Path-based detection of user approach for passive entry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12370977-B2
Application number	US-202318353504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2023
Priority date	Jul 17, 2023
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

Path-based approach to passive vehicle entry is provided. A vehicle receives messages over a first protocol from a mobile device, each of the messages indicating a heading of the mobile device and a current location of the mobile device. The vehicle and the mobile device pair responsive to the current location of the mobile device being within a first threshold distance to the vehicle. Responsive to the heading indicating that the mobile device is headed towards the vehicle and the current location of the mobile device being within a second threshold distance from the vehicle, the second threshold distance being closer to the vehicle than the first threshold distance, the vehicle activates one or more second transceivers to perform time of flight distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile device to obtain more precise positional accuracy, and otherwise maintains the one or more second transceivers in a deactivated mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for a path-based approach to passive vehicle entry, comprising:
a first transceiver of a vehicle configured to operate over a first protocol;
one or more second transceivers of the vehicle configured to operate over a second protocol, the second protocol having shorter range but more precise positional accuracy than the first protocol; and
one or more controllers of the vehicle, programmed to:
receive messages over the first protocol from a mobile device, each of the messages indicating a heading of the mobile device and a current location of the mobile device,
pair the vehicle and the mobile device responsive to the current location of the mobile device being within a first threshold distance to the vehicle, and
responsive to the heading indicating that the mobile device is headed towards the vehicle and the current location of the mobile device being within a second threshold distance from the vehicle, the second threshold distance being closer to the vehicle than the first threshold distance, activate the one or more second transceivers to perform time of flight distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile device to obtain the more precise positional accuracy, and otherwise maintain the one or more second transceivers in a deactivated mode.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further programmed to:
verify, without pairing the mobile device, that the mobile device is on a list of devices authorized to access the vehicle; and
responsive to the verification indicating that the mobile device is authorized to access the vehicle, send a location of the vehicle to the mobile device to allow the mobile device to determine the distance to the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further programmed to receive a request to pair the vehicle and the mobile device responsive to the mobile device determining that the current location of the mobile device is within the first threshold distance to the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further programmed to:
once paired, authenticate the mobile device using a passive key received to the vehicle from the mobile device; and
responsive to the vehicle verifying the passive key, allow the one or more second transceivers to be activated responsive to the heading indicating that the mobile device is headed towards the vehicle and the current location of the mobile device being within the second threshold distance from the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further programmed to:
activate vehicle features responsive to the current location of the mobile device being within a third threshold distance from the vehicle, the third threshold distance being closer to the vehicle than the second threshold distance.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein to activate the vehicle features includes to unlock the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein to activate the vehicle features includes to precondition a cabin of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first protocol is BLUETOOTH and the second protocol is Ultra-Wide Band (UWB).

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heading of the mobile device is extrapolated from a plurality of previous locations of the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further programmed to:
perform path prediction of the mobile device to determine a direction or location of approach of the mobile device; and
activate vehicle features in accordance with the direction or location of approach.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the vehicle features include the one or more second transceivers, wherein only the one or more second transceivers on the side of the vehicle to which the mobile device is approaching are activated.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the path prediction is used by the vehicle to prevent the activation of the vehicle features responsive to determining that the path prediction indicates that the mobile device will pass by the vehicle without approaching the vehicle, thereby inhibiting false alerts.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more controllers are further programmed to:
track usage patterns of the vehicle over time to determine a regular schedule of likely usage of the vehicle; and
utilize the schedule in combination with the path prediction to prevent the activation of the vehicle features responsive to determining that the path prediction at the current time based on the schedule indicates that the mobile device will pass by the vehicle without approaching the vehicle, thereby inhibiting false alerts.

14. A method for path-based approach to passive vehicle entry, comprising:
receiving, to a vehicle, messages over a first protocol from a mobile device, each of the messages indicating a heading of the mobile device and a current location of the mobile device;
pairing the vehicle and the mobile device responsive to the current location of the mobile device being within a first threshold distance to the vehicle; and
responsive to the heading indicating that the mobile device is headed towards the vehicle and the current location of the mobile device being within a second threshold distance from the vehicle, the second threshold distance being closer to the vehicle than the first threshold distance, activate one or more second transceivers over a second protocol to perform time of flight distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile device to obtain more precise positional accuracy, and otherwise maintain the one or more second transceivers in a deactivated mode.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
verifying, without pairing the mobile device, that the mobile device is on a list of devices authorized to access the vehicle; and
responsive to the verification indicating that the mobile device is authorized to access the vehicle, sending a location of the vehicle to the mobile device to allow the mobile device to determine the distance to the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising using, by the mobile device, a saved vehicle location to determine the distance to the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving a request to pair the vehicle and the mobile device responsive to the mobile device determining that the current location of the mobile device is within the first threshold distance to the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
once paired, authenticating the mobile device using a passive key received to the vehicle from the mobile device; and
responsive to the vehicle verifying the passive key, allowing the one or more second transceivers to be activated responsive to the heading indicating that the mobile device is headed towards the vehicle and the current location of the mobile device being within the second threshold distance from the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising activating vehicle features responsive to the current location of the mobile device being within a third threshold distance from the vehicle, the third threshold distance being closer to the vehicle than the second threshold distance.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein activating the vehicle features includes to unlock the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein activating the vehicle features includes to precondition a cabin of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Palakonda Sathyanarayana Chary
• Wallat Jeffrey
• Vukovic Ivan
• Quan Kirsen J

Classifications

• G07C9/00658

  operated by passive electrical keys · CPC title

• G07C2009/00793

  by Hertzian waves · CPC title

• B60R2325/101

  Bluetooth® · CPC title

• G07C2209/63

  Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle · CPC title

• G07C9/00309

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