Geo-proximity vehicle alert and access system for security and package exchange efficiency

• US 9,821,768 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2015
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Intelligent Transportation Systems LLC (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Intelligent Transportation Systems LLC (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Oz, Seval, Klotz, Alexander Marc, Kaushik, Sudeep, Zhai, Yao, Nares, Francisco Fernandez, Aguayo, Adrian Ramos, Zein El-Abedein, Tammer
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Abby
• Application Number:
  US14/792,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20160096508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/108 Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2036 by using the door logic and door and engine unlock means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A geo-proximity Vehicle Alert and Access System (VAAS) is discussed that has a cloud based server having a GPS-based proximity system to control and track a package exchange process, to speed up a package delivery and pick-up process, and to ensure security for the package exchange process. The cloud based server is configured to receive both current GPS coordinates of a package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and current GPS coordinates of a target vehicle for at least one of package delivery to the target vehicle and package pick up from the target vehicle. The cloud based server is configured to send to the target vehicle the commands to wake-up an on-board telematics module, to give an alert, to unlock the target vehicle, and to lock the target vehicle after receiving a confirmation of the package exchange process.

Claims

1. A geo-proximity Vehicle Alert and Access System (VAAS), comprising:

a cloud based server having a Global Positioning System (GPS) based proximity system having one or more processors configured to execute instructions to control and track a package exchange process, to speed up a package delivery and pick-up process, and to ensure security for the package exchange process;

where the GPS-based proximity system is configured to receive both current GPS coordinates of a client device associated with a package carrier'"'"'s vehicle from the client device and current GPS coordinates of a target vehicle for at least one of i) package delivery to the target vehicle and ii) package pick up from the target vehicle, where the GPS-based proximity system is further configured to send to the target vehicle one or more commands

     1) to wake-up an on-board actuation module in the target vehicle while in a close proximity established by a first threshold distance between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle,

     2) to give an alert from the target vehicle while in a close proximity established by a second threshold distance between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle,

     3) to unlock a door including a trunk of the target vehicle, and

     4) to lock the doors of the target vehicle after the package exchange has occurred when the target vehicle and the client device are at a third threshold separation distance;

wherein the GPS-based proximity system is configured to obtain at least two virtual verification keys, one from an OEM telematics provider and another from a package delivery service provider before sending a command to the target vehicle, where the virtual verification keys are given a shelf life such that sending of the command to unlock the door including the trunk of the target vehicle the target vehicle stays within a predetermined time frame; and

wherein the First threshold distance is calculated by the one or more processors in cooperation with a GPS based proximity control routine in the GPS proximity based system and the calculation is based on factors including current traffic data as well as actual distance between the client device and the target vehicle.

2. The geo-proximity VAAS of claim 1, wherein the GPS-based proximity system is hosted on a cloud-based provider site that contains one or more servers, including the cloud-based server, that cooperate with one or more databases to store the data and reference information needed to control and track the package exchange process, to speed up the package delivery and pick-up process, and to ensure security for the package exchange process, where the GPS-based proximity system is configured to present one or more application programming interfaces to provide a single common end-to-end solution between servers of one or more package delivery services and servers of one or more OEM telematics providers without additional hardware required to be installed in the target vehicle, and wherein the onboard actuation module is one of i) a telematics module installed in the target vehicle or ii) a dangle module having a WiFi or cellular communication circuit configured to establish a secure communication with the cloud based server and an electro-mechanical activation circuit configured to cooperate with a fault and diagnostic module installed in the target vehicle.

3. The geo-proximity VAAS of claim 2, wherein the GPS-based proximity system is configured to receive the current GPS coordinates of a package carriers vehicle from a GPS-based delivery application resident in 1) a first client device installed in the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle, or 2) a second handheld client device that travels with a driver of a package carrier'"'"'s vehicle, where the GPS-based delivery application is downloadable or otherwise electronically distributed to the client device from a database in the cloud based server;

and

wherein the GPS-based proximity system is configured to receive the GPS coordinates of the target vehicle from the telematics module of the target vehicle.

