# US 2018/0025553 A1 · Stealth mode for vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025553 A1 - Document ID: US20180025553A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/217,216 - Filed: 2016-07-22 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Manpreet Singh BAJWA; Omar MAKKE; Perry Robinson MacNEILLE; Oleg Yurievitch GUSIKHIN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025553A1 ## CPC - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - G06F 21/604: {Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems} - G06F 21/6245: {Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes} - G07C 5/0825: {using optical means} - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] - H04W 12/64: using geofenced areas - G06F 2221/2105: Dual mode as a secondary aspect - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A vehicle stores privacy settings that specify a plurality of data privacy protections to apply to vehicle communications over a network when the vehicle is in a stealth mode but not when the vehicle is in a normal mode. A telematics control unit of the vehicle indicates transition from the normal mode to the stealth mode responsive to connection of the vehicle to the network via an unknown service provider or responsive to vehicle entry to a predefined geofence area. The telematics control unit of the vehicle indicates transition from the stealth mode to the normal mode responsive to connection of the vehicle to the carrier to which the vehicle is subscribed for network service or vehicle exit from the geofence area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a memory storing privacy settings specifying a plurality of data privacy protections to apply to vehicle communications over a network when the vehicle is in a stealth mode but not when the vehicle is in a normal mode; and a telematics control unit of the vehicle configured to indicate transition from the normal mode to the stealth mode responsive to connection of the vehicle to the network via an unknown service provider. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the telematics control unit is further configured automatically apply the data privacy protections responsive to the transition to the stealth mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the telematics control unit is further configured to automatically cause a display of a recommendation in a vehicle human-machine interface requesting the transition from the normal mode to the stealth mode responsive to the indication of the transition to the stealth mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the telematics control unit is further configured to send a privacy settings update mode message over a vehicle bus to indicate to electronic control units of the vehicle to transition to the stealth mode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the telematics control unit is further configured to cause a display of a recommendation in a vehicle human-machine interface requesting that the user manually disconnect mobile devices from the network responsive to transitioning from the normal mode to the stealth mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data privacy protections include removing user identity information from web headers provided by the telematics control unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data privacy protections include removing information indicating a current location of the vehicle from the communications provided by the telematics control unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the data privacy protections include denying incoming requests to the telematics control unit. ### Claim 9 A method comprising: using privacy settings specifying data privacy protections to apply to communications over a network when a vehicle is in stealth mode but not when the vehicle is in normal mode, transitioning a telematics control unit (TCU) of the vehicle from normal to stealth mode responsive to vehicle entry to a predefined geofence area; and transitioning the TCU from stealth to normal mode responsive to vehicle exit from the geofence area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising transitioning the TCU from normal to stealth mode responsive to connection of the vehicle to the network via a service provider other than a carrier to which the vehicle is subscribed for network service. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising transitioning the TCU from stealth to normal mode responsive to connection of the vehicle to the carrier to which the vehicle is subscribed for network service. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising indicating the transition from normal to stealth mode in a vehicle human-machine interface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising sending a privacy settings update mode message over a vehicle bus indicating to electronic control units of the vehicle to transition to the stealth mode. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a vehicle controller, cause the controller to: store privacy settings specifying a plurality of data privacy protections to apply to vehicle communications over a network when the vehicle is in a stealth mode but not when the vehicle is in a normal mode; transition a telematics control unit of the vehicle from the normal mode to the stealth mode responsive to vehicle entry to a predefined geofence area; transition the telematics control unit from the stealth mode to the normal mode responsive to vehicle exit from the geofence area; transition the telematics control unit from the normal mode to the stealth mode responsive to connection of the vehicle to the network via a service provider other than a carrier to which the vehicle is subscribed for network service; and transition the telematics control unit from the stealth mode to the normal mode responsive to connection of the vehicle to the carrier to which the vehicle is subscribed for network service. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The medium of claim 14, wherein the data privacy protections include removing user identity information from web headers provided by the telematics control unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The medium of claim 14, wherein the data privacy protections include removing information indicating a current location of the vehicle from the communications provided by the telematics control unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The medium of claim 14, wherein the data privacy protections include denying incoming requests to the telematics control unit.