# US 10,372,121 B2 · Determination of continuous user interaction and intent through measurement of force variability > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,121 B2 - Document ID: US10372121B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/138,716 - Filed: 2016-04-26 - Published: 2017-10-26 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-26 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Matthew Atwood Whitaker; John Robert Van Wiemeersch - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372121B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0016: {characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00)} - B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units - B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems - B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems - B60W 30/18: Propelling the vehicle - B60W 30/18009: {related to particular drive situations} - B62D 1/00: Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle - B62D 15/027: {Parking aids, e.g. instruction means} - B62D 15/0285: {Parking performed automatically} - B60K 35/80: Arrangements for controlling instruments - B60K 2360/573: Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES ## Abstract A system for controlling a vehicle from a remote device, such as a mobile device, is disclosed. In one embodiment, the mobile device includes a mobile phone. In other embodiments, any device capable of receiving user input to control the movement may be used. In one embodiment, the system includes a user input receiving module coupled to a processor and configured to receive variations in user input forces applied to a touch-sensitive user interface over a period of time, wherein the intentional or unintentional variations in user input forces over the period of time are indicative of user intent to control the vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for remotely controlling a vehicle, comprising: the vehicle including an Esteering system, an Edrive system, an Ebrake system, a processor, and memory; a control module coupled to the processor and configured to: receive random force variations applied to a touch-sensitive user interface of a mobile device over a period of time, the mobile device being located remotely relative to the vehicle; determine that the random force variations are inputs indicative of user intent to control vehicle movement using the mobile device in response to calculating a mathematical mean of the random force variations and determining that the mathematical mean lies within predetermined force thresholds over the period of time; and activate movement of the vehicle upon determining that all of the random force variations over the period of time lie within a fixed range surrounding a predetermined pattern of input force variations over the period of time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further including the mobile device having the user interface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the mobile device includes at least one user selectable display object configured to activate a graphical display of information in the user interface, and the mobile device includes one of a display fob, a mobile phone, a tablet, or a laptop. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the mobile device includes at least one interface object configured to activate an instruction to move the vehicle, and wherein the control module is configured to transmit to the user interface to display a confirmation that the instruction to move the vehicle lies within the predetermined force thresholds. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle includes a wireless communication module configured for receiving wireless messages containing the random force variations over the period of time from the mobile device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the wireless messages are received from the mobile device via at least one of WiFi, BLUETOOTH, cellular, Low Frequency (LF), near field communication (NFC), and non-cellular Ultra High Frequency (UHF), and the wireless communication module is configured to transmit a confirmation message to the mobile device that the random force variations over the period of time lie within the predetermined force thresholds. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the wireless messages are communicated directly to and from the vehicle and the mobile device or are relayed to and from the vehicle via a cloud server. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, including an authentication module configured to authenticate a user to enable authenticated access to the system to remotely command and control the movement of the vehicle, and wherein the control module is configured to control the movement of the vehicle in response to determining that the random force variations lie within the predetermined force thresholds over the period of time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle further includes the authentication module. ### Claim 10 A system for remotely controlling a vehicle, comprising: the vehicle including an Esteering system, an Edrive system, an Ebrake system, a processor, and memory; a control module coupled to the processor and configured to: receive random force variations applied to a touch-sensitive user interface of a mobile device over a period of time, the mobile device being located remotely relative to the vehicle; determine that the random force variations are inputs indicative of user intent to control vehicle movement using the mobile device in response to calculating a mathematical mean of the random force variations and determining that the mathematical mean lies within predetermined force thresholds over the period of time; and activate movement of the vehicle upon determining that all of the random force variations over the period of time match a predetermined pattern of input force variations over the period of time. ### Claim 11 A system for remotely controlling a vehicle, comprising: the vehicle including an Esteering system, an Edrive system, an Ebrake system, a processor, and memory; a control module coupled to the processor and configured to: receive random force variations applied to a touch-sensitive user interface of a mobile device over a period of time, the mobile device being located remotely relative to the vehicle; determine that the random force variations are inputs indicative of user intent to control vehicle movement using the mobile device in response to calculating a mathematical mean of the random force variations and determining that the mathematical mean lies within predetermined force thresholds over the period of time; and activate movement of the vehicle upon determining that the random force variations over the period of time and x-y coordinate positions of a user input lie within a range of thresholds associated with a predetermined pattern of input force variations and predetermined x-y coordinate positions over the period of time. ### Claim 12 A system for remotely controlling a vehicle, comprising: the vehicle including an Esteering system, an Edrive system, an Ebrake system, a processor, and memory; a control module coupled to the processor and configured to receive force variations applied to a touch-sensitive user interface of a mobile device over a period of time, the mobile device being located remotely relative to the vehicle, wherein the control module is further configured to determine that the force variations are inputs indicative of user intent to control vehicle movement using the mobile device upon determining that a magnitude of the force variations lie outside predetermined upper and lower force thresholds over the period of time; and an authentication module configured to determine whether the force variations over the period of time match a predetermined force pattern associated with validation of user inputs, wherein the vehicle movement is activated when the force variations over the period of time match the predetermined force pattern. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle includes a wireless communication module configured for receiving wireless messages containing the force variations over the period of time from the mobile device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the movement of the vehicle is activated when all of the force variations over the period of time lie within a fixed range surrounding the predetermined force pattern over the period of time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the movement of the vehicle is further activated when x-y coordinate positions of a user input lie within a range of thresholds associated with predetermined x-y coordinate positions over the period of time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle further includes the authentication module. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising the mobile device.