Motor vehicle having a driver identification device and driver identification signal transmitter

• US 9,858,734 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Pietschmann, Ingolf
• Primary Examiner(s): SYED, NABIL H
• Application Number:
  US15/158,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20160260269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00412 the transmitted data signal being encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

In a motor vehicle, a driver of the vehicle can identify himself or herself. A vehicle driver signal specific to the driver of the vehicle is then generated and transmitted by the motor vehicle by way of a transmitter. This allows devices situated in the vicinity of the vehicle to respond individually to a driver of a vehicle and to supply him or her with corresponding information.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle driver identification device that identifies a vehicle driver;

a signal generation device that generates a signal not specific to the vehicle driver that indicates information specific to the vehicle driver is available;

a transmitter configured to transmit the signal not specific to the vehicle driver to devices in a vicinity of the motor vehicle; and

a receiver configured to receive a device signal from a device in the vicinity of the motor vehicle sent in response to the signal not specific to the vehicle driver, wherein the device is identified using the device signal,

wherein the signal generation device further generates a signal specific to the vehicle driver identified with the vehicle driver identification device and is based on the identified device,

wherein the transmitter is further configured to emit the signal specific to the vehicle driver to the identified device.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle driver identification device comprises one or more of a biometric sensor, an electronic vehicle key or a radio sensor for reading an electronic identification card.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the signal generation device is connected to a data memory which stores data specific to one or more vehicle drivers, and

the signal generation device is able to read the data specific to the vehicle driver identified with the vehicle driver identification device from the data memory.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the transmitter is configured to emit a radio signal, according to a predetermined standard.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the predetermined standard is WLAN or Bluetooth.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to carry out bidirectional communication together with the transmitter.

7. A method for use in a motor vehicle equipped with a vehicle driver identification device that identifies a vehicle driver, a signal generation device that generates a signal specific to the vehicle driver identified with the vehicle driver identification device, and a transmitter usable to emit the signal specific to the vehicle driver, the method comprising the acts of:

identifying, via the vehicle driver identification device, a vehicle driver of the motor vehicle;

generating, via the signal generation device, a signal not specific to the vehicle driver that indicates information specific to the vehicle driver is available;

transmitting, via the transmitter, the signal not specific to the vehicle driver to devices in a vicinity of the motor vehicle;

identifying, after receiving a device signal from a device in the vicinity of the motor vehicle sent in response to the signal not specific to the vehicle driver, the device using the device signal;

generating, via the signal generation device, a vehicle driver signal specific to the identified driver and is based on the identified device; and

transmitting, via the transmitter, the specific vehicle driver signal to the identified device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle driver signal specific to the vehicle driver is transmitted only if a predetermined device in a group of devices is identified.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the specific vehicle driver signal is transmitted in an encrypted form.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the specific vehicle driver signal is transmitted in an encrypted form.