Methods and systems for providing access to specific vehicle controls, functions, environment and applications to guests/passengers via personal mobile devices

• US 9,348,492 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
• Original Assignee: Albert S. Penilla, Angel A. Penilla
• Inventors: Penilla, Albert S., Penilla, Angel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US14/222,670
• Time in Patent Office: 793 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/107, 320/104, 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 307/10.1, 701/22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/00 Input parameters relating to vehicle conditions or values, not covered by groups B60W2510/00 or B60W2520/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing access to specific vehicle controls, functions, environment and applications for guests/passengers of a vehicle via mobile devices of the passengers. One method includes receiving a request to access a vehicle computer of a vehicle using a mobile device of a passenger of the vehicle. The method also includes identifying a seat in the vehicle that is associated with the passenger and providing a user interface to the mobile device. The user interface exposing a plurality of vehicle systems that are interfaced with the vehicle computer. The plurality of vehicle systems include systems that relate to an environment zone in which the seat is located in the vehicle, and the user interface further includes controls for enabling setting inputs to one or more of the plurality of vehicle systems. The method further includes receiving setting inputs from the user interface of the mobile device of the passenger, such that the setting inputs instruct the vehicle computer to make changes to the one or more of the plurality of vehicle systems.

Claims

1. A method, comprising,

receiving a request to access a vehicle computer of a vehicle using a mobile device of a passenger of the vehicle;

providing access to the mobile device;

receiving identification of a seat in the vehicle that is associated with the passenger;

providing a user interface to the mobile device, the user interface exposing a plurality of vehicle systems that are interfaced with the vehicle computer, the plurality of vehicle systems include systems that relate to an environment zone in which the seat is located in the vehicle, the user interface further includes controls for enabling setting inputs to one or more of the plurality of vehicle systems; and

receiving setting inputs from the user interface of the mobile device of the passenger, the setting inputs used as instructions to the vehicle computer to make changes to the one or more of the plurality of vehicle systems, wherein the method is executed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein access to the vehicle computer occurs after an exchange of credential information to validate the access, the credential information identifying a user account for the access via the mobile device,

wherein the credential information includes one of a user name, or a password, or biometric data of the passenger, or a pin, or code, or a name, or a word, or combinations of two or more thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user account is registered with cloud services that include servers and storage accessible over the Internet, the cloud services configured to store the setting inputs from time to time from the vehicle or the mobile device, the setting inputs usable to recall previous settings for later recall and use, and usable to identify patterns of setting inputs made, the patterns used to predict one or more future settings and to generate recommendations for the user account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the exposed plurality of vehicle systems that relate to the environment zone in which the seat is located in the vehicle filter out vehicle systems that relate to other environment zones of other seats located in the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

exchanging information with the mobile device to determine whether the access is registered access via a user account or guest access,

wherein guest access includes limits to functionality of the user interface provided to the mobile device;

wherein registered access has more functionality relative to guest access;

wherein registered access includes one or more levels of access as defined by privilege settings made by an administrator of the vehicle;

or

the vehicle computer is configured to identify the mobile device in proximity of the vehicle or within the vehicle; and

sending a message to the mobile device that identifies availability to access the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the environment zone in which the seat is located in the vehicle includes systems for controlling positions of the seat, or systems for controlling air and heat from vents proximate to the seat, or systems for controlling lighting proximate to the seat, or systems for controlling volume of speakers proximate to the seat, or systems for controlling video to be displayed proximate to the seat, or systems for controlling heat of the seat, or systems for controlling window operation proximate to the seat, or systems for controlling digital glare of a window proximate to the seat, or systems for controlling a select set of global setting of the vehicle beyond the environment zone, or systems for controlling applications of the vehicle, or systems for sharing applications of the vehicle to the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicle systems further include systems that enable access to applications of the vehicle on the mobile device, wherein the applications of the vehicle are rendered on vehicle computer and content of the applications is displayed on the mobile device or on the mobile device and one or more displays of the vehicle, or the mobile device and one or more mobile devices that are accessing the vehicle computer for other passengers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the changes to the one or more of the plurality of vehicle systems remain for a period of time while the passenger is associated with the seat of the vehicle, such that the settings revert to a standard state after the passenger is no longer associated with the seat of the vehicle;

