MANAGEMENT OF MOBILE DEVICE CONTROL OF VEHICLE SYSTEMS USING POLICIES

• US 20180072190A1
• Filed: 09/13/2016
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: KOWALSKI, David Allen, GUSIKHIN, Oleg Yurievitch, MAKKE, Omar, MACNEILLE, Perry Robinson, HALASH, Elizabeth
• Granted Patent: US 10,479,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing mobile device control of vehicle functions and subsystems using policy control are disclosed. A computing platform of a vehicle may receive a request, from a mobile application, to access one or more secure vehicle functions and subsystems. The computing platform may retrieve application permissions for the mobile application from a policy table to determine whether to allow the requested access, deny the requested access or to prompt a driver for permission to allow access to the secure vehicle function.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computing platform of a vehicle programmed to

receive a request, from a mobile device executing a mobile application, to access a secure vehicle function;

retrieve a vehicle seat location associated with a user of the mobile device;

query a local policy table for application permissions associated with the secure vehicle function and the vehicle seat location, the application permissions defining which vehicle functions are accessible to the mobile application based on the vehicle seat location; and

provide the mobile application access to the secure vehicle function in accordance with the application permissions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure vehicle function includes at least one of vehicle climate control, vehicle navigation control, vehicle radio control, and vehicle seat control.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing platform is further programmed to request driver permission responsive to a determination based on the local policy table that access to the secure vehicle function requires authorization by a driver of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the computing platform is further programmed to:

refuse the mobile application access to the secure vehicle function responsive to failing to receive driver permission within a predetermined period of time; and

provide the mobile application access to the secure vehicle function responsive to receipt of driver permission within the predetermined period of time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing platform is further programmed to refuse the mobile application access to the secure vehicle function responsive to the mobile application attempting to access a function of the vehicle for which, according to the local policy table, the mobile application lacks permission.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing platform is further programmed to

identify that the local policy table lacks application permissions associated with at least one of the secure vehicle function and the vehicle seat location;

and

send an application message to the mobile device requesting a policy table update from a remote server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing platform is further programmed to provide the mobile application access to the secure vehicle function responsive to a determination based on the local policy table that the secure vehicle function includes passenger controls located within a vehicle passenger zone associated with the vehicle seat location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing platform is further programmed to request driver permission for user access responsive to a determination, based on the local policy table, that the passenger controls are not located in the vehicle passenger zone.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing platform is further programmed to terminate the mobile application responsive to at least one of a driver request and a timeout of the mobile application.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a human-machine interface in communication with the computing platform and configured to display a driver notification indicating access has been provided to the mobile application.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing platform is further programmed to authenticate the mobile application based on the local policy table.

12. A system, comprising:

a mobile device, connected to a computing platform of a vehicle, programmed to

execute a mobile application to access a vehicle subsystem;

prompt a user to input a vehicle seat location; and

send to the computing platform a policy table update received from a remote server including a local policy table with application permissions defining which functions of the vehicle are accessible to the mobile application based on the vehicle seat location.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is further programmed to display an approved indicator responsive to the computing platform granting the mobile application access to the vehicle subsystem and display a denied indicator responsive to the computing platform denying the mobile application access to the vehicle subsystem.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is further programmed to display a selection of vehicle subsystems available for passenger control and to prompt the user to select the vehicle subsystem to control.

15. A computer-implemented method for a vehicle, comprising:

receiving a request from a mobile device executing a mobile application to access a vehicle subsystem;

retrieving a vehicle seat location associated with the mobile device from the mobile application;

querying a local policy table to determine application permissions associated with the vehicle subsystem and the vehicle seat location; and

providing the mobile application access to the vehicle subsystem in accordance with the application permissions.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising updating the local policy table based on policy table updates issued from a remote server.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle subsystem includes at least one of a vehicle radio system, a vehicle climate control system, a vehicle seat system, a vehicle audio system, and a vehicle sunroof system.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising requesting driver permission in response to a determination based on the local policy table that authorization by a driver of the vehicle is required to access the vehicle subsystem.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising automatically providing the mobile application access to the vehicle subsystem in response to a determination based on the local policy table that local control of the vehicle subsystem is located in a passenger zone associated with the vehicle seat location.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising terminating the mobile application in response to at least one of a driver request, the vehicle being turned off and a remote control vehicle feature being disabled.