# US 2022/0044501 A1 · Systems and methods to calibrate a handheld device used for remotely controlling a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0044501 A1 - Document ID: US20220044501A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/986,126 - Filed: 2020-08-05 - Published: 2022-02-10 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-05 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie; Armin Mueller-Lerwe; Yuliya Aksyutina; Christoph Hirner; John Robert Van Wiemeersch - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220044501A1 ## CPC - G07C 5/0808: {Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005)} - B62D 15/0285: {Parking performed automatically} - G05D 1/0016: {characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00)} - 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 - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for calibrating a handheld device used for controlling a partially autonomous vehicle. An example method to calibrate the handheld device may include entering a remote-control command into the handheld device for controlling a first action performed by the partially autonomous vehicle. A time-delay associated with one or more operations executed in the handheld device in response to entering the remote-control command are then measured. The time-delay is conveyed to a cloud computing device, which evaluates the time-delay and returns a diagnostic result to the handheld device. Evaluation of the time-delay by the cloud computing device may be carried out by comparing the time-delay in the handheld device to time-delay values obtained via crowdsourcing from other handheld devices. The diagnostic result provided by the cloud computing device may be used by the handheld device for calibration purposes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: entering a first remote-control command into a handheld device for controlling a first action performed by a vehicle; measuring a first time-delay associated with an operation executed in the handheld device in response to entering the first remote-control command; conveying the first time-delay to a cloud computing device; receiving from the cloud computing device, a diagnostic result based on an evaluation of the first time-delay; and calibrating the handheld device based on the diagnostic result. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first remote-control command is entered into the handheld device by one of touching a touchscreen of the handheld device, depressing a key on the handheld device, operating a hardware component of the handheld device, using a biometric feature of the handheld device, or using a voice-operated feature of the handheld device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the first time-delay comprises: determining a first time period for an operating system in the handheld device to produce a first output in response to entering of the first remote-control command into the handheld device; and determining a second time period for a remote-control software application in the handheld device to act upon the first output provided by the operating system and to produce a control signal that is transmitted from the handheld device to the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the first time-delay comprises: determining a time difference between a first amount of time consumed by an operating system in the handheld device to produce a first output and a second amount of time consumed by a remote-control software application in the handheld device to act upon the first output and produce a command signal that is transmitted from the handheld device to the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: entering a second remote-control command into the handheld device, after calibrating the handheld device, for controlling a second action performed by the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the first action is performed by the vehicle when the vehicle is stationary, and the second action is performed by the vehicle when the vehicle is moving. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the first action is one of a door lock action or a door unlock action and the second action is a part of a vehicle self-parking operation. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: entering a first remote-control command into a first handheld device for controlling a first action performed by a vehicle; measuring a first time-delay associated with a first operation executed in the first handheld device in response to entering the first remote-control command; and calibrating the first handheld device, the calibrating comprising comparing the first time-delay to a first threshold time value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein calibrating of the first handheld device is performed by a cloud computing device, and the method further comprises the cloud computing device determining the first threshold time value based on at least a second time-delay associated with the first operation executed in a second handheld device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein calibrating of the first handheld device is performed by one of the first handheld device, the vehicle, or a cloud computing device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first time-delay is produced by an operating system in the first handheld device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining from crowdsourced data, a level of performance of the first handheld device; comparing the level of performance to a threshold performance level; and denying enrollment of the first handheld device with the vehicle when the level of performance is below the threshold performance level. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the level of performance is determined by a malfunction rate, a failure rate, and/or a number of failures over a period of time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein entering the first remote-control command into the first handheld device comprises one of touching a touchscreen of the first handheld device, depressing a key on the first handheld device, operating a hardware component of the first handheld device, using a biometric feature of the first handheld device, or using a voice-operated feature of the first handheld device. ### Claim 15 A handheld device comprising: a memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to at least: detect a first remote-control command that is entered into the handheld device for controlling a first action performed by a vehicle; measure a set of time-delays associated with operations executed in the handheld device in response to entering the first remote-control command; convey the set of time-delays to a cloud computing device; receive from the cloud computing device, a diagnostic result based on an evaluation of the set of time-delays; and calibrate the handheld device based on the diagnostic result. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The handheld device of claim 15, wherein measuring the set of time-delays comprises the processor accessing the memory and executing the computer-executable instructions to at least: determine a first time period for an operating system in the handheld device to produce a first output in response to entering of the first remote-control command into the handheld device; and determine a second time period for a remote-control software application in the handheld device to act upon the first output provided by the operating system and to produce a control signal that is transmitted from the handheld device to the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The handheld device of claim 15, wherein measuring the set of time-delays comprises the processor accessing the memory and executing the computer-executable instructions to at least: determine a time difference between a first amount of time consumed by an operating system in the handheld device to produce a first output and a second amount of time consumed by a remote-control software application in the handheld device to act upon the first output and produce a command signal that is transmitted from the handheld device to the vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The handheld device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to at least: enter a second remote-control command into the handheld device, after calibrating the handheld device, for controlling a second action performed by the vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The handheld device of claim 18, wherein the first action is performed by the vehicle when the vehicle is stationary, and the second action is performed by the vehicle when the vehicle is moving. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The handheld device of claim 19, wherein the first action is one of a door lock action or a door unlock action and the second action is a part of a vehicle self-parking operation.