Mode Changing of a Mobile communications Device and Vehicle Settings When the Mobile Communications Device is in Proximity to a Vehicle

• US 20110183658A1
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zellner, Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,219,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A driver of a vehicle is identified and a command is sent to a mobile communications device that is associated with the identified driver and that is in proximity of the vehicle to force the mobile communications device to change modes such as to enter a hands-free or other suitable mode. The driver may be identified through one or more techniques including biometric sensing, key detection, switch controls, and so forth. Additionally, the driver and/or feature settings preferred by the current driver may be identified by receiving data from the mobile communications device. The data may identify the driver ID with preferred feature settings, the mobile communications device which has an association to a driver ID with preferred feature settings, or the data may specify the preferred feature settings.

Claims

1. A system for applying feature vehicle settings, comprising:

a communication system that communicates with a mobile communication device when the mobile communication device comes into close proximity with the communication system, wherein the communication system obtains data from the mobile communication device; and

a processor that receives from the communication system the data sent from the mobile communication device, and applies feature vehicle settings, unrelated to the operation of the mobile communication device, based on the data obtained from the mobile communication device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the feature vehicle settings comprise at least one of seat position, steering wheel position, or cruise control activation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system obtains an identification of the mobile communication device via a cradle connection of the mobile communication device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system obtains an identification of the mobile communication device via a short range radio frequency communication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises an identification of the mobile communication device, wherein the system further comprises storage maintaining an association of identifications of mobile communication devices to feature vehicle settings, and wherein the processor accesses the storage to find the feature vehicle settings associated with the received identification of the mobile communication device and then applies those feature settings that are found.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises at least one feature vehicle setting and wherein the processor applies the received at least one feature vehicle setting.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor applies the feature vehicle settings by generating signals to the vehicle systems that provide the features.

8. A tangible computer readable storage medium containing instructions that perform acts comprising:

communicating with a mobile communication device when the mobile communication device comes into close proximity of a vehicle to obtain data from the mobile communication device; and

applying feature vehicle settings, unrelated to the operation of the mobile communication device, based on the data obtained from the mobile communication device.

9. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the feature vehicle settings comprise at least one of seat position, steering wheel position, and cruise control activation.

10. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein communicating with the mobile communication device occurs via a cradle connection of the mobile communication device.

11. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein communicating with the mobile communication device occurs via a short range radio frequency communication.

12. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the data comprises an identification of the mobile communication device, and wherein the acts further comprise:

maintaining an association of identifications of mobile communication devices to feature vehicle settings; and

accessing the storage to find the feature vehicle settings associated with the received identification of the mobile communication device; and

applying those feature settings that are found.

13. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the data comprises at least one feature vehicle setting and wherein the acts further comprise applying the received at least one feature vehicle setting.

14. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein applying the feature vehicle settings comprises generating signals to the vehicle systems that provide the features.

15. A method of applying feature vehicle settings, comprising:

communicating with a mobile communication device when the mobile communication device comes into close proximity of a vehicle to obtain data from the mobile communication device; and

applying feature vehicle settings, unrelated to the operation of the mobile communication device, based on the data obtained from the mobile communication device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the feature vehicle settings comprise at least one of seat position, steering wheel position, or cruise control activation.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein communicating with the mobile communication device occurs via a cradle connection of the mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein communicating with the mobile communication device occurs via a short range radio frequency communication.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the data comprises an identification of the mobile communication device, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining an association of identifications of mobile communication devices to feature settings; and

accessing the storage to find the feature vehicle settings associated with the received identification of the mobile communication device; and

applying those feature settings that are found.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the data comprises at least one feature vehicle setting and wherein the method comprises applying the received at least one feature vehicle setting.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein applying the feature vehicle settings comprises generating signals to the vehicle systems that provide the features.