Method for Locating a Vehicle

• US 20160019787A1
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tucker, Brian J., Schubert, Emily C., Dorogusker, Jesse L., Linde, Joakim, Chick, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 9,520,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• 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 portable computing device can be used to locate a vehicle in a parking structure. In particular, the portable computing device can communicate with a parking system that manages the parking structure and/or with a vehicle in order to locate the vehicle. Communications between the portable computing device, parking system and vehicle can be based on one or more wireless connections, such as Bluetooth and/or Bluetooth LE connections.

Claims

1. A method for locating a vehicle in a parking structure, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first sensor installed in the parking structure, a vehicle signal from a low-power wireless transmitter in the vehicle;

determining a location of the vehicle based at least in part on the vehicle signal received at the first sensor;

receiving, at a second sensor installed in the parking structure, a device signal from a low-power wireless transmitter in a portable computing device carried by a user;

determining, based on the vehicle signal and the device signal, that the portable computing device is associated with the vehicle; and

transmitting, to the portable computing device, information indicative of the determined location of the vehicle.

2-28. -28. (canceled)