Method and apparatus for seamless application portability over multiple environments

• US 10,104,203 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hatton, David Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fiorillo, James N
• Application Number:
  US15/280,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20170019503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 709201, 709223, 340989
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• 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 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• 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: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes

Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to receive data, gathered by a vehicle, for use by a mobile application. The processor is further configured to receive instructions from the application interacting with the vehicle, for continuing usage in the extra-vehicular environment, utilizing the received data. Also, the processor is configured to determine that a mobile device, containing the processor, has left the vehicle. Additionally, the processor is configured to execute the instructions to continue application functionality while the mobile device remains out of contact with the vehicle in the extra-vehicular environment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mobile device connected to a network;

a vehicle computing system (VCS) located in a vehicle further comprising;

a transceiver to communicate to the network;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the memory stores executable instructions that when executed by the processor performs the steps to;

identify a vehicle-gathered data-type used by a vehicle-executing application, wherein an application profile associated with the vehicle-executing application is accessed to determine whether data of the data-type can be gathered outside of the vehicle;

upon determining that the data of the data-type can be gathered outside of the vehicle, instruct the connected mobile device to gather data of the data-type when the device loses communication with the vehicle, wherein the application profile includes an indicator to provide that the vehicle-executing application can utilize the data of the data-type to be gathered while the mobile device is away from the vehicle;

receive a data transfer request from the mobile device, responsive to the mobile device returning to the vehicle and re-establishing communications, after the mobile device lost communication with the vehicle;

receive gathered data of the data-type from the mobile device, responsive to acceptance of the transfer request, wherein the transfer request is accepted upon detection of the indicator provided in the application profile associated with the vehicle-executing application; and

provide the gathered data of the data-type to the vehicle-executing application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to formulate the instruction to gather data of the specified type based on data gathered by the vehicle for use by the application while the vehicle is in use.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes GPS coordinates tracking device travel while the device was away from the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the data includes time data associated with the GPS coordinates indicating when the mobile device was at a particular GPS coordinate location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes call data.

6. A system comprising:

a mobile device connected to a network and further comprising a mobile device proxy application;

a vehicle computing system (VCS) located in a vehicle further comprising;

a transceiver to communicate to the network;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the memory stores executable instructions that when executed by the processor performs the steps to;

determine that an on-vehicle application has portable functionality associated therewith, to perpetuate an application experience on the mobile device away from the vehicle wherein an application profile associated with the on-vehicle application is accessed to determine whether data related to the on-vehicle application can be utilized by the mobile device outside of the vehicle;

upon determining that the data related to the on-vehicle application can be utilized by the mobile device outside of the vehicle, transfer the data, stored in the application profile associated with the on-vehicle application, to the mobile device proxy application;

instruct the mobile device proxy application to provide on-vehicle application functionality replication based on the transferred data, such that data is output by the mobile device when the on-vehicle application would have output the data, wherein the on-vehicle application functionality replication includes logging GPS coordinates and providing current GPS coordinates to any secondary applications running on the mobile device and gathering data related to the on-vehicle application;

receive data from the mobile device proxy application acquired during a period that the mobile device proxy application was providing on-vehicle application functionality replication; and

upon detection of an indicator provided in the application profile associated with the on-vehicle application, update the data related to the on-vehicle application.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data includes merchant offer data.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the data includes event reminder data.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the data includes data designating a triggered response at a pre-specified location.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the data includes data designating a triggered response at a pre-specified time.

11. A system comprising:

a vehicle computer connected to a network;

a mobile device connected to the network to communicate with the vehicle computer and further comprising a processor coupled to a memory, wherein the memory stores executable instructions that when executed by the processor performs the steps;

receive, from a vehicle computer, instructions for use by a portability application executing on the mobile device, wherein the portability application communicates with one or more mobile applications and one or more on-vehicle applications;

receive instructions to execute a portability function as a proxy for the vehicle computer, wherein the vehicle computer accesses an application profile associated with an on-vehicle application to determine that the on-vehicle application has portable functionality;

execute the portability application while the mobile device is away from a vehicle, such that the mobile device processor causes data gathering or output, based on the instructions, as though the vehicle computer were present;

determine that the mobile device has wirelessly reconnected to a vehicle computer, after receiving the instructions; and

responsive to the reconnection, transfer any data gathered in accordance with the instructions to the vehicle computer, wherein the vehicle computer detects an indicator provided in the application profile associated with the on-vehicle application to update data related to the on-vehicle application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions include data defining conditions for output.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the conditions for output include a device location.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the conditions for output include a time of day.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions include data defining conditions for data gathering.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the conditions for data gathering include device movement for gathering device GPS coordinates.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the conditions for data gathering include device communication for gathering communication related data.