Vehicle with mobile device-to-vehicle automated network provisioning

Abstract

A vehicle comprising one or more controllers coupled to at least one and / or one or more wireless transceivers and antennas. The controllers are configured to enable enhanced automation of provisioning settings and parameters of desired wireless network credentials to the vehicle's network hardware by requesting, retrieving, receiving and utilizing such credentials received from a mobile device. The mobile device includes one or more sets of credentials that are compatibly used with one or more of the network hardware configurations of the controller and communication devices and network hardware of the vehicle. The controllers are further configured to: store such credentials locally in the vehicle, request updates, detect and identify wireless networks identified by such credentials when the wireless network is within range of the vehicle's network hardware, and automatically provision and connect the vehicle's network hardware to the detected and identified wireless networks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle equipped with a mobile device-to-vehicle communication system that enables automated provisioning of mobile device network provisioning parameters to a vehicle communication system. Background Art

[0002] Today's vehicles incorporate new technologies that enable such vehicles to communicate with many different devices and systems external to the vehicle. These vehicles include hardware and software based capabilities that enable communication with remote systems and servers including Internet based websites and manufacturer software update and maintenance systems, road infrastructure systems and services, and many types of mobile and / or nomadic devices. However, for a variety of reasons, many of these vehicles are not designed to connect to wireless services (such as WiFi) and related systems.

[0003] One reason may be that most WiFi networks are protected by many specialized settings, parameters, and credentials, which are generally referred to as security protocols. These security protocols require the user to configure the vehicle WiFi function in order to enable access according to various settings, parameters, and credentials. The settings, parameters, and credentials that the user must know and configure in order to enable the vehicle to utilize ubiquitous WiFi services may change frequently. This information is unknown to many users who may need the help of another person to enable the configuration, and is often considered cumbersome and difficult to understand and implement.

[0004] Therefore, many vehicle users tend to avoid investing time in configuring the vehicle so that the vehicle's WiFi communication capabilities can be fully utilized. In addition, many vehicles with WiFi capabilities do not have the capabilities and dependencies of personal mobile devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. In addition, since the primary function of the vehicle is to enable driving, the vehicle is typically not within the range of most WiFi networks, leaving the user with no good reason to configure the vehicle with the required WiFi settings, parameters, and credentials, especially since they change frequently. There is a potential to improve the ability of users to enable the WiFi capabilities of such vehicles. Summary of the invention

[0005] Many types of private, commercial, and industrial vehicles, including combustion engine and hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, and battery electric vehicles (collectively referred to as "vehicles"), include several types of vehicle computing systems, controllers, interfaces, networks, communication capabilities and applications that enable vehicle operation as well as on-board and vehicle navigation, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, and related communication capabilities, including WiFi communication capabilities.

[0006] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle including at least one and / or one or more controllers coupled to a wireless transceiver, the controllers being configured to respond to in-vehicle network hardware queries received from one or more mobile devices in communication with the transceiver. In response, the controller communicates the configuration of the in-vehicle network hardware to the mobile device. The mobile device utilizes the in-vehicle hardware configuration to identify wireless network credentials that are compatibly used for the in-vehicle network hardware and sends all or some of the compatible credentials to the vehicle controller. The mobile device may alert a user to consent to the transmission of all or some of such credentials to the vehicle controller, and may enable conditional and / or limited use of the transmitted credentials.

[0007] If wireless network credentials that are compatible for use with the in-vehicle network hardware are present in the mobile device, and the user of the mobile device agrees to transfer all or some of the credentials, the controller receives, stores, and supplies the wireless network credentials received from the mobile device to the in-vehicle network hardware. The vehicle controller may also adjust the credentials as necessary to ensure compatibility with the in-vehicle network hardware so that provisioning can be achieved.

[0008] The controller is also responsive to the hardware provisioning, generating and communicating a provisioning status to the mobile device. The provisioning status includes a message containing successful and / or error provisioning information within the vehicle. In response to an error condition that may occur during an attempt to provision the in-vehicle network hardware, the controller is further configured to generate the provisioning status to include a credential resend request, which enables the mobile device to restart the sequence and resend the credentials to achieve another provisioning attempt by the vehicle controller.

[0009] In a variation of the present disclosure, the controller is further configured to request and receive and store one or more wireless network credentials and / or multiple wireless network credentials for different wireless networks from the mobile device, the wireless network credentials being stored on the mobile device and compatibly usable with the in-vehicle network hardware according to the in-vehicle hardware configuration. In this variation, the controller of the vehicle is further configured to, in response to detecting one of the different wireless networks that is within range of and within range of the in-vehicle network hardware, supply the vehicle network hardware with the corresponding wireless network credentials for the detected one of the different wireless networks.

[0010] The present disclosure also contemplates other modifications of the controller, the controller being further configured to receive and store multiple and / or one or more wireless network credentials from the mobile device, the wireless network credentials also including permission permissions for different wireless networks. In response to receiving the in-vehicle network hardware configuration, the mobile device may be configured to alert the user of a list of mobile device wireless network credentials that are compatible for use with the vehicle network hardware, and enable the user to approve or deny and grant conditions, limitations and / or restrictions associated with each of the wireless network credentials, and generate and send a permission authorization signal to the controller.

[0011] In response to the permission grant signal, the controller is further configured to generate a vehicle network profile, the vehicle network profile including one or more of the permissions, limitations and restrictions associated with each of the plurality of wireless network credentials and / or one or more wireless network credentials. For purposes of example and not limitation, such permissions include expiration time, one-time use, time or bandwidth, and / or other types of restrictions on the use of the wireless network credentials.

[0012] The modification may also include or include the controller being configured to delete the credentials stored in the vehicle in response to at least one of an expiration time that may be and / or included in the permissions, a request from a mobile device, a one-time use restriction, and / or other types of limitations and restrictions. In a further modification, the controller is further configured to not provision the vehicle network hardware to remove the wireless network credentials that have been deleted according to the permissions, so that the in-vehicle network hardware is disconnected from the connected wireless network.

[0013] In other variations, the controller is configured to respond to detecting a wireless network identified by one or more of the wireless network credentials stored in the vehicle, and to authenticate and enable an automated connection between the in-vehicle network hardware and the corresponding wireless network. Such attempted, successful and / or unsuccessful provisioning and connection and connection status of the identified wireless network is also generated by the controller and communicated to the mobile device and used to alert the user, and a wireless network connection history log entry may be recorded and / or the user may be alerted accordingly.

