Communications system and method in connection with vehicle

• US 9,332,112 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Carln, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US14/439,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 340/426.16
• 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 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• 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 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A communications system for use in connection with a vehicle (1): a mobile handheld communication device (2); a handheld vehicle activation device (4); a communication module (6) arranged on the vehicle and able to establish wireless communication to the communication device (2). The communication device (2) includes a tracking device (8) for wireless vehicle identifying information (10) from the vehicle activation device (4), where the vehicle identifying information (10) identifies a specific vehicle. The system identifies a vehicle based on the information, and establishes a wireless communications link (12) between the communication device (2) and the communication module (6) in the identified vehicle (1).

Claims

1. A communications system in connection with a vehicle, comprising:

a mobile handheld communication device;

a handheld vehicle activation device;

a communication module arranged on the vehicle and configured to establish wireless communication with the communication device,

the communication device comprises a tracking device configured to wirelessly track vehicle identifying information from the vehicle activation device, wherein the vehicle identifying information identifies a specific vehicle, and

the system is configured to identify a vehicle based on the vehicle identifying information, and to establish a wireless communications link between the communication device and the communication module in the identified vehicle;

the tracked vehicle identifying information is configured to be compared to a set of vehicle identifying information relating to one or to several vehicles for identifying the vehicle identified by the tracked vehicle identifying information in the set.

2. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the communications system further comprises:

a data storage server configured to wirelessly communicate with the communication device, and

the set of vehicle identifying information is stored on the data storage server, wherein the comparison is made on the data storage server.

3. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a memory device comprising the set of vehicle identifying information relating to one or several vehicles, and wherein the tracked vehicle identifying information is configured to compare the set of vehicle identifying information of the memory device in order to identify the vehicle identified by the tracked vehicle identifying information in the set.

4. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is a mobile telephone.

5. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle activation device is a vehicle key.

6. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the tracking of the vehicle identifying information is done via radio communication.

7. The communications system according to claim 6, wherein the tracking of vehicle identifying information is done via near field communication (NFC).

8. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the tracking of vehicle identifying information is done by optical tracking.

9. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the tracking of vehicle identifying information is done by magnetic tracking.

10. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communications link is configured to communicate according to an established mobile telephone standard.

11. The communications system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communications link is configured to transmit control instructions from the communication device to the communication module.

12. A method for identifying a vehicle, wherein

the vehicle comprises:

a communication module configured to establish wireless communication to an intelligent mobile handheld communication device, wherein the handheld device comprises a tracking device configured to track vehicle identifying information from a handheld vehicle activation device, wherein the vehicle identifying information identifies a specific vehicle,

the method comprises the steps to;

A—

track vehicle identifying information from the vehicle activation device,

B—

identify a vehicle based on the information, wherein the identifying comprises the steps to;

B1—

compare the said tracked vehicle identifying information with a set of vehicle identifying information relating to one or several vehicles;

B2—

decide whether the tracked vehicle identifying information is included in the set, and

B3—

identify the vehicle if the vehicle identifying information is included in the set, and

C—

establish a wireless communications link between the communication device and the communication module in the identified vehicle.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the mobile communication device is a mobile telephone.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle activation device is a vehicle key.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the tracking of vehicle identifying information is done via radio communication.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the tracking of vehicle identifying information is done via near field communication (NFC).

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein the tracking of vehicle identifying information is done by optical tracking.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein the tracking of vehicle identifying information is done by magnetic tracking.

19. A method according to claim 12, wherein the wireless communications link communicates according to an established mobile telephone standard.

20. A method according to claim 12, wherein the wireless communications link is configured to transmit control instructions from the communication device to the communication module.