Managing features associated with a user equipment based on a location of the user equipment within a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015256668-A1
Application number	US-201414196935-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 4, 2014
Priority date	Mar 4, 2014
Publication date	Sep 10, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

In an aspect, a user equipment (UE) is positioned within a driver operation zone of a vehicle, one or more UE-based user interfaces (UIs) are restricted and forwarded to a vehicle-based UI controller to permit access to the one or more UE-based features via a vehicle-based UI. In another aspect, the UE in the driver operation zone is engaged in hands-free speakerphone mode via a vehicle audio system of the vehicle, and an attempt to transition the UE to handset-based audio mode is blocked. In another aspect, when a handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt of the UE is detected, the UE interacts with a vehicle audio system to temporarily reduce volume being output by one or more proximal speakers. In another aspect, the UE streams media to a media presentation device in its own zone or another zone of the vehicle for presentation thereon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of operating a user equipment (UE) within a vehicle with an in-vehicle configuration that includes a driver operation zone, comprising:
determining that the UE is located within the driver operation zone of the vehicle based upon interaction between the UE and an in-vehicle location detection system; restricting, in response to the determination, one or more UE-based user interfaces (UIs) provisioned on the UE for accessing one or more UE-based features; and forwarding, in response to the determination, the one or more UE-based UIs to a vehicle-based UI controller that is coupled to a vehicle UI of the vehicle that is accessible to an operator of the UE within the driver operation zone to permit access to the one or more UE-based features via the vehicle-based UI.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the in-vehicle location detection system includes a plurality of Bluetooth transceivers deployed throughout the vehicle, and wherein the determining determines that the UE is located within the driver operation zone of the vehicle based upon a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) between the UE and at least one of the plurality of Bluetooth transceivers.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining includes:
partitioning an interior area of the vehicle into the driver operation zone and at least one non-driver operation zone, determining a relative position of the UE within the interior area based upon the interaction between the UE and the in-vehicle location detection system, and detecting that the determined relative position of the UE within the interior area is inside of the partitioned area corresponding to the driver operation zone.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more UE-based features includes a web-browsing feature and/or a texting feature.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding is configured to permit the one or more UE-based UIs to be modified for presentation by the vehicle-based UI.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that the UE has exited the driver operation zone of the vehicle and entered into a non-driver operation zone of the vehicle; removing the restriction of the one or more UE-based UIs in response to the detection; and stopping the forwarding of the one or more UE-based UIs in response to the detection.

7 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the forwarding forwards the one or more UE-based UIs to the vehicle-based UI controller while retaining control over the one or more UE-based features at the UE, or wherein the forwarding forwards the one or more UE-based UIs to the vehicle-based UI controller while splitting control over the one or more UE-based features between the UE and the vehicle-based UI controller, or wherein the forwarding forwards the one or more UE-based UIs to the vehicle-based UI controller by handing off control of the one or more UE-based features from the UE to the vehicle-based UI controller such that the UE is not responsible for processing of the one or more UE-based features after the handoff.

8 . A method of operating a user equipment (UE) within a vehicle with an in-vehicle configuration that includes a driver operation zone, comprising:
detecting, while the UE is engaged in hands-free speakerphone mode via a vehicle audio system of the vehicle, an attempt to transition to a handset-based audio mode; determining that the UE is located within the driver operation zone of the vehicle based upon interaction between the UE and an in-vehicle location detection system; and blocking the transition to the handset-based audio mode based on the determination that the UE is located within the driver operation zone.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the detected attempt to transition to the handset-based audio mode corresponds to the UE being detected in proximity to an ear of an operator of the UE.

10 . The method of claim 8 ,
wherein the in-vehicle location detection system includes a plurality of Bluetooth transceivers deployed throughout the vehicle, and wherein the determining determines that the UE is located within the driver operation zone of the vehicle based upon a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) between the UE and at least one of the plurality of Bluetooth transceivers.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining includes:
partitioning an interior area of the vehicle into the driver operation zone and at least one non-driver operation zone, determining a relative position of the UE within the interior area based upon the interaction between the UE and the in-vehicle location detection system, and detecting that the determined relative position of the UE within the interior area is inside of the partitioned area corresponding to the driver operation zone.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining that the UE has exited the driver operation zone of the vehicle and entered into a non-driver operation zone of the vehicle; detecting, while the UE remains engaged in the hands-free speakerphone mode via the vehicle audio system of the vehicle, another attempt to transition to the handset-based audio mode; and permitting the transition to the handset-based audio mode based on the determination that the UE is located within the non-driver operation zone.

13 . A method of operating a user equipment (UE) within a vehicle with an in-vehicle configuration including a plurality of zones, comprising:
detecting a handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt by the UE while audio is being output in accordance with an in-vehicle audio output scheme by a vehicle audio system that includes a plurality of speakers provisioned within the vehicle; determining that the UE is located within a given zone from the plurality of zones based upon interaction between the UE and an in-vehicle location detection system; and interacting with the vehicle audio system to temporarily reduce volume by one or more proximal speakers of the given zone.

14 . The method of claim 13 ,
wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt includes an audio capture component and an audio playback component, wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt corresponds to an incoming call received by the UE, a call that is originated by the UE and/or activation of an audio recording function of the UE.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the handset-based audio capture and/or playback attempt corresponds to an attempt by the UE to play a file containing an audio component.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a degree of volume reduction for the one or more proximal speakers is based on one or more volume reduction parameters.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more volume reduction parameters include an expected impact of sound upon the given zone, a volume level prior to the temporary volume reduction and/or a target volume level for the one or more proximal speakers during handset-based audio capture and/or playback within the given zone.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more proximal speakers include two or more proximal speakers having different degrees of volume reduction based on the one or more volume reduction parameters.

19 . The method of claim 13 ,
wherein the in-vehicle location detection system includes a plurality of Bluetooth transceivers deployed throughout the vehicle, and wherein the determini

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Atkinson William Lloyd
• Kwong Tung Chuen
• Chan Benjamin Koon Pan
• Law Henry Hing
• Yu Wilson Hung

Classifications

• H04M1/72463

  to restrict the functionality of the device · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04M1/6091

  including a wireless interface · CPC title

• H04W4/021 Primary

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

• H04M1/6075 Primary

  adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle (H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241) · CPC title