4. A geo-proximity Vehicle Alert and Access System (VAAS), comprising:

a cloud based server having a Global Positioning System (GPS) based proximity system having one or more processors configured to execute instructions to control and track a package exchange process, to speed up a package delivery and pick-up process, and to ensure security for the package exchange process;

where the GPS-based proximity system is configured to receive both current GPS coordinates of a client device associated with a package carrier'"'"'s vehicle from the client device and current GPS coordinates of a target vehicle for at least one of i) package delivery to the target vehicle and ii) package pick up from the target vehicle, where the GPS-based proximity system is further configured to send to the target vehicle one or more commands

     1) to wake-up an on-board actuation module in the target vehicle while in a close proximity established by a first threshold distance between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle,

     2) to give an alert from the target vehicle while in a dose proximity established by a second threshold distance between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle,

     3) to unlock a door including a trunk of the target vehicle, and

     4) to lock the doors of the target vehicle after the package exchange has occurred when the target vehicle and the client device are at a third threshold distance; and

wherein sending the command to unlock the target vehicle while in a close proximity established by a fourth threshold distance, which is smaller in preset distance than the second threshold distance, between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle, wherein the one or more processors are configured to calculate the fourth threshold distance and the second threshold distance, and wherein unlocking includes acquiring an unlocking permission by the GPS-based proximity system by satisfying the fourth threshold distance as well as satisfying a security measure that the issuing of an unlocking command is occurring only within a preset time window, and then the GPS-based proximity system is configured to transmit the command to unlock to the onboard actuation module in the target vehicle, which then is coded to unlock one or more of the doors including unlocking the trunk of the target vehicle.

5. The geo-proximity VAAS of claim 4, wherein the GPS-based proximity system is further configured to calculate the third distance threshold with the one or more processors and then send a command to lock the target vehicle when the third distance threshold between the client device associated with the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle is satisfied, and wherein locking includes performing a lock verification to check to see if the doors of the target vehicle are indeed locked by the time the third distance threshold is satisfied, and then, if not locked, then send a command to the onboard actuation module to lock the target vehicle by locking one or more doors of the target vehicle, and, where the locking the doors includes ensuring the trunk and a sunroof are closed.

6. A geo-proximity Vehicle Alert and Access System (VAAS), comprising:

a cloud based server having a Global Positioning System (GPS) based proximity system having one or more processors configured to execute instructions to control and track a package exchange process, to speed up a package delivery and pick-up process, and to ensure security for the package exchange process;

where the GPS-based proximity system is configured to receive both current GPS coordinates of a client device associated with a package carrier'"'"'s vehicle from the client device and current GPS coordinates of a target vehicle for at least one of i) package delivery to the target vehicle and ii) package pick up from the target vehicle, where the GPS-based proximity system is further configured to send to the target vehicle one or more commands

     1) to wake-up an on-board actuation module in the target vehicle while in a close proximity established by a first threshold distance between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle,

     2) to give an alert from the target vehicle while in a close proximity established by a second threshold distance between the package carriers vehicle and the target vehicle,

     3) to unlock a door including a trunk or the target vehicle, and

     4) to lock the doors of the target vehicle after the package exchange has occurred when the target vehicle and the client device are at a third threshold separation distance;

wherein the onboard actuation module is the telematics module installed in the target vehicle, wherein the target vehicle'"'"'s on-board telematics module is configured to

     1) send data including GPS coordinates of the target vehicle to a server of an OEM telematics provider, and

     2) receive one or more commands from the server of the OEM telematics provider, where the server of the OEM telematics provider is configured to send the GPS coordinates of the target vehicle to the cloud based server with the GPS based proximity system; and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to calculate the first threshold distance, and then issue a request to a server of the OEM telematics provider to issue the command to wake up the telematics module by pinging the telematics module with intervals shorter than a predefined idle time before the telematics module goes to sleep.

