System and method for controlling vehicle component operation based on user device movement mode

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for controlling vehicle component operation based on a user device movement mode. A vehicle is disclosed that includes a detection unit and a processor. The detection unit may be configured to receive location information from a user device in the vicinity of the vehicle. The processor may be configured to determine, based on the location information, that the user device is likely to move in a predefined pattern near the vehicle. The processor may also determine that the vehicle is likely to be in a first vehicle operating state of a plurality of vehicle operating states in response to determining that the user device is likely to move in the predefined mode proximate the vehicle. The processor may additionally perform a first operation on a first vehicle component in response to determining that the vehicle is likely to operate in the first vehicle operating state. The first vehicle component may be associated with a first vehicle operating state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling the operation of vehicle components based on movement patterns of a user device in the vicinity of the vehicle. Background Art

[0002] There may be situations where a user may wish to operate a vehicle component in a hands-free manner when their hands may be occupied. For example, when the user may be carrying one or more objects in their hands or when the user may be some distance away from the vehicle, the user may wish to close an open vehicle door or open rear closure without actuating any vehicle buttons. Currently, there are limited available means for enabling a user to conveniently close an open vehicle door or open rear closure in a hands-free manner. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure describes a vehicle that can be configured to control the operation of one or more vehicle components based on the movement of a user device near the vehicle. The user device can be communicatively coupled to the vehicle and can be associated with a vehicle user. The user can control the operation of one or more vehicle components in a hands-free manner (i.e., without touching the vehicle components and / or any dedicated buttons on the vehicle or user device) by moving the user device in a predefined pattern (which can be detected by the vehicle).

[0004] In some aspects, a vehicle may determine that a user device may be moving in a predefined pattern near the vehicle by performing UWB ranging based on an ultra-wideband (UWB) signal obtained from the user device. In response to determining that the user device may be moving in a predefined pattern, the vehicle may determine the user device movement pattern characteristics (or "mode characteristics" or "mode context" associated with the user device movement) and / or the vehicle operating state. The vehicle may also control the operation of one or more vehicle components based on the pattern characteristics and / or the vehicle operating state. In some aspects, the vehicle may perform different actions / operations associated with different vehicle components for the same user device movement near the vehicle based on the vehicle operating state. For example, when the rear closure may be open and the user waves the user device near the vehicle, the vehicle may automatically close the vehicle rear closure. As another example, when the vehicle headlights may be on and the user waves the user device near the vehicle, the vehicle may automatically turn off the headlights. In this way, based on the vehicle's operating state, the same user device movement pattern may result in different vehicle operations.

[0005] In some aspects, when a user device moves in a predefined pattern near a vehicle, the mode characteristic may include / indicate information associated with a vehicle component that is likely to be closest to the user device (e.g., an operational state). For example, if the user device moves in a predefined pattern near a rear closure of a vehicle, the mode characteristic may indicate the operational state of the rear closure (e.g., an open or closed state). If the mode characteristic indicates that the rear closure is likely to be open, the vehicle may automatically close the rear closure when the user device moves in the predefined pattern, thereby enabling the user to close the rear closure in a hands-free manner.

[0006] In another aspect, when a user device moves in a predefined pattern near a vehicle, the pattern characteristic may include / indicate information associated with a vehicle component that the user device may be pointing at (e.g., an operational state). For example, if the user device may be pointing at a rear closure or vehicle headlights, the pattern characteristic may indicate the state of the rear closure or vehicle headlights. Similarly, in this case, if the pattern characteristic indicates that the rear closure may be open or the vehicle headlights may be illuminated, the vehicle may automatically close the rear closure or turn off the vehicle headlights when the user device moves in the predefined pattern.

[0007] In an additional aspect, the vehicle may control the operation of a vehicle component based on the vehicle component state or vehicle operating state as described above. For example, if the vehicle infotainment system may be outputting music (e.g., indicating a "first vehicle operating state") when the user device moves near the vehicle in a predefined pattern, the vehicle may automatically turn off the music from the infotainment system. As another example, if the rear closure may be in an open state (e.g., indicating a "second vehicle operating state") when the user device moves near the vehicle in a predefined pattern, the vehicle may automatically close the rear closure. When the user device moves near the vehicle in a predefined pattern, the vehicle may additionally control the operation of a vehicle component based on the predefined mode in which the vehicle may be operating (e.g., car wash mode, drive-thru mode, etc. or a "third vehicle operating state"). When the user device moves near the vehicle in a predefined pattern and when the vehicle may be operating in the third vehicle operating state, the vehicle may additionally control the operation of two or more vehicle components simultaneously.

[0008] The present disclosure discloses a vehicle that enables a user to control the operation of one or more vehicle components in a hands-free manner. The vehicle does not use or require any external hardware to implement the operations disclosed herein and utilizes existing vehicle UWB transceivers to facilitate hands-free user control of vehicle component operations. When a user moves a user device in a predefined pattern, the vehicle also controls the operation of vehicle components based on the user device's movement and / or the vehicle's current "context," thereby controlling the operation of vehicle components in a manner that is relevant and beneficial to the user.

[0009] These and other features of the disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Detailed description of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those shown in the drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0011] Figure 1 An example environment is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0012] Figure 2 Depicted is a block diagram of an example system for controlling operation of vehicle components according to the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 3 A first exemplary user device movement pattern near a vehicle according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0014] Figure 4 Depicted is a second exemplary user device movement pattern near a vehicle in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 5 A flow chart depicts an example method for controlling operation of a vehicle component according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the disclosure are shown and which are not intended to be limiting.

[0017] Figure 1 An example environment 100 is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. Environment 100 may include a vehicle 102, which may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as a car, work vehicle, crossover vehicle, truck, van, minivan, taxi, bus, etc. Vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle and / or may be configured to operate in a partially autonomous mode and may include any powertrain, such as a gasoline engine, one or more electric actuation motors, a hybrid powertrain, etc.

