IP Library Granted Patent US 9,946,906
Granted Patent B2
US 9,946,906 · App. 15/396,616 · Granted Apr 17, 2018

Vehicle with a soft-touch antenna for communicating sensitive information

Inventor: Christopher P. Ricci (Saratoga, CA)
Assignee: NIO USA, Inc.
G06K7/10425G06K7/10257G06K7/10316H04W12/02H04W12/04H04L2209/805H04L2209/84
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,946,906
App. No.
15/396,616
Granted
Apr 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle includes two or more soft touch radio frequency (RF) antennas and two or more RF transceivers to communicate sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle. A processor in communication with the two or more RF transceivers selects a first RF transceiver associated with the deployed RF antenna to send the sensitive information and sends the sensitive information to the first RF transceiver.

Claims (34)

1. A vehicle, comprising:

two or more soft touch radio frequency (RF) antennas, placed outside the vehicle, to communicate sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle, wherein the soft touch RF antenna makes physical contact, outside the vehicle, with a receiver;

two or more RF transceivers, each RF transceiver associated with one of the two or more soft touch RF antennas, the two or more RF transceivers to communicate sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle;

a processor in communication with the two or more RF transceivers, the processor to:

receive an input to deploy one of the two or more RF antennas;

select a first RF transceiver associated with the deployed RF antenna to send the sensitive information; and

send the sensitive information to the first RF transceiver.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the RF transceiver and RF antenna are a radio frequency identification device.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the RFID device is an active RFID device.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the deployed RF antenna is located near a side mirror of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the deployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associated with a second RF antenna, in physical proximity with a drive through window of a drive through restaurant.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the deployed RF antenna is located on a roof of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the deployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associated with a second RF antenna, above the vehicle in a toll lane.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the deployed RF antenna is located near a charging port or a gas refill door.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the deployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure on a charging station or gas pump.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle contemporaneously communicates through two or more soft touch RF antennas.

11. A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising:

receiving an input to deploy one of two or more soft touch radio frequency (RF) antennas, placed outside the vehicle, to communicate sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle, wherein the soft touch RF antenna makes physical contact, outside the vehicle, with a receiver;

selecting a first RF transceiver associated with the deployed RF antenna to send the sensitive information;

sending the sensitive information through the first RF transceiver; and

transmitting the sensitive information, from the first RF transceiver and through a soft touch RF antenna, to the receiver.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the RF transceiver and RF antenna are a radio frequency identification device, and wherein the RFID device is an active RFID device.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the deployed RF antenna is located near a side mirror of the vehicle, and wherein the deployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associated with a second RF antenna, in physical proximity with a drive through window of a drive through restaurant.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the deployed RF antenna is located on a roof of the vehicle, and wherein the deployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associated with a second RF antenna, above the vehicle in a toll lane.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the deployed RF antenna is located near a charging port or a gas refill door, and wherein the deployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure on a charging station or gas pump.

16. A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one or more instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause a vehicle to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving an input to deploy one of two or more soft touch radio frequency (RF) antennas, placed outside the vehicle, to communicate sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle, wherein the soft touch RF antenna makes physical contact, outside the vehicle, with a receiver;

selecting a first RF transceiver associated with the deployed RF antenna to send the sensitive information;

sending the sensitive information through the first RF transceiver; and

transmitting the sensitive information, from the first RF transceiver and through a soft touch RF antenna, to the receiver.

17. The media of claim 16 , wherein the RF transceiver and RF antenna are a radio frequency identification device, and wherein the RFID device is an active RFID device.

18. The media of claim 16 , wherein the deployed RF antenna is located near a side mirror of the vehicle, and wherein the deployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associated with a second RF antenna, in physical proximity with a drive through window of a drive through restaurant.

19. The media of claim 16 , wherein the deployed RF antenna is located on a roof of the vehicle, and wherein the deployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associated with a second RF antenna, above the vehicle in a toll lane.

20. The media of claim 16 , wherein the deployed RF antenna is located near a charging port or a gas refill door, and wherein the deployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure on a charging station or gas pump.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2022
From: NIO USA, INC.
To: NIO TECHNOLOGY (ANHUI) CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 060171/0724 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 18, 2017
From: NEXTEV USA, INC.
To: NIO USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 043600/0972 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2017
From: RICCI, CHRISTOPHER P.
To: NEXTEV USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 042394/0636 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62359563 · Jul 7, 2016
Provisional Application 62378348 · Aug 23, 2016
Related Publication 20180012048A1 · Jan 11, 2018