Systems and methods of gesture-based detection of driver mobile device

• US 9,615,391 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fischer, Joel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorowar, Golam
• Application Number:
  US14/184,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A vehicle may be configured to prompt for a gesture-based identifying action, the action to be performed via moving a device, thereby identifying the device for association as the driver device; identify movement of the device in accordance with the gesture-based identifying action; and associate the device, moved in accordance with the gesture-based identifying action, as the driver device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a display;

a wireless transceiver configured to detect presence of mobile devices; and

a controller, configured to

identify multiple mobile devices within a vehicle using the transceiver;

prompt, on the display, an action specifying a designated vehicle location to move a mobile device to allow the controller to identify which of the mobile devices is a driver device;

associate the mobile device moved to the location as the driver device;

receive a second gesture-based identifying action performed using another device; and

replace the device associated as the driver device with the another device responsive to the second gesture-based identifying action.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the action includes one of (i) placing the device within proximity to a device sensor at a designated vehicle location or (ii) tapping the device within proximity to the device sensor at the designated vehicle location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the designated vehicle location includes one of (i) a vehicle steering wheel, (ii) a vehicle center console, (iii) a vehicle cup holder, or (iv) a vehicle dash.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein to associate the device includes at least one of to (i) load user preferences corresponding to a user associated with the device, or (ii) lock out an input device of the device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user preferences include at least one of telematics unit preferences, climate control preferences, seat preferences or mirror preferences.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is integrated into a head unit of the vehicle, and the designated vehicle location is a graphical indication on a user interface provided on the display.

7. A method comprising:

prompting, on a vehicle display responsive to a transceiver identifying multiple mobile devices within a vehicle, an action specifying a designated vehicle location to move a mobile device for identifying as a driver device;

associating a device, moved according to the action as determined using a proximity sensor, as the driver device; and

replacing the device with another device, responsive to receiving a second gesture-based identifying action performed using the another device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the action includes one of (i) placing the device within proximity to a device sensor at a designated vehicle location or (ii) tapping the device within proximity to the device sensor at the designated vehicle location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the designated vehicle location includes one of (i) a vehicle steering wheel, (ii) a vehicle center console, (iii) a vehicle cup holder, or (iv) a vehicle dash.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein associating the device comprises at least one of (i) loading user preferences corresponding to a user associated with the device, or (ii) locking out an input device of the device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user preferences include at least one of telematics unit preferences, climate control preferences, seat preferences or mirror preferences.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the display is integrated into a head unit of the vehicle, and further comprising displaying the designated vehicle location as a graphical indication on a user interface provided on the display.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for identifying a driver device configured to cause at least one controller to:

identify at least one of (i) a plurality of devices within a vehicle or (ii) a plurality of vehicle occupants within the vehicle;

prompt, on a display of the vehicle, an action specifying a designated vehicle location to move a mobile device to identify the mobile device as the driver device;

identify movement of the device in accordance with the action;

associate the device, moved in accordance with the action, as the driver device;

identify movement of a second mobile device in accordance with the action; and

replace the association of the device as the driver device with an association with the second mobile device as the driver device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the action includes one of (i) placing the device within proximity to a device sensor at a designated vehicle location or (ii) tapping the device within proximity to the device sensor at the designated vehicle location.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the designated vehicle location includes one of (i) a vehicle steering wheel, (ii) a vehicle center console, (iii) a vehicle cup holder, or (iv) a vehicle dash.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein to associate the device includes at least one of to (i) load user preferences corresponding to a user associated with the device, or (ii) lock out an input device of the device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the user preferences include at least one of telematics unit preferences, climate control preferences, seat preferences or mirror preferences.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the display is integrated into a head unit of the vehicle, and the medium further comprises instructions configured to cause the at least one controller to display the designated vehicle location as a graphical indication on a user interface provided on the display.