Methods and systems for enabling a temporary user to gain temporary access to a locked space of a vehicle

• US 9,858,737 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Davidsson, Staffan, Maresch, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHAVAL V
• Application Number:
  US14/706,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20150332531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 340 52, 340 561, 340 572, 340 564, 340 58, 340901, 705 5, 705 13, 705 35, 705 2641, 705307, 705330, 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/005 Opening, closing of the circuit
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0001 with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof for vehicles E05B81/04
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/00 Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor ; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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: Y10T 70/5973 Remote control

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for enabling a temporary user to gain temporary access to a locked space of a vehicle. The vehicle is configured to communicate with an intermediate system adapted to remotely control functionality of the vehicle. The intermediate system is configured to receive, from a user device associated with the temporary user, a request message to open a remotely operable lock of the locked space and further configured to, based on the request message, transmit an unlock message to the vehicle to open the lock. The request message from the user device includes access parameters to enable the lock to be unlocked, the access parameters received by the user device from a permission message transmitted by an owner device directly or indirectly to the user device.

Claims

1. A method performed by a temporary access system for enabling a temporary user to gain temporary access to a locked space of a vehicle, the temporary access system comprising an owner device associated with an owner of the vehicle, a user device associated with the temporary user, and an intermediate system adapted to remotely control functionality of the vehicle, the intermediate system being configured to directly or indirectly communicate with the owner device, the owner device located remote from the intermediate system and being configured to control functionality of the vehicle by communication with the intermediate system, the method comprising:

receiving, by the intermediate system, a request message transmitted from the user device to open a remotely operable lock of the locked space, wherein the request message comprises access parameters received by the user device via a permission message comprising the access parameters, the permission message transmitted from the owner device directly or indirectly to the user device; and

transmitting, by the intermediate system, based on the request message, an unlock message to the vehicle to open the lock, wherein the lock is enabled to be unlocked based on the access parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the permission message comprises a user selectable web link connecting to the remote intermediate system, the transmitted request message comprising the web link selected.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the intermediate system, a verification message transmitted from the owner device, the verification message comprising verification parameters corresponding to the access parameters;

wherein the unlock message is adapted to additionally be based on the verification message, to enable the lock to be unlocked additionally based on the verification parameters.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the permission message comprises at least one Short Message Service, SMS, message, at least one email and/or a corresponding type of message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the access parameters comprise one or several of vehicle identification parameters, time frame parameters, location parameters, and/or recurrence parameters.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the locked space is one or a combination of a body, a trunk, an engine hood, a fuel lid and/or an isolated section of the vehicle.

7. A temporary access system adapted for enabling a temporary user to gain temporary access to a locked space of a vehicle, the temporary access system comprising:

an intermediate system adapted to remotely control functionality of the vehicle, the intermediate system being configured to directly or indirectly communicate with an owner device associated with an owner of the vehicle, the owner device located remote from the intermediate system and being configured to control functionality of the vehicle by communication with the intermediate system, the owner device comprising an owner transmitting unit adapted for transmitting a permission message comprising access parameters directly or indirectly to a user device associated with the temporary user, the user device comprising a user receiving unit adapted for receiving the permission message directly or indirectly from the owner device and a user transmitting unit adapted for transmitting a request message to the remote intermediate system to open a remotely operable lock of the locked space, wherein the request message comprises the access parameters;

wherein the intermediate system comprises an intermediate receiving unit adapted for receiving the request message from the user device and an intermediate transmitting unit adapted for transmitting, based on the request message, an unlock message to the vehicle to open the lock, wherein the lock is enabled to be unlocked based on the access parameters.

8. The temporary access system of claim 7 wherein the permission message comprises a user selectable web link connecting to the remote intermediate system, the transmitted request message comprising the web link selected.

9. The temporary access system of claim 7 wherein the permission message comprises at least one Short Message Service, SMS, message, at least one email and/or a corresponding type of message.

10. The temporary access system of claim 7 wherein the access parameters comprise one or several of vehicle identification parameters, time frame parameters, location parameters, and/or recurrence parameters.

11. The temporary access system of claim 7 wherein the locked space is one or a combination of a body, a trunk, an engine hood, a fuel lid and/or an isolated section of the vehicle.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a remotely operable lock for a lockable space of the vehicle, which vehicle is adapted for enabling a temporary user to gain temporary access to the lockable space,

the vehicle being configured to communicate with an intermediate system adapted to remotely control functionality of the vehicle, the intermediate system being configured to directly or indirectly communicate with an owner device associated with an owner of the vehicle, the owner device located remote from the intermediate system and being configured to control functionality of the vehicle by communication with the intermediate system, the owner device being adapted for transmitting a permission message comprising access parameters directly or indirectly to a user device associated with the temporary user, the user device being adapted for transmitting a request message to the remote intermediate system to open the lock, the request message comprising the access parameters,

the vehicle being adapted to receive, from the intermediate system, based on the request message, an unlock message to open the lock, wherein the lock is enabled to be unlocked based on the access parameters.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the permission message comprises a user selectable web link connecting to the remote intermediate system, the transmitted request message comprising the web link selected.

14. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the permission message comprises at least one Short Message Service, SMS, message, at least one email and/or a corresponding type of message.

15. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the access parameters comprise one or several of vehicle identification parameters, time frame parameters, location parameters, and/or recurrence parameters.

16. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the locked space is one or a combination of a body, a trunk, an engine hood, a fuel lid and/or an isolated section of the vehicle.