Patent Publication Number: US-2018033218-A1

Title: Remotely connected car internet of things key

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/368,660 filed on Jul. 29, 2016, which the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosure relates to a monitoring system for a motor vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When a car owner is away from his parked car, he is often unaware of the current environment in which the car is parked and he does not have a way to get firsthand information of any event in which his car is involved while he is not present. For example, the car owner who is away from his car has no find to be informed if his car is broken into or damaged in a parking lot, or if the fuel level is very low for next drive. 
     Currently, an alarm in the car may be activated if the car is involved in any accident while parked. It is also possible to access the health of the car on a website or on a car mobile application via the internet. However, there is no way to have the car, the car owner&#39;s mobile phone and the car key interconnected in a three-way gateway to enable the car owner to access information about the car. The car key does not have the capability to show the owner the state of car via indicators as there is no way to connect the key to the car via the cloud or internet. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention may remotely provide the car owner with information on demand about the state of his ear via an indicator on his car key or on his mobile phone. The car key may be connected to the car remotely through a user-owned unique personal electronic device such as a mobile phone, tablet, smart watch or any computing device with internet and personal area network (PAN) communication ability such as Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth low energy (BTLE), Wi-Fi, etc. The personal electronic device or computing device may be connected to the car via the interact cloud or any other wired or wireless methods and may act as a gateway to the car key to enable the car owner to determine the status of his car. For example, the car owner may be informed via indicators on his car key that the fuel level is low, that the theft alarm has been activated, or that the car has been hit by another vehicle when the car owner is not present. 
     The invention may employ low power BT- or PAN-based wireless communication between a wireless communication device, such as a mobile electronic device, tablet, smart watch or any computing device with internet and PAN communication ability, and a car key to enable the car key the access information related to the diagnostic health status of the car. The user can get instant car health information by looking at indicators on the car key. 
     In the prior art, in order to send commands from the car key to the car, to remotely start the car, for example, the user has to be disposed within the range of the wireless communication in order for the signal to reach the car. But with this invention, the user can start a car by pressing on the ignition button from anywhere as the signal is sent from the car key to an authenticated device such as a mobile phone, tablet, smart watch, personal computer, computing device, etc., and then to the car via the internet 
     Before entering the car to begin a trip, the user picks up his car keys but there is no way he can get an on-demand status of his car health, such as an indication of low fuel. Thus, the user does not know whether he needs to leave earlier in order to get fuel. With this invention, however, the user can look at the low fuel indicator on his car key and make a decision to leave earlier in order to get fuel. 
     In one embodiment, the invention comprises a motor vehicle remote monitoring arrangement including a motor vehicle having a wireless communication device transmitting a vehicle status signal. A vehicle key receives the vehicle status signal via a mobile electronic device and provides a visible indication to a user of the vehicle. The indication is indicative of the vehicle status signal. 
     In another embodiment, the invention comprises a method of remotely monitoring a motor vehicle, including transmitting a vehicle status signal from the motor vehicle. The vehicle status signal is received at the vehicle key. The vehicle status signal is received via a mobile electronic device. A visual indication on the vehicle key is provided to a user of the vehicle. The indication is indicative of the vehicle status signal. 
     In yet another embodiment, the invention comprises a method of remotely monitoring a motor vehicle, including responding to a user pressing a pushbutton on a key fob by transmitting a wireless vehicle status request signal. The wireless vehicle status request signal is received at the motor vehicle. The wireless vehicle status request signal is received via a mobile electronic device. Receipt of the wireless vehicle status request signal is responded to by transmitting a wireless vehicle status signal from the motor vehicle. The vehicle status signal is received at the key fob via the mobile electronic device. An indication of the vehicle status signal is provided by the key fob to a user of the vehicle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one example embodiment of a vehicle monitoring arrangement of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the vehicle monitoring arrangement of  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 3  is another schematic diagram of the vehicle monitoring arrangement of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram of the flow relationship between  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
         FIG. 4A  is a flow chart of a first portion of one embodiment of a vehicle monitoring method of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4B  is a flow chart of a second portion of the vehicle monitoring method that is partially presented in  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart of one embodiment of a method of the present invention for remotely monitoring a motor vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a vehicle monitoring arrangement  10  of the present invention, including a smart car key or key fob  12  with PAN communication, a wirelessly connected vehicle  14 , a connected car authenticated electronic device  16 , and a cloud storage device  18 . Smart car key  12  includes three LED indicators, namely, a low fuel level indicator  20 , a low battery indicator  22 , and a car safety status indicator  24 . Smart car key  12  includes a low energy PAN communications unit  26 , a micro controller  28  with car status LED controller logic  30 , status storage  32  and an authentication unit  34 . 
     Vehicle  14  includes a PAN communications unit  36 , a computer processing unit (CPU)  38 , a car data collection unit  40 , a storage device  42  and a car status advertise unit  44 . Vehicle  14  is connected to cloud storage device  18  via internet of things (IOT) cloud connectivity. Cloud storage device  18 , in turn, is connected to electronic device  16  via IOT cloud connectivity. 
