Methods for transferring user profiles to vehicles using cloud services

• US 10,652,312 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2019
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
• Original Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
• Inventors: Penilla, Angel A., Penilla, Albert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brushaber, Frederick M
• Application Number:
  US16/285,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20190190980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0809 Driver authorisation; Driver identity check
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Methods and systems for communicating with a server of a cloud system used to interface with vehicles are provided. One method includes receiving, by the server, a request from electronics of a vehicle to automatically access a profile for a user account. The request includes biometric data captured of a user for use of a vehicle. Processing, by the server, at least part of the biometric data to verify the user against the profile. The profile having a plurality of settings of the user for the vehicle, and at least part of the settings for the profile are stored on storage accessible to the cloud services system. Transferring, by the server, upon verification of the user using at least part of the biometrics, one or more settings of the plurality of settings to the vehicle. The transferring is configured to automatically instruct said electronics of the vehicle to apply said one or more settings to the vehicle for customizing said one or more settings on the vehicle while the user is verified. The transferring is via wireless communication over the Internet.

Claims

1. A method executed by a server of a cloud services system that is configured to interface with vehicles, comprising:

receiving, by the server, a request from electronics of a vehicle to automatically access a profile for a user account, the request includes biometric data captured of a user for use of a vehicle;

processing, by the server, at least part of the biometric data to verify the user against the profile, the profile having a plurality of settings of the user for the vehicle, at least part of the settings for the profile being stored on storage accessible to the cloud services system; and

transferring, by the server, upon verification of the user using at least part of the biometrics, one or more settings of the plurality of settings to the vehicle, the transferring is configured to automatically instruct said electronics of the vehicle to apply said one or more settings to the vehicle for customizing said one or more settings on the vehicle while the user is verified, the transferring being via wireless communication over the Internet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing of the user includes,

capturing image data of a face of the user, the image data of the face being said biometric data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the image data of the face is captured from inside of the vehicle and verification of the user enables a further verification that the user in the vehicle is the user that unlocked the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a shared vehicle, and said shared vehicle is configured to apply the one or more settings for the vehicle while the user is using the vehicle;

and

wherein the one or more settings configured to be removed when the user is no longer using the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a shared vehicle, and wherein the vehicle is configured to apply profiles of different users and associated one or more settings based one or more other verified users, such that the settings of the vehicle automatically change or transfer to match the verified user using the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

receiving, by the server, communication from the vehicle regarding inputs made to systems of the vehicle during use of the vehicle while the vehicle is associated with the profile of the user account;

determining, by the server, based on the inputs made to systems of the vehicle that at least one of the plurality of settings of the profile is to be updated.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising,

processing by a learning engine that uses the inputs made to the systems of the vehicle to find patterns in use of the systems of the vehicle while the user account was associated with the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising,

sending, by the server, a recommended setting to the user account, the recommended setting is based on processing by the learning engine and said recommended setting is applied to the vehicle when the vehicle is used with the user account or upon receiving acceptance of the recommended setting via the user account.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the patterns are correlated to one or more conditions, the one or more conditions include type of input, time of day inputs, temperature, security, number of occupants in the vehicle, weather, age of the vehicle, or service requirements of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

accessing, by the server, a plurality of profiles of different users stored in the storage accessible to the cloud services system;

detecting, by the server, similarities in patterns for inputs made to systems of vehicles associated with the profiles of different users;

using, by the server, the similarities in patterns to influence at least in part a recommended setting that is sent to the user account.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the similarities in patterns are found by one or more of analyzing overlaps in inputs made by the different users, the different users having similarities in one or more of a region of the world, an age, a demographic, a social connection, a social graph intersection, or crowed sourced data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile additionally includes or is associated one or more roles of predefined settings, each of the roles is provided with a login, and each role when logged in provides predefined settings to the vehicle, and wherein each role enables or disables certain systems or functions of the vehicle, and use of the vehicle in accordance with each role saves a history of use.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

disabling, by the server, the profile for use on the vehicle if the user at the vehicle is not validated, and

sending, by the server, a notification to a predefined administrator or to the user account, the notification providing information regarding the user not being validated to be using the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the notification includes a link to a user interface that enables communication with electronics of the vehicle, (a) to view images in and around the vehicle, or (b) to control an instrument of the vehicle, or (c) to remotely grant a guest profile for the vehicle, or (d) to sound an alarm at the vehicle, or (e) to establish a two-way audio/video communication with the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the profile is activated on the vehicle when credentials of the user having said biometrics are confirmed.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile includes one or more roles of settings, wherein each role can include one or more of fuel use settings, or driving restriction settings, or location based settings, or time based use settings, or automatic purchase settings, or combinations of two or more thereof;

wherein the profile is configured for application in other vehicles.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the settings are associated with systems of the vehicle, and the systems of the vehicle are configured to receive input or cause one or more actions or functions, wherein the systems include one or more of a door lock, a heating and cooling system, a speaker, an engine start/shut switch, a user interface, a button, a lever, a key, a graphical user interface (GUI), an electronic component of the vehicle, a telecommunications system, a remote face-to-face conferencing system, a mapping function system, a GPS system, a fingerprint scanner, a touch screen, a navigation system, a wireless communication system, a data encryption system, WiFi logic, Bluetooth logic, NFC logic, a microprocessor, a memory system, a camera, application programming interfaces (APIs) for vehicle systems, kernel level systems, function invoking systems, temperature detection systems, HVAC APIs, display screens, data network logic, mechanical systems, electrical systems, physical mechanical and electrical systems, seat mechanical systems, mirror systems, alarm systems, battery systems, battery, lighting systems, an application shared by mobile a device present and paired with the vehicle for providing at least one interface in a display screen of the vehicle, or vehicle electronics system.

18. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of settings include one or more of tracking settings, or use metrics settings, or comfort settings, or entertainment settings, or driving mode settings, or refuel routing settings, or purchase settings, or combinations of two or more thereof;

wherein the profile stored in the storage is accessible via a device using a connection to the Internet;

wherein the device is one of a portable device, or a computer, or a vehicle computer interface.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the biometrics include one or more of face recognition data, voice data, fingerprint data, eye-retina scan data, or a combination of two or more thereof.