Method of Managing an Electronic Control Unit of an Automobile through an Integrated Fingerprint Recognition System

• US 20160244023A1
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lauren Catherine Masucci
• Original Assignee: Lauren Catherine Masucci
• Inventors: Masucci, Lauren Catherine
• Granted Patent: US 9,738,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/252 Fingerprint recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns

Abstract

A method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system is implemented between a vehicle and at least one driver. The driver is considered as a user profile within the system and can include a primary designation or a secondary designation. The primary designation is allowed to fully control a plurality of vehicular controllers through the system while the secondary designation is allowed to partially control the vehicular controllers. The vehicular controllers include an entry system, an ignition system, a speed control system, a GPS, and a security system as each of the vehicular controllers is activated or implemented by a fingerprint image of the driver that is stored within an onboard computer of the vehicle. The onboard computer also communicably connected with a mobile device of the driver to complete the system between the driver and the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method comprises the steps of:

(A) providing a plurality of user profiles, wherein each of the user profiles includes graphic identification data and a primary designation or a secondary designation;

(B) providing a vehicle with an onboard computer, a plurality of fingerprint scanners, and a plurality of vehicular controllers;

(C) providing a set of restricted parameters for the secondary designation, wherein the set of restricted parameters is actuated by at least one of the plurality of vehicular controllers from the plurality of vehicular controllers;

(D) capturing a first fingerprint image through a selected scanner from the plurality of fingerprint scanners;

(E) comparing the first fingerprint image to the graphic identification data of each user profile in order to identify a matching user profile from the plurality of user profiles;

(F) granting the matching user profile access to the vehicular controllers, if the matching user profile includes the primary designation; and

(G) granting the matching user profile access to the vehicular controllers along with the set of restricted parameters,

if the matching user profile includes the secondary designation.

2. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

receiving a specific speed limit, a plurality of permitted locations, and a curfew time from a user profile with the primary designation through an onboard graphic user interface, wherein the plurality of user profiles includes the user profile with the primary designation;

associating the specific speed limit, the plurality of permitted locations, and the curfew time into the set of restricted parameters; and

assigning the set of restricted parameters to a user profile with the secondary designation, wherein the plurality of user profiles includes the user profile with the secondary designation.

3. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing an entry fingerprint scanner as the selected scanner;

providing an entry system as one of the vehicular controllers;

providing a door of the vehicle;

actuating a locking mechanism of the door with the entry system, if the matching user profile includes the primary designation; and

actuating a locking mechanism of the door with the entry system, if the matching user profile includes the secondary designation.

4. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a driver side fingerprint scanner or a passenger side fingerprint scanner as the selected scanner;

providing a security system as one of the vehicular controllers;

providing an alarm system of the vehicle, wherein the alarm system is deactivated with the security system;

sequentially capturing a second fingerprint image within a pre-set time interval through the selected scanner;

comparing the second fingerprint image to the graphic identification data of the matching user profile in order to verify the second fingerprint image as the first fingerprint image;

if the matching user profile includes the primary designation; and

activating the alarm system with the security system,

if the matching user profile includes the secondary designation.

5. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a driver side fingerprint scanner or a passenger side fingerprint scanner as the selected scanner;

providing a security system as one of the vehicular controllers;

providing an alarm system of the vehicle, wherein the alarm system is activated with the security system;

sequentially capturing a second fingerprint image within a pre-set time interval through the selected scanner;

comparing the second fingerprint image to the graphic identification data of the matching user profile in order to verify the second fingerprint image as the first fingerprint image;

deactivating the alarm system with the security system,

if the matching user profile includes the primary designation; and

deactivating the alarm system with the security system,

if the matching user profile includes the secondary designation.

6. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a dashboard fingerprint scanner as the selected scanner;

providing an ignition system as one of the vehicular controllers;

providing an engine of the vehicle, wherein the engine is non-operational with the ignition system, and wherein the vehicle is stationary; and

starting the engine with the ignition system,

if the matching user profile includes the primary designation during step (F).

7. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a dashboard fingerprint scanner as the selected scanner;

providing an ignition system as one of the vehicular controllers;

providing an engine of the vehicle, wherein the engine is non-operational with the ignition system, and wherein the vehicle is stationary;

starting the engine with the ignition system,

if the matching user profile includes the secondary designation during step (G); and

wirelessly sending a vehicle operational notification to the primary designation.

8. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a speed control system as one of the vehicular controllers;

providing a specific speed limit within the set of restricted parameters;

displaying the specific speed limit through an onboard graphic user interface; and

adjusting a powertrain of the vehicle in order to maintain the specific speed limit through the speed control system.

9. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a global position system (GPS) as one of the vehicular controllers;

providing a specific speed limit within the set of restricted parameters;

displaying the specific speed limit through an onboard graphic user interface;

continuously recording and monitoring a vehicle speed of the vehicle through the GPS; and

wirelessly sending a speed limit-violation notification to the primary designation,

if the vehicle speed exceeds the specific speed limit.

10. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a global position system (GPS) as one of the vehicular controllers;

providing a plurality of permitted locations within the set of restricted parameters;

displaying the plurality of permitted location through an onboard graphic user interface;

continuously monitoring a current location of the vehicle through the GPS in order to identify a final destination; and

wirelessly sending a site-violation notification to the primary designation,

if the final destination does not match with one of the plurality of permitted locations.

11. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a curfew time within the set of restricted parameters;

displaying the curfew time through an onboard graphic user interface;

continuously monitoring a current time of the vehicle through a global position system (GPS);

wirelessly sending a curfew warning notification to the secondary designation,

if the current time is earlier to the curfew time by a pre-defined time period; and

wirelessly sending a time-violation notification to the primary designation and disabling an ignition system of the vehicle,

if the current time is later than the curfew time.

12. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a dashboard fingerprint scanner as the selected scanner;

providing an ignition system as one of the vehicular controllers;

providing an engine of the vehicle, wherein the engine is operational with the ignition system, and wherein the vehicle is stationary; and

shutting down the engine with the ignition system,

if the matching user profile includes the primary designation during step (F).

13. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a dashboard fingerprint scanner as the selected scanner;

providing an ignition system as one of the vehicular controllers;

providing an engine of the vehicle, wherein the engine is operational with the ignition system, and wherein the vehicle is stationary;

shutting down the engine with the ignition system,

if the matching user profile includes the secondary designation during step (G); and

wirelessly sending a vehicle operational notification to the primary designation.

14. The method of managing an electronic control unit of an automobile through an integrated fingerprint recognition system by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method as claimed in claim 1 comprises the steps of:

providing a dashboard fingerprint scanner as the selected scanner;

providing an entry system, an ignition system, a security system, a speed control system, and a global positioning system (GPS) as the vehicular controllers;

receiving a valet mode from the matching user profile with the primary designation or secondary designation through an onboard graphic user interface;

granting a guess profile access to the entry system and the ignition system;

adjusting a powertrain of the vehicle in order to maintain a valet speed limit through the speed control system;

continuously recording a vehicle speed of the vehicle through the GPS;

wirelessly sending a valet-speed warning to the primary designation or the secondary designation,

if the vehicle speed exceeds the valet speed limit;

generating a valet location radius through the GPS;

continuously monitoring a current location of the vehicle through the GPS in order to determine the current location is within the valet location radius; and

wirelessly sending a valet-location warning to the primary designation or the secondary designation,

if the current location is outside of the valet location radius.