Vehicle smart connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10939296-B2
Application number	US-201816105181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2018
Priority date	Aug 20, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle includes a controller, programmed to responsive to wirelessly connecting to a mobile device using a mobile credential issued from a server within a time frame specified in the mobile credential, issue an access token to the mobile device, and responsive to receiving a command authorized by the access token from the mobile device, route the command to a vehicle subsystem for execution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising
a controller, programmed to
receive a vehicle credential from a server, wherein the vehicle credential is associated with a mobile credential,
responsive to detecting a connecting attempt from a mobile device with the mobile credential, verify the mobile credential using the vehicle credential,
responsive to a successful verification and wirelessly connecting to a mobile device with the mobile credential issued from a server within a time frame specified in the mobile credential, issue an access token to the mobile device using the vehicle credential, wherein the access token specifies an access authority to a plurality of vehicle subsystems,
responsive to receiving a command from the mobile device verify if the command is authorized by the access token, and
responsive to a successful verification, route the command to a vehicle subsystem for execution.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to receiving a delete instruction from the server, delete the vehicle credential.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to detecting a predefined threat initiated from the mobile device, disconnect from the mobile device and delete the vehicle credential.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
responsive to detecting a disconnection of the controller from the mobile device, start a timer for a predefined time period, and
responsive to detecting an expiration of the timer and a failure to reconnect by the mobile device, delete the vehicle credential.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to detecting an expiration of the mobile credential defined by the time frame, disconnect from the mobile device.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to receiving a response signal from the vehicle subsystem, send the response signal to the mobile device.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is wirelessly connected to the controller using at least one of the following technologies: WiFi, near-field communication (NFC), or radio-frequency identification (RFID).

8. A method for a vehicle, comprising:
receiving a vehicle credential from a server, wherein the vehicle credential is associated with a mobile credential;
responsive to receiving a connection request from a mobile device using a mobile credential, verifying the mobile credential with the vehicle credential;
responsive to a successful verification and connecting with the mobile device, issuing an access token to the mobile device based on the vehicle credential, wherein the access token specifies an access authority to perform a remote procedure call (RPC) to a vehicle subsystem; and
responsive to receiving an verifying a RPC from the mobile device, perform the RPC via the vehicle subsystem,
wherein at least one of the vehicle credential or the mobile credential is time-based by specifying a time frame defining a validity of the credential.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
responsive to detecting an expiration of the time frame, disconnecting the mobile device and delete the vehicle credential.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
responsive to detecting the RPC is not authorized by the access token, declining to perform the RPC.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
responsive to detecting a current time beyond the time frame, declining to the connection request from the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
responsive to detecting a disconnection from the mobile device, starting a timer for a predefined time period, and
responsive to detecting an expiration of the timer and a failure to reconnect by the mobile device, deleting the vehicle credential.

13. A mobile device, comprising:
a processor, programmed to
send a request for vehicle including a time condition and location condition to a server;
responsive to receiving a mobile credential from the server specifying a time frame defining a validity of the mobile credential and a current time being within the time frame, connect to a vehicle specified in the mobile credential;
responsive to receiving an access token from the vehicle, send a remote procedure call (RPC) to the vehicle; and
receive a response from the vehicle.

14. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further programmed to, responsive to detecting an expiration of the time frame, disconnect from the vehicle and delete the mobile credential.

15. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further programmed to, responsive to detecting a second mobile device connected to the vehicle, communicate with a second mobile device using the access token via the vehicle.

16. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further programmed to, responsive to detecting a distance between the mobile device and the vehicle extending beyond a predefined threshold, delete the mobile credential and send an alert to the server.

17. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further programmed to, responsive to detecting a disconnection of the mobile device from the vehicle for long than a predefined time period and a failure to reconnect by to the vehicle, delete the mobile credential and send an alert to the server.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Whitaker Matthew Atwood
• Ellis Patrick
• Savage Henry Salvatore
• Weir Christopher
• Mishra Subhransu
• Arvanitis Andreas
• Sequeira Lionel Ronald
• Shirsat Anuja Anil
• Monroy Hansel Mauricio
• Carpenter Owen

Classifications

• H04L67/133

  Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC] · CPC title

• H04W12/63

  Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent · CPC title

• H04W12/30

  Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications · CPC title

• G06F9/547

  Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services · CPC title

• H04W12/08 Primary

  Access security · CPC title