Patent ID: 8126450
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: B60R,G07C

Abstract:
1. A method for unlocking a vehicle with a cell phone, the method comprising: monitoring wireless signals from a cell phone; receiving a signal from one or more cell phones, the signal indicating a distance between the one or more cell phones and the vehicle; determining whether the one or more cell phones are authorized to access systems of the vehicle; monitoring the distance between the one or more cell phones and the vehicle; determining a priority for implementing user preferences in response to receiving signals from a plurality of cell phones authorized to access the systems of the vehicle; performing one or more vehicle actions specified by the user preferences and associated with distance thresholds according to the priority, the one or more vehicle actions including at least unlocking doors of the vehicle in response to (1) the one or more cell phones nearing the vehicle, (2) the one or more cell phones being within a threshold distance, and (3) the one or more cell phones being authorized to access the systems of the vehicle; and securing the vehicle in response to determining there is no user interaction with the vehicle within a time period or the one or more cell phones becoming further separated from the vehicle.