     Electronic device  16  may be a personal mobile device, a smart watch, or an authorized computer with internet and PAN communication ability such as BT, BTLE, Wi-Fi, etc. Electronic device  16  includes a low energy PAN communications unit  46 , a computer processing unit (CPU)  48 , a data collection unit  50 , a storage device  52  and a car status advertise unit  54 . Electronic device  16  is communicatively coupled to smart car key  12  via a PAN wireless communication Channel. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the invention provides the ability for car key  12  to connect to cloud  56  via any other wireless or wired medium in case of a lost connected car device, such as a mobile telephone, tablet computer, smart watch, etc. Car  14  has an interne cloud based information exchange to authenticated “connected car” device such as a mobile telephone, tablet, smart watch, etc. or any computing device with interact connectivity. Electronic device  16  may communicate via wireless low energy or any PAN based status information update to car key  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , car key  12  may communicate via wireless low energy or any PAN based ignition start command update to electronic device  16 . 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate one embodiment of a vehicle monitoring method of the present invention, including car key  12  detecting that a pushbutton  58  ( FIG. 3 ) has been pressed (step  402 ). Next, in step  404 , car key  12  creates a status request command to be sent to electronic device  16 . Car key  12  transmits the command and an identity of car key  12  (step  406 ). Car key  12  then waits to receive the car status information (step  408 ). 
     In step  410 , electronic device  16  waits to receive from key  12  a signal for events and commands to transmit to vehicle  14 . In step  412 , electronic device  16  detects the signal for events and commands from key  12  to transmit to vehicle  14 . In steps  414 ,  416  electronic device  16  authenticates the command and the car user. In step  418 , electronic device  16  stores the command in a local database and transmits the command to the cloud. 
     In step  420 , car  14  checks the cloud for any requests from an authenticated electronic device  16 . If it is determined by the car in step  422  that no such request is present, then operation returns to step  420 . However, if it is determined in step  422  that such request is present, then in step  424  the request, the car user, and electronic device  16  are authenticated. In step  426  it is determined whether the car user and electronic device  16  are valid. If so, then in step  428  an action request is sent to the car controller unit. However, if it is determined in step  426  that the car user and/or electronic device  16  are not valid, then in step  430  no action is performed. After step  428 , in step  432  it is determined whether a risk event is detected. If so, then in step  430  no action is performed, and in step  434  the event and car status are stored and updated to the cloud. However, if in step  432  it is determined that no risk event is detected, then in step  436  an action (e.g., the action requested in step  428 ) is performed, and in step  434  the event and car status are stored and updated to the cloud. 
     In step  438 , software in car  14  detects the health and safety status and events of the car at regular time intervals. In step  440  it is determined whether a risk event is detected by car  14 . If not, then operation returns to step  438 . However, if it is determined in step  440  that a risk event is detected, then operation proceeds to step  434  and then returns to step  438 . 
     After step  434 , in step  442 , software in electronic device  16  detects an incoming event from car  14  via the cloud. In step  444 , electronic device  16  waits to receive any signal from the cloud for any events from car  14 . Operation then proceeds to step  442 . After step  442 , electronic device  16  authenticates the event, the car user, and the electronic device in step  446 . In step  448  it is determined whether the car user and electronic; device are valid. If not, then operation returns to step  444 . However, if it is determined in step  448  that the car user and electronic device are valid, then in step  450  the validity of the car user and electronic device is stored, and the event and the car status update are sent to car key  12 . 
     In step  452 , car key  12  detects the incoming event from the connected electronic device  16 , After either of steps  408  or  452 , operation proceeds to step  454 , where car key  12  causes its LED corresponding to the event/status response from device  16  to blink. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of a method  500  of the present invention for remotely monitoring a motor vehicle. In a first step  502 , a user pressing a pushbutton on a key fob is responded to by transmitting a wireless vehicle status request signal. For example, pushbutton  58  of key fob  12  being pressed (step  402 ) is detected. In response, in step  404 , key fob  12  creates a status request command to be sent to electronic device  16 . Key fob  12  may then transmit the command in step  406 . 
     In a next step  504 , the wireless vehicle status request signal is received at the motor vehicle via a mobile electronic device. For example, in step  410 , electronic device  16  waits to receive from key  12  a signal for events and commands to transmit to vehicle  14 . In step  412 , electronic device  16  detects the signal for events and commands from key  12  to transmit to vehicle  14 . 
     Next, in step  506 , the receipt of the wireless vehicle status request signal is responded to by transmitting a wireless vehicle status signal from the motor vehicle. For example, in step  434  the car status is stored and updated to the cloud from the car. 
     In step  508 , the vehicle status signal is received at the key fob via the mobile electronic device. For example, in step  450  the car status update is sent to key fob  12  from electronic device  16 . 
     In a final step  510 , an indication to a user of the vehicle is provided. The indication is provided by the key fob and is indicative of the vehicle status signal. For example, in step  454  key fob  12  causes its LED corresponding to the event/status response from device  16  to blink. 
     The foregoing description may refer to “motor vehicle”, “automobile”, “automotive”, or similar expressions. It is to be understood that these terms are not intended to limit the invention to any particular type of transportation vehicle. Rather, the invention may be applied to any type of transportation vehicle whether traveling by air, water, or ground, such as airplanes, boats, etc. 
     The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom for modifications can be made by those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.