[0014] In response to a successful connection and in response to an error condition occurring during an attempt to authenticate and enable an automated connection between the vehicle network hardware and the wireless network, the controller is further configured to communicate the error condition to at least one of the controller and the mobile device. In other variations, the controller is further configured to communicate a request for wireless network credentials for the detected wireless network to the mobile device in response to such an error condition occurring.

[0015] In another configuration of the vehicle, the controller is further configured to communicate a request for updated wireless network credentials from the mobile device periodically, as needed, and / or upon detecting that the mobile device is connected or reconnected to in-vehicle network hardware and / or in response to an error condition. Such an update request may also include a list of previously stored wireless network credentials including a timestamp that enables the mobile device to determine whether newer, changed, and / or updated wireless network credentials are present in the mobile device that are compatibly usable with and can be communicated to the vehicle controller.

[0016] Each of the configurations, variations and modifications further contemplates that the controller is also coupled to and communicates with at least one and / or one or more of the additional transceivers, including any one or all or some of the near field, Bluetooth, WiFi and cellular communication transceivers. In these adjustments, the controller is further configured to communicate the configuration of the near field, Bluetooth, WiFi and / or cellular network hardware in the vehicle to the mobile device in response to receiving a vehicle network hardware query from the mobile device.

[0017] In response, the mobile device transmits at least one, multiple and / or one or more wireless credentials for such in-vehicle network hardware, and the vehicle controller receives and stores at least one, multiple and / or one or more wireless credentials for such in-vehicle network hardware. Upon detecting a wireless network and / or network device identified by the received wireless network credentials, the controller is further configured to supply at least one wireless network credential of the plurality of WiFi wireless network credentials received from the mobile device to the vehicle network hardware.

[0018] The controller also adjusts the credentials prior to provisioning to achieve compatibility between the received credentials and the in-vehicle network hardware being provisioned. Such credentials may need adjustment even if the in-vehicle network hardware is compatible for use with the received wireless network credentials, but certain settings and parameters of these credentials may need adjustment to ensure compatibility with formatting, text case sensitivity, and special character requirements that may differ between various types of in-vehicle network hardware.

[0019] This overview of implementations and configurations of the vehicle and described components and systems introduces a selection of exemplary implementations, configurations and arrangements in a simplified and less technically detailed arrangement, and these are described in more detail in the following detailed description in conjunction with the illustrations and drawings and in the claims that follow.

[0020] This summary is neither intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed technology nor to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The features, functions, capabilities, and advantages discussed herein may be implemented independently in various example implementations or may be combined in other example implementations, as further described elsewhere herein, and as may be understood by those skilled in the relevant art with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] A more complete understanding of exemplary implementations of the present disclosure may be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein the same reference numerals refer to similar or identical elements in the various drawings. The drawings and annotations thereto are provided to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the breadth, scope, scale, or applicability of the present disclosure. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0022] Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the vehicle and its systems, controls, components, sensors, actuators, and methods of operation; and

[0023] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 Certain aspects of the vehicle and method depicted in the drawings wherein components have been removed, added, and rearranged for purposes of further explanation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the present invention that may be embodied in various forms and alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to use the present invention in various ways.

[0025] As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the various features, components, and processes shown and described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings may be combined with features, components, and processes shown in one or more other drawings to implement embodiments that should be apparent to those skilled in the art but may not be explicitly shown or described. The combinations of features shown are representative embodiments of typical applications. However, various combinations and modifications of features consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure may be required for specific applications or implementations and should be well within the knowledge, skills, and capabilities of those working in the relevant technical field.

[0026] Referring now to the various drawings and figures and Figure 1 and Figure 2 , and specific reference Figure 1, shows a schematic diagram of a conventional petrochemical powered and / or hybrid electric vehicle 100, wherein in further examples, the vehicle may also include a battery electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, and combinations and modifications thereof, which are collectively referred to herein as a "vehicle." Figure 1 Representative relationships between components of vehicle 100 are shown. The physical layout and orientation of the components within vehicle 100 and the functional and logical connections and relationships thereto may vary. Vehicle 100 includes a drivetrain 105 having a powertrain 110 including one or more of a combustion engine (CE) 115 and an electric motor or electric motor / generator / starter (EM) 120 that generate power and torque to propel vehicle 100.

[0027] The engine or CE 115 is a gasoline, diesel, biofuel, natural gas or alternative fuel powered combustion engine that produces output torque through front engine accessory devices in addition to other forms of electricity, cooling, heating, vacuum, pressure and hydraulic power. The EM 120 can be any of a variety of types of electric machines, and can be, for example, a permanent magnet synchronous motor, an electric generator, and an engine starter 120. The CE 115 and EM 120 are configured to propel the vehicle 100 via a drive shaft 125 and in cooperation with various related components, which may further include a transmission, clutch, differential, braking system, wheels, etc.

[0028] The powertrain 110 and / or drive train 105 also includes one or more batteries 130. One or more of these batteries may be one or more higher voltage DC batteries 130 operating in the range of between about 48 volts and 600 volts, and sometimes between about 140 and 300 volts or higher or lower, used to store power and supply power to the EM 120, as well as to capture and store energy during regenerative braking, and to supply power to and store energy from other vehicle components and accessories. Other batteries may be one or more low voltage DC batteries 130 operating in the range of between about 6 volts and 24 volts or higher or lower, used to store power and supply power to other vehicle components and accessories.

[0029] like Figure 1 As depicted, one or more batteries 130 are coupled to the engine 115, the EM 120, and the vehicle 100, respectively, through various mechanical and electrical interfaces and vehicle controllers, as described elsewhere herein. The high voltage EM battery 130 is also coupled to the EM 120 through one or more of a powertrain control module (PCM), a motor control module (MCM), a battery control module (BCM), and / or power electronics 135 configured to convert and regulate direct current (DC) power provided by the high voltage (HV) battery 130 to the EM 120.

[0030] The PCM / MCM / BCM / power electronics 135 is also configured to condition, invert, and transform the DC battery power into three-phase alternating current (AC), which is typically required to power the electric machine or EM 120. The PCM / MCM / BCM / power electronics 135 is also configured to charge the one or more batteries 130 with energy generated by the EM 120 and / or front end accessory drive components, as well as receive, store, and supply power to other vehicle components as needed.

[0031] Continue to refer Figure 1 , in addition to the PCM / MCM / BCM / power electronics 135, the vehicle 100 also includes one or more controllers and computing modules and systems that enable a variety of vehicle capabilities. For example, the vehicle 100 may incorporate a body control module (BCM) that is a separate unit and may be incorporated as part of a vehicle system controller (VSC) 140 and / or a vehicle computing system (VCS) and controller 145 and other controllers that communicate with the PCM / MCM / BCM 135. For example, in some configurations, for purposes of example and not limitation, the VSC 140 and / or VCS 145 are and / or incorporate SYNC.TM., APPLINK.TM., MyFord Touch.TM. and / or open source SmartDeviceLink and / or OpenXC onboard and off-board vehicle computing systems, vehicle connectivity, infotainment and communication systems, and application programming interfaces (APIs) for communicating with and / or controlling off-board and / or external devices.

