Methods and systems for a vehicle computing system to communicate with a device

• US 9,656,633 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hatton, David Anthony, Nelson, Thomas, Nasrallah, Hussein F.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US14/551,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20160144826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• 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

A smartwatch having at least one controller in communication with an user interface and a transceiver. The transceiver configured to communicate with a nomadic device. The at least one controller configured to, in response to a wireless signal having a unique user identifier received at the nomadic device, receive a control function from an application corresponding to the unique user identifier. The at least one controller may be further configured to configure the user interface based on the control function.

Claims

1. A vehicle computing system comprising:

at least one controller, in a vehicle network, configured to establish wireless communication via a wireless transceiver using a wireless protocol, the at least one controller configured to,

transmit using the wireless protocol a signal including a unique user identification identifying an application on a nomadic device in response to detecting a predetermined condition,

receive a confirmation that the nomadic device launched the application in response to identifying a match between a stored unique user identification and the transmitted unique user identification and is in communication with the application via the transceiver,

receive one or more control functions from a smartwatch in communication with the nomadic device based on the application; and

transmit the one or more control functions to a control module via the vehicle network.

2. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more control functions are at least one of unlocking a vehicle door, locking the vehicle door, starting a powertrain, opening a vehicle trunk, and enabling a vehicle alarm.

3. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the control module is a body control module.

4. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted via the wireless transceiver is an iBeacon broadcast comprising the unique user identification.

5. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the unique user identification has an address that corresponds to an application at the nomadic device.

6. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the application provides the one or more control functions such as unlocking a door.

14. The vehicle computing system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition includes one of a predetermined vehicle operating state, a predetermined ignition state, or a predetermined vehicle location.

7. A method comprising:

in response to wirelessly receiving a signal having an identifier from a vehicle computing system, identifying an application associated with a stored identifier that matches the received identifier;

launching the identified application;

executing a vehicle function at a controller based on the application;

transmitting the vehicle function to a smartwatch; and

configuring a user interface input at the smartwatch in communication with the controller based on the vehicle function.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle function is unlocking a vehicle door.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle computing system is one or more controllers communicating within a vehicle network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more controllers is a body control module controlling a locking mechanism a vehicle door.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the user interface input at the smartwatch is at least one of unlocking a vehicle door, locking a vehicle door, starting a powertrain, opening a vehicle trunk, or enabling a vehicle alarm.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal is a Bluetooth beacon device broadcast comprising the identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the Bluetooth beacon device broadcast is an iBeacon broadcast.