[0018] The vehicle 102 may include a number of vehicle components including, but not limited to, a rear closure 104, rear lights 106, rear doors 108, passenger doors 110, headlights (in Figure 4402). In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may be configured to enable a vehicle user / operator (e.g., user 112) to control the operation of one or more vehicle components in a hands-free manner. In other words, the vehicle 102 may enable the user 112 to control the operation of one or more vehicle components without actuating any vehicle buttons. In this manner, the user 112 may be able to control the operation of vehicle components even when the user 112 may be located some distance away from the vehicle 102 and / or when one or both of the user's hands may be occupied (e.g., carrying groceries, boxes, objects, etc.). Figure 1 As shown. Figure 1 In the exemplary aspect depicted in FIG, user 112 is shown as controlling the operation of rear closure 104 (specifically, closing the open rear closure) in a hands-free manner; however, the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. User 112 may also control the operation of other vehicle components in a hands-free manner without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0019] In some aspects, a user 112 may carry a user device 114 that may be communicatively coupled to the vehicle 102. The user device 114 may be, for example, a mobile phone (which may include a phone-as-a-key (PaaK) feature), a key fob, a wearable device with an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver, a UWB tag, or any other communication device with a UWB transceiver. The user 112 may be configured to control the operation of one or more vehicle components by moving the user device 114 in a predefined pattern near the vehicle 102. The movement of the user device near the vehicle 102 may be controlled by one or more vehicle UWB transceivers associated with the vehicle 102 (in a manner similar to the embodiment of the present invention). Figure 2 The one or more vehicle UWB transceivers (shown as UWB transceiver 234) may monitor / track / detect the user device 114, and the one or more vehicle UWB transceivers may perform UWB ranging by being communicatively coupled to a UWB transceiver associated with the user device 114. Specifically, the vehicle UWB transceiver may be configured to detect the real-time location of the user device 114 relative to the vehicle 102 based on a signal obtained from the UWB transceiver associated with the user device 114. In response to detecting the real-time user device location near the vehicle 102 within a predefined duration, the vehicle 102 may determine a user device movement pattern based on the real-time user device location. For example, the vehicle 102 may determine that the user 112 may be waving the user device 114 based on the real-time user device location detected by the vehicle UWB transceiver within a predefined duration. In response to determining the user device movement pattern, the vehicle 102 may compare the determined user device movement pattern with a predefined pattern (information of which may be pre-stored in the vehicle memory, Figure 2 242 ) and, when the determined movement pattern of the user device matches the predefined pattern, controlling the operation of one or more vehicle components.

[0020] In this manner, the vehicle 102 can enable the user 112 to control the operation of one or more vehicle components by performing predefined actions with the user device 114 (e.g., by moving the user device 114 in a predefined pattern). The predefined pattern can be known to the user 112, and thus, whenever the user 112 desires to control the operation of one or more vehicle components, the user 112 can move the user device 114 in the predefined pattern. Furthermore, in some aspects, the predefined pattern can be customized by the user 112. For example, the user 112 can provide input to the vehicle 102 during a vehicle "setup phase" (e.g., via the user device 114 or a vehicle human-machine interface (HMI)) to indicate that if the user 112 waves the user device 114 twice within a two-second period, the vehicle 102 should understand that the user 112 is moving the user device 114 in a predefined pattern, and therefore, the vehicle 102 should understand that the user 112 desires to control the operation of one or more vehicle components. The examples of predefined patterns described herein should not be construed as limiting, and the user 112 can set other types of predefined patterns without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In other aspects, one or more predefined modes may be preset by a vehicle manufacturer, and information associated with the predefined modes may be stored in vehicle memory.

[0021] In another aspect, the same predefined pattern of user device movement can be associated with the control of different vehicle components. For example, in one vehicle or user device movement scenario, when rear closure 104 may be open (e.g., when vehicle 102 may be operating in a "first vehicle operating state"), waving user device 114 may close rear closure 104; and in another vehicle or user device movement scenario, the same action of waving user device 114 may cause the vehicle exterior lights to move from an illuminated state to an unilluminated state (e.g., when vehicle 102 may be operating in a "second vehicle operating state"). In other words, when vehicle 102 may be operating in the first vehicle operating state and user device 114 moves near vehicle 102 in a predefined pattern, vehicle 102 may perform a first operation on a first vehicle component (i.e., rear closure 104) (e.g., closing rear closure 104). On the other hand, for the same user device movement near the vehicle 102 in a predefined pattern, when the vehicle 102 may be operating in a second vehicle operating state, the vehicle 102 may perform a second operation on a second vehicle component (i.e., the vehicle exterior lights) (e.g., moving the vehicle exterior lights from an illuminated state to a non-illuminated state). The first vehicle operating state may be associated with the first vehicle component (i.e., the rear closure 104), and the second vehicle operating state may be associated with the second vehicle component (i.e., the vehicle exterior lights). One of ordinary skill in the art can understand from the above examples that for the same predefined pattern of user device movement, the second vehicle operating state may be different from the first vehicle operating state, and the second vehicle component may be different from the first vehicle component. In this way, the vehicle 102 enables the user 112 to control the operation of different vehicle components (depending on the vehicle context or operating state) with the same user device movement pattern.

[0022] In some aspects, to determine the vehicle component whose operation the user 112 may desire to control, the vehicle 102 may determine the “context” or “operating state” of the vehicle 102 and / or the user gestures when the user 112 moves the user device 114 in a predefined pattern. In other words, in response to determining that the user device 114 may be moving in a predefined pattern, the vehicle 102 may determine a “mode characteristic” associated with the user device movement pattern and / or a vehicle operating state from a plurality of vehicle operating states. The vehicle 102 may then determine the vehicle component whose operation the user 112 may desire to control based on the mode characteristic associated with the user device movement pattern and / or the determined vehicle operating state. In response to determining the vehicle component, the vehicle 102 may automatically modify the state of the vehicle component or perform an operation on the vehicle component, thereby enabling the user 112 to control the operation of the vehicle component in a hands-free manner (i.e., without touching the vehicle component or actuating any vehicle or user device button / actuator). The following briefly describes and combines Figure 2Examples of pattern characteristics associated with user device movement patterns and vehicle operating states are described in detail.The examples described below are for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting.

