Vehicle with wearable for identifying role of one or more users and adjustment of user settings

• US 10,155,524 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2018
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Boesen, Peter Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith-Stewart, Demetra R
• Application Number:
  US15/943,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20180237025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0809 Driver authorisation; Driver identity check
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0881 Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00968 shape of the data carrier
• 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

Abstract

A system includes a vehicle having a vehicle network and a set of earpieces in operative communication with the vehicle network. The vehicle is configured to assign a plurality of access rights to the user of the set of earpieces based on both the identity of the user and the role of the user. A method for identifying a role of one or more users within a vehicle includes identifying one or more users within the vehicle, identifying the roles of one or more of the users within the vehicle using a set of wireless earpieces, and providing access rights to the one or more users within the vehicle in response to identification of one or more of the users within the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a vehicle network; and

a set of earpieces worn by a user in operative communication with the vehicle network, wherein the set of earpieces comprises a left earpiece with a first wireless transceiver and a right earpiece with a second wireless transceiver;

wherein the set of earpieces is configured to authenticate an identity of the user from an answer provided by the user in response to a question provided by the set of earpieces;

wherein the system is configured to determine a role of the user by locating the user in the vehicle using a first signal from the first transceiver and a second signal from the second transceiver; and

wherein the vehicle is configured to assign a plurality of access rights to the user of the set of earpieces based on both the identity of the user and the role of the user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the role of the user is selected from a set comprising driver and passenger.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to determine a seat location of the user of the set of earpieces within the vehicle and wherein the role of the user is based on seat location.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the question is based upon an activity of the user.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the question is based upon a location of the user.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the question comprises a plurality of multiple choice questions.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is configured to automatically adjust one or more user settings based on the identity of the user and the role of the user.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the user settings include seat adjustment settings.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the user settings include entertainment system settings.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the user settings include rear view mirror settings.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the user settings include temperature control settings.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the user settings include navigation system settings.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the navigation system settings include saved locations.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of earpieces further comprise one or more sensors.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the one or more sensors include a pulse oximeter for sensing data indicative of heart rate variability and an inertial sensor for sensing data indicative of gait.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the set of earpieces is further configured to authenticate the identity of the user using the data indicative of heart rate variability.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the set of earpieces is further configured to authenticate the identity of the user using the data indicative of gait.

18. A method for identifying a role of one or more users within a vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying one or more users within the vehicle based on data from a set of earpieces having a left earpiece and a right earpiece, wherein the data includes answers from the one or more users to questions provided by the set of earpieces;

identifying the roles of one or more of the users within the vehicle using the set of wireless earpieces by locating the user in the vehicle using a first signal from a first transceiver of the left earpiece and a second signal from a second transceiver of the right earpiece; and

providing access rights to the one or more users within the vehicle in response to identification of the one or more users within the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the set of earpieces further comprises one or more sensors for further identifying the one or more users within the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising automatically adjusting one or more vehicle settings in accordance with a preference of the one or more users within the vehicle based on the role of the one or more users.