[0032] By way of further example and not for purposes of limitation, at least one and / or one or more of the controllers (such as the VSC 140 and the VCS 145) may be combined with and further be and / or include one or more accessory protocol interface modules (APIMs) and / or an integral or separate head unit that may be, may include and / or may be combined with an information and entertainment system (also referred to as an infotainment system and / or an audio / visual control module or ACM / AVCM). Such modules include and / or may include a media player (MP3, Blu-Ray.TM., DVD, CD, cassette, etc.), a stereo system, an FM / AM / satellite radio receiver, etc., and a human machine interface (HMI) and / or display unit as described elsewhere herein.

[0033] Such contemplated components and systems are available from various sources, and for purposes of example, are manufactured by and / or available from the SmartDeviceLink Consortium, the OpenXC project, Ford Motor Company, and other sources (e.g., see SmartDeviceLink.com, openXCplatform.com, www.ford.com, U.S. Patent Nos. 9,080,668, 9,042,824, 9,092,309, 9,141,583, 9,141,583, 9,680,934, etc.).

[0034] In further examples, SmartLinkDevice (SDL), OpenXC and SYNC.TM., AppLink.TM. are each examples of enabling at least one and / or one or more of the controllers (such as the VSC 140 and the VCS 145) to communicate remote procedure calls (RPCs) using an application programming interface (API) that enables command and control of external or off-vehicle mobile devices and applications by using a vehicle or on-vehicle HMI, such as a graphical user interface (GUI) and other input and output devices, and also including hardware and software controls, buttons and / or switches, and steering wheel controls and buttons (SWC), instrument cluster and panel hardware and software buttons and switches, and other controls. Exemplary systems (such as SDL, OpenXC and / or AppLink.TM.) utilize the HMI (such as SWC and GUI) of the vehicle 100 to make the functions of the mobile device available and enabled, and may also include utilizing the on-vehicle or vehicle automatic recognition and processing of voice commands.

[0035] The controllers of the vehicle 100, such as the VSC 140 and the VCS 145, include and are coupled to one or more high-speed, medium-speed, and low-speed vehicle networks, which also include a multiplexed broadcast controller area network (CAN) 150, and larger vehicle control systems and other vehicle networks that may and / or may not require a host processor, controller, and / or server, and for further example, the other vehicle networks may also include other microprocessor-based controllers, as described elsewhere herein. The CAN 150 may also include network controllers and routers in addition to communication links between controllers, sensors, actuators, routers, vehicle systems and components and off-board systems and components external to the vehicle 100.

[0036] Such CAN 150 is known to those skilled in the art and is described in more detail by various industry standards, including, for example, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1939, entitled “Serial Control and Communications for Heavy Duty Vehicle Networks,” available from standards.sae.org, and automotive information standards available from the International Standards Organization (ISO) 11898, entitled “Road Vehicles - Controller Area Network (CAN),” and from ISO 11519, entitled “Road Vehicles - Low-speed Serial Data Communications,” available from www.iso.org / ics / 43.040.15 / x / , among others.

[0037] The CAN 150 contemplates that the vehicle 100 has one, two, three, or more such networks operating at various low, medium, and high speeds (which may range, for example, from about 50 kilobits per second (Kbps) to about 500 Kbps or more). The CAN 150 may also include, incorporate, and / or be coupled to and communicate with internal, onboard, and external wired and wireless personal area networks (PANs), local area networks (LANs), vehicle area networks (VANs), wide area networks (WANs), peer-to-peer (P2P), vehicle-to-vehicle networks (V2V), and vehicle-to-infrastructure and infrastructure-to-vehicle (V2I, I2V) networks, etc. and as described and contemplated elsewhere herein.

[0038] In further examples, and not limitation, the VSC 140 , VCS 145 and / or other controllers, devices and processors may include, be coupled to, be configured with and / or cooperate with one or more integrally included, embedded and / or independently arranged two-way communication, navigation and other systems, controllers and / or sensors, such as a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system (V2V) 155 , and a vehicle-to-road infrastructure-to-vehicle communication system (V2I) 160 , a lidar / sonar (light and / or sound detection and ranging) and / or camera road proximity imaging and obstacle sensor system 165 , a GPS or global positioning system 170 , and a navigation and moving map display and sensor system 175 , among others.

[0039] The VCS 145 may collaborate in parallel, series, and distributed fashion with the VSC 140 and such steering wheel controls and buttons, as well as other controllers, subsystems, and internal and external systems, to manage and control the vehicle 100, external devices, and such other controllers and / or actuators in response to sensor and communication signals, data, parameters, and other information identified from, established from, communicated to, and received from these vehicle systems, controllers, and components, as well as other off-board systems external to and / or remote from the vehicle 100.

[0040] Such bidirectional V2V 155 and V2I 160 (also sometimes collectively referred to herein as V2X) communication controllers and systems utilize various industry protocols, standards, and / or messaging formats available in the United States and other countries to enable peer-to-peer, vehicle-to-vehicle, and vehicle-to-infrastructure ad hoc and similar types of networking and communications. Such protocols, standards, and / or messaging formats are used to achieve the purposes of various aspects of the present disclosure and are known to those having relevant technical knowledge.

[0041] For example, IEEE Standard 802.11 supports the software and firmware communication services of IEEE 1609 and implements data link media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) capabilities, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) data communications in various frequency bands. The 802.11 standard is titled "IEEE Standard for Information Technology - Telecommunications and Information Exchange between Systems - Local and Metropolitan Area Networks - Specific Requirements Part 11: Wireless Local Area Network Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications" and is available at ieeexplore.ieee.org / document / 7792308.

[0042] The capabilities and configurations described in conjunction with any particular microprocessor-based controller contemplated herein may also be embodied in one or more other controllers and distributed across more than one controller, such that multiple controllers may individually, cooperatively, in combination, and collaboratively implement any such capabilities and configurations. Accordingly, references to "controller" or "one or more controllers" are intended to represent such controllers, components, subsystems, and systems in both the singular and the plural and individually, collectively, and in various suitable collaborative and distributed combinations.

