Vehicle detection

• US 9,844,018 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jain, Amit, Russell, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US13/922,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20140375477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

In embodiments of vehicle detection, a first wireless device includes an interface to establish a wireless connection with a second wireless device. The first wireless device further includes a vehicle detection application that is configured to determine that the user is in a vehicle based on a connection status of the second wireless device with a vehicle kit device associated with the vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle detection application initiates a driver mode responsive to determining that the user is a driver of the vehicle, and initiates a passenger mode responsive to determining that the user is a passenger in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A first wireless device associated with a user and capable of being worn or carried by the user, comprising:

a network interface configured to establish a wireless connection with a second wireless device also associated with the user, said second wireless device capable of being worn or carried by the user and capable of connecting to a vehicle kit device associated with a vehicle;

a processor coupled to the network interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

execute a vehicle detection application stored to the memory, wherein the vehicle detection application of the first wireless device is configured to determine whether the user is a driver or a passenger of the vehicle based on a communicative connection status between the second wireless device and the vehicle kit device associated with the vehicle; and

operate according to one of a driver mode and a passenger mode based at least in part on whether the user is the driver or the passenger of the vehicle, wherein, in the driver mode, the processor is configured to cause the first wireless device or the second wireless device to present data relevant to a vehicle driver, and wherein, in the passenger mode, the processor is configured to cause the first wireless device or the second wireless device to present data relevant to a vehicle passenger.

2. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to:

initiate the driver mode on the first wireless device and the second wireless device when the user is determined to be the driver of the vehicle;

or

initiate the passenger mode on the first wireless device when the user is determined to be the passenger in the vehicle, wherein the driver mode is different from the passenger mode.

3. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to determine that the user is the driver of the vehicle when the second wireless device is determined to be communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device.

4. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to determine that the second wireless device is communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device by receiving a notification from the second wireless device, wherein the notification comprises an indication that the second wireless device is communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device.

5. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to determine that the second wireless device is communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device by receiving an indication from the second wireless device, wherein the indication comprises a name of the vehicle kit device, a manufacturer of the vehicle kit device, or a combination thereof.

6. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to determine that the second wireless device is communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device by detecting communication packets transmitted from the vehicle kit device to the second wireless device, wherein the communication packets comprise an identifier of the second wireless device.

7. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to determine that the second wireless device is communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device by:

receiving a device identifier of the vehicle kit device from the second wireless device; and

searching a database configured to associate device identifiers to device manufacturers to determine a manufacturer of the vehicle kit device.

8. The first wireless device of claim 7, wherein the device identifiers of the vehicle kit device comprise a media access control (MAC) address of the vehicle kit device.

9. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to:

detect the vehicle kit device; and

determine that the user is a passenger in the vehicle when the second wireless device is determined not to be communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device and when the vehicle kit device is detected by the first wireless device.

10. The first wireless device of claim 9, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to detect the vehicle kit device by scanning for communication packets.

11. The first wireless device of claim 9, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to determine that the user is the passenger of the vehicle based on sensor data configured to indicate that at least one of the first wireless device or the second wireless device is moving at a speed or acceleration corresponding to vehicle movement.

12. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless device comprises a wearable wireless electronic device, and wherein the second wireless device comprises a mobile electronic device.

13. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the data relevant to the vehicle driver comprises a map data, driving directions data, points-of-interest data, fuel data, vehicle service station data, vehicle operational data, traffic data, or any combination thereof.

14. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the data relevant to the vehicle driver comprises one or more audible alerts configured to limit a possible distraction of the driver of the vehicle.

15. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the data relevant to the vehicle passenger comprises one or more visual alerts.

16. The first wireless device of claim 1, wherein causing the first wireless device or the second wireless device to present data relevant to the vehicle driver comprises presenting traffic data, vehicle operational data, or telephonic data in such a manner as to reduce a possible distraction to the driver of the vehicle.

17. A method comprising:

establishing, via a first wireless device associated with a user and capable of being worn or carried by the user, a wireless connection with a second wireless device associated with a user, said second wireless device capable of being worn or carried by the user;

determining whether the second wireless device is communicatively connected to a vehicle kit device associated with a vehicle; and

operating in a driver mode or a passenger mode based at least in part on whether the second wireless device is determined to be communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device, wherein operating in the driver mode comprises causing the first wireless device or the second wireless device to present data relevant to a vehicle driver, and wherein operating in the passenger mode comprises causing the first wireless device or the second wireless device to present data relevant to a vehicle passenger.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether the second wireless device is communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device comprises receiving a message from the second wireless device, and wherein the message comprises an indication that the second wireless device is communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether the second wireless device is communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device comprises detecting communication packets transmitted from the vehicle kit device to the second wireless device, and wherein the communication packets comprise an identifier of the second wireless device.

20. A wearable wireless device, comprising:

a network interface configured to establish a wireless connection with a second wireless device over a network;

a processor coupled to the network interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute a vehicle detection application stored to the memory, wherein the vehicle detection application is configured to;

determine whether the second wireless device is communicatively connected to a vehicle kit device over the network;

cause the wearable wireless device, the second wireless device, or the vehicle kit device to operate in a driver mode when the second wireless device is determined to be communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device, wherein, in the driver mode, the processor is configured to cause the wearable wireless device or the second wireless device to present data relevant to a vehicle driver; and

cause the wearable wireless device, the second wireless device, or the vehicle kit device to operate in a passenger mode when the second wireless device is determined not to be communicatively connected to the vehicle kit device and when the vehicle kit device is detected by the wearable wireless device, wherein, in the passenger mode, the processor is configured to cause the wearable wireless device or the second wireless device to present data relevant to a vehicle passenger.