Livio, Inc.

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Justin Dickow

Scott Smereka

Joey Ray Grover

Joel J Fischer

Corey Maylone

John Byrne

Jacob R Sigal

Michael Burke

John Robert Van Wiemeersch

Omar Makke

Stefan Bankowski

Michael Wollman

Values may be tracked from wireless sensors of a vehicle indicative of distance between the mobile device and the sensors. When the values over time indicate approach and then departure of the device to a first side of the vehicle and consistent approach of the device to a second side of the vehicle, the device may be associated with a seating zone of an identified closest pair of the sensors. Wireless sensors may be proximate to entrances to a vehicle. The vehicle may track values from the sensors indicative of distance between a mobile device and the sensors; calculate pair values as sums of the values received from pairs of the sensors proximate vehicle entrances; and identify one of the entrances through which the mobile device passed according to the pair value with a minimum value closest to a distance between the pair of the sensors.

Mobile device resident vehicle zone tracking

A system may include global controls, each associated with a different one of a plurality of user interface screens of a vehicle; contextual controls, each associated with a command function available from a selected one of the plurality of user interface screens; and a vehicle processor configured to display a current one of the plurality of user interface screens, and update command functions associated with the contextual controls responsive to user input to the global controls. A method may include, responsive to receiving an indication of a user input press of a global control, updating command functions associated with contextual controls in accordance with command function available from a user interface screen associated with the global control; and upon receiving a user input release of the global control within a predetermined threshold period of time, navigating to the user interface screen associated with the global control.

Global and contextual vehicle computing system controls

A vehicle may display a user interface of an application based on command information received from a primary-connected device, and send the command information to a secondary-connected device providing an auxiliary user interface. The vehicle may also forward a command message received based on user input to the auxiliary user interface to the application of the primary-connected device. The vehicle may also access paired device data to confirm that the secondary-connected device is authorized to command the application; and forward the user input to the primary-connected device if the secondary-connected device is authorized to command the application.

Secondary-connected device companion application control of a primary-connected device

Wireless sensors are included within zones of a physical space. A memory stores feature description data. A processor, in communication with the memory and the wireless sensors, is programmed to send, to a mobile device connected to one of the wireless sensors, a subset of the feature description data applicable to one of the zones in which the mobile device is located. The processor also is programmed to receive a request to update a feature of the one of the zones based on the feature description data, and apply the setting update when the mobile device has permission. The zones of a physical space may be seating zones of a vehicle, and the wireless sensors may be included within doors to the seating zones of the vehicle. The mobile device may determine a seating zone of the vehicle in which the mobile device is located using the wireless sensors.

Feature description data for vehicle zone configuration

A memory stores a message map associating requests with human-machine interface (HMI) notifications. A vehicle receives a request from a secondary-connected device, and sends an HMI notification to a primary-connected device, constructed based on the message map and the request, to simulate user input to the vehicle to cause the primary-connected device to perform the request. A secondary-connected device connected to a vehicle computing platform receives a command, constructs a request message describing the command; and sends the request message to the computing platform, to cause the computing platform to send a HMI notification to a primary-connected device to simulate user input to the vehicle requesting the primary-connected device to perform the command.

Application control of primary-connected devices from secondary-connected devices

A vehicle may identify a highest-ranked seating zone for a mobile device using values determined from signal strengths from wireless sensors, the values indicating probabilities of the mobile device being located in each of a plurality of seating zones. The vehicle may also assign the mobile device to the highest-ranked seating zone if the mobile device indicates a higher probability for the zone than other mobile devices. Responsive to determining the mobile device is located within a vehicle, the mobile device may determine position ranks for each of a plurality of seating zones of the vehicle using signal strength values to vehicle wireless sensors, determine confidence values for each of the seating zones using the position ranks, and receive a seating zone assignment responsive to sending the confidence values to the vehicle.

