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US 10,895,235 B2Granted
Method and system for activating in-vehicle power source
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDaniel M. King, Michael Hrecznyj, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Timothy Thivierge, Jr., Zeljko Deljevic, Jason Myslinski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for a vehicle includes an input device configured to send an activation signal responsive to an input to start the vehicle. The system further includes a vehicle body controller, programmed to, responsive to the input and a lack of presence of a phone operating as a key, send an activation signal to activate a power source within a cabin of the vehicle for up to a predefined time period since a last vehicle start.
Claims19
A system for a vehicle comprising:
- a storage configured to maintain mobile device pairing information;
- an input device configured to send a vehicle activation signal responsive to an input to transition the vehicle to an on or accessory mode;
- and
- a vehicle body controller, programmed to, responsive to the input and a lack of presence of a valid key,
- query the storage to identify whether pairing information is being maintained for at least one mobile device that is not detected as being within a cabin of the vehicle, the at least one mobile device storing a key for transitioning the vehicle to the on or accessory mode,
- if so, activate a power source, within a cabin of the vehicle and configured to charge the at least one mobile device storing the key, for up to a predefined time period since a last vehicle start, thereby allowing the mobile device storing the key to gain charge to send the key for transitioning the vehicle to the on or accessory mode, and
- otherwise, refrain from activating the power source.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- maintaining mobile device pairing information in a storage of a vehicle;
- receiving an input to transition the vehicle to an on or accessory mode, the vehicle configured to start with presence of a mobile device operating as a key;
- responsive to the input and a lack of presence of a valid key, querying the storage to identify whether pairing information is being maintained for at least one mobile device that is not detected as being within a cabin of the vehicle, the at least one mobile device storing a key for transitioning the vehicle to the on or accessory mode;
- activating a power source, located within a cabin of the vehicle and configured to charge the at least one mobile device storing the key, for up to a predefined period responsive to a lack of detection of presence of the mobile device or any valid key, thereby allowing the mobile device storing the key to gain charge to send the key for transitioning the vehicle to the on or accessory mode;
- and
- otherwise, refraining from activating the power source.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- a processor of a vehicle programmed to, responsive to receiving an input to transition a vehicle to an accessory or on mode without detecting presence of a mobile device operating as a key or another valid key, the vehicle identified according to a storage of the vehicle as being configured to start with presence of the mobile device due to the storage maintaining pairing information for the mobile device, send an activation signal to activate a power source, within a cabin of the vehicle and configured to charge the mobile device operating as a key, for up to a predefined time period since a last vehicle start thereby allowing the mobile device operating as a key to gain charge to send the key for transitioning the vehicle to the on or accessory mode, and otherwise, refrain from activating the power source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.