阅读说明：本技术 一种用户友好的车载蓝牙配对方案 (User-friendly vehicle-mounted Bluetooth pairing scheme ) 是由 V·K·A·克里希纳穆尔蒂 P·A·巴拉尼 饶宏 于 2020-01-06 设计创作，主要内容包括：一般而言,本申请的一个或多个方面对应于用于减少用户参与计算设备之间的蓝牙配对的技术。例如,运载工具计算设备和移动电子设备可以执行向用户账户注册的应用程序。至少响应于用户命令,以及运载工具计算设备和移动电子设备彼此接近,所描述的技术可以经由连接到网络的一个或多个中间服务器,在运载工具计算设备和移动电子设备之间交换信息,以建立蓝牙连接。(In general, one or more aspects of the present application correspond to techniques for reducing bluetooth pairing between user participating computing devices. For example, the vehicle computing device and the mobile electronic device may execute an application that is registered with the user account. At least in response to a user command, and the vehicle computing device and the mobile electronic device being in proximity to each other, the described techniques may exchange information between the vehicle computing device and the mobile electronic device via one or more intermediate servers connected to the network to establish a bluetooth connection.)

1. A system for performing bluetooth pairing, the system comprising:

a vehicle computing device configured to access a publicly accessible network, the vehicle computing device comprising: (i) a first display, (ii) a first device to establish a bluetooth connection, and (iii) first instructions for implementing a vehicle application registered with a user account;

a portable computing device configured to access the publicly accessible network, the portable computing device comprising: (i) a second display, (ii) a second device that establishes the bluetooth connection, and (iii) second instructions for implementing a removable application that is registered with the user account; and

one or more servers accessible by the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device via the publicly accessible network, the one or more servers having third instructions stored thereon for acting as an intermediary for bluetooth pairing of devices commonly registered with the user account;

wherein:

the first instructions configure the first display of the vehicle computing device to present a pairing initiation user interface that provides a first user-selectable option for pairing the vehicle computing device with another device;

in response to selection of the first user-selectable option, the first, second, and third instructions cause exchange of identification information between the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device via the one or more servers;

in response to the exchange of the identification information, the second instructions configure the second display of the portable computing device to display a key user interface that enables a user to complete a key request; and

in response to the user completing the key request, the vehicle computing device is paired with the portable computing device via the first and second devices establishing the bluetooth connection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third instructions configure the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device to exchange the identification information via a communication not presented to the user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first instructions configure the vehicle computing device to perform detection of an occupant in the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the key request comprises a numerical comparison.

5. A method for establishing a bluetooth connection, the method comprising:

displaying, via a first display of a vehicle computing device, a pairing initiation user interface that is executing a first application registered with a particular user account, the pairing initiation user interface providing a first user selectable option for pairing the vehicle computing device with another device;

identifying a portable computing device in proximity to the vehicle computing device, wherein the portable computing device is executing a second application registered with the particular user account;

in response to selecting the first user-selectable option, exchanging identification information between the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device via one or more intermediate servers, wherein the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device are in communication with the one or more intermediate servers over a network;

in response to exchanging the identification information, displaying, via a second display of the portable computing device, a key user interface that enables a user to complete a key request; and

establishing the Bluetooth connection between the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device in response to the user completing the key request.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting an occupant in the vehicle prior to displaying the pairing initiation user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, via the vehicle computing device and at least one camera:

performing facial recognition to authenticate the occupant as authorized to access the particular user account; and

logging the first application into the particular user account in response to authenticating the occupant.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device are proximate; and

displaying, in the pairing initiation user interface, an identifier of the portable computing device.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising, in response to selection of the first user-selectable option, enabling a discoverable mode on the vehicle computing device.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising, via the vehicle computing device, transmitting, over the network, a Bluetooth address of the vehicle computing device to the one or more intermediate servers in response to selection of the first user-selectable option.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, via the one or more intermediate servers:

determining that the first application and the second application are both logged into the particular user account; and

in response to the determination, transmitting the Bluetooth address of the vehicle computing device to the portable computing device over the network.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the network is different from the Bluetooth connection, the method further comprising:

exchanging information between the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device over the network and via the one or more intermediate servers prior to establishing the Bluetooth connection; and

after establishing the Bluetooth connection, exchanging information between the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device over the Bluetooth connection.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising exchanging the identification information via communications not presented to the user.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a distributed computing system to perform operations for establishing a direct device-to-device wireless connection, the operations comprising:

displaying a first user interface providing a first user selectable option for pairing a first computing device with a further device, wherein the first computing device is running a first application registered with a particular user account;

identifying a second computing device in proximity to the first computing device, wherein the portable computing device is executing a second application registered with the particular user account;

in response to selecting the first user-selectable option, exchanging identification information between the first computing device and the second computing device via one or more intermediate computing devices, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device access the one or more intermediate computing devices over a network;

