Vehicle service controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11029702-B2
Application number	US-201916265787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2019
Priority date	Feb 1, 2019
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A system, comprising a computer that includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to receive authentication an operator of a service controller from a server computer, identify a vehicle by scanning a physical code with the service controller and pair the service controller with the vehicle. The vehicle can be operated with the service controller.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving authentication of an operator of a hand-held service controller configured to control a vehicle instead of physical controls in the vehicle, whereby the vehicle is controllable without the physical controls for steering, braking, and acceleration, from a server computer;
identifying the vehicle for control by the hand-held service controller, whereby the hand-held service controller is configured to control operation of one or more of vehicle powertrain, vehicle steering or vehicle braking by scanning a physical code with the hand-held service controller;
pairing the hand-held service controller with the vehicle;
receiving permission to operate the vehicle at the hand-held service controller from a server computer based on comparing a first vehicle identity based on scanning the physical code with a second vehicle identity based on pairing the hand-held service controller with the vehicle; and
operating the vehicle by a command from the hand-held service controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein scanning the physical code further comprises scanning of one or more of a bar code, a license plate or a VIN number.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein pairing the hand-held service controller further comprises communicating with the vehicle via a near-field wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein authenticating the operator further comprises uploading one or more of biometric data, an electronic key or a password to the server computer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the server computer determines the permission to operate based on authenticating the operator.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the server computer determines the permission to operate based on a geographic location of the vehicle.

7. A system, comprising a processor; and
a memory, the memory including instructions to be executed by the processor to:
receive authentication of an operator of a hand-held service controller configured to control a vehicle instead of physical controls in the vehicle, whereby the vehicle is controllable without the physical controls for steering, braking, and acceleration, from a server computer;
identify the vehicle for control by the hand-held service controller, whereby the hand-held service controller is configured to control operation of one or more of vehicle powertrain, vehicle steering or vehicle braking by scanning a physical code with the hand-held service controller;
pair the hand-held service controller with the vehicle;
receive permission to operate the vehicle at the hand-held service controller from a server computer based on comparing a first vehicle identity based on scanning the physical code with a second vehicle identity based on pairing the hand-held service controller with the vehicle; and
operate the vehicle by a command from the hand-held service controller.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein scanning the physical code further comprises scanning of one or more of a bar code, a license plate or a VIN number.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein pairing the hand-held service controller further comprises communicating with the vehicle via a near-field wireless network.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein authenticating the operator further comprises uploading one or more of biometric data, an electronic key or a password to the server computer.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the server computer further includes instructions to determine the permission to operate based on authenticating the operator.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the server computer further includes instructions to determine the permission to operate based on a geographic location of the vehicle.

13. A system, comprising:
means for controlling vehicle steering, braking and powertrain; and
means for:
receiving authentication of an operator of a hand-held service controller configured to control a vehicle instead of physical controls in the vehicle, whereby the vehicle is controllable without the physical controls for steering, braking, and acceleration, from a server computer;
identifying the vehicle for control by the hand-held service controller, whereby the hand-held service controller is configured to control operation of one or more of vehicle powertrain, vehicle steering or vehicle braking by scanning a physical code with the hand-held service controller;
pairing the hand-held service controller with the vehicle;
receiving permission to operate the vehicle at the hand-held service controller from a server computer based on comparing a first vehicle identity based on scanning the physical code with a second vehicle identity based on pairing the hand-held service controller with the vehicle; and
operating the vehicle with the hand-held service controller and the means for controlling vehicle steering, braking and powertrain.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein means for identifying a vehicle by scanning the physical code includes scanning one or more of a bar code, a license plate or a VIN number with the hand-held service controller.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the permission is encrypted.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the permission is transmitted to the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the permission is denied when the operator is operating more than one vehicle.

18. The system of claim 7 , wherein the permission is encrypted.

19. The system of claim 7 , wherein the permission is transmitted to the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 7 , wherein the permission is denied when the operator is operating more than one vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hamilton Kathryn
• Awad Alla Michael Adel
• Siciak Ray

Classifications

• B60R16/0231

  Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle (monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P) · CPC title

• B60R25/24 Primary

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

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title

• B60R25/23

  using manual input of alphanumerical codes · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title