Patent Publication Number: US-2010117868-A1

Title: System and method for storing location information about a vehicle on a wireless device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     One or more embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system and method for storing location information about a vehicle on a wireless device. 
     2. Background Art 
     One such conventional car finder system generally includes a keyfob and a cell phone that are capable of communicating with one another via a Bluetooth™ protocol. The cell phone includes a proprietary software application and executes such an application to record and provide the location of the vehicle. The car finder operation generally includes an operator triggering the keyfob to transmit a lock command to lock the vehicle. The cell phone also receives the lock command from the keyfob via the Bluetooth™ protocol so that the cell phone records the location of the vehicle in response to the command. 
     While such a conventional car finder system is generally useful, it is possible that the vehicle operator may be a physically located away (e.g., 20 m to 150 m) from the vehicle while locking the vehicle with the keyfob. Such a condition may provide the situation whereby false locations are stored in the cell phone when the operator locks the vehicle with the keyfob while separated from the vehicle. In addition, accidental depression of the keyfob while located away from the vehicle (e.g., operator in workplace and vehicle in parking lot) causes the keyfob to transmit the lock command to the cell phone whereby the cell phone re-records or overwrites a previously valid stored location of the vehicle in response to the accidental depression. 
     Studies performed by at least one original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) indicate that a large percentage of vehicle operators lock their respective vehicles by use of trim switches located interior to the vehicle or with a keypad located exterior to the vehicle and not with the keyfob. Such locking operations performed by the operator generally prevents the cell phone from recording the location of the vehicle as no command is capable of being sent to the cell phone from the vehicle in such a case. 
     SUMMARY 
     In at least one embodiment, a system for transmitting a location signal indicative of the location of the vehicle to a first wireless device is provided. The system comprises a navigation module and a controller. The navigation module is positioned within the vehicle and is configured to transmit a location signal indicative of the physical location of the vehicle. The controller is configured to transmit the location signal as a radio frequency (RF) based signal to the at least one wireless device in response to detecting the occurrence of at least one predetermined vehicle event. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts a system for transmitting location signals indicative of the position of the vehicle; and 
         FIG. 2  depicts a method for transmitting location signals from the vehicle to the wireless device in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The embodiments of the present invention generally provide for, and not limited to, at least one controller in a vehicle that is capable of transmitting a location signal indicative of the location of the vehicle in response to one or more predetermined vehicle events being detected. Such predetermined vehicle events may include, but not limited to, locking the vehicle, parking the vehicle, and/or turning the engine off. At least one portable wireless device receives and stores the location signal. Such a location signal provides the location of the vehicle for a vehicle operator in the event the operator is unable to locate the vehicle while attempting to return to a parked vehicle. The operator may access and obtain the location of the vehicle from the portable wireless device(s). 
     The embodiments of the present invention as set forth in  FIGS. 1-2  generally illustrate and describe a plurality of controllers (or modules), or other such electrically based components. All references to the various controllers and electrically based components and the functionality provided for each, are not intended to be limited to encompassing only what is illustrated and described herein. While particular labels may be assigned to the various controllers and/or electrical components disclosed, such labels are not intended to limit the scope of operation for the controllers and/or the electrical components. The controllers (or modules) may be combined with each other and/or separated in any manner based on the particular type of electrical architecture that is desired or intended to be implemented in the vehicle. Further, it is generally understood that such controllers, modules, wireless devices and/or other such applicable electrical devices generally include hardware, software, and/or firmware for executing various operations of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a system  10  for transmitting location signals indicative of the position of the vehicle  12 . The system  10  generally includes a body controller  14 , a powertrain control module (PCM)  16 , and a navigation module  18 . A communication bus  20  is operatively coupled between the body controller  14 , the PCM  16 , and the navigation module  18  to facilitate bi-directional communication therebetween. The communication bus  20  may be implemented as a High/Medium Speed Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), or any such suitable data link communication bus generally situated to facilitate data transfer between the controllers (or modules) in the vehicle  12 . 
