device; and

wherein the transfer of the ongoing data transfer to the available secondary device is responsive to both the detection of the first vehicle exit event and the loss of connection with the first device.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

preparing, by a vehicle computer, when a vehicle transmission is in a park-state, an ongoing data transfer between a first paired device and the vehicle computer for transition to a detected available secondary device; and

transitioning the ongoing data transfer from the paired device to the available secondary device in response to a first vehicle exit event.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

preparing the ongoing data transfer for pausing in a resumable state for resumption utilizing the first paired device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a second vehicle exit event; and

pausing the data transfer upon occurrence of the second vehicle exit event.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

pausing the data transfer if the secondary device is unavailable.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a vehicle entry event; and

resuming the data transfer utilizing the first paired device, following the entry event.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a loss of connection with the first paired device; and

transferring the processing of the ongoing data transfer responsive to both the detection of the first vehicle exit event and the loss of connection with the presently paired device.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

determining a vehicle transmission park-state;

initiating a data transfer through a first device paired with a vehicle computer;

identifying an available secondary device to complete the data transfer, responsive to the park-state;

preparing the data transfer for completion on the secondary device; and

upon detection of a first vehicle exit event, transferring processing of the data transfer from the first device to the secondary device.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, the method further comprising:

preparing the data transfer for pausing in a resumable state for resumption utilizing the first device.

15. The storage medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

detecting a second vehicle exit event; and

pausing the data transfer upon occurrence of the second vehicle exit event.

16. The storage medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

pausing the data transfer if the secondary device is unavailable.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting a vehicle entry event; and

resuming the data transfer utilizing the first device, following the entry event.

18. The storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting a loss of connection with the first device; and

transferring the processing of the ongoing data transfer responsive to both the detection of the first vehicle exit event and the loss of connection with the presently paired device.