displaying a second user interface for completing a key request in response to exchanging the identification information; and

establishing the direct device-to-device wireless connection between the first computing device and the second computing device in response to completion of the key request.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein a vehicle comprises the first computing device, the operations further comprising, prior to displaying the first user interface, detecting an occupant in the vehicle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

performing facial recognition to authenticate the occupant as authorized to access the particular user account; and

logging the first application into the particular user account in response to authenticating the occupant.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

determining that the first computing device and the second computing device are proximate; and

in a first user interface, an identifier of the second computing device is displayed.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising, in response to selection of the first user-selectable option, sending a network address of the first device to the one or more intermediary computing devices over the network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising, via the one or more intermediary computing devices:

determining that the first application and the second application are both logged into the particular user account; and

in response to the determination, sending the network address of the first computing device to the second computing device over the network.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the network is distinct from the direct device-to-device wireless connection, the operations further comprising:

exchanging information between the first computing device and the second computing device over the network and via the one or more intermediate computing devices prior to establishing the direct device-to-device wireless connection; and

after establishing the direct device-to-device wireless connection, exchanging information between the first computing device and the second computing device over the direct device-to-device wireless connection.

Technical Field

The systems and methods disclosed herein relate generally to systems and methods for bluetooth pairing, and more particularly to vehicle bluetooth pairing that requires reduced user involvement.

Background

With the advent of connectable infotainment systems (e.g., connected navigation, social media, music streaming, and in-vehicle Wi-Fi) and the accompanying vehicle applications, vehicle connection platforms have emerged. Networked vehicles may use any of a number of different communication technologies to communicate with computing devices within the vehicle, other vehicles on the road, roadside infrastructure, and remote computing resources. For example, data may be transmitted from a networked vehicle or received by a connectable vehicle over a network including bluetooth, satellite connection, WiFi, and 4G/5G.

Disclosure of Invention

The communication pairing techniques disclosed herein have several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for the attributes that the features expect. Without limiting the scope expressed by the appended claims, certain features of the bluetooth pairing scheme will now be discussed briefly. Those skilled in the art will appreciate how the features of the disclosed bluetooth pairing scheme provide several advantages over conventional systems and methods.

One aspect relates to a system for performing bluetooth pairing, the system comprising: a vehicle computing device configured to access a publicly accessible network, the vehicle computing device comprising: a first display, (ii) a first device to establish a bluetooth connection, and (iii) first instructions for implementing a vehicle application registered with a user account; a portable computing device configured to access the publicly accessible network, the portable computing device comprising: (i) a second display, (ii) a second device that establishes the bluetooth connection, and (iii) second instructions for implementing a removable application that is registered with the user account; and one or more servers accessible by the vehicle computing device and portable computing device via the publicly accessible network, the one or more servers having third instructions stored thereon for acting as an intermediary for bluetooth pairing of devices commonly registered with the user account. The first instructions may configure the first display of the vehicle computing device to present a pairing initiation user interface that provides a first user-selectable option for pairing the vehicle computing device with another device. In response to selection of the first user-selectable option, first, second, and third instructions cause exchange of identification information between the vehicle computing device and a portable computing device through the one or more servers. In response to the exchange of identification information, the second instructions may configure the second display of the portable computing device to display a key user interface that enables a user to complete a key request. In response to the user completing a key request, the vehicle computing device pairs with the portable computing device through the first and second devices establishing the bluetooth connection.

In some embodiments, the first, second, and third instructions may configure the vehicle computing device and portable computing device to exchange the identification information via communications not presented to a user.

In some embodiments, the first instructions may configure the vehicle computing device to perform detection of an occupant in a vehicle.

In some embodiments, the key request may include a comparison of numbers.

Another aspect relates to a method for establishing a bluetooth connection, the method comprising: displaying, via a first display of a vehicle computing device, a pairing initiation user interface that is executing a first application registered with a particular user account, the pairing initiation user interface providing a first user selectable option for pairing the vehicle computing device with another device; identifying a portable computing device in proximity to the vehicle computing device, wherein the portable computing device is executing a second application registered with the particular user account; in response to selecting the first user-selectable option, exchanging identification information between the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device via one or more intermediate servers, wherein the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device are in communication with the one or more intermediate servers over a network. In response to exchanging the identification information, displaying, via a second display of the portable computing device, a key user interface that enables a user to complete a key request. Establishing the Bluetooth connection between the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device in response to the user completing the key request.

In some embodiments, the method further includes detecting an occupant in the vehicle prior to displaying the pairing initiation user interface.

In some embodiments, the method further includes performing facial recognition via the vehicle computing device and the at least one camera to authenticate the occupant as being authorized to access the particular user account, and logging the first application into the particular user account in response to authenticating the occupant.

