Vehicle and method of controlling the vehicle

• US 9,873,395 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2016
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Park, Youngwoo, Lee, Hyunwoo, Kwon, Haeyoung, Oh, Minhyuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramesh, Krishnan
• Application Number:
  US15/171,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20170129427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02 the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel

Abstract

A vehicle includes a smart key which periodically transmits identification information to an external device, a communication unit which receives information on a driver corresponding to the identification information generated by the smart key from the external device, and a control unit which displays information preset by the driver based on the information on the driver received from the communication unit or automatically controls devices in the vehicle pre-stored by the driver.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a smart key which periodically transmits identification information to an external device;

a communication unit which receives information on a driver corresponding to the identification information generated by the smart key from the external device; and

a control unit which displays information preset by the driver based on the information on the driver received from the communication unit or automatically controls devices in the vehicle pre-stored by the driver,

wherein when the number of received pieces of information on the driver is more than one, the communication unit receives from the external device only the information on a certain driver according to preset criteria.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the identification information is an identification (ID) of a user of the smart key preset in the external device.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the communication unit receives no information on the driver from the external device when a distance between the smart key and the external device is a certain distance or more.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the certain distance is settable by the driver.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the number of received pieces of information on the driver more than one, the communication unit receives from the external device only the information on a driver who is closest to the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the criteria comprises a last driver of the vehicle, an owner of the vehicle, a newly determined driver and a certain person designated by the owner of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the preset information is one of a phone number of a mobile terminal of the driver, a text pre-stored by the driver and a cluster design preset by the driver.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising a display unit which comprises an electronic panel on which the phone number and the text are displayed.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the preset information comprises a steering wheel position, mirror positions, a brake pedal position and a seat position of the vehicle pre-stored by the driver.

10. A method of controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving from an external device information on a driver corresponding to identification information periodically transmitted from a smart key to the external device; and

displaying information preset by the driver based on the transmitted information on the driver or automatically controlling devices in the vehicle pre-stored by the driver,

wherein when the number of pieces of received information on the driver is more than one, the receiving of the information on the driver from the external device further comprises receiving from the external device only the information on a certain driver according to preset criteria.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identification information is an ID of a user of the smart key preset in the external device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving of the information on the driver from the external device comprises receiving no information on the driver from the external device when a distance between the smart key and the external device is greater than a certain distance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the certain distance is settable by the driver.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein when the number of pieces of received information on the driver is more than one, the receiving of the information on the driver from the external device further comprises receiving from the external device only the information on a driver who is closest to the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the criteria comprises a last driver of the vehicle, an owner of the vehicle, a newly determined driver and a certain person designated by the owner of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the preset information is one of a phone number of a mobile terminal of the driver, a text pre-stored by the driver and a cluster design preset by the driver.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the displaying of the information further comprises displaying using an electronic panel on which the phone number and the text are displayed.

18. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the preset information comprises a steering wheel position, a mirror position, a brake pedal position and a seat position of the vehicle pre-stored by the driver.