Path-based passive entry

A method for path-based approach to passive vehicle entry, comprising:

• receiving, to a vehicle, messages over a first protocol from a mobile device, each of the messages indicating a heading of the mobile device and a current location of the mobile device;
• pairing the vehicle and the mobile device responsive to the current location of the mobile device being within a first threshold distance to the vehicle;
• and
• responsive to the heading indicating that the mobile device is headed towards the vehicle and the current location of the mobile device being within a second threshold distance from the vehicle, the second threshold distance being closer to the vehicle than the first threshold distance, activate one or more second transceivers over a second protocol to perform time of flight distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile device to obtain more precise positional accuracy, and otherwise maintain the one or more second transceivers in a deactivated mode.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for a path-based approach to passive vehicle entry that, when executed by one or more controllers of a vehicle, cause the vehicle to perform operations including to:

• receive messages over a first protocol from a mobile device, each of the messages indicating a heading of the mobile device and a current location of the mobile device;
• verify, without pairing the mobile device, that the mobile device is on a list of devices authorized to access the vehicle;
• responsive to the verification indicating that the mobile device is authorized to access the vehicle, send a location of the vehicle to the mobile device to allow the mobile device to determine its distance to the vehicle;
• pair the vehicle and the mobile device responsive to the current location of the mobile device being within a first threshold distance to the vehicle;
• once paired, authenticate the mobile device using a passive key received to the vehicle from the mobile device;
• responsive to the vehicle verifying the passive key, allow one or more second transceivers operating over a second protocol to be activated responsive to the heading indicating that the mobile device is headed towards the vehicle and the current location of the mobile device being within a second threshold distance from the vehicle, the second threshold distance being closer to the vehicle than the first threshold distance;
• and
• responsive to the heading indicating that the mobile device is headed towards the vehicle and the current location of the mobile device being within the second threshold distance from the vehicle, activate the one or more second transceivers to perform time of flight distance measurement between the vehicle and the mobile device to obtain a more precise positional accuracy, and otherwise maintain the one or more second transceivers in a deactivated mode.