In some embodiments, the method further includes determining that the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device are in proximity, and displaying an identifier of the portable computing device in the pairing initiation user interface.

In some embodiments, the method further includes enabling a discoverable mode on the vehicle computing device in response to selection of the first user selectable option.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises, via the vehicle computing device, in response to selection of the first user selectable option, sending a bluetooth address of the vehicle computing device to the one or more intermediate servers over the network.

In some embodiments, the method further includes determining, via the one or more intermediate servers, that both the first application and the second application are logged into the particular user account. In response to the determination, transmitting the Bluetooth address of the vehicle computing device to the portable computing device over the network.

In some embodiments, the network is different from a bluetooth connection, the method further comprising exchanging information between the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device over the network and via one or more intermediate servers before establishing the bluetooth connection, and exchanging information between the vehicle computing device and the portable computing device over the bluetooth connection after establishing the bluetooth connection.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises exchanging the identification information via communications not presented to the user.

Another aspect relates to a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a distributed computing system to perform operations for establishing a direct device to device wireless connection. The operations include: displaying a first user interface providing a first user selectable option pairing a first computing device with a further device, wherein the first computing device is running a first application registered with a particular user account; identifying a second computing device in proximity to the first computing device, wherein the portable computing device is executing a second application registered with the particular user account; in response to selecting the first user-selectable option, the operations further comprise exchanging identification information between the first computing device and the second computing device via one or more intermediary computing devices, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device access the one or more intermediary computing devices over a network; displaying a second user interface for completing a key request in response to exchanging the identification information; and establishing the direct device-to-device wireless connection between the first computing device and the second computing device in response to completion of the key request.

In some embodiments, the vehicle includes a first computing device, the operations further comprising detecting an occupant in the vehicle prior to displaying the first user interface.

In some embodiments, the operations further comprise performing facial recognition to authenticate the occupant as being authorized to access the particular user account, and logging the first application into the particular user account in response to authenticating the occupant.

In some embodiments, the operations further comprise determining that the first and second computing devices are in proximity, and displaying, in the first user interface, an identifier of the second computing device.

In some embodiments, the operations further comprise transmitting, over the network, a network address of the first device to the one or more intermediary computing devices in response to selection of the first user-selectable option.

In some embodiments, the operations further include, via the one or more intermediate computing devices, determining that the first application and second application are both logged into the particular user account, and in response to the determination, sending a network address of the first computing device to the second computing device over the network.

In some embodiments, the network is different from a direct device-to-device wireless connection. The operations further include exchanging information between the first and second computing devices over the network and via one or more intermediate computing devices before establishing the direct device-to-device wireless connection, and exchanging information between the first computing device and the second computing device over the direct device-to-device wireless connection after establishing the direct device-to-device wireless connection.

Drawings

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an internet networked vehicle communication environment in which various embodiments according to the present disclosure may be implemented.

FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of exemplary user-implemented steps for performing Bluetooth pairing according to some pairing methods.

Fig. 3 illustrates a flowchart of example operations for performing bluetooth pairing of the internet networked vehicle of fig. 1 with reduced user burden as described herein.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of exemplary user-implemented steps for performing Bluetooth pairing in accordance with the operations of FIG. 3.

Detailed Description

In general, the disclosure relates to techniques for a simplified user process for establishing bluetooth pairing between computing devices. Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data between devices over short distances (e.g., using short wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4GHz to 2.485GHz [3 ]). Some bluetooth connections may be established automatically, for example between two devices within range of each other. However, many services provided over bluetooth may expose private data or let a connecting party control bluetooth devices, creating security issues regarding identifying particular devices and thus imposing control over which devices may be connected to a given bluetooth device. This may be particularly true, for example, in the context of pairing a mobile device to a networked vehicle.

To address this security issue, bluetooth may use a process known as pairing to establish a binding between two devices. The pairing process is typically performed manually by the user, with user interaction initiating the pairing process and confirming the identity of the device. Once bluetooth pairing has occurred, the two devices can communicate with each other. However, pairing computing devices to transfer data over bluetooth is often a cumbersome and complex task requiring the user to perform several steps on each device in order to pair the devices. The actions required by a user to complete a bluetooth pairing are typically not intuitive and need to know how to navigate a setup menu across multiple different devices. Thus, the goal of addressing bluetooth security issues may create additional burden on the user regarding initiating and completing the pairing process.

The task of browsing through a large number of menus on a computing device to access various applications can be burdensome and time consuming for a user. This is especially true when the user does not know the location of the desired item or is unfamiliar with the user interface. For example, a user may wish to pair two devices through a bluetooth connection, however, this may require browsing several levels of user interface pages on each device to locate bluetooth options and settings. Thus, the user must perform multiple browsing steps before bluetooth pairing can be initiated and completed.