[0043] Additionally, communications over CAN 150 and other internal and external PANs, LANs, and / or WANs are intended to include responding to, sharing, sending and receiving commands, signals, data, embedding data into signals, control logic, and information between controllers and sensors, actuators, controls, and vehicle systems and components. The controller communicates with one or more controller-based input / output (I / O) interfaces that may be implemented as a single integrated interface, thereby enabling communication of raw data and signals and / or signal conditioning, processing and / or conversion, short circuit protection, circuit isolation, and similar capabilities. Alternatively, one or more dedicated hardware or firmware devices, controllers, and systems-on-chip may be used to pre-condition and pre-process specific signals during communication and before and after communicating specific signals.

[0044] In further illustration, the PCM / MCM / BCM 135, VSC 140, VCS 145, CAN 150 and other controllers may include one or more microprocessors or central processing units (CPUs) in communication with various types of computer-readable storage devices or media. The computer-readable storage devices or media may include volatile and non-volatile storage devices in the form of read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and non-volatile memory or keep-alive memory (NVRAM or KAM). NVRAM or KAM is persistent or non-volatile memory that can be used to store various commands, executable control logic and instructions, and code, data, constants, parameters, and variables required to operate the vehicle and systems when the vehicle and systems and the controllers and CPU are not powered on or powered off.

[0045] The computer readable storage device or medium may be implemented using any of a number of known persistent and non-persistent memory devices, such as PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), EPROM (Electrical PROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM), Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Solid State Drive (SSD), Flash Memory, or any other electrical, magnetic, optical, or combined memory device capable of storing and communicating data. Each of such devices, components, processors, microprocessors, controllers, microcontrollers, memories, storage devices, and / or media may also further include, comprise, and / or be embedded with one or more Basic Input and Output Systems (BIOS), operating systems, application programming interfaces (APIs) having, enabling, and / or implementing remote procedure calls (RPCs), and related firmware, microcode, software, logic instructions, commands, etc., which enable programming, customization, coding, and configuration, as well as other capabilities, and which may be embedded and / or included in at least one of one or more such devices and / or distributed on one or more such devices.

[0046] Figure 1 The embodiment of the vehicle 100 in FIG. 1 also depicts exemplary sensors and actuators that can bidirectionally send and receive data, commands, and / or signals to and from the VSC 140, VCS 145, and other controllers in communication with a wired and / or wireless vehicle network and CAN 150 (PAN, LAN). Such control commands, logic and instructions, as well as codes, data, information, signals, settings, and parameters (including driver preferred settings and preferences) can be captured and stored in and communicated from the driver controls, preferences repository, and profile repository 180 and other controllers' memory and data storage devices.

[0047] As shown in the multiple drawings (including Figure 1 and Figure 2), signals and data (including, for example, commands, information, settings, parameters, control logic and executable instructions, and other signals and data) may also include other signals (OS) 185, and control or command signals (CS) 190 received from, sent to, and between controllers and vehicle components and systems via wired and / or wireless data and signaling connections. OS 185 and CS 190, as well as other signals, associated control logic and executable instructions, parameters, and data can and / or may be predicted, generated, established, received, communicated to, from, and between any of vehicle controllers, sensors, actuators, components, and internal, external, and remote systems.

[0048] Any and / or all of these signals may be raw analog or digital signals and data, or pre-conditioned, pre-processed, combined and / or derived data and signals generated in response to other signals, and may encode, embed, represent voltages, currents, capacitances, inductances, impedances, and digital data representations thereof, and digital information that encodes, embeds and / or otherwise represents such signals, data, and analog, digital and multimedia information.

[0049] The described signals, commands, control instructions and logic, as well as the communication and operation of data and information by various contemplated controllers, sensors, actuators and other vehicle components may be schematically represented as follows Figure 1 As shown in the other figures, and represented by schematically represented data communication lines and signals and wireless signals and data connections. Such figures illustrate exemplary command and control processes, control logic and instructions, and operating strategies that can be implemented using one or more computing, communication and processing technologies, which may include real-time technology, event-driven technology, interrupt-driven technology, multi-tasking technology, multi-threading technology, and combinations thereof.

[0050] The steps and functions shown may be performed, communicated and implemented in the sequence depicted and in parallel, in a repeated sequence, in a modified sequence, and in some cases may be combined with other processes and / or omitted. The commands, control logic and instructions may be executed in one or more of the described microprocessor-based controllers, in external controllers and systems, and may be primarily implemented as hardware, software, virtualized hardware, firmware, virtualized hardware / software / firmware, and combinations thereof.

[0051] For the purpose of further explanation and not for the purpose of limitation, Figure 1Also schematically depicted is an exemplary configuration and block topology of a VCS 145 and its contemplated controllers, devices, components, subsystems and / or systems for the vehicle 100. The present disclosure relates to an HMI including hardware and software switches and controls (HSC) 195, which also relates to, incorporates and includes buttons and / or switches, and steering wheel controls and buttons (SWC), instrument cluster and panel hardware and software buttons and switches, and GUI display software switches and controls and other controls.

[0052] In further exemplary arrangements, various controllers, such as, for example, the VCS 145, include and / or in some arrangements may include at least one and / or one or more human machine interface (HMI) / graphical user interface and visual display (GUI, HMI) 200 that may be located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 100. The HMI / GUI 200 may also be coupled and cooperate with the automatic speech recognition and speech synthesis subsystem and additional hardware and software controls, buttons and / or switches incorporated into, including and / or displayed on, around and / or as part of the HMI / GUI 200 and instrument cluster and panel of the vehicle 100.

[0053] Such controls, buttons and / or switches may be integrated with the HMI / GUI 200 and other vehicle devices and systems, which may include, for further example and illustration, a steering wheel and related components, a vehicle instrument panel and instrument cluster, etc. For purposes of additional example and not limitation, the VCS 145 may include and / or incorporate persistent memory and / or storage devices HDD, SSD, ROM 205, and non-persistent or persistent RAM / NVRAM / EPROM 210 and / or similarly configured persistent and non-persistent memory and storage components.

[0054] In an illustrative and non-limiting example, the VCS 145 and / or other controllers also include, incorporate and / or are coupled to one or more vehicle-based bi-directional data inputs, outputs and / or communications and related devices and components that enable communication with the user, driver and occupants of the vehicle 100 and external adjacent and remote devices, networks (CAN 150, PAN, LAN, WAN) and / or systems. The phrases "vehicle-based" and "onboard" refer to devices, subsystems, systems and components that are integrated into, integrated around, coupled to and / or carried within the vehicle 100 and its various controllers, subsystems, systems, devices and / or components. Conversely, the phrase "off-board" refers to and contemplates that such controllers, subsystems, systems, devices and / or components are located external to and / or remote from the vehicle 100.