wherein the user interface enables selection of a new seat in the vehicle, the selection of the new seat for the passenger associates a new environment zone for a location of the new seat, and the user interface updates the controls for enabling setting inputs to one or more of the plurality of vehicle systems associated with the new environment zone for the new seat.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

providing a user interface to other mobile devices that are associated with other passengers seated in other seats of the vehicle,

wherein the user interface provided to each of the other passengers exposes systems that relate to other environmental zones of the respective other seats.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the controls of the user interface further enable setting inputs to applications of the vehicle that are shared to the mobile device, display of content for the applications being rendered on the mobile device and for particular actions also rendering content of the applications on one or more displays of the vehicle;

wherein access to certain of the applications of the vehicle and features of the applications of the vehicle being limited by privileges as set an administrator of the vehicle, the setting of the privileges being by way of interfaces on of the vehicle, interfaces on devices that have access to cloud services, wherein cloud services includes a user account for the administrator and the user account of the administrator including one or more of an identification of the vehicle and the settings and privileges managed by the administrator, or prior settings made by the mobile device, or a history of settings made by a plurality of mobile devices over time, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

obtaining data from sensors of the vehicle;

and

providing information regarding the data to the user interface that is to be displayed on the mobile device;

wherein the sensor data includes information associated with one of speed of the vehicle, or location of the vehicle, or temperature of the vehicle, or health of engine or operations of the vehicle, or metrics of use of the vehicle, or seat sensor data identifying presence of occupancy, or sensors for locating mobile devices within the vehicle, or sensors for detecting position of the passenger within the vehicle, or sensors for triggering image capture or video capture in or around the vehicle, or combinations of two or more thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the systems is a restricted access to a granular set of systems, including seat controls, climate controls, audio controls, heating and cooling controls, window glare control, window controls, and controls to select applications of the vehicle, wherein the granular set of systems are limited to systems in a sphere of influence of the passenger, depending on provided privileges of the passenger.

13. A method, comprising,

detecting a wireless device for access to a computing system of a vehicle;

verifying credentials for the wireless device as registered with the vehicle or connecting with guest access to the vehicle;

sending data for rendering on a user interface of the wireless device upon successful verification of the credentials, the user interface identifying a passenger seat of the vehicle, wherein a wireless signal of the wireless device is processed to identify a location of the wireless device that is brought into the vehicle, the location of the wireless device being utilized to identify the wireless device as associated to the identified passenger seat; and

sending data to the user interface providing access to a subset of vehicle metrics and control settings, the control settings being for an environment associated with the identified passenger seat of the vehicle, the control settings including at least a heating and cooling function corresponding to the environment associated with the identified passenger seat, wherein the method is executed by a processor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising,

sending data for rendering on the user interface that indicates occupancy of selected ones of the one or more passenger seats of the vehicle as determined by sensors of the vehicle;

wherein selection of the passenger seat is for one of the passenger seats that is indicated to be occupied.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sensors include one of a weight sensor, a heat sensor, a motion sensor, a sound sensor, an inertial sensor, a compression sensor, a camera sensor, a proximity sensor, or combinations of two or more thereof.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the control settings provided to the wireless device are filtered controls that pertain to and are proximate to the environment associated with the passenger seat;

wherein the control settings further include one or more of seat positioning controls of the passenger seat, or an air conditioning outlet proximate to the passenger seat, or a speaker proximate to the passenger seat, or a window tinting of a window proximate to the passenger seat, or lumbar support of the passenger seat, or a video output proximate to the passenger seat, or audio settings for the vehicle, or cooling settings for the vehicle, or heating settings for the vehicle, or communication systems of the vehicle, or wireless connections of the vehicle, or combinations thereof, and

wherein the subset of vehicle metrics include one or more of operational metrics of the vehicle, data from sensors of the vehicle, speed data of the vehicle, fluid levels of the vehicle, tire health data of the vehicle, brakes data of the vehicle, mechanical component data of the vehicle, diagnostics data of the vehicle, data from applications of the vehicle, communications systems data of the vehicle, altitude of the vehicle, temperature of the vehicle, real-time data of components of the vehicle, or combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 13,

