Movement pattern detection in a vehicle communication system

• US 9,969,356 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Siswick, Howard, Khan, Mohammed
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US14/893,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 701 296, 361170
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2045 by hand gestures
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• 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 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A communication system comprises a base station (104) positioned in the vehicle (102) and a mobile communication unit (122). The base station (104) is configured to determine a first location and a second location of the mobile communication unit (122) relative to the vehicle (102), and to determine a baseline pattern of movement of the mobile communication unit (122) based at least in part on the first location and the second location. The base station (104) is also configured to determine whether a user-initiated interaction with the vehicle (102) occurs in connection with the baseline pattern of movement, and if no user-initiated interaction with the vehicle (102) occurs in connection with the baseline pattern of movement, to classify the baseline pattern of movement as an incidental pattern of movement and apply a zone adjustment to the authorization zone (138) so as to exclude to the incidental pattern of movement.

Claims

1. A communication system for facilitating control over a function of a vehicle, the communication system comprising:

a base station positioned in the vehicle; and

a mobile communication unit; and

the base station comprising a first transmitter for transmitting a signal to the mobile communication unit and a first receiver for receiving a signal from the mobile communication unit, wherein the base station is configured to;

determine a first location of the mobile communication unit relative to the vehicle at a first time;

determine a second location of the mobile communication unit relative to the vehicle at a second time;

determine a baseline pattern of movement of the mobile communication unit based at least in part on the first location and the second location;

determine whether a user-initiated interaction with the vehicle occurs in connection with the baseline pattern of movement; and

if no user-initiated interaction with the vehicle occurs in connection with the baseline pattern of movement, then classify the baseline pattern of movement as an incidental pattern of movement and apply a zone adjustment to an authorization zone so as to exclude the incidental pattern of movement.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured to determine at least one of the first location and the second location of the mobile communication unit relative to the vehicle based on a time of flight method.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured to recognize when a subsequent incidental pattern of movement is substantially similar to a prior incidental pattern of movement.

4. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the base station is configured to determine a number of occurrences wherein the subsequent incidental pattern of movement is substantially similar to the prior incidental pattern of movement, and wherein the base station is configured to apply the zone adjustment to the authorization zone so as to exclude the incidental pattern of movement only when the number of occurrences exceeds a predefined threshold number of occurrences.

5. A vehicle comprising the communication system of claim 1.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured to determine a rate at which subsequent incidental patterns of movement are substantially similar to a prior incidental pattern of movement, and wherein the base station is configured to apply the zone adjustment to the authorization zone so as to exclude the incidental pattern of movement only when the rate at which subsequent incidental patterns of movement exceeds a predefined threshold rate.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the user-initiated interaction comprises at least one of:

actuation of a door handle, an attempt to open an aperture of the vehicle, an attempt to start the vehicle, or an attempt to submit a request upon the vehicle to perform a function.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured to determine a location of the vehicle and save the location together with the zone adjustment in a memory.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the base station is configured to subsequently determine a later-determined location of the vehicle, to retrieve a zone adjustment from the memory associated with the later-determined location of the vehicle, and to apply the zone adjustment associated with the later-determined location of the vehicle to the authorization zone.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured to apply the zone adjustment to an authorization zone by adjusting dimensions of the authorization zone.

11. The communication system according to claim 10, where adjusting the dimensions of the authorization zone comprises adjusting at least one of:

a radius of the authorization zone, a shape of an outer boundary of the authorization zone, and a size of the authorization zone.

12. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the base station is configured for determining a location of the mobile communication unit relative to the vehicle based on a time of flight of an ultra-wide band communications between the mobile communication unit and at least one transceiver positioned in the vehicle.

13. A method for facilitating control over a function of a vehicle comprising:

providing a base station positioned in the vehicle and a mobile communication unit, the base station comprising a first transmitter for transmitting a signal to the mobile communication unit and a first receiver for receiving a signal from the mobile communication unit;

determining a first location of the mobile communication unit relative to the vehicle at a first time;

determining a second location of the mobile communication unit relative to the vehicle at a second time;

determining a baseline pattern of movement of the mobile communication unit based at least in part on the first location and the second location;

determining whether a user-initiated interaction with the vehicle occurs in connection with the baseline pattern of movement; and

if no user-initiated interaction with the vehicle occurs in connection with the baseline pattern of movement, classifying the baseline pattern of movement as an incidental pattern of movement and applying a zone adjustment to an authorization zone so as to exclude the incidental pattern of movement.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of determining the first location and the second location of the mobile communication unit relative to the vehicle is performed according to a time of flight method.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising recognizing when a subsequent incidental pattern of movement is substantially similar to a prior incidental pattern of movement.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a number of occurrences wherein the subsequent incidental pattern of movement is substantially similar to the prior incidental pattern of movement, and wherein applying the zone adjustment to the authorization zone so as to exclude the incidental pattern of movement is performed only when the number of occurrences exceeds a predefined threshold number of occurrences.

17. A vehicle configured to perform the method of claim 13.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a rate at which subsequent incidental patterns of movement are substantially similar to the prior incidental pattern of movement, and applying the zone adjustment to the authorization zone so as to exclude the incidental pattern of movement only when the rate at which subsequent incidental patterns of movement exceeds a predefined threshold rate.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein applying the zone adjustment to the authorization zone comprises adjusting dimensions of the authorization zone, and wherein adjusting the dimensions of the authorization zone comprises adjusting at least one of:

a radius of the authorization zone, a shape of an outer boundary of the authorization zone; and

a size of the authorization zone.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a location of the vehicle and saving the location together with the zone adjustment in a memory, and subsequently determining a later-determined location of the vehicle, retrieving the zone adjustment from the memory associated with the later-determined location of the vehicle, and applying the zone adjustment to the authorization zone.