Vehicle seating zone assignment conflict resolution

A vehicle may include wireless signal sensors surrounding the doors of the vehicle. A processor of the vehicle may be programmed to capture, from the sensors, a first data snapshot when one of the doors is opened and a second data snapshot when the one of the door is closed, and assign a mobile device to a seating zone associated with the one of the doors when the first and second snapshots both indicate the mobile device is closest to the door.

Two-stage event-driven mobile device tracking for vehicles

A vehicle computing system includes at least one processor configured to provide a lockout icon to a mobile device using a uniform resource identifier. The at least one processor is further configured to, in response to established communication with the mobile device having a user-interface display, retrieve the uniform resource identifier based on an application being executed at the mobile device. The at least one processor is further configured to transmit the uniform resource identifier to the mobile device to lockout the user-interface display with the lockout icon associated with the uniform resource identifier.

Vehicle computing systems and methods for delivery of a mobile device lockout icon

A base station may include a transceiver, an indicator, and a processor programmed to detect presence of a key fob using one or more inputs. When the key fob is detected, the processor may direct the transceiver to broadcast an interference signal using the transceiver to prevent the key fob from detecting and responding to challenge requests and set the indicator to indicate presence of the broadcast. When an access request is received from a modem, using the transceiver the base station may temporarily discontinue broadcast of an interference signal to send a challenge request to the key fob and receive a challenge response, and send a response to the access request including information based on the challenge response.

Key fob challenge request masking base station

A service may provide media content metadata describing available media content to reader devices, the service including a zeroth characteristic indicating a count of additional data characteristics of the service and a count of read cycles of the data characteristics to retrieve the metadata. Each of the data characteristics may include an indication of the read cycle of the data characteristic, a data element including a portion of the metadata, and an indication of a data offset of the data element into the media content metadata. Responsive to all subscribed reader devices downloading data from one of the data characteristics, including update data of a next read cycle in the characteristic.

Low energy data streaming service

A vehicle computing system includes at least one processor in communication with a mobile device via a wireless transceiver. The at least one processor is configured to launch a second application from an inactive state at the mobile device based on a message transmitted to a first application in an active state being executed in a foreground at the mobile device. The message is configured with an application identification of the second application.

Methods and systems for a vehicle computing system to launch an application

A computing platform of a vehicle may receive a request from a mobile device executing a data collection application using an element of vehicle data. The platform may access a permission table to confirm that a unique identifier of the mobile device is authorized to access the element of vehicle data. The mobile device may subscribe to a characteristic providing the element of vehicle data. The vehicle may update the element of vehicle data provided by the characteristic in accordance with a predefined threshold.

Secure low energy vehicle information monitor

Values may be tracked from wireless sensors of a vehicle that indicate distances between the mobile device and the sensors. When the signal strength values indicate the mobile device is within the vehicle, the device may be associated with a seating zone of the vehicle corresponding to the one of the sensors that provided signal strength values that peaked earliest in time. The mobile device may be determined to be within the vehicle by using a hypothesis test comparing a threshold signal strength value to the signal strength values.

Passenger zone detection with signal strength data aided by physical signal barriers

A mobile device may be associated with a vehicle for verification of software updates. The mobile device may be configured to receive a message including an encryption key with which a software update for the vehicle is encrypted, provide a user interface requesting user verification of installation of the software update, and responsive to receipt of the user verification, provide the encryption key to the vehicle to allow the vehicle to decrypt the software update. An update server may be configured to send a software update encrypted using an encryption key to a vehicle, receive a request from the vehicle requesting that the encryption key used to encrypt the software update be provided to a mobile device associated with the vehicle for verification of software updates, and send the encryption key to the mobile device responsive to the request.

Vehicle software update verification

A vehicle infotainment system includes a vehicle processor connected to a transceiver and programmed to transmit human-machine interface (HMI) data to a connected mobile device using websockets via the transceiver. The vehicle processor is further programmed to, in response to the connected mobile device via the transceiver, receive a message requesting HMI data being outputted at a vehicle display. The vehicle processor is further programmed to transmit the HMI data to the mobile device via websockets and receive a parameter adjustment via a remote procedure call for a parameter associated with the HMI data.

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Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

Justin Dickow