[0055] For further example, the VCS 145, GUI 200, and other controllers of the vehicle 100 may include, in conjunction with, paired with, synchronized with, and / or coupled with a vehicle-based multimedia device 215, an auxiliary input 220 and analog / digital (A / D) circuitry 225, a universal serial bus port (USB) 230, a near field communication transceiver (NFC) 235, a wireless router and / or transceiver (WRT) 240 (such as a "Bluetooth.TM." device), and / or an analog and digital cellular network modem and transceiver (CMT) 245 utilizing voice / audio and data encoding and technology that enables wireless personal area networks and wireless local area networks (WPAN, WLAN, or "WiFi" IEEE 802.11). 802.11 and 803.11 communication standards, such voice / audio and data coding and techniques include, for example, those managed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as the International Mobile Communications (IMT) standards, commonly referred to as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Code Division Multiple Access, Space Division Multiple Access, Frequency Division Multiple Access, Polar Division Multiple Access and / or Time Division Multiple Access coding (CDMA, SDMA, FDMA, PDMA, TDMA), and similar and related protocols, coding, techniques, networks and services.

[0056] Such contemplated on-board and off-board devices and components, etc., are configured to enable bidirectional wired and wireless communications between components and systems of the vehicle 100, the CAN 150 and other external devices and systems, and PANs, LANs, and WANs. The A / D circuit 225 is configured to enable analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog signal conversion. Among other devices and components, the auxiliary input 220 and the USB 230 may also enable wired and wireless Ethernet, on-board diagnostics (OBD, OBD II), free space optical communications such as infrared (IR) data association (IrDA) and non-standardized user IR data communication protocols, IEEE 1394 (FireWire.TM. (Apple Inc.), LINK.TM. (Sony), Lynx.TM. (Texas Instruments)), EIA (Electronic Industries Association) serial protocols, IEEE 1284 (Centronics Port Protocol), S / PDIF (Sony / Philips Digital Interconnect Format), and USB-IF (USB Implementers Forum) and similar data protocols, signaling, and communication capabilities in some configurations.

[0057] The auxiliary input 220 and A / D circuit 225, USB 230, NFC 235, WRT 240 and / or CMT 245 are coupled, integrated and / or may be combined with integrating amplifiers, signal conversion and / or signal modulation circuits, which are configured to attenuate, convert, amplify and / or communicate signals, and are further configured to receive various analog and / or digital input signals, data and / or information that are processed and conditioned and communicated to various wired and wireless networks and controllers, and communicated between various wired and wireless networks and controllers.

[0058] Such contemplated wired and wireless networks and controllers include, for example, but not limited to, CAN 150, VCS 145, and other controllers and networks of vehicle 100. Auxiliary input 220, A / D circuit 225, USB 230, NFC 235, WRT 240, and / or CMT 245 and associated hardware, software, and / or circuitry are compatible and configured to receive, send, and / or communicate at least one and / or one or more of various wired and wireless signals, signaling, data communications, and / or data streams (WS) and data such as navigation, audio and / or visual and / or multimedia signals, commands, control logic, instructions, information, software, programming, and similar and related data and information forms.

[0059] In addition, it is contemplated that one or more input and output data communication, audio and / or visual devices are integrated, coupled and / or connectable to the auxiliary input 220, A / D circuit 225, USB 230, NFC 235, WRT 240 and / or CMT 245 and other contemplated controllers and wired and wireless networks internal to the vehicle 100, and in some cases external to the vehicle 100. For example, the one or more input and output devices include a microphone 250, a voice processing and recognition device and subsystem 255, a speaker 260, an additional display 265, a camera 270, a nomadic and mobile device (NMD) 275, etc., wherein each input and output device includes at least one and / or one or more integrated signaling and communication antennas and / or transceivers (ATs).

[0060] Such input and output devices are and / or may be selected using, connected, synchronized, paired and / or actuated with an input selector, which may be any of the HSC 195, and may also include the GUI 200 and contemplated hardware and software SWCs, controls, buttons and / or switches 195, combined with and / or integrated with and / or as a part thereof. As already noted, such HSC 195 may be hardware or software or a combination thereof, and may be configured using one or more predetermined, default and adjustable factory and / or driver controls, profiles and / or preferences 180.

[0061] Contemplated microphone 250, speech processing and recognition devices and subsystems 255, speaker 260, additional display 265, camera 270, NMD 275 and / or other portable auxiliary devices may also include, for example but not limited to, cellular phones, mobile phones, smart phones, satellite phones and modems and communication devices, tablet computers, personal digital assistants, personal media players, key fob security and data storage devices, personal health devices, laptops, portable wireless cameras, headphones and earphones that may include microphones, wired and wireless microphones, portable NFC speakers and stereo devices and players, portable GPS devices, and similar devices and components, each of which may include an integrated transceiver and antenna AT, wired and plug-in connectors DC and related components for wired and wireless multimedia and data communication signals WS.

[0062] Such contemplated input, output and / or communication devices, components, subsystems and systems on the vehicle 100 are and / or may communicate bi-directionally with external proximal and distal nomadic devices, portable devices and / or mobile devices 275, networks and systems, and hotspots and wireless access points (HS / WAPs), nano and micro and conventional cellular access points and cell towers (CT), external routers (XR) and associated and accessible external remote networks, systems and servers via wired and wireless data connections (DC) and wired and wireless signals and signaling and data communications and streaming WS.

[0063] Continuing with reference to the present disclosure and the various drawings, including Figure 1 and Figure 2 , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure contemplates that the vehicle 100 includes at least one and / or one or more controllers, such as the VSC 140, VCS 145, and other controllers coupled to a vehicle or onboard transceiver AT, such as those described in connection with the USB 230, NFC 235, WRT 240, and / or CMT 245. The controllers 140, 145 and the transceiver AT are configured to detect a WS and connect to nearby or proximal or distal, wired and wireless network devices, and third-party, off-board, external devices, such as nomadic devices, portable devices, and / or mobile devices or nomadic mobile devices 275, that have a WS within range.

[0064] The vehicle 100 also includes at least one and / or one or more of the described controllers (such as the VSC 140, VCS 145, and others) coupled to at least one and / or one or more wireless transceivers and antennas AT. The controllers 140, 145, and others are configured to enable enhanced automation of provisioning settings and parameters of wireless network credentials (WNCs) to the network hardware of the vehicle 100 by requesting, retrieving, receiving, and utilizing the desired wireless network credentials (WNCs) from a mobile device (such as one or more of the NMDs 275) having one or more available WNCs that are compatible for use with various controllers and communication devices of the vehicle 100 and one or more network hardware configurations (NHCs) of the network hardware. The controllers are further configured to store such WNCs locally in the vehicle 100, and detect and identify wireless networks identified by such WNCs when their respective WSs are within range of the network hardware of the vehicle 100, and automatically provision and connect the vehicle network hardware to the detected and identified wireless networks.

