Platform for wireless interaction with vehicle

• US 9,961,180 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Yong-Syuan, Hsiao, Jen-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/172,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20170182977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

Techniques described herein include a platform for providing user interaction with a vehicle'"'"'s functions on a mobile device. In some embodiments, the vehicle and mobile device may both be in communication with a service provider computer, that may facilitate communications between the two. In some embodiments, a user is provided with various details related to the vehicle'"'"'s condition as well as a list of functions that may be initiated by the user. The user is able to select one or more of the listed functions to be performed by the vehicle while located any distance from the vehicle. In some embodiments, the service provider computer may determine whether the user is authorized to initiate a particular vehicle function. Upon selection of a vehicle function from the list of vehicle functions, a processor device in the vehicle executes the function.

Claims

1. An apparatus installed in a vehicle comprising:

one or more input sensors mounted in the vehicle;

one or more actuation devices configured to execute a plurality of functions related to the vehicle;

a cellular antenna; and

a processor device configured to;

receive input from the one or more input sensors;

determine, based at least in part on the received input, a condition of the vehicle;

provide, via the cellular antenna, information related to the condition of the vehicle to a user device and an indication of at least some of the plurality of functions related to the vehicle;

receive instructions, from the user device via the cellular antenna, to execute a selected function of the plurality of functions related to the vehicle, wherein the selected function comprises a function to locate the vehicle;

determine, based on identity information included in a user profile for the user device, a subset of the plurality of functions that the user device is authorized to perform, wherein the subset of the plurality of functions that an operator of the user device is authorized to perform is determined independent of a role of the operator; and

upon determining that the selected function falls within the a subset of the plurality of functions that the operator is authorized to perform;

determine a location of the vehicle using the one or more input sensors mounted in the vehicle; and

provide the location of the vehicle to the user device via the cellular antenna to cause it to display an indication of relative location of the vehicle to the user device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor device is further configured to provide, via the cellular antenna, the plurality of functions related to the vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separate entity is a service provider computer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separate entity is at least one of a mobile phone, a smart watch, a personal data assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or a wireless key.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condition of the vehicle is a speed at which the vehicle is traveling.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the information related to the condition of the vehicle provided to the separate entity is a text notification sent to an owner of the vehicle indicating the speed at which the vehicle is traveling.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein signal to execute the selected function include instructions to slow the vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected function is at least one of locking a vehicle door, unlocking the vehicle door, turning on a vehicle engine, turning off the vehicle engine, turning on a vehicle light, turning off the vehicle light, activating a vehicle alarm, deactivating the vehicle alarm, adjusting a temperature of a cabin of the vehicle, adjusting a temperature of a seat within the vehicle, opening a trunk of the vehicle, and sounding a horn of the vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor device is further configured to determine if a user associated with the separate entity is authorized to initiate the vehicle function, and wherein the signal to execute the selected function are sent to the actuation device based on determining that the user is authorized to execute the vehicle function.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein determining if the user is authorized to execute the vehicle function comprises communicating with a server device to determine if an account for the user indicates that the user is authorized to initiate the function.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the information related to the condition of the vehicle that is provided to the separate entity includes a subset of the plurality of functions of the vehicle for which it is determined that the user associated with the separate entity is authorized to initiate.

12. A method comprising:

receiving input from one or more input sensors installed within a vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the received input, a condition of the vehicle;

providing, via a cellular antenna, information related to the condition of the vehicle to a user device and an indication of at least some of a plurality of functions related to the vehicle;

receiving instructions, from the user device via a cellular antenna, to execute a selected function of a plurality of functions related to the vehicle, wherein the selected function comprises a function to locate the vehicle;

determining, based on identity information included in a user profile for the user device, a subset of the plurality of functions that the user device is authorized to perform, wherein the subset of the plurality of functions that an operator of the user device is authorized to perform is determined independent of a role of the operator; and

upon determining that the selected function falls within the a subset of the plurality of functions that the operator is authorized to perform;

determining a location of the vehicle using the one or more input sensors mounted in the vehicle; and

providing the location of the vehicle to the user device via the cellular antenna to cause it to display an indication of relative location of the vehicle to the user device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user device is a cellular phone.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle information is presented to a vehicle control application executed on the user device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle information is presented to a web browser application executed on the user device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the actuation device is an electronic switch communicatively coupled with a vehicle component.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein a user associated with the separate entity is required to log in to an account with the separate entity before the user can provide the selected function of a plurality of functions related to the vehicle.