7. The geo-proximity VAAS of claim 6, wherein the on-board telematics module of the target vehicle is coupled to an intelligent control system in the target vehicle, where the cloud based server is configured to send commands to the on-board telematics module and to the intelligent control system of the target vehicle via communication with the telematics module in the target vehicle through one or more servers of an OEM telematics provider, and wherein the commands include waking up the telematics module and performing mechanical actions of locking and unlocking the target vehicle, opening and closing doors, and giving the alert, wherein giving the alert includes one or a combination of 1) activating one or more lights of the target vehicle, 2) activating an alarm system of the target vehicle, and 3) honking a horn of the target vehicle.

8. A geo-proximity Vehicle Alert and Access System (VAAS), comprising:

a cloud based server having a Global Positioning System (GPS) based proximity system having one or more processors configured to execute instructions to control and track a package exchange process, to speed up a package delivery and pick-up process, and to ensure security for the package exchange process;

where the GPS-based proximity system is configured to receive both current GPS coordinates of a client device associated with a package carrier'"'"'s vehicle from the client device and current GPS coordinates of a target vehicle for at least one of i) package delivery to the target vehicle and ii) package pick up from the target vehicle, where the GPS-based proximity system is further configured to send to the target vehicle one or more commands

     1) to wake-up an on-board actuation module in the target vehicle while in a close proximity established by a first threshold distance between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle,

     2) to give an alert from the target vehicle while in a close proximity established by a second threshold distance between the package carriers vehicle and the target vehicle,

     3) to unlock a door including a trunk of the target vehicle, and

     4) to lock the doors of the target vehicle after the package exchange has occurred when the target vehicle and the client device are at a third threshold separation distance;

wherein the GPS-based proximity system is hosted on a cloud-based provider site that contains one or more servers, including the cloud-based server, that cooperate with one or more databases to store the data and reference information needed to control and track the package exchange process, to speed up the package delivery and pick-up process, and to ensure security for the package exchange process, where the GPS-based proximity system is configured to present one or more application programming interfaces to provide a single common end-to-end solution between servers of one or more package delivery services and servers of one or more OEM telematics providers without additional hardware required to be installed in the target vehicle, and

wherein the onboard actuation module is one of i) a telematics module installed in the target vehicle or ii) a dongle module having a WiFi or cellular communication circuit configured to establish a secure communication with the cloud based server and an electro-mechanical activation circuit configured to cooperate with a fault and diagnostic module installed in the target vehicle;

wherein the cloud based server further includes;

a first module configured to provide one or more application programming interfaces between servers of two or more package delivery services and servers of two or more OEM telematics providers;

a first input socket configured to receive a first notification about a request for a package delivery to or pick-up from the target vehicle of a user via the one or more application programming interfaces from a first package delivery service;

a second module configured to communicate with a database of the cloud based server to store the first notification including a shipping Tracking Number (TN) and a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) associated with the request=and to register the request for the package delivery to or pick-up from the target vehicle;

a third module configured to, upon registering the package delivery to or pick-up from request, send a second notification to the user via either a mobile application or a desktop application on a client device of the user to confirm with the user a desire to have a package with the shipping TN shipped to or picked-up from the target vehicle with the VIN;

a fourth module configured to use the one or more application programming interfaces with the two or more OEM telematics providers to establish wireless communications with an onboard telematics module in the target vehicle, where the fourth module is configured to send a request to a first OEM telematics provider via the one or more application programming interfaces to wake the target vehicle'"'"'s onboard telematics module when the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle is in close proximity established by the first threshold distance to a target vehicle matching the VIN; and

where the fourth module is also configured to send a request to the first OEM telematics provider via the one or more application programming interfaces to unlock at least one of the trunk and the doors of the target vehicle via the target vehicle'"'"'s onboard telematics module when an indication is received that a delivery person is ready to deliver or pick-up the package, and where the fourth module is configured to send a request to the first OEM telematics provider via the one or more application programming interfaces to lock at least one of the trunk and the doors of the target vehicle via the target vehicle'"'"'s onboard telematics module when a confirmation is received that the delivery person has delivered or picked-up the package.

