System and method for establishing wireless communication between a vehicle and a portable computing device using an enhanced position classifier

A system for a vehicle, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory storing programming instructions that are configured to cause the one or more processors to:
• detect a portable computing device within a first communication area;
• detect that the portable computing device is within a second communication area less than the first communication area using a first position classifier configured to estimate whether the portable computing device is at the vehicle;
• detect that the portable computing device is within a third communication area less than the first communication area and greater than the second communication area using a second position classifier in response to the portable computing device not being in the second communication area;
• automatically establish, a wireless communication link with the portable computing device to play audio content from the portable computing device using an infotainment system of the vehicle in response to the portable computing device being detected within the second communication area using the first position classifier
• in response to the portable computing device detected within the third communication area:
• detect that the portable computing device provided in the third communication area is playing audio content;
• provide a message via a user interface requesting if the audio content is to be emitted via the infotainment system of the vehicle;
• and
• play, via the infotainment system, the audio content in response to receiving an input via the user interface indicating that the audio content is to be emitted.

A method comprising:

• detecting, by a vehicle system, a portable computing device within a first communication area that is defined based on BLUETOOTH-type communication;
• detecting, by the vehicle system, that the portable computing device is within a second communication area less than the first communication area using a first position classifier configured to estimate whether the portable computing device is at a vehicle having the vehicle system;
• automatically establishing, by the vehicle system, a wireless communication link with the portable computing device to play audio content from the portable computing device using an infotainment system of the vehicle in response to the portable computing device being detected within the second communication area using the first position classifier;
• detecting, by the vehicle system, that the portable computing device is within a third communication area less than the first communication area and greater than the second communication area using a second position classifier in response to the portable computing device not being in the second communication area;
• and
• in response to the portable computing device detected within the third communication area,
• detecting, by the vehicle system, that the portable computing device provided in the third communication area is playing audio content;
• providing, by the vehicle system, a message via a user interface requesting if the audio content is to be emitted via the infotainment system of the vehicle;
• and
• playing, by the vehicle system via the infotainment system, the audio content in response to receiving an input via the user interface indicating that the audio content is to be emitted, wherein:
• the first position classifier is configured to estimate that the portable computing device is at the vehicle using at least one of a near field communication, an angle of arrival estimation, or a time of flight estimation, and
• the second position classifier is configured to estimate a distance between the portable computing device and the vehicle using at least one of channel sounding or received signal strength indicator technique.