The bluetooth pairing process disclosed herein significantly reduces the above-mentioned problems by removing the need for a user to browse through a large number of user interfaces, and by enabling a user to perform desired tasks (e.g., bluetooth pairing) in fewer effective steps, thereby increasing the user-friendliness of the pairing process. For example, the vehicle computing device and the mobile electronic device may each execute a respective application registered with the same user account. In addition to bluetooth connections, the vehicle computing device and the mobile device may also communicate via other wireless networks, such as Wi-Fi, satellite, or cellular networks, that provide access to the internet (or another suitable network). The network access may enable the vehicle computing device and the mobile device to automatically exchange their identification information via one or more intermediate servers, facilitating the exchange of information by the servers running applications registered with the same user account with both devices. As described below, access by the user account application and the networked server acts as a programmable browsing shortcut that takes the user to the program of interest (e.g., a full pairing prompt). For example, the application and alternate network communications allow the devices to securely exchange identification information in the background during the pairing process, allowing the user to simply initiate pairing, bypass several typical steps based on the devices communicating through the intermediate server, and then choose to complete the pairing process. Advantageously, such shortcuts and reduced user involvement may increase the speed of bluetooth pairing and reduce the number of steps a user takes when navigating through a setting-related menu. This is especially true for computing devices integrated into vehicles where driver attention to the external environment is paramount. Accordingly, the embodiments described herein represent a significant improvement in computer-related technology.

Various aspects of the disclosure will now be described with respect to certain examples and embodiments, which are intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the disclosure. Although the examples and embodiments described herein will focus on specific calculations and algorithms for purposes of illustration, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the examples are for illustration only and are not intended to be limiting. For example, although described in the context of a networked vehicle, the disclosed simplified bluetooth pairing techniques may be implemented between any bluetooth enabled devices. Further, although examples are presented herein in the context of the bluetooth standard, the disclosed techniques may be applicable to reduce user actions for pairing in accordance with other techniques, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), infrared wireless, ultra-wideband, inductive wireless, or other Personal Area Network (PAN) techniques. In this way, the described bluetooth transceiver may be exchanged for a transceiver dedicated to another PAN technology.

Overview of an exemplary Internet networked vehicle and Environment

Fig. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of an internet networked vehicle communication environment 100 in which various embodiments according to the present disclosure may be implemented. Fig. 1 depicts a networked vehicle 120, which may be an automobile (as illustrated), a truck, a van, an air vehicle, a boat, a train, or other mobile vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle 120 may be an electric vehicle, or may be a hybrid vehicle, a hydrogen-fueled vehicle, or a combustion vehicle.

The vehicle 120 may be configured to establish a plurality of different types of wireless network connections including satellite connections, cellular data connections, and Wi-Fi33 connections. For example, the vehicle 120 may be equipped to connect to a geostationary satellite 105A, a low earth orbit satellite 105B, a cellular base station transceiver 155 (e.g., for 3G, 4G, LTE, and/or 5G cellular network access) and a Wi-Fi access point 125, as they are available. In turn, the geostationary satellite 105A and the low earth orbiting satellite 105B may communicate with gateways 110A, 110B that provide access to the network 130. These various satellite connections, cellular connections, and Wi-Fi network connections may be managed by different third party entities, referred to herein as "operators.

The vehicle 120 may communicate with remote computing resources (e.g., electronic mobile devices (e.g., smartphones) and a user account server 140) over the network 130 using these various connections. The network 130 may include any suitable network, including an intranet, the internet, a cellular network, a local area network, or any other such network or combination thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the network 130 is the Internet. Protocols and components for communicating via the internet or any other aforementioned type of communication network are known to those skilled in the art of computer communications and, therefore, need not be described in greater detail herein.

The vehicle 120 may include a vehicle computing device 115, such as a computing system that may be physically integrated into a host computer or motherboard of the vehicle in the vehicle. The vehicle computing device 115 may be configured to execute the above-described protocols and provide components for communication. The vehicle computing device 115 may include a display. The display may provide user-selectable options including a touch-sensitive display having: graphical buttons, voice command features, and/or physical buttons with browse/select options. The vehicle computing device 115 may also include a communication device capable of receiving and transmitting radio waves, such as a bluetooth radio chip, which establishes a bluetooth connection.