[0023] In a first exemplary aspect, the pattern characteristic associated with the user device movement pattern may include information or an operating state associated with a vehicle component (e.g., a third vehicle component) that is closest to the user device 114 when the user 112 moves the user device 114 in the predefined pattern. In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may determine the vehicle component that is closest to the user device 114 based on a signal obtained from a UWB transceiver associated with the user device 114 and a three-dimensional (3D) vehicle geometry that may be pre-stored in the vehicle memory. In addition, in response to determining the vehicle component that is closest to the user device 114, the vehicle 102 may determine information associated with the vehicle component, which may include, for example, a current operating state of the determined vehicle component (e.g., whether the vehicle component may be turned on or off, activated or deactivated, etc.). The vehicle 102 may then automatically change the operating state of the determined vehicle component, thereby enabling the user 112 to control the operation of the vehicle component in a hands-free manner. As an example, if Figure 1 As shown, if the vehicle component closest to the user device 114 may be the rear closure 104 and the rear closure 104 may be in an open state, when the user 112 moves the user device 114 in the predefined pattern, the vehicle 102 may automatically close the rear closure 104. Figure 4 As shown in FIG and described in detail later, if the vehicle component closest to the user device 114 may be a vehicle headlight and the vehicle headlight may be in an activated state (i.e., in an illuminated state), the vehicle 102 may automatically turn the vehicle headlights to an unilluminated state when the user 112 moves the user device 114 in a predefined pattern.

[0024] In a second exemplary aspect, the mode characteristic associated with the user device movement pattern may include information or an operational state associated with a vehicle component (e.g., a third vehicle component) that user 112 may be pointing user device 114 at when user 112 may be moving user device 114 in the predefined pattern. For example, if user 112 may be pointing user device 114 at rear enclosure 104 when user 112 may be moving user device 114 in the predefined pattern, vehicle 102 may determine that user 112 may wish to control the operation of rear enclosure 104. Also in this case, vehicle 102 may determine that user 112 may be pointing user device 114 at rear enclosure 104 based on signals obtained from a UWB transceiver associated with user device 114 and 3D vehicle geometry. Similar to the first exemplary aspect described above, in this case, in response to determining the vehicle component that user 112 may be pointing user device 114 at, vehicle 102 may determine information associated with the vehicle component, which may include, for example, the operational state of the determined vehicle component, and may then automatically change the vehicle component state, as described above.

[0025] In a third exemplary aspect, the vehicle operating state may include an operating state of one or more vehicle components. For example, the vehicle operating state may include a rear closure state (e.g., a first vehicle operating state) that may indicate whether the rear closure 104 may be open or closed, a vehicle infotainment system (e.g., a second vehicle operating state) that may indicate whether the rear closure 104 may be open or closed, a vehicle operating state ... Figure 2 The vehicle 102 may include, for example, a vehicle infotainment system state (shown as infotainment system 236 in the figure), which may indicate whether the vehicle's exterior or interior lights are being output music / sound or in a silent state; a vehicle exterior or interior light state, which may indicate whether the vehicle's exterior or interior lights are being illuminated or unilluminated (e.g., a second vehicle operating state); and the like. In this case, the vehicle 102 may determine which vehicle component the user 112 may desire to control when the user 112 moves the user device 114 in a predefined pattern by determining which vehicle component may be in an open or activated state. In response to determining such a vehicle component, the vehicle 102 may cause the vehicle component to be closed or deactivated when the user 112 moves the user device 114 in the predefined pattern. For example, if the rear closure 104 (e.g., the first vehicle component) may be in an open state (i.e., in the first vehicle operating state), the vehicle 102 may automatically close the rear closure 104 (i.e., perform the first operation) when the user 112 moves the user device 114 in the predefined pattern. As another example, if the vehicle infotainment system may be outputting music, the vehicle 102 may cause the vehicle infotainment system to stop playing the music when the user 112 moves the user device 114 in a predefined pattern.

[0026] In a fourth exemplary aspect, the vehicle operating state may include or indicate one or more predefined modes in which vehicle 102 may operate (e.g., a third vehicle operating state / mode). In this case, vehicle 102 may determine, based on information associated with the predefined mode / third vehicle operating state in which vehicle 102 may be operating, which vehicle components user 112 may desire to control when user 112 moves user device 114 in the predefined mode. For example, if vehicle 102 may be operating in drive-thru mode, vehicle 102 may determine, based on information associated with the drive-thru mode that may be pre-stored in vehicle memory, that the vehicle components are the windows (e.g., a fourth vehicle component) and the vehicle infotainment system. In this case, in response to determining that vehicle 102 may be in drive-thru mode, vehicle 102 may automatically lower the windows and stop music playing on the vehicle infotainment system when user 112 moves user device 114 in the predefined mode. As one skilled in the art can appreciate from the above example, in this case, when user 112 moves user device 114 in a predefined pattern, vehicle 102 can simultaneously control the operation of two vehicle components (i.e., windows and vehicle infotainment system). As another example, when vehicle 102 may be in a car wash mode and user 112 moves user device 114 in a predefined pattern, vehicle 102 can move windows (e.g., the fourth vehicle component) upward and turn off lights (e.g., the second vehicle component).

[0027] Combined with the following Figure 2 Describe additional vehicle details.

[0028] Although the above description describes aspects in which the UWB communication protocol is used to detect the location of the user device and the user device movement pattern near the vehicle 102, the present disclosure is not limited to such aspects. In additional or alternative aspects, one or more other wireless communication protocols (such as Wi-Fi, near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), etc.) can be used to detect the user device location and user device movement pattern near the vehicle 102.

[0029] The vehicle 102 and / or user 112 implement and / or perform operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the vehicle owner's manual and safety guidelines. Furthermore, any actions taken by the user 112 based on recommendations or notifications provided by the vehicle 102 should comply with all regulations specific to the location (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.) and operation of the vehicle 102. Recommendations or notifications as provided by the vehicle 102 should be considered suggestions and should only be followed in accordance with any regulations specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102.

[0030] Figure 2A block diagram of an example system 200 for controlling the operation of vehicle components according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 2 When you can refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 .

[0031] The system 200 may include a vehicle 102, a user device 114, and one or more servers 202 (or servers 202) that may be communicatively coupled to one another via one or more networks 204 (or networks 204). The servers 202 may be part of a cloud-based computing infrastructure and may be associated with and / or include a telematics service delivery network (SDN) that provides digital data services to the vehicle 102 and other vehicles (not shown) that may be part of a fleet of vehicles. In another aspect, the servers 202 may store and provide information associated with a 3D geometry associated with the vehicle 102, information associated with a plurality of predefined modes (or predefined operating modes) associated with the vehicle 102, and the like to the vehicle 102.

