Virtual vehicle entry keypad and method of use thereof

A keyless entry keypad apparatus of a vehicle, comprising

• keypad indicia integral with a window of the vehicle, wherein said keypad indicia is formed using a substance that transitions from being nearly invisible to a human eye to being highly visible to the human eye when exposed to light of a specified configuration;
• a light emitting device configured for outputting light of the specified configuration, wherein said keypad indicia and the light emitting device are relatively positioned for causing said keypad indicia to be exposed to said outputted light such that the keypad indicia transitions to being highly visible to the human eye;
• and
• an imaging device for capturing user interaction with said keypad indicia while said keypad indicia are exposed to said outputted light.

A vehicle, comprising

• a window having keypad indicia provided thereon, wherein the keypad indicia is formed using an ultra-violet (UV) fluorescent dye that is nearly invisible to a human eye until exposed to UV light;
• as UV light emitting device configured for outputting UV light, wherein the light emitting device is mounted on the vehicle for enabling said keypad indicia to be exposed to said outputted UV light thereby causing said keypad indicia to become readily visible by the human eye;
• an imaging device for capturing user interaction with said keypad indicia while said keypad indicia is exposed to said outputted UV light;
• and
• a keypad interaction processor for determining if a sequence of body part movements with respect to said keypad indicia that is captured by the imaging device during exposure of said keypad indicia to said outputted light corresponds to an access code of the vehicle.

A method of using a virtual vehicle entry keypad that is integral with a window of a vehicle to gain access to an interior space of the vehicle, comprising:

• detecting presence of a person attempting to gain access to the interior space of the vehicle through a door of the vehicle;
• determining that manual access authentication is required by the person for allowing access to the interior space after detecting presence of the person;
• energizing a light emitting, device for causing light of a specified configuration to be outputted therefrom in response to determining that manual access authentication is required, wherein said outputted light causes the virtual vehicle entry keypad to become visible by a human eye within a layer of light reactive substance integral with the window and wherein the layer of light reactive substance is nearly invisible to the human eye when not exposed to said outputted light;
• monitoring interaction between the person and the virtual vehicle entry keypad while the light emitting device is energized;
• and
• determining if said captured interaction corresponds to successful entry of an access code required for enabling the person to gain access to the interior space of the vehicle.