METHOD OF FINDING A KEY TO A MOBILE VEHICLE

• US 20100033342A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Patenaude, Russell A., Tengler, Steven C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,188,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.490
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking

Abstract

A method of finding a key to a mobile vehicle includes receiving a call, at a call center, indicating that the key is lost and requesting, via the call center, a telematics unit on-board the mobile vehicle to establish communication with a remote access key fob that is associated with the key, the remote access key fob having an alarm integrated therewith. The method further includes requesting, via the call center, the telematics unit to activate the alarm of the remote access key fob and activating, via the telematics unit, the alarm of the remote access key fob.

Claims

1. A method of finding a key to a mobile vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a call, at a call center, indicating that the key is lost;

requesting, via the call center, a telematics unit on-board the mobile vehicle to establish communication with a remote access key fob that is associated with the key, the remote access key fob having an alarm integrated therewith;

requesting, via the call center, the telematics unit to activate the alarm of the remote access key fob; and

activating, via the telematics unit, the alarm of the remote access key fob.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the communication established between the telematics unit and the remote access key fob is wireless.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the alarm is at least one of a visual alarm or an audible alarm.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the key fob includes a locating device, and wherein the method further comprises sending a signal, from the key fob to the telematics unit, indicating a then-current location of the key fob.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising deactivating at least one function of the remote access key fob, the at least one function being selected from a mobile vehicle door-unlocking function, a mobile vehicle ignition-start function, or combinations thereof.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, further comprising:

receiving confirmation from a user associated with the mobile vehicle that the key has been found; and

reactivating the previously deactivated at least one function of the remote access key fob in response to receiving confirmation.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein receiving confirmation that the key has been found is accomplished by:

initiating, by a finder of the key, a call with an advisor of the call center;

indicating to the advisor that the key has been found; and

verifying that the finder is in fact the user associated with the mobile vehicle.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the user associated with the mobile vehicle is a non-owner of the mobile vehicle, and wherein the method further comprises contacting an owner of the mobile vehicle to inform the owner that the non-owner found the key.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the alarm is activated for a predetermined time period.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the key has been found within the predetermined time period; and

if the key has not been found within the predetermined time period, deactivating at least one function of the remote access key fob.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein the at least one function has been deactivated and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving confirmation from a user associated with the mobile vehicle that the key has been found; and

reactivating the previously deactivated at least one function of the remote access key fob in response to receiving confirmation.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein receiving confirmation that the key was found is accomplished by:

initiating, by a finder of the key, a call with an advisor of the call center;

indicating to the advisor that the key has been found; and

verifying that the finder is in fact the user associated with the mobile vehicle.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the key fob that the key is lost;

determining whether the key fob is within a predetermined range of the mobile vehicle; and

notifying the telematics unit that the key fob is either within the range or not within the range.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein if the key fob is not within the range, the method further comprises reactivating, via the telematics unit, the alarm of the key fob.

15. A mobile vehicle key-finding system, comprising:

a key for a mobile vehicle;

a remote access key fob that is associated with the key and includes an alarm;

a call center configured to receive a call indicating that the key to the mobile vehicle is lost; and

a telematics unit on-board the mobile vehicle configured to receive a request from the call center and to activate the alarm of the remote access key fob in response to the request.

16. The mobile vehicle key-finding system as defined in claim 15, further comprising a wireless communication system configured to establish a wireless connection between the telematics unit and the remote access key fob.

17. The mobile vehicle key-finding system as defined in claim 15, further comprising means within the telematics unit for deactivating at least one function of the remote access key fob, the at least one function being selected from a mobile vehicle door-unlocking function, a mobile vehicle ignition-start function, or combinations thereof.

18. The mobile vehicle key-finding system as defined in claim 17, further comprising means within the telematics unit for reactivating the previously deactivated at least one function of the remote access key fob in response to a command from the call center.

19. The mobile vehicle key-finding system as defined in claim 15 wherein the call center includes:

a database containing verification information for a user associated with the mobile vehicle; and

an advisor configured to i) receive a call from a user indicating that the key has been found, and ii) to verify, using the information in the database, that the calling user is in fact the user associated with the mobile vehicle.

20. A method of finding a key to a mobile vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a call, at a call center, indicating that the key to the mobile vehicle is lost;

requesting, via the call center, a telematics unit on-board the mobile vehicle to establish communication with a remote access key fob that is associated with the key, the remote access key fob having an alarm integrated therewith;

requesting, via the call center, the telematics unit to activate the alarm of the remote access key fob;

activating, via the telematics unit, the alarm for a predetermined time period; and

if the key to the mobile vehicle is not found before the predetermined time period lapses, deactivating at least one of a door-unlocking function or an ignition-start function until a user associated with the mobile vehicle confirms that the key has been found.