Shared vehicle I/O expander

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11427140-B2
Application number	US-202017117776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Apr 20, 2020
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

System, apparatus, device and methods relating to a telematic vehicle sharing platform ecosystem and a telematic vehicle share I/O expander to automate sharing and management of a vehicle that is shared by more than one operator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle share I/O expander system for a vehicle, the vehicle share I/O expander system comprising:
a telematic device configured to be connected to an OBDII interface of the vehicle,
the telematic device configured to monitor, log and communicate vehicle share data indicative of operation of said vehicle to a remote device; and
a vehicle share I/O expander separate from the telematics device and connected to said telematics device, the vehicle share I/O expander comprising:
a microprocessor, memory and firmware, together configured to control said vehicle share I/O expander;
communications circuitry;
at least one internal interface; and
at least one external interface configured to couple with a vehicle interface for communicating with a vehicle CAN bus;

wherein said vehicle share I/O expander is configured to:
sense, with said vehicle share I/O expander, at least one unique personal attribute in proximity to said vehicle share I/O expander of said vehicle;
communicate a signal indicative of said at least one unique personal attribute from said vehicle share I/O expander to said telematic device via said at least one internal interface, wherein said telematic device is configured to wirelessly communicate with said vehicle share platform and transmit said at least one unique personal attribute from said vehicle share I/O expander to said vehicle share platform and to receive a validation from said vehicle share platform based upon a comparison of said at least one unique personal attribute with reservation data that is performed at said vehicle share platform;
enable a defined set of vehicle controls based upon said validation; and,
send vehicle commands through said at least one external interface directly to said vehicle CAN bus to activate said defined set of vehicle controls for operation of said vehicle.

2. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one internal interface includes biometric circuitry and said at least one unique personal attribute is a biometric attribute.

3. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 2 , wherein said biometric attribute is selected from the group of face data, fingerprint data, voice data or eye data.

4. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one internal interface includes communication circuitry and said at least one unique personal attribute is a personal device.

5. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 4 , wherein said personal device is selected from the group of a smart phone, a smart watch, a smart device, or an app on a smart device.

6. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one internal interface includes proximity circuitry and said at least one unique personal attribute is a proximity device.

7. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , further including an area configured to restrict sensing and communication within said vehicle.

8. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 7 , wherein said area configured to restrict sensing and communication houses an electronic vehicle key device.

9. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 8 , wherein said electronic vehicle key device is coupled to said I/O expander for communication with said vehicle.

10. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one internal interface is configured to connect to a digital switch, wherein said digital switch is configured to connect to the vehicle bus to enable activation and deactivation of said vehicle.

11. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one internal interface includes a plurality of internal interfaces.

12. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of internal interfaces connect to circuitry selected from the group of digital switch circuitry, communications circuitry, the vehicle bus or an electronic vehicle key device.

13. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of internal interfaces connect to circuitry selected from the group of biometric circuitry, proximity circuitry, and communications circuitry.

14. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , wherein said defined set of controls are a limited set of controls.

15. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , wherein said defined set of controls are an unlimited set of controls.

16. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , wherein said defined set of controls are limited and selected from the group of open, lock, start, stop or geofence.

17. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , wherein said microprocessor is configured to interface with an electronic vehicle key device, the electronic vehicle key device having a button, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform an actuation validation process where a button-depressed or a button-released condition is monitored without a need to know the actual hardware configuration of the electronic vehicle key device.

18. The vehicle share I/O expander system of claim 1 , wherein said microprocessor is configured to interface with an electronic vehicle key device, the electronic vehicle key device having a button, wherein the microprocessor is configured to perform a health check and report a fault if required.

Assignees

• Geotab Inc

Inventors

• Mendes Christopher J
• Fox Stephen Michael
• Gordon Gaffney Benjamin John

Classifications

• B60R25/25

  using biometry · CPC title

• G06Q10/02 Primary

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• B60R25/33

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

• B60R25/307

  using data concerning maintenance or configuration · CPC title

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title