[0065] For purposes of example and not limitation, such network hardware of the vehicle 100 includes at least one and / or one or more of the VSC 140, VCS 145, USB 230, NFC 235, WRT 240, and / or CMT 245, each of which includes and / or is coupled with a transceiver and antenna AT, and includes such vehicle network hardware configured to communicate with Bluetooth.TM., WiFi, and related networking technologies and protocols described elsewhere herein. While many of the other examples described herein primarily relate to WiFi as an exemplary technology and capability, the present disclosure contemplates similar automated provisioning functionality for various related technologies other than the WiFi already described.

[0066] The vehicle controller is further configured to detect one or more mobile devices or NMDs 275 communicating with the vehicle 100 via the transceiver AT and respond to communications and requests from such devices 275. The controller is also configured to respond to in-vehicle network hardware queries (HWQs) from the mobile devices 275. Typically, the controller and the onboard vehicle-side application will first respond to the query from the mobile device 275 to communicate the in-vehicle NHC so that the device 275 can determine whether it has any WNCs that can be used compatibly with the NHC of the vehicle 100.

[0067] Additionally, sharing in-vehicle NHCs enables the user of the mobile device 275 to consent to and enable sharing of such WNCs with the vehicle 100. This is a particularly valuable feature that enables users of rental vehicles or vehicles owned by another person to prevent, limit and / or restrict sharing of WNCs with vehicles that may not require permanent access to such WNCs stored in the mobile device or NMD 275.

[0068] The NMD and mobile device 275 may be configured to use the in-vehicle NHC to identify stored WNCs that are compatible and may be compatible with the vehicle 100's network hardware. In addition, the NMD and mobile device thus enabled then send all or some of the compatible WNCs to the vehicle 100 controller and transceiver AT. In a variation, the NMD and mobile device 275 are also configured to alert the user to the presence of such compatible WNCs, and such compatible WNCs may be communicated to the vehicle 100. NMD-side application (APP, Figure 2 ) is configured to enable the user to consent to the transmission of one, some, and / or all of such WNCs to the controller and transceiver AT of the vehicle 100. In addition, the present disclosure contemplates that such mobile device-side application is further configured to enable the user to assign permission rights to one, some, and / or all of such WNCs before such WNCs are transmitted, so that the controller of the vehicle 100 will only be able to make conditional, restricted, limited, and / or unrestricted use of the transmitted WNCs.

[0069] Vehicle-side applications and controllers (such as VSC 140, VCS 145, USB 230, NFC 235, WRT 240 and / or CMT 245) are further configured to: if a compatible WNC is present in the NMD 275, and the user of the NMD 275 agrees to transmit all or some of the WNCs with conditional, restricted, limited and / or unrestricted use of the transmitted WNCs, then such controllers and devices of the vehicle 100 receive, store and supply the WNCs received from the mobile device 275 to the on-board or in-vehicle network hardware for automatic connection to an external network. Such a WNC may typically include settings and parameters, such as, for purposes of example and not limitation, an SSID (IEEE 802.11 Service Identifier), a BSSID (IEEE 802.11 Basic SSID), a MAC identifier (IEEE 802.11 Media Access Control), wireless device security protocols, security key management identifiers for such protocols, enabled cryptographic identifiers, passwords, security keys, static network and device addresses, and / or dynamic network and device address host names, and other data.

[0070] Such other data may include permissions, restrictions, conditions and / or constraints associated and / or associated with each of such WNCs and each of such settings and parameters. For example, permissions may enable a particular WNC to be shared with the vehicle 100, but may restrict or prevent sharing of passwords or keys so that the passwords or keys can be manually entered by users of the vehicle-side controller and devices and applications. In another example, an additional hidden SSID or BSSID, or another setting or parameter may be edited from the shared WNC.

[0071] Although most of such settings and parameters of WNC are generally compatible for almost all 802.11-compatible network hardware of vehicle 100 and external wireless network devices, adjustments may sometimes be made to achieve compatibility of such WNC for use with specific vehicle-side hardware and applications. Therefore, the controllers and devices of vehicle 100 are further configured to enable adjustment of WNC when necessary.

[0072] For purposes of illustration and not limitation, one or more settings and parameters of the WNC may need to be adjusted or modified to change the case of text data, insert a time delay during authentication of the WNC to an external wireless device, edit or supplement certain parameters, convert network address formats, and / or delete, add special characters, bit values ​​or byte values, prefixes and / or suffixes to the WNC. Such adjustments and modifications enable the WNC received from the NMD 275 to be compatible for use by vehicle-side controllers and applications when provisioning the network hardware, controllers, applications and devices of the vehicle 100. The controller of the vehicle 100 is further configured to store the received WNC on the vehicle 100, and the WNC may be saved as part of and / or with the driver control and configuration file 180, or another storage location.

[0073] The controller and devices of the vehicle 100 are configured to generate and communicate a provisioning and connection status (PS) to the NMD and the mobile device 275 in response to attempted and / or completed vehicle network hardware provisioning and / or connection to a wireless network. The PS includes messages describing successful and / or error condition provisioning information within the vehicle. For example, during an attempted provisioning of the in-vehicle network hardware, and in response to an error condition that may occur, the vehicle controller is configured to generate the PS to include a credential retransmission request. The retransmission request enables the mobile device to restart the sequence of sharing the WNC with the vehicle 100 and resend the WNC to achieve another provisioning attempted by the vehicle controller. This functionality enables error recovery when a vehicle controller with corrupted data receives and / or stores WNCs, and when the controller and / or vehicle user incorrectly adjusts these WNCs.

[0074] The vehicle-side controller is further modified to request, receive and store multiple WNCs and / or one or more of the WNCs from the NMD and mobile device 275, each of which is stored on the NMD and mobile device 275 for different wireless networks. As previously described, the present disclosure contemplates that the NMD 275 is configured to utilize the NHC of the vehicle 100 to determine which mobile device-side WNCs are compatible for use with the in-vehicle network hardware. The vehicle controller and device are also configured to automatically detect, identify, authenticate to, and connect to different wireless networks when they are near or proximate to and within range of the network hardware of the vehicle 100. Upon detection and identification of such different wireless networks, the vehicle-side controller and application automatically supplies the vehicle network hardware with a corresponding WNC for one of the detected and identified different wireless networks.

