METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING PORTABLE TELEMATICS SERVICES

• US 20170265022A1
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: LEI, Oliver, MURRAY, Allen R.
• Application Number:
  US15/067,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20170265022A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A processor may be configured to detect an electronic tag in proximity to a vehicle wireless receiver. The processor may also be configured to wirelessly receive communication provider account information from the electronic tag via the receiver. The processor may be additionally configured to provide the communication provider account information to a vehicle telematics module, including an onboard modem to enable provision of in-vehicle telematics services, through the modem, using the communication provider account information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

enable a vehicle modem to provide connectivity for vehicle telematics services based on communication provider account information wirelessly provided to the processor from an electronic tag through a wireless receiver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver is a near field communication receiver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver is a radio frequency identification receiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver is a BLUETOOTH low energy receiver.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication provider account information includes a cellular service provider identification.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to enable the vehicle telematics services after detecting that the electronic tag was brought into detectable proximity to the wireless receiver for a first time.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to disable the vehicle telematics services after detecting that the electronic tag was brought into detectable proximity to the wireless receiver for a second time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to delete the communication provider account information from a vehicle memory in conjunction with disabling the vehicle telematics services.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to delete the communication provider account information from a vehicle memory upon vehicle power-down.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to delete the communication provider account information when the electronic tag is no longer detectable by the wireless receiver.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting an electronic tag in proximity to a vehicle wireless receiver for a first time;

wirelessly receiving communication provider account information from the electronic tag via the vehicle wireless receiver;

providing the communication provider account information to a vehicle telematics module having an onboard modem; and

providing in-vehicle telematics connectivity through the onboard modem using the communication provider account information.

12. The method of claim 11, wirelessly receiving comprising receiving communication provider account information using near field communication.

13. The method of claim 11, wirelessly receiving comprising receiving communication provider account information using radio frequency identification.

14. The method of claim 11, wirelessly receiving comprising receiving communication provider account information using BLUETOOTH low energy.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising disabling the in-vehicle telematics services after detecting the electronic tag in proximity to the vehicle wireless receiver for a second time.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising deleting the communication provider account information from a vehicle memory in conjunction with disabling the in-vehicle telematics services.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising deleting the communication provider account information from a vehicle memory upon vehicle power-down.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising deleting the communication provider account information when the electronic tag is no longer detectable by the vehicle wireless receiver.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

wirelessly receiving communication provider account information from an electronic tag in detectable proximity to a vehicle wireless receiver;

providing the communication provider account information to a vehicle telematics module having an onboard modem;

providing in-vehicle telematics connectivity through the modem using the communication provider account information; and

deleting the communication provider account information from a vehicle memory upon detection of a predefined deletion condition.

20. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the predefined deletion condition includes at least one of:

a vehicle power-down;

the electronic tag being brought into detectable proximity for a second time, after leaving detectable proximity;

or

the electronic tag leaving detectable proximity.