[0032] The network 204 illustrates an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. The network 204 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), BLE, Wi-Fi based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, ultra-wideband (UWB), and cellular technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPDA), long-term evolution (LTE), global system for mobile communications (GSM), and fifth generation (5G), to name a few.

[0033] The vehicle 102 may include a plurality of units including, but not limited to, a vehicle computer 206, a vehicle control unit (VCU) 208, and a component management unit 210 (or unit 210). The VCU 208 may include a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 212 configured to communicate with the vehicle computer 206.

[0034] In some aspects, according to the present disclosure, the vehicle computer 206 and the unit 210 can be located anywhere in the vehicle 102. The vehicle computer 206 can be or include an electronic vehicle controller having one or more processors 214 and memory 216.

[0035] The processor 214 may communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 216 and / or Figure 2The processor 214 may utilize the memory 216 to store programs and / or store data in code form to perform various aspects of the present disclosure. The memory 216 may be a non-transitory computer-readable memory that stores vehicle component control program code. The memory 216 may include any one or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0036] According to some aspects, the VCU 208 can share a power bus with the vehicle computer 206 and can be configured and / or programmed to coordinate data between vehicle systems, connected servers (not shown), and other vehicles (not shown) operating as part of a vehicle fleet. The VCU 208 can include or communicate with any combination of ECUs 212, such as a body control module (BCM) 218, an engine control module (ECM) 220, a transmission control module (TCM) 222, a telematics control unit (TCU) 224 (or "sensing unit"), a driver assistance technology (DAT) controller 226, and the like. The VCU 208 can also include and / or communicate with a vehicle perception system (VPS) 228, which has connectivity with and / or controls one or more vehicle sensing systems 230. The vehicle sensing system 230 may include one or more vehicle sensors, including but not limited to radio detection and ranging (RADAR or “radar”) sensors configured to use radio waves to detect and locate objects inside and outside the vehicle 102, seating area lock sensors, seating area sensors, light detection and ranging (LiDAR or “laser radar”) sensors, door sensors, proximity sensors, temperature sensors, wheel sensors, ambient weather sensors, interior and exterior vehicle cameras, steering wheel sensors, etc.

[0037] In some aspects, the VCU 208 may control aspects of vehicle operation and implement one or more instruction sets stored in the memory 216 .

[0038] The TCU 224 (or detection unit) may be configured and / or programmed to provide vehicle connectivity to wireless computing systems on and off the vehicle 102 and may include a navigation (NAV) receiver 232 for receiving and processing GPS signals, one or more UWB transceivers 234, module (BLEM) or BUN (BLE, UWB, NFC module, not shown), Wi-Fi transceiver, low frequency antenna, remote tuner module (RTM) antenna and / or other wireless transceiver / antenna (such as BLEM) that can be configured for wireless communication (including cellular communication) between the vehicle 102 and other systems (e.g., user device 114), computers and modules. Figure 2 ). The TCU 224 may be configured to communicate with the ECU 212 via a bus.

[0039] In some aspects, the TCU 224, via the BUN module or the UWB transceiver 234, can be configured to detect the location of the user device 114 (or user device location) near the vehicle 102 based on signals obtained from one or more UWB transceivers (not shown) associated with the user device 114. The TCU 224 can be configured to detect the user device location near the vehicle 102 when the user device 114 can be communicatively coupled to the vehicle 102. In an exemplary aspect, the vehicle 102 can include multiple UWB transceivers 234, which can be located at different vehicle locations, such as Figure 3 As shown. Figure 3 In the aspect depicted in FIG, the vehicle 102 is shown as including a UWB transceiver 234a located at the left front vehicle portion, a UWB transceiver 234b located at the right front vehicle portion, a UWB transceiver 234c located at the left rear vehicle portion, a UWB transceiver 234d located at the right rear vehicle portion, a UWB transceiver 234e located at the rear center vehicle portion, and BUN modules / UWB transceivers 234f, 234g located at the middle center vehicle portion. The vehicle 102 may include a greater or lesser number of UWB transceivers 234 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0040] In some aspects, each UWB transceiver 234 can be configured to detect a user device location near the vehicle 102. In response to each UWB transceiver 234 detecting a user device location, the vehicle BUN module or one or more vehicle processors (e.g., processor 214) or units 210 can correlate the user device locations detected by each UWB transceiver 234 to determine a precise user device location near the vehicle 102.

[0041] ECU 212 may control various aspects of vehicle operation and communications using input from a human driver, input from an autonomous vehicle controller, and / or input via wireless signals received over wireless connections from other connected devices (such as user device 114 , server 202 , etc.).

[0042] The BCM 218 typically includes an integration of sensors, vehicle performance indicators, and varactors associated with vehicle systems, and may include processor-based power distribution circuits that control functions associated with the vehicle body, such as lights, windows, security devices, cameras, audio systems, speakers, wipers, door locks and access controls, and various comfort controls. The BCM 218 may also operate as a gateway for bus and network interfaces to communicate with remote ECUs ( Figure 2 In some aspects, the BCM 218 may be configured to control the above combined Figure 1 The operation of various vehicle components is described.

[0043] The DAT controller 226 may provide Level 1 to Level 3 automated driving and driver assistance functionality, which may include features such as active park assist, vehicle reverse assist, and / or adaptive cruise control, among others. The DAT controller 226 may also provide various aspects of user and environmental input that may be used for user authentication.

[0044] In some aspects, the vehicle computer 206 can be connected to an infotainment system 236. The infotainment system 236 can include a touch screen interface portion and can include voice recognition features, biometric recognition capabilities that can identify a user based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric means. In other aspects, the infotainment system 236 can also be configured to receive user commands via the touch screen interface portion and / or display notifications (including visual alert notifications), navigation maps, etc. on the touch screen interface portion.

[0045] The computing system architecture of the vehicle computer 206, VCU 208 and / or unit 210 may omit certain computing modules. Figure 2 The computing environment depicted in FIG. 5 is an example of possible implementations according to the present disclosure and, therefore, should not be considered limiting or exclusive.

[0046] According to some aspects, unit 210 can be integrated with and / or executed as part of ECU 212. Unit 210, whether integrated with vehicle computer 206 or ECU 212, or operating as a standalone computing unit in vehicle 102, can include a transceiver 238, a processor 240, and a computer-readable memory 242.

