Mobile device tethering for a remote parking assist system of a vehicle

• US 10,814,864 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2018
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lavoie, Erick Michael, Elangovan, Vivekanandh, Van Wiemeersch, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Berns, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US15/860,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20190202445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2400/00 Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/00 Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1452 detecting bar code edges
• 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 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for mobile device tethering for a remote parking assist system of a vehicle. An example vehicle includes first and second wireless modules and a processor. The processor calculates trajectories of the vehicle and a mobile device and estimates a location of the mobile device. When the mobile device is within a threshold distance of the vehicle, the processor polls a key fob at an interval based on a comparison of the trajectories and estimate a location of the key fob. When the key fob is within the threshold distance, the processor enables autonomous parking.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising

first and second wireless modules;

and

a processor to;

calculate a trajectory of the vehicle and a trajectory of a mobile device;

estimate a location of the mobile device;

determine that the mobile device is within a threshold distance of the vehicle,

poll, based on the determination that the mobile device is within the threshold distance of the vehicle, a key fob at an interval based on a comparison of the trajectory of the vehicle and the trajectory of the mobile device trajectories;

estimate a location of the key fob based on the poll; and

determine that the key fob is within the threshold distance of the vehicle; and

enable, based on the determination that the key fob is within the threshold distance of the vehicle, autonomous parking.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first wireless module communicatively couples with the mobile device using a first set of frequencies, and the second wireless module communicatively couples with the key fob using a second set of frequencies different from the first set of frequencies.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is to calculate the trajectory of the vehicle based on inertia sensors of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is to:

receive, via the first wireless module, measurements from inertia sensors of the mobile device; and

calculate the trajectory of the mobile device based on the measurements.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the mobile device is outside the threshold distance of the vehicle, the processor is to stop polling the key fob.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is to increase the interval when the trajectories are diverging.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the increase to the interval is based on a relative speed at which the vehicle and the mobile device are diverging.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is to decrease the interval when the trajectories are converging.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the decrease to the interval is based on a relative speed at which the vehicle and the mobile device are converging.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the location of the mobile device is estimated as a region of probability in which the mobile device is located, and wherein the processor is to poll the key fob at the interval based on the comparison of the trajectories and estimate the location of the key fob when any portion of the region of probability is within the threshold distance.

11. A method to control a vehicle comprising

calculating, with a processor, a trajectory of the vehicle and a trajectory of a mobile device;

estimating, with a first wireless module, a location of the mobile device;

determine that the mobile device is within a threshold distance of the vehicle;

polling, with a second wireless module and based on the determination that the mobile device is within the threshold distance of the vehicle, a key fob at an interval based on a comparison of the trajectory of the vehicle and the trajectory of the mobile device;

estimating a location of the key fob based on the poll;

determine that the key fob is within the threshold distance of the vehicle; and

enabling, based on the determination that the key fob is within the threshold distance of the vehicle, autonomous parking.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first wireless module communicatively couples with the mobile device using a first set of frequencies, and the second wireless module communicatively couples with the key fob using a second set of frequencies different from the first set of frequencies.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating the trajectory of the vehicle is based on inertia sensors of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11, including:

receiving, via the first wireless module, measurements from inertia sensors of the mobile device; and

calculating the trajectory of the mobile device based on the measurements.

15. The method of claim 11, including, when the mobile device is outside the threshold distance of the vehicle, terminating polling of the key fob.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein polling the key fob at the interval based on the comparison of the trajectories includes increasing the interval when the trajectories are diverging.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the increase to the interval is based on a relative speed at which the vehicle and the mobile device are diverging.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein polling the key fob at the interval based on the comparison of the trajectories includes decreasing the interval when the trajectories are converging.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the decrease to the interval is based on a relative speed at which the vehicle and the mobile device are converging.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein estimating a location of the mobile device includes estimating the location as a region of probability in which the i-s mobile device is located, and including polling the key fob at the interval based on the comparison of the trajectories and estimating the location of the key fob when the any portion of the region of probability is within the threshold distance.