     A first wireless device  22  is electrically coupled to the body controller  14 . The first wireless device  22  includes a Bluetooth™ protocol stored therein so that the first wireless device  22  is capable of communicating with other such Bluetooth™ communication capable devices. For example, a second wireless device  24  may be situated to communicate with the first wireless device  22 . Each of the first and the second wireless devices  22  and  24  are portable. The first wireless device  22  may be implemented as a keyfob for controlling one or more operations of the vehicle. The first wireless device  22  may transmit RF signals corresponding to, but not limited to, unlock/lock commands to the vehicle  12 . The body controller  14  generally includes an antenna (not shown) and a receiver (not shown) for receiving and decoding the RF signals. The body controller  14  is configured to, among other things, unlock/lock doors of the vehicle  12  in response to the RF signals. The body controller  14  generally includes at least one transmitter (not shown) for transmitting RF signals back to the first wireless device  22  and/or the second wireless device  24 . 
     The second wireless device  24  may be implemented as a cell phone, laptop, electronic organizer (e.g., Palm device), or global positioning satellite (GPS) device or other such device generally situated to communicate with the first wireless device  22 . The first wireless device  22  may optionally include a display for providing visual information to the operator. It is generally recognized that the second wireless device  24  includes a display to visually communicate with the operator. 
     Driver and passenger lock/unlock switches  26   a - 26   n  are operatively coupled to the body controller  14  for controlling the body controller  14  to unlock/lock corresponding doors of the vehicle  12 . The switches  26   a - 26   n  may be hardwired or RF coupled to the body controller  14  for controlling the body controller  14  to unlock/lock door(s). The switches  26   a - 26   n  may be positioned within the interior of the vehicle  12 . A keypad  27  positioned on the exterior of the vehicle  12  may also unlock/lock the door(s) of the vehicle in response to predetermined alphanumerical characters being inputted thereto. Such a keypad operation is known in the art and will not be described further. At least one latch state switch  25  is operably coupled to the body controller  14 . A latch assembly  23  including a latch (not shown) and a paddle (or solder) is coupled to the latch state switch  25  so that the latch state switch  25  communicates the lock status to the body controller  14  in response to the user manually locking a door of the vehicle via movement of the paddle or solder. The latch moves to the locked or unlocked state in response to the user moving the paddle. 
     An ignition switch  30  is operatively coupled to the body controller  14  and the PCM  16  for receiving at least one key to start/turn off an engine of the vehicle  12 . The body controller  14  and/or the PCM  16  may generate and transmit an ignition status signal over the bus  20  to the navigation module  18  based on the position of the key in the ignition switch  30 . The ignition status signal may indicate whether the key is in the “ON” or “OFF” position while within the switch  30 , whether the switch  30  is moved to the “START” position to start the engine of the vehicle, and whether the switch  30  is in the “RUN” position. The ignition status signal generally corresponds to engine status (e.g., whether the engine is being started, in the RUN position or ON/OFF position). 
     In one example, the system  10  may employ a passive entry passive start (PEPS) implementation thereby obviating the need to implement the ignition switch  30  within the system. With the PEPS implementation, the body controller  14  may unlock/look the vehicle in response to the body controller  14  determining that the first wireless device  22  is a predetermined distance away from the vehicle  12 . In such a case, the first wireless device  22  automatically (or passively) transmits encrypted RF signals (e.g., without user intervention) in order for the body controller  14  to decrypt (or decode) the RF signals and to determine if the first wireless device  22  is within the predetermined distance. It is to be noted that with the PEPS implementation, the first wireless device  22  may also generate RF signals which correspond to encoded lock/unlock commands in response to a user depressing lock switches or unlock switches. In this aspect, the first wireless device  22  operates as a keyfob. In addition, with the PEPS system, a key may not be needed to start the vehicle  12 . Instead, the operator in this case may be required to depress the brake pedal switch or perform some predetermined operation prior to depressing a start/stop switch (not shown) to start the vehicle after the operator has entered into the vehicle. The start/stop switch may be coupled to the PCM  16 . After performing the predetermined operation, the operator may depress the start/stop switch to start the vehicle. To turn the engine off, the operator may depress the start/stop switch to turn the engine off. The PCM  16  in the PEPS implementation may provide engine status (e.g., engine start or stop) over the bus  20  to body controller  14  and/or the navigation module  18  in response to the operator toggling the start/stop switch. As exhibited above, engine status may be obtained via the implementation of the ignition switch  30  or the implementation of the PEPS system. 
