System and method of determining real-time location

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11991589-B2
Application number	US-202217709682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

A system and method are provided for determining location information of a vehicle keyfob relative to an object. The system and method may include communicating with a primary device (e.g., a smartphone) having primary device authentication information with respect to the object, and receiving parameter information, such as keyfob authentication information, from the primary device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A keyfob operable to communicate with an object, said keyfob comprising:
an antenna system configured to communicate wirelessly with the object, wherein said keyfob and the object are configurable to communicate wirelessly via a primary communication link;
a controller operably coupled to said antenna system, said controller configured to receive one or more parameters from a remote device via a secondary communication link with the remote device, wherein the one or more parameters pertain to authentication with respect to the object; and
said controller configured to direct the antenna system to transmit communications to the object via said primary communication link, said controller operable to authenticate with respect to the object based on the one or more parameters received from the remote device via the secondary link, whereby the object is operable to determine a location of said keyfob based on said communications from said keyfob.

2. The keyfob of claim 1 wherein a display is absent from the keyfob, and wherein the remote device is a smartphone.

3. The keyfob of claim 1 wherein said one or more parameters pertain to authorization with respect to one or more capabilities of the object.

4. The keyfob of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to communicate wirelessly with a plurality of devices disposed on the object.

5. The keyfob of claim 4 wherein the plurality of devices includes an object device and at least one sensor disposed on the object, wherein the controller is configured to establish the primary communication link with at least one of the plurality of devices.

6. The keyfob of claim 5 wherein one or more signal characteristics are determined with respect to the communications of the primary communication link.

7. The keyfob of claim 6 wherein the one or more signal characteristics include at least one of a time-of-flight and an output from a multilateration determination.

8. The keyfob of claim 1 wherein the keyfob communicates with the object via an ultra-wideband communication link, and wherein the remote device communicates with the object via a Bluetooth Low Energy communication link.

9. The keyfob of claim 1 wherein said parameters pertain to communicating with the object and enabling one or more devices disposed on the object to at least one of monitor communications from said antenna system to the object and communicate directly with said antenna system of the object.

10. The keyfob of claim 1 wherein at least one of an object status and an object event is authorized based on a determined location of the keyfob.

11. The keyfob of claim 1 wherein the antenna system includes a Bluetooth Low Energy antenna constructed to communicate wirelessly with the object and the remote device.

12. A system including said keyfob of claim 1 in combination with said remote device, said remote device comprising:
a remote device antenna system configured to communicate wirelessly with the object via a remote device primary communication link, said remote device antenna system configured to communicate wirelessly with said keyfob separate from said remote device primary communication link;
a memory to store one or more parameters pertaining to the object; and
a remote device controller operably coupled to said remote device antenna system, said remote device controller configured to transmit one or more parameters to said keyfob, wherein at least one of an object status and an object event is authorized based on the one or more parameters provided to said keyfob.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said keyfob is operable to communicate wirelessly with the object based on the one or more parameters.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one of said remote device and said keyfob is operable to establish a direct communication link with at least one sensor of the object, wherein said remote device is a smartphone.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the direct communication link between said keyfob and the at least one sensor of the object is an ultra-wideband communication link.

16. A method of facilitating operation of an object, said method comprising:
communicating wirelessly with the object via a primary communication link between the object and a remote device,
communicating wirelessly with a keyfob separate from the remote device;
storing one or more parameters pertaining to the object;
transmitting one or more parameters from the remote device to the keyfob, wherein the one or more parameters pertain to authentication with respect to the object;
determining a location of the keyfob with respect to the object;
authenticating the key fob with respect to the object based on the one or more parameters received from the remote device; and
authorizing at least one of an object status and an object event based on the one or more parameters provided to the keyfob.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising communicating wirelessly with the object via a secondary communication link between the object and the keyfob.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the secondary communication link is a direct communication link with at least one sensor of the object.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the direct communication link between the keyfob and the at least one sensor of the object is an ultra-wideband communication link.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more parameters pertain to authorization with respect to one or more capabilities of the object, and wherein the remote device is a smartphone.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Smith Eric J

Classifications

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• A44B15/005

  Fobs · CPC title

• B60R25/245 Primary

  where the antenna reception area plays a role · CPC title

• G07C9/00309

  operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks · CPC title

• G07C2009/00769

  with data transmission performed by wireless means · CPC title