[0075] In another configuration of the present disclosure, the vehicle controller is also modified to receive and store WNCs for different wireless networks, and the WNCs include permissions that allow vehicle-side controllers and devices to use conditionally, constrainedly, limitedly and / or unrestrictedly. By assigning and associating permissions to each of the WNCs shared with the vehicle controller and device, users of the NMD and mobile device 275 can deny, grant and grant the vehicle controller to automatically use these permissions of the WNC. The vehicle controller can receive a permission granting signal (PGS) as part of the shared WNC and / or independent of the shared WNC. The combination and / or separate transmission of PGS can realize additional security enhancement for certain applications that require permission control to be independent of WNC communication. The vehicle controller and device can also generate a modified WNC or vehicle network configuration file in response to PGS and WNC, which, for example, includes one or more of the permissions, restrictions, conditions and / or constraints associated with each of the WNCs.

[0076] Generating such a vehicle network profile from the WNC enables vehicle-side editing, updating, and modification that may be required if a vehicle owner wishes to modify and enhance certain settings and parameters of the stored WNC without adulterating the originally received WNC, which may also be stored as or with the driver control and configuration file 180. Such a vehicle network profile may also be configured to enable modified WNC permission permissions, including, for example, but not limited to, vehicle user preferred expiration times, one-time use automatic expiration times, time or bandwidth, and / or other types of constraints on the limited use of the WNC and vehicle network profile, so as to enable the vehicle user to utilize the WNC and profile to control the automated provisioning, authentication, and / or connection to detected and identified wireless networks.

[0077] The controller and device of the vehicle 100 are also configured to enable manual deletion of WNCs based on requests from the NMD and mobile device 275 and in response to at least one of the permissions (such as expiration time, one-time use constraints and / or other types of restrictions, conditions and / or constraints). Additional variations of the present disclosure include the controller and device of the vehicle 100 deleting expired and / or WNCs to be deleted based on permissions from local vehicle storage and not provisioning vehicle network hardware. The vehicle controller and device also respond to such permissions and requests by disconnecting the in-vehicle network hardware from the connected wireless network associated with the deleted or expired WNC.

[0078] The present disclosure contemplates other variations of controllers and devices for vehicle 100 that are also configured to respond to detecting a wireless network identified by a WNC stored by the vehicle and provisioning the vehicle network hardware, authenticating to the wireless network, and enabling an automated connection between the in-vehicle network hardware and the detected and identified wireless network. In further arrangements, a PS may be generated and communicated by the controllers and devices of vehicle 100 to alert the vehicle user and communicated to the NMD and mobile device 275. Additionally, in response to automated connections to wireless networks and error conditions generated during attempts, the provisioning and connection status PS generated may also be recorded and stored in a wireless network connection history log by the vehicle controllers and devices, and may be communicated to alert the vehicle user and to the NMD and mobile device 275, which may be desired in certain applications.

[0079] In response to successful automated provisioning, authentication, and connection of and between the vehicle network hardware and the wireless network, as well as error conditions occurring during such automated attempts, the controllers and devices of the vehicle 100 are configured to communicate the success status and error conditions to at least one of the controllers and devices, as well as to the NMD and mobile device 275. Additionally, the vehicle controllers and devices are configured to respond to such successful attempts and error conditions occurring, and to communicate new requests to the NMD and mobile device 275 for new, updated, changed, and / or modified WNCs for detected wireless networks.

[0080] Similarly, periodically, as needed and / or in response to detecting that such NMD and mobile device 275 are connecting to, have been connected to and / or reconnected to the in-vehicle network hardware and / or in response to an error condition, the controllers and devices of the vehicle 100 are also modified to communicate requests for updated WNCs from the NMD and mobile device 275. These contemplated WNC update requests also include or may include a list of previously stored WNCs including a timestamp. The timestamp enables the NMD and mobile device 275 to evaluate the update request and determine whether a newer, changed and / or updated WNC is present and / or stored in the NMD and mobile device 275. Compatibility is also evaluated by the NMD and mobile device using the vehicle NHC to identify compatible WNCs that can communicate with the vehicle controllers and devices.

[0081] As described in more detail elsewhere herein, each of these configurations, variations, and modifications of the vehicle 100 and its controllers and devices also enables the vehicle controller to couple to and communicate with at least one and / or one or more of a transceiver and antenna AT, including any one or all or some of a near field communication, Bluetooth.TM. communication, WiFi wireless communication, and cellular communication transceiver. In these additional preferred and optional variations, the vehicle controller and devices are further configured to communicate the corresponding vehicle-side NHC for such in-vehicle near field, Bluetooth.TM., WiFi, and / or cellular network hardware to the NMD and mobile device 275 in response to receiving the HWQ. As with the previous configuration, the NMD and mobile device transmit, and the vehicle controller receives and stores, at least one, multiple, and / or one or more WNCs for such additionally described in-vehicle network hardware. Similar to the previously described arrangements, when a wireless network and / or wireless network device identified by the received WNC is detected, the vehicle controller supplies the vehicle network hardware with at least one WNC of the multiple NFC, Bluetooth, and / or WiFi WNCs received from the NMD and mobile device 275.

[0082] Continue to refer Figure 1 And now also refer to Figure 2 , exemplary arrangements and methods of the present disclosure are depicted and include controlling a vehicle 100 through a controller and device VSC 140, VCS 145, USB 230, NFC 235, WRT 240, and / or CMT 245 coupled to, integrated with, combined with, and / or in communication with one or more wireless transceivers and antennas AT. In response to receiving a HWQ from an NMD and mobile device 275 in communication with the controller 140, 145 and / or other and transceiver and antenna AT, the vehicle controller and device are enabled to communicate NHC to the NMD and mobile device 275.

[0083] The method further contemplates provisioning the vehicle network hardware with WNCs received from the device and adapted for enabling provisioning. The method also includes configuring the controller and device of the vehicle 100 to communicate a provisioning status PS to the mobile device in response to attempted and / or successful provisioning of the vehicle network hardware.

[0084] The present disclosure contemplates such methods: generating a PS to include a credential resend request also by the controller and device of the vehicle 100 in response to an error condition occurring during provisioning. In other variations, the method further includes: receiving one or more and / or multiple WNCs for different wireless networks from the NMD and the mobile device 275 in response to detecting one or more of the different wireless networks, and storing them in the configuration file 180. The WNCs so received and stored may also include permission rights, deleted WNCs, and not provisioning the vehicle network hardware to remove the WNCs deleted according to the permission rights.

