Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Joseph Paul Rork

Brian Petersen

Ritesh Pandya

Praveen Kumar Yalavarty

Matthew Atwood Whitaker

Mark Schunder

Thomas John Giuli

Joseph N Ross

Kelly Lee Zechel

Yitah Richard Wu

Chiwei John Lee

Thomas Richard Alexander

Ryan J Skaff

Edward Andrew Pleet

Mary A Smith

Yevgeniya Sosonkina

Kevin Michael Bullister

Susan Curry

William M Frykman

Elizabeth Profitt-Brown

Joseph Phillips

A computer implemented method includes logging vehicle startup information. The method also includes determining, via a computer, if timing commonalities exist between logged vehicle startup information instances. Further, the method includes recommending automatic vehicle startup, based on a threshold number of timing commonalities. The method also includes formulating recommended start times based on logged vehicle startup information instances having timing commonalities. The method additionally includes presenting a schedule including recommended start times to a vehicle user and scheduling automatic vehicle startups upon vehicle user acceptance of the presented schedule.

Method and apparatus for scheduling vehicle startup

A system includes a processor configured to receive a request from a mobile device to utilize a vehicle resource. The processor is also configured to determine that a first key has been used to start a vehicle a first time. The processor is further configured to determine that a second key has been used to start the vehicle a second time and approve the request based on the determination that both the first key and the second key were used to start the vehicle a first time and a second time respectively.

Method and apparatus for secure pairing

A system includes a processor configured to receive a request for publication of a message to a vehicle. The processor is further configured to determine if the message has a time-sensitive indicia, defining an expiration time, affiliated therewith. Also, the processor is configured to deliver messages having time-sensitive indicia to a time-sensitive inbox. The processor is additionally configured to remove messages from the time sensitive inbox when a defined expiration time for a given message has passed.

Method and apparatus for vehicle message recall

A computer-implemented method may include subscribing to a first topic tree topic associated with an installed vehicle software component version; identifying a desired software component version based on a published notification retrieved from the first topic; and when the desired version and the installed version differ, updating a software component using a software update retrieved from a second topic tree topic associated with software updates to the installed version.

Autonomous global software update

A message broker may initialize, responsive to a connection notification published via vehicle connection to a vehicle-associated topic tree topic to which a service delivery network is subscribed, a lost-connection notification to be published to the topic by the broker upon broker identification of the connection as lost, and when a periodic notification over the connection to the message broker is missed, publish the lost-connection notification to the vehicle-associated topic. A service delivery may receive a message publish request for a vehicle topic via a message broker to which the service delivery network and vehicle subscribe; and send a wakeup message to the vehicle out-of-band from the message broker to request the vehicle to reconnect to the message broker when a type of the message requires the vehicle to be connected to publish the message and the vehicle is disconnected.

Remote vehicle connection status

A system includes a processor configured to receive a vehicle-access-PIN generation request from a vehicle computing system (VCS). The processor is also configured to generate the vehicle-access-PIN. The processor is additionally configured to associate a vehicle with the vehicle-access-PIN. Further, the processor is configured to return the vehicle-access-PIN to the requesting VCS. Also, the processor is configured to receive a validation request, including a validation-PIN, from a non-vehicle computing system (NVCS). In addition, the processor is configured to validate the validation-PIN by comparison with stored vehicle-access-PINs to find a match and provide access credentials, for a vehicle associated with a stored vehicle-access-PIN that matches the validation-PIN, to the NVCS.

Method and apparatus for secure vehicle system access from a remote system

A system includes a processor configured to receive a geo-fence definition defining a geographic perimeter or point. The processor is also configured to receive a vehicle location. Further, the processor is configured to determine a distance from the vehicle location to a most proximate geo-fence point and determine a reporting-rate that varies based on proximity to the geo-fence. The processor is also configured to report a vehicle location at intervals defined by the reporting-rate.

Method and apparatus for dynamic position reporting rate determination

A vehicle may gather vehicle build configuration information, and provide a vehicle identifier and the vehicle information to a server. The server may determine a feature set configuration of a configurable module of the vehicle based on the vehicle information and vehicle feature associations retrieved from a vehicle data source, and provide, in a message topic of a topic tree associated with the vehicle identifier to which the vehicle is subscribed, a notification to configure the configurable module. The vehicle may update a feature set configuration of a configurable module supporting a plurality of features based on the notification.

Flexible feature deployment strategy

A vehicle may include at least one controller configured to maintain a communication channel over a network between a vehicle and a vehicle service server accessible through an access point node. The at least one controller may be further configured to receive, over the network out-of-band from the communication channel, an update message including updated communication channel connection information, and upon receiving the message, reconnect the communication channel according to the updated connection information. A secure server may be configured to generate the update message specifying at least one of updated access point node information and updated address information, encrypt the update message according to an encryption key shared with a vehicle destination, and provide the update message over a network to the vehicle out-of-band from the communication channel.

Secure manipulation of embedded modem connection settings through short messaging service communication

A system may include a configurable module having a firmware version supporting multiple functions and a configuration specifying which of the functions are utilized for a vehicle feature; and a controller configured to update the configuration of the module, based on a command published by a server to a controller-subscribed topic tree message topic, the command targeting the vehicle according to one of unique vehicle identifier and the vehicle feature.

Targeted vehicle remote feature updates

A system includes a processor configured to detect that a vehicle module update has been performed. The processor is further configured to create an identifier associated with a module that indicates an updated status and for each module having an identifier indicating an updated status associated therewith, requesting subscription to a topic, corresponding to the updated module, and specific to an individual vehicle, from a remote server.

Method and apparatus for dynamically updating a vehicle module configuration record

A computer-implemented tracking method includes receiving a tracking request at a vehicle associated computing system (VACS). The method also includes authenticating the tracking request and determining a vehicle location via a GPS in communication with the VACS. The method further includes transmitting the vehicle location from the VACS to a tracking request associated computing system (TRACS). The method also includes monitoring the vehicle for at least one delay-event. The method additionally includes transmitting data corresponding to the delay event to the TRACS, contingent on the occurrence of at least one delay-event.

Method and apparatus for vehicle tracking

One or more embodiments may include a method for remotely obtaining information about an energy source of a vehicle. Information identifying one or more vehicles and one or more drivers of the vehicles may be received at one or more computing devices remote from a vehicle. Instructions from the one or more remote computing devices may be transmitted requesting information from the identified vehicle(s) about a status of an energy source for the identified vehicle(s). The status information may be received at the remote computing device(s). Based on the energy source status information and the driver identifying information, a vehicle energy source status with respect to one or more attributes of the vehicle drivers may be calculated. Additionally, the vehicle energy source status may be displayed at the one or more devices.

Methods and systems for monitoring a vehicle's energy source

A computer-implemented method includes recognizing the initiation of a vehicle journey. The method further includes periodically storing vehicle speed data, GPS coordinate data and time data. This method also includes providing at least one option for reporting the stored speed data, GPS data and time data. The method additionally includes outputting the stored speed data, GPS data and time data for at least one portion of the vehicle journey, responsive to input requesting the reporting.

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Plymouth, MI, United States of America

Joseph Paul Rork