[0047] The transceiver 238 can be configured to receive information / input from one or more external devices or systems (e.g., user device 114, server 202, etc.) via the network 204. In addition, the transceiver 238 can transmit notifications, requests, signals, etc. to the external devices or systems. In addition, the transceiver 238 can be configured to receive information / input from vehicle components (such as the vehicle sensing system 230, one or more ECUs 212, TCU 224, etc.). In addition, the transceiver 238 can transmit signals (e.g., command signals) or notifications to vehicle components such as the BCM 218, the infotainment system 236, etc.

[0048] The processor 240 and the memory 242 can be the same as or similar to the processor 214 and the memory 216, respectively. In some aspects, the processor 240 can utilize the memory 242 to store programs and / or store data in code form for performing various aspects of the present disclosure. The memory 242 can be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores vehicle component control program code. In some aspects, the memory 242 can additionally store information associated with the 3D vehicle geometry associated with the vehicle 102, information associated with a plurality of predefined modes (or predefined operating modes) associated with the vehicle 102, and the like, which the vehicle 102 can obtain from the server 202 or which can be pre-stored in the memory 242 (e.g., by the vehicle manufacturer). The memory 242 can also store information associated with a plurality of predefined user device movement patterns (or "predefined modes") that the vehicle 102 can obtain from the user 112, the vehicle manufacturer, etc. As described above in conjunction with Figure 1 As described, the user 112 may provide information associated with the predefined modes to the vehicle 102 during the vehicle setup phase, and the information may include / indicate a user device movement pattern that the user 112 may move the user device 114 when the user 112 desires to control the operation of one or more vehicle components in a hands-free manner. In some aspects, the information associated with the predefined modes may be customized by the user 112.

[0049] In operation, when the user device 114 is likely to be located near the vehicle 102 (e.g., within a predefined distance of the vehicle 102), the processor 240 can first authenticate the user device 114. In some aspects, the processor 240 can authenticate the user device 114 based on an authentication code that the vehicle 102 and the user device 114 can exchange with each other (via the transceiver 238 and a transceiver associated with the user device 114) when the user device 114 is likely to be located near the vehicle 102. The authentication code can be pre-stored in the memory 242 and the user device memory (not shown), or can be generated in real time by the server 202 and provided to the vehicle 102 and the user device 114. In alternative aspects, the processor 240 can authenticate the user device 114 by using any other known authentication method without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0050] In response to authenticating the user device 114, the processor 240 may communicatively couple the user device 114 with the vehicle 102 (specifically, with the TCU 224). In some aspects, the TCU 224 (or detection unit) may begin detecting the user device's location near the vehicle 102 via the UWB transceiver 234 while the user device 114 is communicatively coupled with the vehicle 102. In other words, when the user device 114 is communicatively coupled with the vehicle 102, the UWB transceiver 234 (or BUN module) may begin performing UWB ranging (or receiving user device "location information" from the user device 114) based on obtaining UWB signals from the user device 114. The TCU 224 / UWB transceiver 234 may also transmit input indicating the user device's location to the processor 240.

[0051] Processor 240 may receive input from TCU 224 / UWB transceiver 234 and, based on the input, determine a user device location near vehicle 102. Processor 240 may then monitor or track the user device location near vehicle 102 and, based on the user device location, determine a user device movement pattern for a predefined duration. Processor 240 may also retrieve information associated with a plurality of predefined patterns from memory 242 and associate the determined user device movement pattern with the information associated with the plurality of predefined patterns. Processor 240 may determine, based on the association, that user device 114 is likely moving near vehicle 102 in a predefined pattern. In other words, when the determined user device movement pattern matches at least one of the plurality of predefined patterns, processor 240 may determine that user device 114 is likely moving near vehicle 102 in a predefined pattern.

[0052] exist Figure 1 and Figure 3Specifically, in some aspects, when the user device 114 repeatedly moves closer to and away from the vehicle 102 a predefined number of times (e.g., 2 to 3 times) within a first preset duration (e.g., 1 to 2 seconds), the processor 240 may determine that the user device 114 may be moving in a predefined pattern, such as Figure 1 In this case, user 112 may be waving user device 114 near vehicle 102, and UWB transceiver 234 may capture such user device movement / position, which processor 240 may use to determine that user device 114 may be moving in a predefined pattern.

[0053] In another aspect, when the user device 114 moves from a first predetermined location near the vehicle 102 ( Figure 3 1 ) to a second preset position (shown as position “1”) near the vehicle 102. Figure 3 2) and remains stationary at a second preset position for a second preset duration (e.g., 2-3 seconds), processor 240 may determine that user device 114 may be moving in a predefined pattern. In this case, user 112 may not need to hold user device 114 in the user's hand, but may instead hold / store user device 114 in the user's pocket. In an exemplary aspect, user 112 may perform or cause such user device movement when both of the user's hands may be occupied (e.g., carrying a box, an object, etc.).

[0054] In some aspects, location "1" may be known to the user 112 and may be located in a predefined zone 302 (or "stay zone") near the vehicle 102. Figure 3 , the predefined zone 302 is shown as being located near the rear of the vehicle; however, the present disclosure is not limited to such a location of the predefined zone 302. The predefined zone 302 may be located at any other location near the vehicle 102 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, there may be more than one similar predefined zone associated with the vehicle 102.

[0055] exist Figure 3 In the exemplary aspect depicted in FIG, location “2” is shown as being located near the left rear vehicle portion (or near UWB transceiver 234 c). In some aspects, the predefined pattern may also include user device 114 remaining stationary at location “2” for a second preset duration and then moving away from location “2” (e.g., to location “3”) (which may be known to user 112 and may also be customized by user 112).

[0056] In some aspects, the predefined pattern of user device movement may not be limited to linear movement, and may also be two-dimensional movement in the XY plane. For example, user 112 may move user device 114 in a circle (e.g., with a diameter of 1 meter or 2 meters), and processor 240 may determine such user device movement as a "first movement pattern." As another example, user 112 may move user device 114 in a square manner around vehicle 102, and processor 240 may determine such user device movement as a "second movement pattern." It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that UWB transceiver 234 is configured to determine user device movement in the XY plane (not just linear movement).