wherein the computing system of the vehicle is configured to receive an access request from a second wireless device;

wherein upon verifying credentials of the second wireless device, presenting a user interface to the second wireless device to enable selection of a second passenger seat in the vehicle and sending data to a user interface of the second wireless device providing access to a subset of vehicle metrics and control settings, the control settings being for a second environment associated with the second passenger seat of the vehicle, wherein the second wireless device and the wireless device are enabled to communicate between each other and with the computer system of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 13,

wherein one or more functions provided by the user interface of the wireless device are disabled when the wireless device is determined to be within a proximity of a driver seat;

or

wherein identifying the location of the wireless device further includes processing one or more of identifying a distance of the wireless device to a vehicle sensor or sensors, or identifying a time of flight of the wireless signal to one of the sensors of the vehicle, or a triangulation detection of the wireless signal of the wireless device by three or more of the sensors of the vehicle, or identifying a strength of the wireless signal as measured by one or more of the sensors of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 13,

wherein the credentials associated with the user enable saving of data for control settings to a user account of a user, the saved data for control settings being accessible for implementation in the vehicle from time to time;

wherein the user account includes a history of when the control settings were implemented in the vehicle;

wherein for quest access the wireless device is identified by the computing system and the wireless signal is processed to identify the location of the wireless device, the location being an approximate location that is determined to correspond to the identified passenger seat.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the history of when the control settings were implemented in the vehicle include one or more of a time of day of when the control settings are implemented, or a day of week or month of when the control settings are implemented, or a weather condition or environment condition when the control settings are implemented, or a geo-location of when the controls settings are implemented, or an identification of others in the vehicle when the control settings are implemented, or which one of a plurality of applications or programs are running or open or accessed when the control settings are implemented, or a combination of two or more of the forgoing conditions of when the control setting are implemented.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the history of when the control settings are implemented is accessed to identify learned patterns, the learned patterns being used to identify one or more recommended settings to implement in the vehicle via the wireless device from time to time, wherein the one or more recommendations are provided to the user interface of the wireless device.

22. The method of claim 13,

wherein an access code for the vehicle is shareable to one or more wireless devices over a network, the sharing of the access code enables a recipient of the access code to connect to the vehicle, the access code having predefined privileges that define a length of use of the access code and a definition of particular functions that are enabled for the access code, wherein a valid access code enables successful verification of credentials;

or

wherein the shared access code can be provided to guests of the vehicle, wherein utilization of the access code enables saving of functions utilized in the vehicle to one or both of cloud storage and storage of the vehicle;

or

wherein access to the subset of vehicle metrics and control settings is automatically disabled upon detecting that the wireless device is beyond a proximity of the vehicle where access is usable from at least one of the passenger seats.

23. A system of a vehicle for sharing vehicle system control, comprising,

an on-board computer that is part of the vehicle;

communications circuity integrated with the on-board computer, the communications circuitry configured to interface with a wireless network for accessing the Internet, the on-board computer is configured to enable the communications circuitry to provide a wireless connection to portable devices that enter the vehicle; and

vehicle electronics interfaced with one or more vehicle systems, the vehicle systems include climate functions of the vehicle;

the on-board computer is configured to provide access to at least one graphical user interface to the portable device via the wireless connection, the at least one graphical user interface includes input options that enable control of features of the climate functions of the vehicle,

wherein a wireless signal of the wireless connection with the portable device is processed to identify a location of the portable device that entered the vehicle, the location of the portable device being utilized to identify a passenger seat of the vehicle and provide the portable device with access to the climate functions of the vehicle that pertain to an environment around the passenger seat that was identified.

24. The system of a vehicle for sharing vehicle system as recited in claim 23, wherein one or more functions provided by the user interface of the portable device are disabled when the portable device is determined to be within a proximity of the driver seat.

25. The system of a vehicle for sharing vehicle system as recited in claim 23, wherein processing the wireless signal of the wireless connection to identify the location of the portable device further includes identifying a distance of the portable device to a vehicle sensor or sensors, or identifying a time of flight of the wireless signal to one of the sensors of the vehicle, or a triangulation detection of the wireless signal of the portable device by three or more of the sensors of the vehicle, or processing a strength of the wireless signal as measured by one or more of the sensors of the vehicle.