APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY INITIATING SEQUENCE OF VEHICLE FUNCTIONS

Abstract

An apparatus for automatically initiating a plurality of vehicle functions is disclosed. The apparatus includes a mobile unit and a detection device operable to automatically detect whether the mobile unit is within a first zone. The detection device is further operable to automatically detect whether the mobile unit is within a second zone. The first zone and the second zone are outside the vehicle, and the first zone encompasses the second zone. The apparatus further includes a controller that is operable to initiate a first vehicle function when the detection device detects that the mobile unit is within the first zone. The controller is also operable to initiate a second vehicle function when the detection device detects that the mobile unit is within the second zone.

Description

DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operating the vehicle control apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operating the vehicle control apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a top view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically initiating a plurality of vehicle functions, the apparatus comprising: a mobile unit;means for detecting whether the mobile unit is within a first zone and whether the mobile unit is within a second zone, wherein the first zone and second zone are outside a vehicle and wherein the first zone encompasses the second zone, the detecting means being disposed within the vehicle; anda controller operable disposed within the vehicle to initiate a first vehicle function when the detecting means detects that the mobile unit is within the first zone, the controller further operable to initiate a second vehicle function when the detecting means detects that the mobile unit is within the second zone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detecting means is operable to transmit a first interrogation signal within the first zone, wherein the mobile unit is operable to transmit a first identification signal in response to the first interrogation signal, and wherein the detecting means is operable to detect whether the mobile unit is within the first zone by matching the first identification signal to a first predetermined identifier.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the detecting means is further operable to transmit a second interrogation signal within the second zone, wherein the mobile unit is operable to transmit a second identification signal in response to the second interrogation signal, and wherein the detecting means is operable to detect whether the mobile unit is within the second zone by matching the second identification signal to a second predetermined identifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first interrogation signal and the first identification signal are each radio frequency (RF) signals, and wherein the second interrogation signal and second identification signal are each low frequency (LF) signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the detecting means transmits the second interrogation signal only after the detecting means detects that the mobile unit is within the first zone.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the determining means ceases transmitting of the second interrogation when the determining means does not receive the second identification signal within a specified period of time.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the detecting means restarts transmitting of the second interrogation signal in response to an input by a user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle function comprises playing a recording stored by the vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the recording is stored in a device in the vehicle.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for wirelessly downloading the recording to the device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit includes a radio transmitter and the detecting means includes a radio receiver, the radio transmitter periodically transmitting a signal which is received by the radio receiver when the mobile unit is within the first zone.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first vehicle function comprises playing a recording stored by the vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the mobile unit includes a motion sensor, the radio transmitter periodically transmitting the signal when the motion sensor detects motion of the mobile unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the mobile unit includes a motion charging unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first vehicle function comprises playing a recording stored by the vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the mobile unit ceases transmission of the signal when the mobile unit is not detected within the first zone within a specified period of time.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the radio transmitter transmits a radio frequency (RF) signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the radio transmitter begins transmitting the RF signal after receiving a low frequency (LF) signal from the vehicle.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the radio transmitter begins transmitting the RF signal in response to an input to the mobile unit by a user.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes a radio transmitter, the radio transmitter transmitting at a first power level to detect whether the mobile unit is within the first zone, the radio transmitter transmitting at a second power level to detect whether the mobile unit is within the second zone, the first power level being higher than the second power level.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first vehicle function comprises playing a recording stored by the vehicle.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit includes GPS data for a location of the vehicle and GPS data for a location of the mobile unit, the detecting means detecting whether the mobile unit is within the first zone based on a distance between the location of the vehicle and the location of the mobile unit.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first vehicle function comprises playing a recording stored by the vehicle.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first vehicle function is associated with a specific location of the vehicle.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller terminates the first vehicle function if the detecting means does not detect the mobile unit within the second zone within a specified period of time.