Accessory control with geo-fencing
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorSylvain Louboutin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle accessory can transmit a first signal to a mobile device, the first signal including a location of a vehicle. The mobile device can monitor its own location. The mobile device can assess whether one or more location-based criteria have been satisfied based on the location of the mobile device and the location of the vehicle. Upon determining that a location-based criterion has been satisfied, the mobile device can transmit a second signal to the vehicle accessory indicating that a function of the vehicle is to be controlled. Thus, for example, the mobile device can activate or de-activate vehicle features (e.g., door locking, vehicle defrosting, etc.) in a manner that capitalizes on efficient signal transmission.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- accessing, at a mobile device, a rule that identifies:
- a location criterion that identifies a relationship between a vehicle-associated location and a location of the mobile device;
- and
- an identification of a control command that is to be transmitted from the mobile device when the location criterion is satisfied;
- estimating, by the mobile device, the vehicle-associated location, wherein the vehicle-associated location corresponds to a location of a vehicle;
- subsequently estimating, by the mobile device, a current location of the mobile device;
- determining, by the mobile device, whether the location criterion of the rule is met, the determination being based on the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location;
- and
- in the event that the location criterion is met, facilitating a transmission of the control command to the vehicle or an electronic device located inside the vehicle, wherein the control command includes an instruction to control a function of the vehicle or the electronic device.
A mobile device comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions including:
- accessing a rule that identifies:
- a location criterion that identifies a relationship between a vehicle-associated location and a location of the mobile device;
- and
- an identification of a control command that is to be transmitted from the mobile device when the location criterion is satisfied;
- estimating the vehicle-associated location, wherein the vehicle-associated location corresponds to a location of a vehicle;
- subsequently estimating a current location of the mobile device;
- determining whether the location criterion of the rule is met, the determination being based on the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location;
- and
- in the event that the location criterion is met, facilitating a transmission of a control signal to the vehicle or an electronic device located inside the vehicle, wherein the control signal includes an instruction to control a function of the vehicle or the electronic device.
A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to perform actions including:
- accessing a rule that identifies:
- a location criterion that identifies a relationship between a vehicle-associated location and a location of a mobile device;
- and
- an identification of a control command that is to be transmitted from the mobile device when the location criterion is satisfied;
- estimating the vehicle-associated location, wherein the vehicle-associated location corresponds to a location of a vehicle;
- subsequently estimating a current location of the mobile device;
- determining whether the location criterion of the rule is met, the determination being based on the current location of the mobile device and the vehicle-associated location;
- and
- in the event that the location criterion is met, facilitating a transmission of a control command to the vehicle or an electronic device located inside the vehicle, wherein the control command includes an instruction to control a function of the vehicle or the electronic device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.