9. A speedy delivery and pick-up and secure package exchange method between a package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and a target vehicle, comprising:

controlling and tracking a package transfer by a cloud based system;

monitoring a distance between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle by receiving current GPS coordinates of the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and GPS coordinates of the target vehicle;

waking-up an on-board telematics module of the target vehicle while establishing a close proximity by a first threshold distance between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle;

giving an alert by the target vehicle while establishing a close proximity by a second threshold distance between the package delivery vehicle and the target vehicle;

unlocking the target vehicle;

exchanging at least one package between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle;

receiving a confirmation of the package transfer; and

locking the target vehicle after receiving the confirmation.

10. The package exchange method of claim 9, further comprising:

unlocking the target vehicle while establishing a close proximity by a third threshold distance smaller than the second threshold distance between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle, where unlocking includes acquiring a prior unlocking permission by the cloud based system, and where unlocking includes opening one or more doors of the target vehicle, the doors include a trunk and a sunroof; and

locking the target vehicle when establishing a fourth distance separation threshold between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle, where locking includes closing the doors of the target vehicle and performing a lock verification.

11. The package exchange method of claim 9, further including

sending commands to the target vehicle via communication with the telematics module through an OEM telematics provider;

executing the commands by an intelligent controller in the target vehicle coupled the telematics module; and

obtaining, by the cloud based system, at least two virtual verification keys from the OEM telematics provider and a package delivery service provider before sending a command to the target vehicle.

12. The package exchange method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting to a Global Positioning System (GPS) based proximity system the current GPS coordinates of the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle from a resident application in

     1) the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle, or

     2) a mobile device of the package carrier; and

transmitting to the GPS-based proximity system the GPS coordinates of the target vehicle from the on-board telematics module of the target vehicle.

13. The package exchange method of claim 9, wherein the target vehicle'"'"'s on-board telematics module further performing:

sending data including GPS coordinates to an OEM telematics provider;

receiving one or more commands from the OEM telematics provider, the commands including waking up the telematics module and performing mechanical actions of locking and unlocking the target vehicle, opening and closing doors, and giving the alert, where giving the alert includes

     1) activating one or more lights of the target vehicle,

     2) activating an alarm system of the target vehicle, and

     3) honking a horn of the target vehicle.

14. The package exchange method of claim 9, wherein the first threshold distance is calculated based on current traffic data.

15. The package exchange method of claim 9, wherein prior to exchanging the at least one package performing:

offering to a customer on a user interface at a checkout of a retail website an alternative package delivery option of delivering to a vehicle of the customer;

selecting the alternative package delivery option by the customer;

uploading package transfer data to the cloud based system that implements package transfer;

tentatively proposing a date and time frame for the alternative package delivery to the customer.

16. The package exchange method of claim 9, further including:

receiving, by the cloud based system, a first notification about a request for a package delivery to or a package pickup from the target vehicle of a user;

storing a shipping tracking number and a Vehicle Identification Number of the target vehicle in a database of the cloud based system and registering the package delivery to or the package pickup from the target vehicle; and

sending, by the cloud based system, a second notification to the user about an expected date and time frame of the package transfer and receiving a confirmation of the package delivery to or the package pickup from the target vehicle of the user.

17. The package exchange method of claim 9, further including:

acquiring a permission for unlocking the target vehicle from a user of the package transfer; and

sending a package transfer confirmation and a target vehicle lock confirmation to the user of the package transfer, after exchanging the at least one package between the package carrier'"'"'s vehicle and the target vehicle and locking the target vehicle.