User account server 140 may store data representing user accounts and representing devices registered with such user accounts. For example, the owner of the vehicle 120 (and optionally other users of the vehicle) may create a user account and register their account with the vehicle 120, which may allow the user to customize which/how applications run on the vehicle, configure vehicle settings (e.g., seat position, heating and air conditioning settings, and other cabin comfort preferences, charging times (of the electric vehicle), software update timing management, network connectivity), and customize content delivered to the vehicle (e.g., infotainment content), among other things. Such settings and user preferences may be securely maintained by the user account server 140. In some embodiments, the user account server 140 may be maintained and securely stored by the manufacturer of the vehicle or an entity that is a manager of the vehicle user accounts. As described herein, the vehicle 120 may implement a vehicle application that may be registered with a particular user account. The vehicle application may be a software application installed on the vehicle 120. For example, the vehicle 120 may be associated with and registered by an account maintained by the user account server 140, and the vehicle application may manage communications with the user account server 140, the server 140 being related to the user account. In some implementations, the vehicle 120 may authenticate the driver or other user prior to logging into a particular user account on the application. For example, the vehicle 120 may include weight sensors in the seat, computer vision techniques, or other suitable passenger detection techniques (such as bluetooth low energy advertising mechanisms) to determine that a driver (or other occupant) is present in the vehicle. After determining that the user is present, the vehicle 120 may use one or more cameras and facial recognition software running on the vehicle computing device 115 to authenticate the user as authorized for the particular user account. Other implementations may use other user authentication techniques including biometric scanning (e.g., iris or fingerprint), voice authentication, or password entry. The user account server 140 may store identities and associated authentication information for users that are allowed to access a particular account.

In some embodiments, the portable computing device 150 may include a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a smartwatch, a handheld gaming system, or any other suitable computing device, and the portable computing device 150 may be configured to access the network 130. The portable computing device 150 may include a display (e.g., a touch screen display) and may further include an electronic device capable of establishing a bluetooth connection, such as a bluetooth radio chip. Similar to the vehicle 120, the portable computing device 150 may also include computer-executable instructions for implementing a mobile application that registers with a user account. For example, this may allow users to control certain vehicle settings from their portable computing device 150, such as turning cabin heating and air conditioning on and off, locking and unlocking the vehicle, starting and stopping charging (of an electric vehicle), setting the timing of software updates, and so forth. After authenticating that the mobile application and the vehicle application are registered to the same user account, the controls described above may be sent to the vehicle 120 via the user account server 140. The device 150 may authenticate the user to log them into the account using techniques similar to those described above.

Fig. 1 also shows a bluetooth connection 135 that may be established between the vehicle 120 and the portable computing device 150 when they are in proximity and authenticate each other through a pairing process. The bluetooth connection 135 may directly connect data transmission in the vehicle 120 and the device 150 between the vehicle 120 and the device 150 through the bluetooth wireless transceiver. Here, "proximity" refers to a relationship between devices within the range of a bluetooth connection. Depending on the class of bluetooth devices, proximity may include a range of less than 100 meters, with less than or equal to 10 meters being the most common range in mobile devices to establish bluetooth connections.

As described in more detail below, the vehicle computing device 115 may include instructions for displaying a pairing-initiated user interface that provides a user-selectable option for pairing the vehicle computing device 115 with the portable computing device 150. The exchange of identification information between the vehicle computing device 115 and the portable computing device 150 may occur over the network 130 and the vehicle server 140 in response to a user selecting to pair the devices by, for example, pressing a button or location on a touch screen display associated with the pairing instruction. For example, when a user initiates bluetooth pairing from their vehicle 120, the vehicle 120 may execute an application registered with a particular user account to send identification information (via the network 130) about the vehicle 120 and any in-range bluetooth devices to the user account server 140. User account server 140 may use network 130 to attempt to communicate with devices that are within range in order to determine whether devices that are within range are also executing applications registered with the same user account. If so, the user account server 140 may securely exchange identification information between the aforementioned devices for Bluetooth pairing purposes, as described herein. Thereafter, the user may be presented with a second user interface that enables the user to confirm the pairing (e.g., by entering or confirming a key or other suitable measures). In this way, the actions from the user required to complete the pairing are reduced to first initiating the pairing and second confirming the pairing without typical user actions related to setting up menu navigation, as these are handled programmatically by communication between the user account server 140 and the network 130. Thus, the disclosed technique utilizes both: additional network connections (e.g., network 130 in addition to bluetooth connection 135) and a user account server 140 that acts as an intermediary between the vehicle 120 and the device 150 in order to reduce the steps required for the user to complete bluetooth pairing.

Overview of an example Bluetooth pairing scheme

Fig. 2 depicts a flow diagram of an example bluetooth pairing process 200 that can be used to complete bluetooth pairing between a vehicle and a mobile device using a user-oriented workflow similar to existing methods. As mentioned above, existing bluetooth pairing methods typically require the user to navigate through steps and different menus on each device before pairing can be achieved. In accordance with such a method, fig. 2 depicts example steps that may be required by a user to pair a vehicle 120 with a portable computing device 150.

At S205, the user may be asked to browse to a "settings" page in the vehicle computing device 115. As used herein, a "page" refers to a particular user interface screen or menu displayed in a browser or software application, which may occupy the entire display or only a portion thereof. At S210, depending on the settings, the user may be asked to select a "connect" page where the user is presented with a number of connection options. At S215, the user selects "bluetooth" in the connection option list. The user may then be presented with various options related to bluetooth, including a list of bluetooth-enabled devices that the vehicle 120 is in proximity to. If the proximate device is new (e.g., not previously paired with a vehicle), the user may select "add device" at S220.

