Vehicle interface having electromagnetic communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11390164-B2
Application number	US-201816168323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2018
Priority date	Oct 23, 2018
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle includes an interface having an electromagnetic transmitter and operable to receive tactile user input for control of a system of the vehicle. The vehicle includes a controller configured to modulate output having ultraviolet or infrared spectrum wavelength of the electromagnetic transmitter at a receiver capture rate to encode data into the output describing the control interface. The modulated output is responsive to a request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle interface including an electromagnetic transmitter and operable to receive tactile user input for control of a system of the vehicle; and
a controller configured to,
receive, via a digital connection, a communication request and a receiver capture rate from a nomadic device,
responsive to the communication request, modulate output at the electromagnetic transmitter having ultraviolet or infrared spectrum wavelength at the receiver capture rate,
encode the output into data corresponding to the electromagnetic transmitter of the interface, wherein the controller modulates the output to multiplex the data such that a plurality of data streams are transmitted by the transmitter and wherein the plurality of data streams have different wavelengths, and wherein the receiver capture rate is a speed of a rolling shutter of a sensor configured to receive the output, and
responsive to receiving indication from the nomadic device that information was not properly received, obtain an updated receiver capture rate from the nomadic device via the digital connection, and adjust the modulation using the updated receiver capture rate.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the interface is a button.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the interface is a touchscreen.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the request is initiated by an engine start or system startup routine.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the output is outside of a visible light spectrum.

6. A method for a mobile device comprising:
by a controller, sending a capture rate of a sensor defined by the mobile device to a vehicle via a digital connection,
receiving an electromagnetic output being modulated according to the capture rate of the sensor, the electromagnetic output having a wavelength within an ultraviolet or an infrared spectrum,
demodulating the electromagnetic output according to a rolling shutter of a sensor of a nomadic device,
identifying a data stream with identification of a control interface associated with a transmitter of the electromagnetic output based on the rolling shutter, wherein the controller modulates the output to multiplex the data stream such that a plurality of data streams are transmitted by a transmitter and wherein the plurality of data streams have different wavelengths,
displaying, on a graphical user interface, information related to the control interface based on the identification such that operation of the control interface is presented, and
responsive to detecting that information was not properly received, updating and sending an updated receiver capture rate to the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the sensor includes complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising, demultiplexing the electromagnetic output according to wavelength-bands.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising, responsive to receiving a plurality of electromagnetic outputs having wavelengths within an ultraviolet or an infrared spectrum, selecting the electromagnetic outputs having the highest intensity of the electromagnetic outputs such that only information associated with the one is displayed.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising,
capturing image frames using the sensor while receiving the electromagnetic outputs;
stitching the image frames together to generate an image representative of the control interface associated with a transmitter from which the electromagnetic output is received; and
displaying the image on the graphical user interface.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Worthy Stephenie
• Inskeep Grant
• Lavoie Erick Michael
• Rao Jayanthi

Classifications

• B60K35/28 Primary

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/80 Primary

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/85

  Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title