VEHICLE ACCESS CONTROL SERVICES AND PLATFORM

• US 20110112969A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Getaround Operations LLC (Getaround, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gettaround, Inc.
• Inventors: Kroo, Elliot, Zaid, Sam, Anma, Vijai
• Granted Patent: US 11,042,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]

Abstract

Vehicle access control is disclosed. In various embodiments, a vehicle reservation from a wireless communication device is received, the vehicle reservation is authenticated, and access to the vehicle is provided after authenticating the vehicle reservation. In various embodiments, a system for vehicle access control includes a vehicle access control component that is configured to provide access to a vehicle and a communication interface for communication with a wireless communication device, a communication interface for communication with a wireless communication device. Access to the vehicle is provided when a vehicle reservation is received from the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A vehicle access control system, comprising:

a vehicle access control component that provides for access to a vehicle;

a communication interface for communication with a wireless communication device;

wherein access to the vehicle is provided when receiving a vehicle reservation from the wireless communication device.

2. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle reservation includes a reservation for a specified time period.

3. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the reservation includes a reservation time slot and vehicle identifier identifying the vehicle.

4. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the reservation includes a vehicle rental reservation.

5. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle reservation includes an unlimited time period for access to the vehicle.

6. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle reservation is shared among members of a group or entity such as a family or a corporation.

7. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device receives the vehicle reservation from via a long-range wireless communications link from a data network to the wireless communication device.

8. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 7, wherein the long range wireless communication link is selected from the group consisting of GSM, SMS, UTMS, HSDPA, and LTE.

9. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle reservation is included in a verified communication.

10. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle reservation is included in an encrypted communication.

11. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 10, wherein the vehicle reservation is encrypted using a public key for the vehicle access control system.

12. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 11, wherein the system is further configured to decrypt the encrypted vehicle reservation using a locally stored private key.

13. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 10, wherein the system is further configured to decrypt the encrypted communication to verify the reservation is authentic.

14. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the communication interface is a wireless communication interface configured to communicate with the wireless communication device via a short-range wireless communications link.

15. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 14, wherein the short-range wireless communication link is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth and WiFi.

16. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, where the communication interface comprises a physical access port adapted to communicate with the wireless communication device via a wired connection.

17. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein vehicle access control system is further configured to communicate a symmetric key back to the wireless is communication device.

18. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 17, the symmetric key is associated with the reservation and its validity term is associated with a reservation time period of the vehicle reservation.

19. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle access control system is further configured to receive an update to the vehicle access control system from the wireless communication device.

20. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 19, wherein the update includes a new private key for the vehicle access control system.

21. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, the vehicle reservation includes a unique increment.

22. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 21, wherein the unique increment is selected from the group consisting of counter and time stamp.

23. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle access control system is further configured to communicate vehicle access control system information to a central server via a secured communication channel/protocol that runs from the vehicle access control system to the wireless mobile device and from the wireless mobile device to the central server.

24. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle access control component emulates a key fob.

25. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle access component includes a vehicle bus adaptor for communicating with a vehicle bus coupled to a vehicle controller.

26. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 25, wherein the vehicle access component includes a CAN-bus adaptor for communicating with a vehicle CAN-bus.

27. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 25, wherein the vehicle access component includes a LIN-bus adaptor for communicating with a vehicle LIN-bus.

28. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle access control component is configured to deny access to the vehicle when the wireless communication device losses communication with the vehicle access control system.

29. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, further comprising hardware/software component for tethering to a long range wireless communication interface of the wireless communication device for tethered wireless network access.

30. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 29, wherein the tethered wireless network access provides for automatic tracking of geographical location of the vehicle.

31. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, the vehicle access control system further includes a central server configured to advertise a vehicle reservation using a social network site, wherein the advertised vehicle reservation includes geolocation information.

32. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer for monitoring acceleration of the vehicle during one or more trips, wherein the vehicle access control system is configured to monitor acceleration of the vehicle during one or more trips to provide vehicle usage data and report the vehicle usage data periodically to a central server.

35. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless communication interface is a first short-range wireless communication interface and the vehicle access controls system further includes a second short-range wireless communication interface dedicated to ad hoc networking communication with one or more other vehicles.

37. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device includes one or more of the following:

a USB puck, a smart phone, a mobile handset, a PDA, a laptop, a smartbook, and a netbook.

38. The system recited in claim 1, further comprising a GSM radio configured to communicate with a data network via long-range wireless communication protocol,

39. The system recited in claim 1, further comprising a microphone system configured to identify a sound signal based on a signature sound signal, wherein the system transitions from a low power mode to a normal power mode after the signature sound signal is identified.

40. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device includes a location tracking, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to update vehicle location and availability via wireless communication to a reservation system, and wherein the update can be initiated automatically or manually by the wireless communication device user.

33. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 33, wherein the accelerometer is a tethered accelerometer created by tethering to an accelerometer of the wireless communication device.

34. The vehicle access control system recited in claim 33, wherein the system is further configured to associate the vehicle usage data to one or more vehicle users, communicate the vehicle usage data associated with the one or more vehicle users to an insurance agency for offering pay-as-you-drive insurance to the one or more vehicle users and/or the owner of the vehicle based on the vehicle usage data.

36. The system recited in claim 36, wherein the ad hoc network is further configured to relay location information, traffic related information, and/or emergency or accident information to a central server.

41. A method for vehicle access control, comprising:

receiving a vehicle reservation from a wireless communication device;

authenticating the vehicle reservation; and

providing access to the vehicle after authenticating the vehicle reservation.

42. The method recited in claim 41, wherein the reservation includes a reservation time slot and vehicle identifier identifying the vehicle.