[0057] The examples of predefined modes described above should not be construed as limiting. Without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the user 112 may set a plurality of additional predefined modes during the vehicle setup phase. In another aspect, there may be a plurality of user devices (not shown) that can be communicatively coupled to the vehicle 102 at the same time. In this case, the processor 240 may operate in two modes. In the first mode, the processor 240 may determine the movement of independent user devices and cause the vehicle 102 to perform independent operations based on the movement of each device. In the second mode, the processor 240 may determine the combined movement mode of a plurality of devices and perform vehicle operations based on the combined movement mode. In some aspects, in the event of a conflict between the movements of different user devices, the processor 240 may perform a prioritization operation in which commands from a particular device (e.g., the user device 114) override commands from other devices.

[0058] In response to determining that the user device 114 may be moving in a predefined pattern near the vehicle 102, the processor 240 may determine a pattern characteristic and / or a vehicle operating state associated with the user device movement pattern or the predefined pattern near the vehicle 102. The processor 240 may also control the operation of one or more vehicle components (e.g., a "first vehicle component") or perform operations on one or more vehicle components based on the pattern characteristic and / or the vehicle operating state, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 described and described in detail below.

[0059] In some aspects, the first vehicle component may be the rear closure 104, and the vehicle operating state may be the rear closure state. Specifically, the processor 240 may determine that the vehicle 102 may be operable in the first vehicle operating state when the rear closure 104 may be in an open state. In this case, in response to determining that the user device 114 may be moving near the vehicle 102 in a predefined pattern, the processor 240 may transmit a command signal to the BCM 218 to automatically close the rear closure 104 when the rear closure state indicates that the rear closure 104 may be in an open state (i.e., the processor 240 may perform a "first operation" on the rear closure 104). In other words, when the user 112 Figure 1 As shown, waving the user device 114 or Figure 3 When the user device 114 is moved in the pattern shown and when the rear closure 104 may be in an open state, the processor 240 can cause the rear closure 104 to automatically close. In this way, the user 112 can cause the rear closure 104 to automatically close in a hands-free manner by moving the user device 114 in a predefined pattern around the vehicle 102.

[0060] While the above description describes an aspect in which the processor 240 causes the rear closure 104 to close when the user device 114 moves in a predefined pattern and when the rear closure 104 may be in an open state, the present disclosure is not limited to such an aspect. In some aspects, the user 112 may cause the user device 114 to move in a predefined pattern even before the rear closure 104 may be in an open state. In this case, if the user 112 may be aware that the user's hands may be occupied when the user 112 leaves the vehicle 102 (e.g., when the user 112 may be unloading an object from the vehicle 102), the user 112 may cause the user device 114 to move in a predefined pattern near the vehicle 102 even before opening the rear closure 104.

[0061] In this exemplary aspect, user 112 may first cause user device 114 to move in a predefined pattern near vehicle 102 and then walk / travel toward rear closure 104 (which may be in a closed state). While user 112 causes user device 114 to move in the predefined pattern, processor 240 may determine, based on the rear closure state, that rear closure 104 is in a closed state. In this case, processor 240 may not perform any automated actions associated with rear closure 104 until rear closure 104 is in a closed state. Instead, in this case, processor 240 may monitor the rear closure state for a predefined duration (e.g., 2 to 5 minutes) in response to determining that rear closure 104 is in a closed state.

[0062] When the user 112 opens the rear closure 104 within a predefined duration, the processor 240 may determine that the rear closure state has changed from the closed state to the open state (i.e., the vehicle 102 may be operated in the first vehicle operating state). In response to determining that the rear closure state has changed from the closed state to the open state, the processor 240 may track the user device location (based on input obtained from the UWB transceiver 234). The processor 240 may also determine based on the user device location (e.g., when the user 112 may have unloaded an object from the vehicle 102 and may be walking away from the vehicle 102) that the user device 114 may have moved a predefined distance (e.g., 5 to 8 feet) away from the vehicle 102. In response to this determination, the processor 240 may cause the rear closure 104 to automatically close.

[0063] In this manner, the user 112 can cause the rear closure 104 to automatically close by moving the user device 114 in a predefined pattern before even opening the rear closure 104. In this case, the vehicle 102 "remembers" that the user device 114 has been moved in the predefined pattern for a predefined duration and, if the rear closure 104 is moved to an open state within the predefined duration, causes the rear closure 104 to automatically close. In some aspects, the processor 240 may not take any action if the rear closure 104 may not be moved to an open state within the predefined duration. In other words, the vehicle 102 may "forget" that the user device 114 has been moved in the predefined pattern if the rear closure 104 has not been moved to an open state within the predefined duration.

[0064] In addition, as above combined Figure 1 As described, the processor 240 can determine a second vehicle component (e.g., vehicle exterior lights) to control when the user device 114 can move in the same predefined pattern as described above and when the vehicle 102 can operate in the second vehicle operating state. In this case, the second vehicle component can be associated with the second vehicle operating state, which can be, for example, an activated operating state of the second vehicle component. As an example, when the vehicle exterior lights can be illuminated, the processor 240 can determine that the vehicle 102 can operate in the second vehicle operating state. In this case, when the user device 114 can move in the predefined pattern described above and when the vehicle 102 can operate in the second vehicle operating state, the processor 240 can perform a second operation on the second vehicle component. For example, in this case, the processor 240 can cause the vehicle exterior lights to move to an unilluminated state.

[0065] In addition, as above combined Figure 1As described, the processor 240 may control the operation of the first vehicle component (or the operation of the third vehicle component) based on a pattern characteristic associated with the user device movement pattern or the predefined pattern near the vehicle 102. In some aspects, the pattern characteristic may include information or an operating state associated with the vehicle component that is closest to the user device 114 when the user device 114 moves in the predefined pattern. In this case, the first vehicle component (or the third vehicle component, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 The vehicle component closest to the user device 114 may be a vehicle component described above, and the information associated with the vehicle component closest to the user device 114 may include an operating state of the vehicle component (e.g., an activated or deactivated state, an on or off state, etc.). Figure 1 As described, the processor 240 may determine, based on a UWB signal obtained from a UWB transceiver associated with the user device 114 and a 3D vehicle geometry (which may be stored in the memory 242), a vehicle component that is closest to the user device 114 when the user device 114 moves in a predefined pattern. In some aspects, the processor 240 may associate the user device location near the vehicle 102 with the 3D vehicle geometry and, based on the association, determine the vehicle component that is likely closest to the user device 114.

