Vehicle for recognizing driver using mobile device and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9532200-B2
Application number	US-201514735011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle capable of recognizing a driver having a mobile device includes a smart connector configured to acquire wireless connection information of the driver's mobile device from a wearable device connected to the mobile device. A head unit is configured to perform connection with the mobile device using the wireless connection information of the mobile device acquired from the smart connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle capable of recognizing a driver having a mobile device, the vehicle comprising:
a smart connector configured to detect a wearable device of the driver wirelessly connected to the mobile device, acquire wireless connection information of the mobile device from the wearable device, and transmit the acquired wireless connection information of the mobile device to a head unit; and
the head unit configured to perform wireless connection with the mobile device using the wireless connection information of the mobile device transmitted from the smart connector, to cause a controller of the mobile device to:
when the wireless connection to the head unit is completed, control a wireless communication module of the mobile device to transmit information indicating completion of the wireless connection to the wearable device, and
when a command to switch to a drive mode, in which at least one function of the mobile device is deactivated, is received from the wearable device, switch to the drive mode,

wherein the wireless connection information of the mobile device includes information required for connecting the mobile device to a network provided by the vehicle.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the wearable device includes a smart watch; and
the smart connector is disposed on a steering wheel of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless connection information includes at least one of a Bluetooth device address of the mobile device, a Wi-Fi MAC address, a Wi-Fi connection password, and vehicle information.

4. A method for connecting a vehicle to a driver's mobile device comprising steps of:
detecting, by a smart connector installed in the vehicle, a wearable device of the driver wirelessly connected to the mobile device;
acquiring, by the smart connector, wireless connection information of the mobile device from the wearable device; and
transmitting, by the smart connector, the acquired wireless connection information of the mobile device from the smart connector to a head unit of the vehicle to cause the head unit to wirelessly connect to the mobile device using the wireless connection information of the mobile device,
wherein the wireless connection information of the mobile device includes information required for connecting the mobile device to a network provided by the vehicle, and
the smart connector causes a controller of the mobile device to:
when the wireless connection to the head unit is completed, control a wireless communication module of the mobile device to transmit information indicating completion of the wireless connection to the wearable device, and
when a command to switch to a drive mode, in which at least one function of the mobile device is deactivated, is received from the wearable device, to switch to the drive mode.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the wireless connection information includes at least one of a Bluetooth device address of the mobile device, a Wi-Fi MAC address, a Wi-Fi connection password, and vehicle information.

6. A wearable device wirelessly connecting a mobile device to a head unit of a vehicle, the wearable device configured to establish a wireless connection with a smart tag of the vehicle and read wireless connection information of the head unit from the smart tag of the vehicle, and transmit the wireless connection information to the mobile device,
wherein upon receiving information indicating completion of a wireless connection between the mobile device and the head unit from the mobile device, the wearable device transmits a command to the mobile device to cause the mobile device to switch to a drive mode, in which at least one function of the mobile device is deactivated, and
wherein the wireless connection information of the head unit includes information required for connecting the mobile device to a network provided by the vehicle.

7. The wearable device according to claim 6 , further comprising: a global positioning system (GPS) for position recognition,
wherein the wearable device is configured to, when change of position information is sensed through the GPS, transmit a signal corresponding to the change of the position information to the mobile device.

8. The wearable device according to claim 6 , wherein the wireless connection information includes at least one of a Bluetooth device address of the head unit, a Wi-Fi MAC address, a Wi-Fi connection password, and vehicle information.

9. A mobile device performing wireless connection with a head unit of a vehicle, the mobile device comprising:
a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly exchange data with a wearable device and receive wireless connection information of the head unit from the wearable device; and
a controller configured to control the wireless communication module to wirelessly connect to the head unit using the wireless connection information,
wherein the wireless connection information of the head unit includes information required for connecting the mobile device to a network provided by the vehicle, and
wherein the controller is configured to, when the wireless connection to the head unit is completed, control the wireless communication module to transmit information indicating completion of the wireless connection to the wearable device, and when a command to switch to a drive mode, in which at least one function of the mobile device is deactivated, is received from the wearable device, switch to the drive mode.

10. The mobile device according to claim 9 , wherein the wireless connection information includes at least one of a Bluetooth device address of the head unit, a Wi-Fi MAC address, a Wi-Fi connection password, and vehicle information.

11. A method for connecting a mobile device to a vehicle comprising:
connecting wirelessly a wearable device with the mobile device;
connecting wirelessly the wearable device with a smart tag of the vehicle, and acquiring, by the wearable device, wireless connection information of a head unit of the vehicle from the smart tag;
transmitting, by the wearable device, the wireless connection information to the mobile device to cause the mobile device to attempt a wireless connection with the head unit using the wireless connection information;
completing wireless connection between the mobile device and the head unit;
transmitting information indicating completion of the wireless connection from the mobile device to the wearable device;
transmitting a command to switch to a drive mode, in which at least one function of the mobile device is deactivated, from the wearable device to the mobile device; and
switching the mobile device to the drive mode,
wherein the wireless connection information of the head unit includes information required for connecting the mobile device to a network provided by the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the wireless connection information includes at least one of a Bluetooth device address of the head unit, a Wi-Fi MAC address, a Wi-Fi connection password, and vehicle information.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yae Seong Soo

Classifications

• H04W4/80

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

• H04W4/16 Primary

  Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• B60W50/00

  Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit {, e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces} · CPC title

• H04W76/023

  Electricity · mapped topic