Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

David McNabb

John Robert Van Wiemeersch

Vivekanandh Elangovan

Erick Michael Lavoie

Hamid M Golgiri

Kevin Thomas Hille

Timothy Thivierge, Jr

Shubham Sharma

A key and an advertisement identifier are received from a share server responsive to a request for a ride. The advertisement identifier is utilized to execute a share application installed to the memory. A local connection is established to a vehicle sending an advertisement that matches the advertisement identifier. Access is gained to the vehicle for the ride using the local connection.

Simplified authentication of mobile device by vehicle for shared or autonomous vehicles

A vehicle includes a transceiver and a processor. The processor is programmed to generate a user identifier responsive to receipt of authentication rights to the vehicle via the transceiver, and responsive to occurrence of a scheduled time and location specified by the authentication rights, activate a phone key of the authentication rights corresponding to the user identifier with a key manager and activate a passcode of the authentication rights corresponding to the user identifier with a passcode manager.

Authentication manager

A vehicle may include: a motor, nodes, sensors, puddle lights, and processor(s) configured to: command the nodes to produce high power signal patterns to link with a mobile device; command at least some of the nodes to produce low power signal patterns to link with the mobile device based detecting the high power link; activate at least some of the puddle lights based on the low power link. The vehicle may activate at least some of the puddle lights based on the low power link by running processing software on measurements captured by the nodes based on the low power link.

Vehicle driver locator

Method and apparatus are disclosed for tracking a wireless device using a seamless handoff between a vehicle and a mobile device. An example vehicle includes internal and external antennas, a sensor, and an infotainment head unit with a display. The infotainment head unit tracks, using the external antenna, a wireless-enabled object exterior to the vehicle. The infotainment head unit also determines a location of the mobile device associated with the vehicle based on the sensor and the internal and external antennas. Additionally, when the mobile device exits the vehicle, the infotainment head unit automatically transitions tracking information to the mobile device.

Tracking a wireless device using a seamless handoff between a vehicle and a mobile device

Method and apparatus are disclosed for status tests of wireless communication nodes of vehicles. An example vehicle includes communication nodes including a first node and a second node. The first node is to send a first of test signals to and receive a second of the test signals from the second node. The example vehicle also includes a controller to determine signal strengths of the test signals and at least partially disable passive entry passive start responsive to determining one or more of the communication nodes is impaired based upon the signal strengths.

Status tests of wireless communication nodes of vehicles

Method and apparatus are disclosed for reducing power consumption in a PAAK vehicle system. An example vehicle includes a main BLE module for communication with a mobile device acting as a vehicle key, a plurality of BLE antenna modules (BLEAMs), and a processor. The processor is configured for determining that the mobile device is within a threshold range of the vehicle for a threshold time period, and responsively reducing power consumption of one or more of the plurality of BLEAMs.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

David McNabb