[0066] In response to determining the vehicle component closest to the user device 114, the processor 240 may cause the state of the determined vehicle component to change (i.e., perform a "third operation" on the determined third vehicle component) when the user device 114 moves in a predefined pattern near the vehicle 102. For example, Figure 1 As shown, if the vehicle component closest to the user device 114 may be the rear closure 104 and the rear closure 104 may be in an open state, when the user 112 moves the user device 114 in the predefined pattern, the vehicle 102 may automatically close the rear closure 104. As another example, Figure 4 As shown, if the vehicle component closest to the user device 114 may be the vehicle headlights 402 and the vehicle headlights 402 may be in an activated state (i.e., in an illuminated state), the vehicle 102 may automatically turn off the vehicle headlights 402 when the user 112 moves the user device 114 in a predefined pattern.

[0067] In another aspect, the mode characteristic may include information or operating states associated with vehicle components that the user device 114 may point to when the user device 114 moves in a predefined pattern. In this case, the first vehicle component (or the third vehicle component, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1The vehicle component (described in the foregoing) may be a vehicle component that the user device 114 can point to when the user device 114 moves in the predefined pattern, and the information associated with the vehicle component may include a state of the vehicle component (e.g., an activated or deactivated state, an open or closed state, etc.). Also in this case, the processor 240 may determine the vehicle component that the user device 114 can point to when the user device 114 moves in the predefined pattern based on a UWB signal obtained from a UWB transceiver associated with the user device 114 and a 3D vehicle geometry (which may be stored in the memory 242).

[0068] The processor 240 may also automatically control the operation of one or more vehicle components when the vehicle 102 is likely to be operating in a predefined mode or a third vehicle operating state (as determined via the vehicle operating state) and the user device 114 is moving near the vehicle 102 in the predefined mode. In this case, when the user device 114 is moving near the vehicle 102 in the predefined mode, the processor 240 may first determine, based on the vehicle operating state, that the vehicle 102 is likely to be operating in a predefined mode (e.g., a drive-thru mode or a car wash mode, as described above in conjunction with the vehicle operating state). Figure 1 Then, in response to determining that the vehicle 102 may be operating in the predefined mode, the processor 240 may retrieve / obtain information associated with the predefined mode from the memory 242. In some aspects, the information may indicate one or more vehicle components that may be controlled (or caused to change their respective states) in the predefined mode when the user device 114 moves near the vehicle 102 in the predefined mode. For example, when the predefined mode may be a drive-thru mode, the information may indicate that the vehicle windows (e.g., the fourth vehicle component, as described above in connection with Figure 1 As another example, when the predefined mode may be a car wash mode, the information may indicate that the vehicle windows should be moved up and the vehicle interior / exterior lights (e.g., the second vehicle component, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 described) should be closed.

[0069] In response to obtaining / retrieving the above information from memory 242, processor 240 may determine one or more vehicle components to be controlled based on the information associated with the predefined mode. For example, when vehicle 102 is likely to be operating in drive-thru mode, processor 240 may determine the windows ("fourth vehicle component") and infotainment system 236 (an exemplary first vehicle component) as the vehicle components to be controlled. As another example, when vehicle 102 is likely to be operating in car wash mode, processor 240 may determine the windows ("fourth vehicle component") and lights ("second vehicle component") as the vehicle components to be controlled.

[0070] In response to determining the first / second and fourth vehicle components, processor 240 may simultaneously control the operation of the first / second and fourth vehicle components when user device 114 moves near vehicle 102 in a predefined pattern. Specifically, processor 240 may simultaneously change the states of the first / second and fourth vehicle components when user device 114 moves near vehicle 102 in a predefined pattern. For example, when user 112 moves user device 114 near vehicle 102 in a predefined pattern and vehicle 102 may be operating in drive-thru mode, processor 240 may, via BCM 218, cause the vehicle windows to move down and stop playing music on infotainment system 236. Similarly, when user 112 moves user device 114 near vehicle 102 in a predefined pattern and vehicle 102 may be operating in a car wash mode, processor 240 may, via BCM 218, cause the vehicle windows to move up and turn off the lights.

[0071] In an additional aspect, processor 240 can be an artificial intelligence (AI)-based processor that can "learn" user device movement patterns associated with different vehicle users to effectively determine whether a user may be moving user device 114 in a predefined pattern. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, different users may wave user device 114 in different ways / methods, and thus, processor 240 "learns" the unique patterns of user device waving (or other actions associated with user device 114) associated with different users, allowing vehicle 102 to effectively detect that user device 114 may be moving in a predefined pattern. For example, processor 240 can learn the unique pattern of user device waving (or other actions associated with user device 114) by the vehicle owner and also learn the unique pattern of user device waving (or other actions associated with user device 114) by a family member of the vehicle owner. Based on this learning, vehicle 102 can perform the same action when the vehicle owner or a family member of the vehicle owner waves user device 114. In this way, processor 240 significantly reduces the probability of incorrectly identifying or "missing" any user gesture due to different styles employed by different users for the same gesture.

[0072] Although the above description describes an aspect in which the TCU 224 performs the functions of the detection unit and the processor 240 determines whether the user device 114 is moving in a predefined pattern based on input obtained from the TCU 224 / detection unit, the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. In other aspects, the functions of the detection unit and the processor 240 can be performed by any other unit / module of the vehicle 102, or the functions of the detection unit and the processor 240 can be performed by a single unit, such as the BCM 218 (or any other unit / module). In this case, the BCM 218 can receive user device location information from the user device 114 (e.g., via the TCU 224), and the BCM 218 can determine that the user device is likely moving in a predefined pattern near the vehicle 102 based on the user device location information.

[0073] The above-described units / modules performing the functions of detecting the location of the user device 114 near the vehicle 102 and / or determining whether the user device 114 may be moving in a predefined pattern should not be construed as limiting. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the same functions as described above may be performed by other vehicle units / modules.

[0074] Figure 5 A flow chart depicts an example method 500 for controlling the operation of a vehicle component according to the present disclosure. Figure 5 The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than shown or described herein, and may include the steps in an order different from that described in the example embodiments below.

