US 2026/0296368 A1Published application

Vehicle trunk/liftgate unlocking by a wearable electronic device

AssigneeMotorola Mobility LLC

InventorsRANJEET GUPTA, RAHUL BHARAT DESAI

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Abstract

An electronic device, a method, and a computer program product for triggering handsfree unlocking of a trunk/liftgate of a vehicle, in response to detecting a user authorized vehicle that is within a pre-determined distance. The method includes, receiving, from a wearable electronic device, an image comprising a rear of a vehicle. The method includes determining if the image is substantially similar to a reference rear vehicle image associated with a user authorized vehicle. In response to determining the image is substantially similar to the reference rear vehicle image, the method includes identifying the image as that of the vehicle and determining a first distance between the electronic device and the vehicle. The method includes determining if the first distance is less than a distance threshold. In response to determining the first distance is less than the distance threshold, the method includes initiating automated unlocking of a trunk/liftgate of the vehicle.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic device comprising:

a communications subsystem that enables the electronic device to communicatively connect to a wearable electronic device and to at least one pre-established vehicle;
a memory having stored thereon a vehicle trunk/liftgate unlocking (VTLU) module for triggering unlocking of a trunk/liftgate of a first vehicle;
and
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the communications subsystem and the memory, and which executes program code of the VTLU module, the at least one processor configured to cause the electronic device to:
receive, from the wearable electronic device, a first image comprising a rear of a vehicle;
determine if the first image is substantially similar to a reference rear vehicle image associated with the first vehicle;
and
in response to determining the first image is substantially similar to the reference rear vehicle image associated with the first vehicle:
identify the first image as that of the first vehicle;
determine a first distance between the first electronic device and the first vehicle;
determine if the first distance is less than a distance threshold;
and
in response to determining the first distance is less than the distance threshold, initiate automated unlocking of the trunk/liftgate of the first vehicle.

10 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, via at least one processor of an electronic device, from a wearable electronic device, a first image comprising a rear of a vehicle;
determining if the first image is substantially similar to a reference rear vehicle image associated with a first vehicle;
and
in response to determining the first image is substantially similar to the reference rear vehicle image associated with the first vehicle:
identifying the first image as that of the first vehicle;
determining a first distance between the first electronic device and the first vehicle;
determining if the first distance is less than a distance threshold;
and
in response to determining the first distance is less than the distance threshold, initiating automated unlocking of a trunk/liftgate of the first vehicle.

6 more elements

A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage device having stored thereon program code which, when executed by at least one processor of an electronic device having a communications subsystem that enables the electronic device to communicatively connect to a wearable electronic device and to at least one pre-established vehicle, configures the electronic device to complete the functionality of:
receiving, from the wearable electronic device, a first image comprising a rear of a vehicle;
determining if the first image is substantially similar to a reference rear vehicle image associated with the first vehicle;
and
in response to determining the first image is substantially similar to the reference rear vehicle image associated with the first vehicle:
identifying the first image as that of the first vehicle;
determining a first distance between the first electronic device and the first vehicle;
determining if the first distance is less than a distance threshold;
and
in response to determining the first distance is less than the distance threshold, initiating automated unlocking of a trunk/liftgate of the first vehicle.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/094,949Filed 30 Mar 2025
Published: 1 Oct 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B60R 25/24
Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off: using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
B60R 25/01
Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles: operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors,…
B60R 25/305
Detection related to theft or to other events relevant to anti-theft systems: using a camera
G06V 10/82
Using pattern recognition or machine learning: using neural networks