System and method for controlling vehicle systems from a cell phone

• US 8,224,313 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howarter, Jamie C., Bradford, Richard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US12/237,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20100075655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/410, 455/414.1, 340/5.61, 340/425.5, 340/426.1, 340/10.2, 340/5.72
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2009 Antitheft state indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A system and method for controlling systems of a vehicle with a cell phone. The cell phone is associated with the vehicle through a user interface. User preferences are received through the user interface for sending commands from the cell phone to the vehicle for controlling the systems of the vehicle. A wireless connection is established between the vehicle and the cell phone. A distance is determined between the cell phone and the vehicle. One or more commands are sent to the vehicle to control the systems based on the user preferences.

Claims

1. A method for controlling systems of a vehicle with a cell phone, the method comprising:

associating the cell phone with one or more vehicles including the vehicle through a user interface;

receiving user preferences through the user interface for sending commands from the cell phone to the vehicle for controlling the systems of the vehicle, wherein the user preferences establish commands that are (i) automatically sent by the cell phone to the vehicle in response to threshold distances between the cell phone and the vehicle being met, and (ii) received from a user utilizing the cell phone for communication to the vehicle;

establishing a wireless connection between the vehicle and the cell phone;

determining a distance between the cell phone and the vehicle;

sending one or more of the commands to the vehicle to control the systems based on the user preferences; and

displaying a status message of the vehicle to the user interface of the cell phone in response to a vehicle action being performed, wherein the user preferences indicate a plurality of vehicle actions and instructions for communicating each of a plurality of status message to the cell phone in response to each of the plurality of vehicle actions being performed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cell phone is associated with a plurality of vehicles through the user interface.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising authenticating the cell phone utilizing a biometric received by the cell phone from the user.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the sending is performed in response to the commands being received from the user utilizing the user interface.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the sending is performed in response to a command and a threshold distance associated with the command being met.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the wireless connection is any of a WiFi, Bluetooth, and cell phone connection, and wherein the user selection is tactile input received by the cell phone.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the user selection is any of tactile feedback to the cell phone, one or more keyed entries on the cell phone by a user, and a voice command converted to the one or more of the commands.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

securing the vehicle in response to a user not interacting with the vehicle within a time period.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

locking and unlocking the vehicle in response to determining the distance is at a threshold.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

associating the voice command with one or more of the commands.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prioritizing commands received from a plurality of cell phones based on the user preferences; and

displaying a status of the vehicle to the cell phone.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the prioritizing is performed based on a user profile associated with each of the plurality of cell phones.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein commands control a plurality of systems within the vehicle including lock control, light control, temperature controls, engine start and stop control, entertainment system, trunk control, environmental control, and seat configuration.

14. A cell phone for controlling systems of a vehicle, the cell phone comprising:

a transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with a vehicle system, the transceiver further configured to determine a distance between the cell phone and the vehicle system;

a user interface in communication with the transceiver, the user interface configured to receive user input from a user, wherein the user interface further configured to receive user preferences linking one or more commands with one or more actions of the vehicle system, wherein the user preferences establish the (1) one or more commands that are sent automatically by the cell phone in response to threshold distances between the cell phone and the vehicle being met and (2) user input from the user associated with each of the one or more commands sent to the vehicle system from the transceiver, the user interface communicates a status of the vehicle in response to one of the one or more actions of the vehicle system being performed; and

control logic in communication with the user interface configured to convert the user input to one of the one or more commands, wherein the transceiver communicates the one or more commands to the vehicle system to control the systems of the vehicle.

15. The cell phone according to claim 14, wherein the user input is any of tactile feedback to the cell phone, one or more keyed entries on the cell phone by a user, and a voice command.

16. The cell phone according to claim 14, wherein the control logic is operable to transmit one of the one or more commands to the vehicle system in response to determining the threshold distances are being met.

17. The cell phone according to claim 14, wherein the cell phone is associated with a plurality of vehicles for controlling vehicle systems of the plurality of vehicles, and wherein the control logic prioritizes commands transmitted from a plurality of cell phones simultaneously based on the user preferences.

18. The cell phone according to claim 14, wherein the control logic requests an identifier for authenticating the user before transmitting the one or more commands to the vehicle system.

19. A cell phone for controlling a vehicle system, the cell phone comprising:

a processor configured to execute a set of instructions; and

a memory configured to store the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are configured when executed by the processor to;

associate the cell phone with one or more vehicles including the vehicle through a user interface;

receive user preferences through the user interface for sending commands from the cell phone to the vehicle for controlling systems of the vehicle, wherein the user preferences establish (i) commands that are automatically sent by the cell phone to the vehicle in response to threshold distances between the cell phone and the vehicle and (ii) commands sent from the cell phone to the vehicle in response to being received from a user utilizing the cell phone;

establish a wireless connection between the vehicle and the cell phone;

determine a distance between the cell phone and the vehicle;

send one or more of the commands to the vehicle to control the systems based on the user preferences; and

communicate a status message of the vehicle to the user interface of the cell phone in response to a vehicle action being performed, wherein the user preferences indicate a plurality of vehicle actions and instructions for communicating each of a plurality of status message to the cell phone in response to each of the plurality of vehicle actions being performed.

20. The cell phone according to claim 19, wherein each of the commands is associated with a threshold distance, and wherein the threshold distance must be met for the command to be implemented by the vehicle.