Method for operating a central locking apparatus, central locking apparatus, and motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10814834-B2
Application number	US-201716338624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2017
Priority date	Nov 9, 2016
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a central locking apparatus of a motor vehicle, which is locked by a central locking system of the central locking apparatus as a result of driving above a minimum speed threshold, and is then decelerated to below the minimum speed, wherein in order to subsequently unlock the central locking system, an instantaneous geoposition (GP) emitted from a portable mobile terminal, is first received by means of a detection device of the central locking apparatus. The emitted instantaneous geoposition (GP) of the portable mobile terminal is subsequently evaluated by means of a control device of the central locking apparatus, wherein when evaluating the instantaneous geoposition (GP), the control device checks whether the emitted instantaneous geoposition (GP) is within a delimited, predetermined region, which is stored in the control device. The central locking system is finally unlocked when the emitted instantaneous geoposition (GP) is within the delimited, predetermined region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a central locking apparatus of a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle is locked by a central locking system of the central locking apparatus as a result of driving above a minimum speed, wherein the motor vehicle then decelerates to below the minimum speed, the method comprising:
receiving an instantaneous geoposition from a portable mobile terminal, which emits the instantaneous geoposition, by means of a detection device of the central locking apparatus;
evaluating the instantaneous geoposition of the portable mobile terminal by means of a control device of the central locking apparatus, wherein during such evaluation, the control device checks whether the instantaneous geoposition is within a delimited, predetermined region, which is stored in the control device; and
unlocking the central locking system of the central locking apparatus, if the instantaneous geoposition is within the delimited, predetermined region,
wherein the delimited, predetermined region is independent of a geoposition of the motor vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delimited, predetermined region is established by specifying a radius around a predetermined geoposition.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the central locking system is unlocked only if the motor vehicle is also located within the delimited, predetermined region when the emitted instantaneous geoposition of the portable, mobile terminal is received.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the central locking system is unlocked only if an ignition of the motor vehicle is switched on and/or a radio key is detected in a vehicle interior of the motor vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the detection device, an emitted identifier from the portable mobile terminal; and
comparing the emitted identifier with at least one identifier stored within the control unit,
wherein the central locking system is unlocked only if the emitted identifier also matches the at least one identifier stored within the control unit.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a time of day when receiving the instantaneous geoposition,
wherein the central locking system is unlocked only if the time of day at which the instantaneous geoposition was received is within a time window stored in the control device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the time window comprises a consecutive span of hours designated by a user of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the central locking system is unlocked only if an identifier emitted from the portable mobile terminal matches an identifier stored within the control device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein identifiers are stored within the control device through a teaching process, wherein the detection device may detect one or multiple portable mobile terminals, query their identifiers, and after receiving vehicle user confirmation, the queried identifiers may be stored within the control device.

10. A central locking apparatus for a motor vehicle, wherein a control device of the central locking apparatus is programmed to lock a central locking system as a result of the motor vehicle driving above a minimum speed, the central locking apparatus further comprising:
a detection unit, which is adapted to receive an instantaneous geoposition from a portable mobile terminal, which emits the instantaneous geoposition,
wherein the control device is adapted to evaluate the instantaneous geoposition of the portable mobile terminal, wherein during such evaluation, the control device is programmed to check whether the instantaneous geoposition is within a delimited, predetermined region, which is stored within the control device,
wherein the control device is further programmed to unlock the central locking system of the central locking apparatus if the motor vehicle decelerates to below the minimum speed and the instantaneous geoposition is within the delimited, predetermined region, and
wherein the delimited, predetermined region is independent of a geoposition of the motor vehicle.

11. The central locking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the portable mobile terminal comprises a mobile telephone, an electric watch, a smartwatch, a tablet computer, augmented reality glasses, or a headset.

12. The central locking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the detection unit comprises a roof antenna, wherein the detection unit is adapted to receive a WLAN signal or Bluetooth signal.

13. The central locking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the delimited, predetermined region defines a closed geographical area with closed boundaries.

14. The central locking apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the delimited predetermined region is chosen by a user of the vehicle to define a radius around the geographic coordinates of a position to thereby establish a geofencing area.

15. The central locking apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the control device also includes a navigation system, wherein the user specifies the geographic coordinates of a position by inputting an address into a navigation system.

16. The central locking apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the control device also includes a display input device, and wherein the geofencing area is established by user input through the display input device.

17. The central locking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the control device is further programmed to unlock the central locking system of the central locking apparatus only if both the instantaneous geoposition is within the delimited, predetermined region, and the motor vehicle is also simultaneously located within the delimited, predetermined region.

18. The central locking apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the control device is further programmed to unlock the central locking system only if an identifier emitted from the portable mobile terminal matches an identifier stored within the control device.

19. The central locking apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the identifiers are stored in onboard memory of the control device.

20. A motor vehicle comprising a central locking apparatus, wherein a control device of the central locking apparatus is programmed to lock a central locking system as a result of the motor vehicle driving above a minimum speed, the central locking apparatus further comprising:
a detection unit, which is adapted to receive an instantaneous geoposition from a portable mobile terminal, which emits the instantaneous geoposition,
wherein the control device is adapted to evaluate the instantaneous geoposition of the portable mobile terminal, wherein during such evaluation, the control device is programmed to check whether the instantaneous geoposition is within a delimited, predetermined region, which is stored within the control device,
wherein the control device is further programmed to unlock the central locking system of the central locking apparatus if the motor vehicle decelerates to below the minimum speed and the instantaneous geoposition is within the delimited, predetermined region, and
wherein the delimited, predetermined region is independent of a geoposition of the motor vehicle.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a detection signal to the portable mobile terminal to query the instantaneous geoposition of the portable mobile terminal, wherein the receiving is in response to the transmitting.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Schlittenbauer Michael

Classifications

• B60R25/24 Primary

  using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user · CPC title

• B60R25/01

  operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens · CPC title

• B60R25/33 Primary

  of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates · CPC title

• G07C2009/00769

  with data transmission performed by wireless means · CPC title

• E05B77/54

  Automatic securing or unlocking of bolts triggered by certain vehicle parameters, e.g. exceeding a speed threshold (triggered by vehicle collision E05B77/12) · CPC title