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US 12,083,992 B2Granted
Methods for shared vehicle access
AssigneeGeotab Inc.
InventorsBenjamin John Gordon Gaffney, Thomas James Wallis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To utilize a shared vehicle, a user can request access to the vehicle, which results in the generation of a virtual key. The virtual key is provided to a plurality of different devices, such as a vehicle device at the vehicle, and a user device in the possession of the user. Access to the vehicle can be granted and maintained by verification of the virtual key against data from an identification device at the vehicle, or from the user device. In this way, multiple options for vehicle access are available to the user, which increases flexibility and user-friendliness.
Claims14
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a reservation management device, a virtual key request from a user for accessing a vehicle by the user;
- generating, by the reservation management device, a first virtual key in response to the virtual key request;
- providing, by the reservation management device, the first virtual key to a vehicle device positioned at the vehicle, wherein the vehicle device is communicatively coupled to an identification device positioned at the vehicle;
- providing, by the reservation management device, the first virtual key to a first user device separate from the vehicle;
- authenticating the user by the vehicle device, based on one of:
- verification of credentials of the user received by the identification device to the first virtual key provided to the vehicle device;
- or
- verification of the first virtual key provided to the first user device to the first virtual key provided to the vehicle device;
- after authenticating the user, providing, by the vehicle device, access to the vehicle for the user;
- and
- after providing vehicle access to the user, maintaining vehicle access for the user, by:
- if the user was authenticated based on verification of credentials of the user received by the identification device to the first virtual key provided to the vehicle device, maintaining vehicle access for the user by authenticating the user based on verification of the first virtual key provided to the first user device to the first virtual key provided to the vehicle device;
- or
- if the user was authenticated based on verification of the first virtual key provided to the first user device to the first virtual key provided to the vehicle device, maintaining vehicle access for the user by authenticating the user based on verification of credentials of the user received by the identification device to the first virtual key provided to the vehicle device.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.