Vehicle beacon and method of use

• US 9,772,193 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gamba Group Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Gamba Group Ltd
• Inventors: Mendelson, Ehud
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzales, April G
• Application Number:
  US15/403,146
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/103 Near field communication [NFC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/04 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0231 Emergency, distress or locator beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Installation of a Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi enabled RF beacon within a vehicle. The RF beacon can be utilized to direct a user to a parking space where the user parked the vehicle. The return to parking feature can provide navigation from a current location of the user to the vehicle parking space. Navigation can be accomplished using a Global Positioning System (GPS), a beacon navigation system, or a combination thereof. The RF beacon can be utilized as a geofence. The geofence can provide several functions, such as a reminder to collect one or more items from the vehicle when the user travels outside of the geofence; automatically register the parking space where the vehicle is parked; automatically initiate a Location Based Service, and the like.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing at least one beacon for conveying desired information, the method comprising steps of:

integrating a Radio Frequency (RF) beacon into a vehicle, the RF beacon being a communication device configured to transit a beacon signal detectable by a baseband subsystem of a mobile device located within a communication range of the respective beacon;

encoding desired information in a naming packet of a beacon signal;

broadcasting the encoded desired information in the naming packet of the beacon signal; and

decoding the encoded desired information an authorize wireless scanning device; and

utilizing the decoded encoded desired information to initiate at least one of telematics and location base services (LBS) applications.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

the RF beacon utilizing at least one of (a) a long range Bluetooth signal (a wireless communication protocol standard using short-wavelength radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz in accordance with industry standard IEEE 802.15) and (b) a Wi-Fi signal (a local area wireless technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data or connect to the internet using 2.4 GHz UHF and 5 GHz SHF radio waves in accordance with industry standard IEEE 802.11).

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

encoding the one of a vehicle identification reference (ID) or a vehicle identification number (VIN) number in the naming packet of the at least one of a long range Bluetooth signal and the Wi-Fi signal.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

interfacing the Radio Frequency (RF) beacon with a vehicle computer.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of integrating the Radio Frequency (RF) beacon into a vehicle is accomplished by a vehicle manufacturer during a process of manufacturing the vehicle.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of integrating a Radio Frequency (RF) beacon into a vehicle is accomplished as an aftermarket installation process, wherein the aftermarket installation process is accomplished following completion of a manufacturing process of the vehicle.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

initiating at least one of the following processes;

automatically initiating a Location Based Service (LBS) application,

automatically initiating telematics,

serve as a locating engine,

enables automatic payment,

enables automatic payment for at least one of gas, a roadway toll, and parking,

supplements an existing Global Positioning System (GPS),

supplements an existing navigation system,

enables access control,

enables access control for at least one of opening of a gate, opening of a garage door, and replacing a key,

enables vehicle to vehicle communication,

locating a vacant parking space,

locating a parked vehicle,

create a geofence around the vehicle,

inform a user of information associated with roadway signs,

assist emergency services in locating at least one of an individual and an article,

contributes to a dynamic communication network,

provides communication of information for a transportation management system,

acts as a theft deterrent, and

contributes to an alarm and notification system.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the beacon is in signal communication with a sensor, further comprising a step of:

triggering an operation associated with the sensor.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, the beacon further comprising a Near Field Communication (NFC) transceiver, further comprising a step of:

employing the NFC transceiver for communicating between the beacon and a second device comprising a like NFC transceiver.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

defining a geofence using the beacon;

automatically initiating an event when a mobile device in signal communication with the beacon travels to a location outside of the geofence, where the mobile device is out of signal range of the beacon.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

defining a geofence using the beacon;

defining a geofence using the Bluetooth transceiver; and

automatically initiating transmission of an alerting message when a mobile device in signal communication with the Bluetooth transceiver travels to a location outside of the geofence, where the mobile device is out of signal range of the Bluetooth transceiver.

12. A method of utilizing a Bluetooth transceiver for conveying desired information, the method comprising steps of:

employing the Bluetooth transceiver integrated within a vehicle, the Bluetooth transceiver configured to transmit a Bluetooth signal detectable by a Bluetooth circuit of a mobile device located within a communication range of the respective Bluetooth transceiver;

registering an exact parking space location of the vehicle on the mobile device using information provided by the Bluetooth transceiver; and

subsequently using the mobile device to provide navigation to the parking space location where the vehicle is parked.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising a step of:

displaying on a display of the mobile device, a map between a current location of the mobile device and the exact parking space location of the vehicle.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising steps of:

defining a geofence using the Bluetooth transceiver, wherein the Bluetooth transceiver is a communication device configured to provide a signal detectable by a baseband subsystem of a mobile device located within a communication range of the respective Bluetooth transceiver; and

informing a user when the mobile device travels outside of the geofence.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising a step of:

employing a Global Positioning System (GPS) to register the location of the exact parking space location of the vehicle.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising steps of:

employing a Global Positioning System (GPS) to register a location of the vehicle; and

subsequently using the registered location of the vehicle to provide navigation to the parking space location where the vehicle is parked.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising steps of:

employing a Global Positioning System (GPS) to register a location of the vehicle; and

displaying on a display of the mobile device, a map between a current location of the mobile device and the registered location of the vehicle.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising steps of:

employing a Global Positioning System (GPS) to register a location of the vehicle;

displaying on a display of the mobile device, a map between a current location of the mobile device and the registered location of the vehicle; and

providing navigation from the current location of the mobile device and the registered location of the vehicle.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising a step of:

defining a geofence using the Bluetooth transceiver;

automatically initiating an event when a mobile device in signal communication with the Bluetooth transceiver travels to a location inside of the geofence, where the mobile device comes within signal range of the Bluetooth transceiver.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising a step of:

defining a geofence using the Bluetooth transceiver;

automatically initiating an event when a mobile device in signal communication with the Bluetooth transceiver travels to a location outside of the geofence, where the mobile device is out of signal range of the Bluetooth transceiver.

21. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising a step of:

defining a geofence using the Bluetooth transceiver; and

automatically initiating transmission of an alerting message when a mobile device in signal communication with the Bluetooth transceiver travels to a location outside of the geofence, where the mobile device is out of signal range of the Bluetooth transceiver.