[0085] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the present invention. On the contrary, the words used in this specification are descriptive rather than limiting words, and it should be understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the features of the various embodiments of implementation can be combined to form other embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a controller coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to: in response to receiving a network hardware query from a mobile device in communication with the wireless transceiver; communicating a configuration of vehicle network hardware to the mobile device; receiving wireless network credentials from the mobile device; detecting a wireless network identified by the wireless network credentials stored in the vehicle; adjusting the wireless network credentials to achieve compatibility between the received wireless network credentials and the vehicle network hardware by at least one of: inserting a time delay, editing a parameter, supplementing a parameter, and converting a network address format; provisioning the adjusted wireless network credentials to the vehicle network hardware to enable an automated connection between the vehicle network hardware and the corresponding wireless network; as well as Responsive to provisioning to the vehicle network hardware, a provisioning status is communicated to the mobile device.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to generate the provisioning status to include a credential reissue request in response to an error condition occurring during the provisioning.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to: receiving and storing a plurality of wireless network credentials for different wireless networks from the mobile device, and In response to detecting one of the different wireless networks, The vehicle network hardware is provisioned with corresponding wireless network credentials for the detected one of the different wireless networks.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to: receiving and storing a plurality of wireless network credentials and permission permissions for different wireless networks from the mobile device, and Responsive to at least one of an expiration time and a one-time use constraint included in the permission, deleting the stored credentials, and The vehicle network hardware is not provisioned to remove wireless network credentials deleted according to the permissions.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to: In response to detecting a wireless network identified by the wireless network credential, authenticating and enabling automated connection between the vehicle network hardware and the wireless network, and A connection status of the wireless network is communicated to the controller.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to: In response to detecting a wireless network identified by the wireless network credential, and In response to an error condition occurring during an attempt to authenticate and enable an automated connection between the vehicle network hardware and the wireless network, The error is communicated to at least one of the controller and the mobile device.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to: In response to detecting a wireless network identified by the wireless network credential, and In response to an error condition occurring during an attempt to authenticate and enable an automated connection between the vehicle network hardware and the wireless network, A request for wireless network credentials for the detected wireless network is communicated to the mobile device.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to: In response to detecting the mobile device in communication with the wireless transceiver, A request for updated wireless network credentials from the mobile device is communicated, the request including a list of stored wireless network credentials including a timestamp.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, comprising: the mobile device comprising a controller configured to detect a communication link with the wireless transceiver, and In response to the permission-granting signal, A vehicle network profile is generated that includes permissions associated with each of a plurality of wireless network credentials.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein: The controller is further coupled to and in communication with at least one of the additional transceivers including one or more of near field, Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellular communication transceivers.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein: At least one of the additional transceivers is a WiFi transceiver, and the controller is further configured to: in response to receiving a vehicle WiFi network hardware query from the mobile device in communication with the WiFi transceiver, communicating a configuration of the vehicle WiFi network hardware to the mobile device, provisioning the vehicle WiFi network hardware with at least one WiFi wireless network credential from a plurality of WiFi wireless network credentials received from the mobile device, the plurality of WiFi wireless network credentials adapted for use in enabling the WiFi network hardware provisioning, and In response to the WiFi network hardware provisioning, a WiFi network hardware provisioning status is communicated to the mobile device.

12. A vehicle comprising: a controller coupled to the transceiver and configured to: in response to receiving a WiFi hardware query from a mobile device in communication with the transceiver; communicating the configuration of the vehicle WiFi hardware to the mobile device; receiving WiFi network credentials from the mobile device; detecting a WiFi network identified by the WiFi network credentials stored in the vehicle; adjusting the WiFi network credentials to achieve compatibility between the received WiFi network credentials and the vehicle WiFi hardware by at least one of: inserting a time delay, editing a parameter, supplementing a parameter, and converting a network address format; provisioning the adjusted WiFi network credentials to the vehicle WiFi hardware to enable automated connection between the vehicle WiFi hardware and the corresponding WiFi network; and Responsive to provisioning the vehicle WiFi hardware, a provisioning status is communicated to the mobile device.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein: The controller is further configured to: receiving and storing a plurality of WiFi network credentials for different WiFi networks from the mobile device, and In response to detecting one of the different WiFi networks, The vehicle WiFi hardware is provisioned with corresponding WiFi network credentials for the detected one of the different WiFi networks.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein: The controller is further configured to: receiving and storing a plurality of WiFi network credentials and permissions for different WiFi networks from the mobile device, and Responsive to at least one of an expiration time and a one-time use constraint included in the permission, deleting the stored credentials, and The vehicle WiFi hardware is not provisioned to remove WiFi network credentials deleted according to the permissions.

15. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein: The controller is further configured to: In response to detecting a WiFi network identified by the WiFi network credential, authenticating and enabling automated connection between the vehicle WiFi hardware and the WiFi network, and One or more of a provisioning and connection status of the WiFi network is communicated to the controller.

16. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein: The controller is further configured to: In response to detecting a WiFi network identified by the WiFi network credentials, and In response to an error condition occurring during an attempt to authenticate and enable an automated connection between the vehicle WiFi hardware and the WiFi network, A request is communicated to the mobile device for WiFi network credentials for the detected WiFi network.

17. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising: By coupling to the wireless transceiver controller, in response to receiving a network hardware query from a mobile device in communication with the wireless transceiver; communicating a configuration of vehicle network hardware to the mobile device; receiving wireless network credentials from the mobile device; detecting a wireless network identified by the wireless network credentials stored in the vehicle; adjusting the wireless network credentials to achieve compatibility between the received wireless network credentials and the vehicle network hardware by at least one of: inserting a time delay, editing a parameter, supplementing a parameter, and converting a network address format; provisioning the adjusted wireless network credentials to the vehicle network hardware to enable an automated connection between the vehicle network hardware and the corresponding wireless network; as well as Responsive to provisioning to the vehicle network hardware, a provisioning status is communicated to the mobile device.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: Through the controller, In response to an error condition occurring during the provisioning, the provisioning status is generated to include a credential reissue request.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: Through the controller, receiving and storing a plurality of wireless network credentials for different wireless networks from the mobile device, and In response to detecting one of the different wireless networks, The vehicle network hardware is provisioned with corresponding wireless network credentials for the detected one of the different wireless networks.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: Through the controller, receiving and storing a plurality of wireless network credentials and permission permissions for different wireless networks from the mobile device, and Responsive to at least one of an expiration time and a one-time use constraint included in the permission, deleting the stored credentials, and The vehicle network hardware is not provisioned to remove wireless network credentials deleted according to the permissions.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising: Through the controller, In response to detecting a wireless network identified by the wireless network credential, authenticating and enabling automated connection between the vehicle network hardware and the wireless network, and One or more of a provisioning and connection status of the wireless network is communicated to the controller.

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