     The PCM  16  is configured to transmit vehicle transmission status signals (or transmission status signals) over the bus  20  to the body controller  14  and/or the navigation module  18 . The transmission status signals may correspond to whether the vehicle is in the “PARK”, “NEUTRAL”, “REVERSE”, and “DRIVE” positions. The PCM  16  may be operatively coupled to an electronic transmission module (not shown) which generates the transmission status signal or include the electronic transmission module therein. Further, the PCM  16  (or other suitable controller) may also monitor parking brake status and transmit such status to the body controller  14 . The body controller  14  may use parking brake status or an indicator that the vehicle is in the “PARK” position for the automatic or manual transmission. 
     The navigation module  18  is configured to determine the location of the vehicle and transmit location signals indicative of the location of the vehicle over the bus  20 . Such location signals may include the vehicle&#39;s GPS coordinates and a pictorial map of the location in which the vehicle is positioned. It is generally contemplated that the body controller  14  may transmit the vehicle&#39;s GPS coordinates and the pictorial representation of the vehicle&#39;s position to the first and/or second wireless device  22 ,  24 . In such an example, the navigation module  18  may capture a screen image of the pictorial map and transmit such data to the body controller  14 . The body controller  14  transmits the screen image of the pictorial map to the first and/or second wireless devices  22 ,  24 . The wireless devices  22 ,  24  may also utilize existing implementations for receiving pictorial information as currently offered by various cell phone carriers. 
     At least one satellite  26  and/or at least one ground station  28  communicate with the navigation module  18  to establish the location of the vehicle  12 . In one example, the satellite  26  may be implemented as a NavStar GPS satellite. The navigation module  18  is capable of establishing the vehicle&#39;s position and velocity relative to the earth&#39;s surface by processing data received by the satellites  26  and/or the ground station  28 . As the vehicle  12  moves latitudinal and/or longitudinally across the earth&#39;s surface, the navigation module  18  is capable of presenting the position of the vehicle  12  with reference coordinates which correspond to, among other things, the latitude and longitude on the earth&#39;s surface. It is generally known that the implementation of a navigation module  18  in a vehicle is capable of providing the position of the vehicle relative to the earth&#39;s surface. Further, the navigation module  18  may also establish the elevation of the vehicle  12  by processing data received by the satellites  26  and/or the ground station  28 . In such an example, such information may be transmitted from the navigation module  18  to the body controller  14  and to the first and/or second wireless devices  22 ,  24  for display thereon in the event elevational information may be requested by the user. 
     The body controller  14  may transmit the location signal as an RF based signal to the first and/or the second wireless devices  22 ,  24  based on various predetermined vehicle events that are detected to have occurred. Alternatively, the first wireless device  22  may receive the location signal and transmit such data to the second wireless device  24 . For example, assuming that that the first wireless device  22  is a keyfob that is capable of communicating via the Bluetooth™ protocol, the first wireless device  22  may transmit the location of the vehicle to any such second wireless device  24  that is Bluetooth™ capable (e.g., cell phone, laptop, portable GPS device, PALM, etc.). Such a condition may prove useful in the event the second wireless device  24  includes greater display capability than that of the keyfob. Keyfobs may or may not include displays for visually communicating with vehicle operators. In the event the keyfob does not include a display, the keyfob may transmit the location of the vehicle along with the pictorial map of the location to the second wireless device  24 . The keyfob may include software therein for enabling the transmission of the pictorial map of the location to the second wireless device  24 . The software included within the keyfob may be similar to what is used within the cellular phone industry for sending pictures from phone to phone. The second wireless device  24  displays the location of the vehicle along with the pictorial map for the operator when the operator intends to find the location of the vehicle upon returning to the parked vehicle. 