[0075] The method 500 begins at step 502. At step 504, the method 500 may include determining, by the processor 240, that the user device 114 may be moving in a predefined pattern near the vehicle 102 based on the user device location detected by the TCU 224 / UWB transceiver 234. At step 506, the method 500 may include determining, by the processor 240, that the vehicle 102 may be operating in a first vehicle operating state of a plurality of vehicle operating states in response to determining that the user device 114 may be moving in the predefined pattern near the vehicle 102. At step 508, the method 500 may include performing, by the processor 240, a first operation on a first vehicle component (e.g., the rear enclosure 104) in response to determining that the vehicle 102 may be operating in the first vehicle operating state. As described above, the first vehicle component may be associated with the first vehicle operating state.

[0076] Method 500 may end at step 510 .

[0077] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific implementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It will be understood that other implementations may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the embodiment being described may include certain features, structures, or characteristics, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the certain features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when features, structures, or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0078] Furthermore, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be implemented in one or more of hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to implement one or more of the systems and procedures described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that have different names but the same function.

[0079] It should also be understood that the word "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the word "example" used herein indicates one of several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the particular example being described.

[0080] Computer-readable media (also known as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0081] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, and the like described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes can be practiced by performing the steps described in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps can be performed simultaneously, other steps can be added, or certain steps described herein can be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of the processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0082] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but rather with reference to the appended claims and the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and variation.

[0083] Unless otherwise expressly indicated to the contrary in this document, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meaning as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless a claim states an express limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood otherwise within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "might", "can" or "may" is generally intended to express that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements and / or steps. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require each feature, element and / or step in any way.

[0084] According to an embodiment, the mode characteristic comprises an operating state of a vehicle component at which the user device is pointed when the user device moves in the predefined pattern, and wherein the third vehicle component is the vehicle component at which the user device is pointed when the user device moves in the predefined pattern.

[0085] According to an embodiment, the processor is further configured to: determine that the vehicle is in a third vehicle operating state in response to determining that the user device is moving near the vehicle in the predefined pattern; obtain information associated with the third vehicle operating state in response to determining that the vehicle is operating in the third vehicle operating state; determine a fourth vehicle component based on the information associated with the third vehicle operating state; and simultaneously control the operation of the first vehicle component and the operation of the fourth vehicle component in response to determining the fourth vehicle component.

[0086] According to the present invention, a method for controlling the operation of a first vehicle component includes: determining, by a processor, that a user device is moving near a vehicle in a predefined pattern based on location information associated with the user device received by a detection device; determining, by the processor, that the vehicle is in a first vehicle operating state among multiple vehicle operating states in response to determining that the user device is moving near the vehicle in the predefined pattern; and performing, by the processor, a first operation on a first vehicle component in response to determining that the vehicle is operating in the first vehicle operating state, wherein the first vehicle component is associated with the first vehicle operating state.

[0087] In one aspect of the present invention, the detection unit comprises one or more UWB transceivers.

[0088] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: determine, based on location information associated with the user device received by a detection device, that a user device is moving near a vehicle in a predefined pattern; in response to determining that the user device is moving near the vehicle in the predefined pattern, determine that the vehicle is in a first vehicle operating state among multiple vehicle operating states; and in response to determining that the vehicle is operating in the first vehicle operating state, perform a first operation on a first vehicle component, wherein the first vehicle component is associated with the first vehicle operating state.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a detection unit configured to receive location information from a user device near the vehicle; and one or more processors communicatively configured to receive the location information from the detection unit, wherein the processors are configured to: determining, based on the location information, that the user device is moving in a predefined pattern near the vehicle; In response to determining that the user device is moving in the vicinity of the vehicle in the predefined pattern, determining that the vehicle is in a first vehicle operating state of a plurality of vehicle operating states; and A first operation is performed on a first vehicle component in response to determining that the vehicle is operating in the first vehicle operating state, wherein the first vehicle component is associated with the first vehicle operating state.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the user device is a mobile phone, a key fob, a wearable device having an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver, or a UWB tag. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the detection unit comprises one or more UWB transceivers.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: authenticating the user device when the user device is in proximity to the vehicle; and The user device is communicatively coupled with the vehicle in response to authenticating the user device. 5 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the detection unit is configured to receive the location information when the user device is communicatively coupled to the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle component is a rear closure, and wherein the processor determines that the vehicle is in the first vehicle operating state when the rear closure is in an open state.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first operation includes closing the rear closure when the rear closure is in the open state.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to: responsive to determining that the user device is moving in the predefined pattern, determining that the rear closure is in a closed state; monitoring a rear closure state for a predefined duration in response to determining that the rear closure is in the closed state; determining that the rear closure state has changed from the closed state to the open state; determining, based on the position of the user device detected by the detection unit, that the user device has moved a predefined distance away from the vehicle; and The rear closure is closed in response to determining that the user device has moved the predefined distance away from the vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: In response to determining that the user device is moving in the vicinity of the vehicle in the predefined pattern, determining that the vehicle is in a second vehicle operating state of the plurality of vehicle operating states; and A second operation is performed on a second vehicle component in response to determining that the vehicle is in the second vehicle operating state, wherein the second vehicle component is associated with the second vehicle operating state, wherein the second vehicle operating state is different from the first vehicle operating state, and wherein the second vehicle component is different from the first vehicle component.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store information associated with the predefined mode, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining a user device movement pattern based on the location of the user device near the vehicle detected by the detection unit over a predefined time duration; associating the user device movement pattern with the information associated with the predefined pattern stored in the memory; and It is determined based on the association that the user device is moving in the predefined pattern.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the information associated with the predefined mode is customizable by a vehicle user. 12 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor determines that the user device is moving in the predefined pattern when the user device repeatedly moves closer to and farther away from the vehicle a predefined number of times within a first preset duration.

13. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor determines that the user device is moving in the predefined pattern when the user device moves from a first preset location near the vehicle to a second preset location near the vehicle and remains stationary at the second preset location for a second preset duration.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: When the user device moves in the vicinity of the vehicle in the predefined pattern, determining a pattern characteristic associated with the movement of the user device; and A third operation is performed on a third vehicle component based on the mode characteristic.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the mode characteristic comprises an operating state of a vehicle component closest to the user device when the user device moves in the predefined mode, and wherein the third vehicle component is the vehicle component closest to the user device when the user device moves in the predefined mode.

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