At S225, the user may then be asked to divert their attention to the portable computing device 150, and there again browse to a "settings" page in the portable computing device 150. Depending on the setting, at S230, the user may be asked to select a "connect" option in which the user is presented with several connect options. At S235, the user selects "bluetooth" in the connection option list. The user may then be presented with various options related to the bluetooth of the device, including a list of bluetooth-enabled devices that the portable computing device 150 is in proximity to. Assuming the vehicle 120 is in proximity to the portable computing device 150, the user may select "pair new device". At S245, the user may then have to divert their attention back to the carrier 120 to select "pair new device". Finally, at S250, the user may be asked to confirm the key provided by the vehicle 120 on the portable computing device 150.

Fig. 2 only shows the steps that require active participation of the user. Thus, process 200 of FIG. 2 requires a user to browse at least ten different pages across two separate devices in order to establish a Bluetooth pairing. Additional steps performed by the software program in the background are not discussed in fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows a flow diagram of an example bluetooth pairing process 300 according to the present disclosure that reduces user participation and simplifies the user-oriented requirements of the pairing process. It should be noted that unlike FIG. 2, which only describes the actions required by the user, FIG. 3 shows the actions required by the user, as well as the programming process that is performed in the background. As a prerequisite to the process 300, the user preferably has logged into the same user account on the vehicle 120 and the device 150, for example using user authentication techniques as described above. If not already logged in, additional preliminary steps may be performed as part of process 300 to authenticate the user as an individual who is allowed to use the user account.

As depicted, the vehicle computing device 115 and the portable computing device 150 are initially indirectly connected to each other via the publicly accessible network 130 and the intermediary user account server 140. As described herein, the user account server 140 may store instructions to act as an intermediary for bluetooth pairing for devices co-registered to the same user account.

The process 300 may begin at S305, for example, when the vehicle computing device 115 detects the portable computing device 150. Detection of a bluetooth device may be performed in a number of ways. For example, the vehicle 120 may be equipped with an occupant detection system that detects the presence of a person in the vehicle (e.g., via one or more of facial recognition, seat weight sensors, bluetooth broadcast status packets, etc.). In the case of facial recognition, the user credentials from the vehicle computing device 115 may be matched with the user credentials from the portable computing device 150 via the network 130. As another example, the proximity sensor may be used to identify the portable computing device 150 via bluetooth broadcast status packets. These proximity sensors and/or broadcast state data packets may be tagged to unique user identification information located on the user account server 140. The vehicle computing device 115 may receive the user identification information via the network 130, and the vehicle computing device 115 may then use the user identification information to log in with the same user credentials as the portable computing device 150. The unique user identification information may be a unique ID bound to the user login credentials, or in some embodiments, it may be the login credentials themselves. Upon detecting the occupant, the vehicle computing device searches for nearby bluetooth-enabled devices. The vehicle computing device 115 may include a proximity sensor that is capable of automatically detecting the presence of a nearby bluetooth enabled device, such as the portable computing device 150, when the proximity sensor is in a discoverable mode. The process 300 may include the premise that the vehicle computing device 115 and the portable computing device 150 register with and log into an account for the bluetooth application. The account and the application may be hosted by a vehicle manager.

At S307, the vehicle computing device 115 may check the user account server 140 to see if the portable computing device 150 has been connected and paired. This check may be done by verifying that the user login is connected to bluetooth on his portable computing device 150 at the bluetooth MAC address of the portable computing device 150. If the vehicle computing device 115 determines that the portable computing device 150 has been connected and paired, the process 300 will end. If the vehicle computing device 115 determines that the portable computing device 150 has not been connected and paired, the process 300 proceeds to S310. At S310, in response to detecting the portable computing device 150, the vehicle computing device 115 may display a prompt to the user to pair the devices, e.g., as shown in fig. 4. In some embodiments, the vehicle computing device 115 displays the user login information or the user's name (e.g., "name" in fig. 4). At S315, the user may select to pair the devices by selecting the displayed pairing option. If the driver selects the pairing device, the vehicle computing device 115 may request pairing information for the portable computing device through the vehicle user account application. If the driver chooses not to pair the devices, the process ends. The prompt to pair the devices may additionally or alternatively be displayed on the screen of the portable computing device 150, in which case the portable computing device 150 may then request pairing information for the vehicle computing unit through the mobile user account. Step S315 represents user interaction with a first user interface (e.g., a pairing initiation user interface) displayed to a user during the disclosed pairing process.

