Location-based security

• US 9,562,776 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Appy Risk Technologies Limited (Trak Global Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc. (Trak Global Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Basir, Otman A
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US14/260,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 701/526
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

In one disclosed embodiment, a portable user-carried device includes wireless communication circuitry capable of determining a relative direction of a wireless signal in a vehicle. A processor may be programmed to determine a location of the device within a vehicle based upon the relative direction of the wireless signal as determined by the wireless communication circuitry. In a disclosed method for activating a function in a vehicle, a state of a user-carried portable device is determined. A function is activated based upon the state of the user-carried portable device.

Claims

1. A portable user-carried device including:

wireless communication circuitry capable of determining a relative direction of a wireless signal in a vehicle; and

a processor programmed to determine a relative location of the device within a vehicle relative to multiple locations in the interior of the vehicle based upon the relative direction of the wireless signal as determined by the wireless communication circuitry, wherein the portable user-carried device is a smartphone and wherein the wireless communication circuitry and the processor are components of the smartphone.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor can determine whether the device is in a driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the processor can determine whether the device is in a passenger seat of the vehicle.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless signal is ambient noise in the vehicle.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the wireless signal includes ambient RF signals in the vehicle.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the ambient RF signals are generated by a running engine of the vehicle.

2. A method for activating a function in a vehicle including the steps of:

a) based upon ambient RF signals, determining whether a user carrying a user-carried portable device is in a driver seat of a vehicle or whether the user is in a passenger seat of the vehicle; and

b) activating the function based upon the state of the user-carried portable device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step a) includes the step of determining that the user of the user-carried portable device is in the driver seat of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said step a) includes the step of determining that the user of the user-carried portable device is in the passenger seat of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said step a) is based upon ambient sound.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said step a) is based upon a location of the user-carried mobile device and based upon a location of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the ambient RF signals are generated by a running engine of the vehicle.

6. The method of 2 wherein said step of determining in said step a) is based upon a gps-determined location of the user-carried mobile device.