Systems and methods implementing a communication protocol for data communication with a vehicle

• US 9,838,480 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sabbaghian, Yaasha, Scheinfield, Jordan Merrick, Otero, Cesar M., Enriquez, Martin, Brownstone, Kathryn Michele
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Tan H
• Application Number:
  US15/043,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 455 121, 455 9, 455509, 4555621, 455418, 4554561, 4554042, 4554141, 4554563, 701 1, 701 2, 701400, 7019322, 701758, 701 36, 726 4, 726 28, 370255, 705 1462, 340 43, 3409322, 340988
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0265 Vehicular advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• 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: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A system and method configured to establish a communication connection between a vehicle and a remote computing device for data transmission. A beacon device is configured at a location to detect the presence of the vehicle, transmit an identity of the location to the vehicle, and communicate with the vehicle to determine an identity of the vehicle. The vehicle is configured to communicate with mobile devices of occupants of the vehicle. The remote computing device is connected to the beacon device via a data communication network and configured to determine, via the beacon device communicating with the vehicle, identification information of at least one mobile device of at least one occupant of the vehicle, and establish the communication connection between the computing device and the vehicle based at least in part on the identification information and the identity of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing, at a first location on a pathway for vehicles, a beacon device connected via a data communication network to a computing device disposed at a second location remote from the first location;

detecting, by the beacon device, presence of a vehicle on the pathway; and

in response to the presence of the vehicle being detected on the pathway;

communicating, by the beacon device, with an infotainment system of the vehicle on the pathway, causing the infotainment system to scan wireless signals in the vehicle to determine identities of mobile devices in the vehicle;

determining, by the beacon device, an identity of the vehicle on the pathway from the communicating with the infotainment system of the vehicle;

determining, by the beacon device based on the identity of the vehicle and via the communicating with the vehicle, identification information of at least one mobile device carried in the vehicle; and

transmitting, by the beacon device, the identification information to the computing device disposed at the second location remote from the first location, causing the computing device to establish a communication connection between the computing device and the mobile device identified by the identification information, wherein the mobile device is further connected via wireless signals to the infotainment system of the vehicle to provide a communication channel between the computing device and the infotainment system, and wherein the computing device;

customize content based on the identities of the mobile devices, an identity of the beacon device, and the identity of the vehicle; and

presents the content on the infotainment system using the communication channel between the computing device and the infotainment system provided via the communication connection between the computing device and the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication connection does not go through the beacon device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one mobile device carried in the vehicle includes a plurality of mobile devices carried by occupants of the vehicle;

the identification information includes identities of the occupants in a mobile application configured on the mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of mobile devices are connected via wireless connections to an infotainment system of the vehicle;

and the identification information is obtained from the mobile application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein customization of the content includes filtering based on identification of a portion of the occupants of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the content includes an offer identified based on the first location, the identity of the vehicle, and an identity of a user of the mobile device;

and the offer is presented on the infotainment system of the vehicle via the communication channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the vehicle on the pathway is determined from an electronic signal transmitted by the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

communicating, by the beacon device, an identity of the location to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to transmit the electronic signal.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions configured to instruct a computing apparatus to perform a method, the method comprising:

communicating, by a computing apparatus via a data communication network, with a beacon device provided at a first location on a pathway for vehicles, wherein the computing apparatus includes at least one of;

the beacon device and a computing device located at a second location remote from the first location, wherein the beacon device is configured to;

detect presence of a vehicle on the pathway; and

in response to the presence of the vehicle being detected on the pathway;

communicate with an infotainment system of the vehicle on the pathway, causing the infotainment system to;

scan wireless signals in the vehicle to determine identities of mobile devices in the vehicle; and

establish a communication connection between a mobile device in the vehicle and the computing apparatus to provide a communication channel between the infotainment system and the computing apparatus via the mobile device; and

determine an identity of the vehicle on the pathway from the beacon device communicating with the infotainment system of the vehicle;

determining, by the computing apparatus based on the identity of the vehicle, identification information of occupants of the vehicle;

customizing, by the computing apparatus, content based at least in part on the identification information of the occupants of the vehicle, the first location at which the beacon device is provided, and the identity of the vehicle; and

presenting the content on the infotainment system using the communication channel provided via the communication connection between the mobile device in the vehicle and the computing apparatus.

10. A system, comprising:

a plurality of beacon devices configured at a plurality of locations, including a first beacon device configured at a first location on a pathway for vehicles, wherein each of the vehicles includes;

a transceiver to communicate with the beacons; and

an infotainment system; and

a computing device disposed at a second location remote from the first location and connected to the plurality of beacon devices via a data communication network;

wherein the first beacon device is configured to detect presence of a first vehicle on the pathway and, in response, communicate with the transceiver of the first vehicle on the pathway to;

determine an identity of the first vehicle on the pathway;

scan wireless signals in the first vehicle to determine identities of mobile devices in the first vehicle;

select a mobile device based on the identities of the mobile devices; and

establish a communication channel between the infotainment system of the first vehicle and the computing device using a communication connection between the selected mobile device and the computing device;

wherein the computing device customizes content based on the identity of the first vehicle, the identities of the mobile devices, and the first location; and

wherein the computing device presents the content on the infotainment system of the first vehicle through the communication channel provided via the communication connection between the selected mobile device and the computing device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication channel does not goes through the first beacon device.