At S320, in response to the user selecting the paired portable computing device 150, a discoverable mode on the vehicle computing device 115 may be enabled. At S325, the vehicle computing device 115 may be configured to send the pairing features (e.g., bluetooth device (mac) address, device friendly name, etc.) of the vehicle computing device 115 to the user account over the network 130, for example, after both devices are performing authentication of an application registered with the same user account by the user account server 140. At S330, the portable computing device 150 receives the bluetooth address of the vehicle computing device 115 through the user account server 140, allowing the portable computing device 150 to initiate bluetooth pairing at block S335. If the Bluetooth address is not received within the predetermined time period, the user may be notified that the request is unsuccessful and the process may end.

In block S335, one or both of the following may occur: (1) the portable computing device 150 receives the pairing features of the vehicle computing device 115 through the user account server 140, and (2) the vehicle computing device 115 receives the pairing features of the portable computing device 150 through the user account server 140, thereby allowing the devices to initiate bluetooth pairing. As described herein, pairing features for a particular device may include, for example, input/output (I/O) capabilities and requirements for secure connections (e.g., any requirements for man-in-the-middle protection, any cryptographic information). The exchange of pairing features via the user account server 140 enables the two devices to read each other's pairing features.

As will be appreciated, blocks S320-S335 represent "background" communications, e.g., transferring information between devices that is not actively managed by the user. In some implementations, this information exchange may not be visible to the user because no indication of the exchange is displayed. Some embodiments may display a user interface indicating that pairing information is being exchanged, e.g., updating the display when certain information has been successfully sent.

After the pairing information exchange, the two devices may choose which key generation method may be used in a subsequent stage (e.g., "direct connect", key input, out-of-band, or digital comparison). When a key is input into both devices, the key (key) may be used to generate a link key. These link keys may be maintained locally by both devices and used in an encryption algorithm to generate a matching sequence, e.g., so that the devices can securely exchange information over a bluetooth connection, and thus may be considered encryption keys. The key selected by the initiator of process 300 may be communicated to the responding device via the user account server 140. As described herein, the "identification information" may include a bluetooth address, pairing features, and a link key that are used to identify devices to each other and establish the connection 135.

In some embodiments, key or code entry or verification may be implemented in the second user interface. For example, at S340, a digital comparison method may be used in which both the portable computing device 150 and the vehicle computing device 115 display a code. The user then compares each code to ensure that they match and selects the option to confirm the code match. This technique, known as digital comparison, provides a key to both devices. Alternatively, the key verification step may require a key entry method in which the code is displayed on only one device and the user is required to enter the code into another device. These challenge-response (challenge-response) schemes can verify that the device requesting access has knowledge of the correct link key. In some embodiments, key authentication may not be requested, for example, process 300 may use a direct connect (Just Works) method (e.g., where the keys for both devices are set to some predetermined value, such as all zeros). In some embodiments, out-of-band authentication may be used, for example, where an image displayed on a screen of one device is imaged by a camera of another device to exchange information. To this end, block S340 represents a second user interface (e.g., a key user interface) that is shown to the user during the disclosed pairing process.

After the user has authenticated the key information, the bluetooth pairing of the device is completed at S345. A direct bluetooth connection 135 established between the vehicle computing device 115 and the portable computing device 150 is shown in fig. 3. In some implementations, the initial execution of the pairing process 300 can establish a bluetooth binding between the vehicle computing device 115 and the portable computing device 150. Such bindings (and associated link keys) may be remembered by the two devices so that they can automatically connect to each other within range after process 300 is complete.

As described above, only two steps in the process 300 (e.g., S315 and S340) involve actions on the part of the user. To this end, the process 300 may allow the user to pair the vehicle computing device 115 and the portable computing device 150 with only two actions (e.g., S315 and S340) taken by the user. Thus, process 300 is preferred over process 200 of FIG. 2 because the steps required by the user are reduced.

Fig. 3 shows that the vehicle computing device 115 initiates the pairing process by, for example, detecting a new device, displaying a pairing prompt, and receiving a pairing request from a user. However, as described above, it will be understood that these steps may additionally or alternatively be performed on the portable computing device 150.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary schematic user interface highlighting the advantages of process 300, which involves two steps of user interaction. Fig. 4 shows an example user interface corresponding to each of these steps (described as step 1 and step 2) that facilitates actions performed by a user to complete bluetooth pairing.

In particular, fig. 4 depicts an example of the pairing initiation user interface 405 displayed at step S310 and the user selectable feature 415 selected at step S315 when the user selects to pair the devices. The user may instruct the vehicle computing device 115 to begin the disclosed pairing process 300 by selecting the displayed user-selectable pairing option feature 415. For example, the display may be touch sensitive so that the user may select feature 415 with a press of a finger. In some implementations, controls (e.g., buttons and scroll wheels) within the vehicle (e.g., on the steering wheel) can enable a user to select the feature 415. Other implementations may additionally or alternatively enable the user to provide the indication via voice commands, and may modify the user interface 405 accordingly. While fig. 4 depicts the pairing prompt being displayed and being selected on the vehicle computing device 115, it will be understood that the prompt and selection may also be made on the portable computing device 150.

