Connecting a personal mobile device to a vehicle communication unit
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsMichael A. Wuergler, Steven C. Tengler, Robert A. Hrabak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for connecting a personal mobile device to a vehicle communication unit. The method involves automatically detecting the presence of a personal mobile device located at a vehicle, obtaining permission to connect the personal mobile device, and automatically connecting the personal mobile device to the vehicle communication unit. The method and apparatus can be used, for example, during an initial connection of a personal mobile device to a vehicle communication unit or each time a new mobile device is present in the vehicle.
Claims7
A method for connecting a personal mobile device to a vehicle communication unit, comprising the steps of:
- (a) in response to a vehicle trigger, monitoring for a signal indicative of a personal mobile device being located at a vehicle;
- (b) detecting the presence of a personal mobile device in response to the monitoring;
- (c) checking if an identifier associated with the personal mobile device has an associated counter indicating that a connection to the personal mobile device had been rejected one or more times by a user of the vehicle;
- (d) determining either that no said counter is present or that the counter has reached a reset value;
- (e) in response to the determination in step (d), requesting permission from the user of the vehicle to connect the personal mobile device to the vehicle communication unit;
- (f) obtaining permission to connect the personal mobile device;
- and thereafter
- (g) establishing short range wireless communication between the personal mobile device and the vehicle communication unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.