     In the event the second wireless device  24  is a handheld GPS device, the GPS device may use the location coordinates in the keyfob to plot an A-B map. The A-B map includes a start position (or A-position) corresponding to the user&#39;s current location and a final position (or B-position) corresponding to the vehicle&#39;s location. The user may enter the user&#39;s current location into the first or the second wireless device  22 ,  24  to obtain the start position. 
       FIG. 2  depicts a method  50  for transmitting the location signal(s) from the vehicle  12  to the first and/or second wireless devices  22 ,  24  in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention. The body controller  14  (or other suitable controller) includes logic (software or hardware or combination thereof) for executing operations of the method  50 . The operations as described below may be performed sequentially or non-sequentially. Further, the operations are capable of being performed simultaneously or serially with respect to one another. The particular order and execution times of the operations set forth below may vary based on the desired criteria of a particular implementation. 
     In operation  52 , the body controller  14  monitors lock status of the vehicle. In one example, the body controller  14  monitors inputs received by the first wireless device  22 , the lock/unlock switches  26   a - 26   n,  the latch state switch  25  and the keypad  27  (or other suitable device generally situated to control the locking of the vehicle) to determine if the operator has locked one or more doors of the vehicle  12 . 
     In operation  54 , if the body controller  14  determines that the lock door command has been issued from the first wireless device  22 , the switches  26   a - 26   n,  and/or the keypad  27 , the method  50  moves to operation  56 . The indication that one or more of the vehicle doors are being locked may correspond to the situation in which the operator intends to park the vehicle  12 . If the body controller  14  does not receive a lock door command, the method  50  moves to operation  58 . 
     In operation  58 , the body controller  14  monitors transmission status of the vehicle  12 . For example, the body controller  14  monitors the transmission status signals transmitted over the bus  20  by the PCM  16  to determine if the vehicle is in “parked” state. In the event the vehicle  12  includes a manual transmission, the body controller  14  may optionally monitor whether the parking brake is enabled to make a determination that the vehicle is in the parked state. Parking brake status may also be monitored for automatic transmission types to make a determination as to whether the vehicle is in a parked state. 
     In operation  60 , if the body controller  14  determines that the vehicle  12  is in the parked state, the method  50  moves to operation  56 . If the body controller  14  determines that the transmission status signal does not correspond to the vehicle being in the parked state, the method  50  moves to operation  62 . 
     In operation  62 , the body controller  14  monitors engine status of the vehicle  12 . For example, in one implementation, the body controller  14  monitors signals from the ignition switch  30  to determine engine status of the vehicle  12  (e.g., OFF, RUN, or START). In the PEPS implementation, the body controller  14  monitors the engine status signal received on the bus  20  from the PCM  16  to determine engine status of the vehicle  12 . 
     In operation  64 , if the body controller  14  determines that the engine of the vehicle  12  is in the “OFF” state in response to signals transmitted from the ignition switch  30  or the engine status signal from the PCM  16 , the method  50  moves to operation  56 . If the body controller  14  determines that the engine of the vehicle  12  is in any other state other than the “OFF” state in response to signals transmitted from the ignition switch  30  or the engine status signal from the PCM  16 , the method  50  moves back to operation  52 . 
     In operation  56 , the body controller  14  transmits the location signal as an RF signal (as last received or updated by the navigation module  18 ) to the first wireless device  22  and or the second wireless device  24  for later retrieval of the location of the vehicle  12  so that the operator can locate the vehicle  12 . In another example, the body controller  14  may request that the navigation module  18  provide the last known location of the vehicle in response to one or more of the conditions as noted in operations  54 ,  60 ,  64  being true prior to transmitting the location signal to the first wireless device  22 . Such a condition may ensure that the location signal includes current information with respect to the location of the vehicle  12 . The first wireless device  22  may optionally transmit the location of vehicle to another Bluetooth™ capable device such as the second wireless device  24 . 
     While embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.