# US 10,319,167 B1 · Systems and methods for peer-to-peer vehicle sharing

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- Number: US 10,319,167 B1
- Document ID: US10319167B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/898,734
- Filed: 2018-02-19
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2018-02-19
- Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Inventors: Christopher L. Oesterling; Dwayne A. Crocker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319167B1

## CPC

- G07C 9/00896: {specially adapted for particular uses}
- G07C 9/00174: {Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys (mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00)}
- G07C 9/00571: {operated by interacting with a central unit}
- G07C 2009/00587: {by battery}
- G07C 2009/00769: {with data transmission performed by wireless means}
- G07C 2009/00984: {fob}
- G07C 2209/08: With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

According to one example, a key fob for peer-to-peer vehicle sharing is provided. The key fob includes a communications module and a remote enablement module. The communications module is configured to obtain a remote enablement command indicating a rental period for a vehicle associated with the key fob. The remote enablement module is configured to enable one or more functions of the key fob during the rental period based on the remote enablement command.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A key fob for peer-to-peer vehicle sharing, comprising:
a communication module configured to:
obtain a remote enablement command indicating a rental period for a vehicle associated with the key fob;
a remote enablement module configured to:
enable one or more functions of the key fob during the rental period based on the remote enablement command; and
a power control module configured to:
transition the key fob from a first energy state to a second energy state during the rental period in response to the remote enablement module enabling the one or more functions of the key fob.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The key fob of claim 1, wherein the communications module is further configured to:
obtain first authentication data from an electronic device associated with a user; and
obtain second authentication data from a server.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The key fob of claim 2, further comprising:
an authentication module configured to:
compare the first authentication data with the second authentication data; and
authenticate the electronic device associated with the user if the first authentication data correlates to the second authentication data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The key fob of claim 3, wherein the remote enablement module is configured to:
enable the one or more functions based on the authentication module authenticating the electronic device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The key fob of claim 1, further comprising:
a timer module configured to:
start a timer at a begging of the rental period;
stop the timer at an end of the rental period; and
transmit a rental period expiration notification to the remote enablement module at the end of the rental period.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The key fob of claim 5, wherein the remote enablement module is further configured to:
disable the one or more functions of the key fob in response to obtaining the rental period expiration notification.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The key fob of claim 1, wherein the first energy state comprises a higher energy state than the second energy state.

### Claim 8

A server comprising:
a processor;
memory;
a peer-to-peer vehicle share application that is stored in the memory and executed by the processor and that is configured to:
obtain a vehicle rental request from an electronic device associated with a user, wherein the vehicle rental request comprises a location of the electronic device;
identify a particular vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles to satisfy the vehicle rental request based on at least the location of the electronic device;
transmit a vehicle assignment to the electronic device, wherein the vehicle assignment comprises a location of the particular vehicle and identification information associated with the particular vehicle;
determine whether an unlock condition associated with the particular vehicle has been satisfied;
in response to determining that the unlock condition associated with the particular vehicle has been satisfied, unlock one or more doors of the particular vehicle; and
transmit a remote enablement command to enable a key fob associated with the particular vehicle for a rental period, wherein the remote enablement command causes the key fob to transition from a first energy state to a second energy state during the rental period.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The server of claim 8, wherein the peer-to-peer vehicle share application is configured to determine whether the unlock condition associated with the particular vehicle has been satisfied by obtaining a vehicle unlock request from the electronic device associated with the user.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The server of claim 8, wherein the peer-to-peer vehicle share application is configured to determine whether the unlock condition associated with the particular vehicle has been satisfied by determining that the electronic device associated with the user is within a predetermined proximity of the particular vehicle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The server of claim 10, wherein the peer-to-peer vehicle share application is configured to determine that the electronic device associated with the user is within the predetermined proximity of the particular vehicle by comparing the location of the electronic device with the location of the particular vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The server of claim 8, wherein the peer-to-peer vehicle share application is configured to enable the key fob associated with the particular vehicle by transmitting an enablement command to a transceiver of the particular vehicle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The server of claim 8, wherein the peer-to-peer vehicle share application is further configured to:
transmit authentication data associated with the electronic device to the key fob.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The server of claim 13, wherein the peer-to-peer vehicle share application is configured to transmit the authentication data associated with the electronic device to the key fob via a transceiver of the particular vehicle.

### Claim 15

A key fob for peer-to-peer vehicle sharing, comprising:
a battery;
a vehicle control circuit connected to the battery and configured to:
transmit a fob enablement beacon, indicating that the key fob has been enabled, to a particular vehicle associated with the key fob when the vehicle control circuit is energized by the battery;
a controller configured to:
activate in response to obtaining a controller activation command;
authenticate an electronic device associated with a user; and
in response to authenticating the electronic device, cause the battery to energize the vehicle control circuit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The key fob of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to:
deactivate within a predetermined period of time after causing the battery to energize the vehicle control circuit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The key fob of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:
reactivate, after being deactivated.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The key fob of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to reactivate after at least one of the following:
obtaining another controller activation command; and
a predetermined period of time has passed.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The key fob of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to:
de-energize the vehicle control circuit by preventing the battery from supplying power to the vehicle control circuit.