Fig. 4 also shows a pair of exemplary key user interfaces 410A, 410B that may be presented at S340 to enable a user to perform key verification. The first key user interface 410A displayed on the display of the vehicle computing device 115 presents the key and does not require user interaction. A second key user interface 410B presented on the display of the user device 150 also displays the keys and includes a user selectable feature 420 to confirm that the two keys are the same. The exemplary key user interfaces 410A, 410B correspond to digital comparative authentication, however, it will be appreciated that this may be modified as needed to accommodate other authentication techniques as described above with reference to fig. 3. As will be appreciated, the key verification user interfaces 410A, 410B may be swapped such that the interface 410A is displayed on the mobile device 150 and the interface 410B is displayed on the vehicle computing device 115, where the interface 410A depicted on the device is the initiator of the process 300 and the interface 410B depicted on the device is the responder in the process 300, or vice versa.

It can be seen that with the disclosed technique, the user's requirements during the pairing process are significantly reduced, such that the user only needs two steps to complete the bluetooth pairing. In contrast, the process shown in fig. 2 requires the user to perform ten actions to complete the bluetooth pairing.

Although the disclosed pairing techniques are discussed in the exemplary context of establishing bluetooth pairing, it should be understood that an intermediate server is used to exchange information between devices, and that the user-facing side that simplifies the pairing process is not limited to the bluetooth standard. For example, the disclosed pairing techniques may be applied to other radio, near field, and direct device-to-device pairing techniques.

Term(s) for

All of the methods and tasks described herein can be performed by a computer system and are fully automated. In some cases, a computer system may include multiple different computers or computing devices (e.g., physical servers, workstations, storage arrays, cloud computing resources, etc.) that communicate over a network and interoperate to perform the described functions. Each such computing device typically includes a processor (or multiple processors) that executes program instructions or modules stored in memory or other non-transitory computer-readable storage media or devices (e.g., solid state storage devices, disk drives, etc.). The various functions disclosed herein may be implemented in such program instructions or may be implemented in application specific circuitry (e.g., an ASIC or FPGA) of a computer system. Where the computer system includes multiple computing devices, the devices may, but need not, be co-located. The results of the disclosed methods and tasks may be persistently stored by transforming a physical storage device, such as a solid-state memory chip or a disk, into a different state. In some embodiments, the computer system may be a cloud-based computing system whose processing resources are shared by a plurality of different business entities or other users.

The disclosed process may begin in response to an event, such as on a predetermined or dynamically determined schedule, on demand when initiated by a user or system administrator, or in response to some other event. When the process is initiated, a set of executable program instructions stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (e.g., a hard disk drive, a flash memory, a removable media, etc.) may be loaded into a memory (e.g., RAM) of a server or other computing device. The executable instructions may then be executed by a hardware-based computer processor of the computing device. In some embodiments, the process or portions thereof may be implemented on multiple computing devices and/or multiple processors, either in series or in parallel.

Depending on the embodiment, certain actions, events or functions of any process or algorithm described herein can be performed in a different order, may be added, merged, or omitted altogether (e.g., not all described operations or events are necessary for the practice of the algorithm). Further, in some embodiments, operations or events may be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores, or on other parallel architectures, rather than sequentially.

Furthermore, the various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a machine such as a processor device, a digital signal processor ("DSP"), an application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), a field programmable gate array ("FPGA") or other programmable logic device, discrete gate (discrete gate) or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein A circuit of (1). In another embodiment, the processor device comprises an FPGA or other programmable device that performs logic operations without processing computer-executable instructions. A processor device may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Although described herein primarily with respect to digital technology, the processor device may also primarily include analog components. For example, some or all of the rendering techniques described herein may be implemented in analog circuits or mixed analog and digital circuits. The computing environment may include any type of computer system including, but not limited to, a microprocessor-based computer system, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, a portable computing device, a computing engine within a device controller or appliance, and so forth, to name a few.

The elements of a method, process, routine, or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor device, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor device such that the processor device can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor device. The processor device and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor device and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

Conditional language, as used herein, e.g., "can," "might," "perhaps," "for example," etc., unless specifically stated otherwise or otherwise understood in the context of use, is generally intended to indicate that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, or steps, while other embodiments do not. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without other inputs or prompts, whether such features, elements or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and the like, are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and the like. Furthermore, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not its exclusive sense) such that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, a disjunctive language such as the phrase "X, Y or at least one of Z" is otherwise understood in the context as generally used for presentation, the term, etc. can be X, Y or Z or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y or Z). Thus, such disjunctive language is generally not intended to, and should not, imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z to each be present.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features of application to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the device or algorithm illustrated may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. As can be appreciated, certain embodiments described herein may be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features may be used or practiced separately from others. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.