Mobile device charging from a vehicle based on communal association
A motor vehicle provides wireless charging to a mobile wireless device outside of the vehicle. After a request by a person outside the vehicle, a wireless power transmitter initiates remote charging of the mobile wireless device. A vehicle controller is configured to respond to the charging request by (A) attempting one or more times to communicate with the mobile wireless device until a link is established, (B) before the link is established then activating the wireless power transmitter to remotely charge the mobile wireless device, (C) when the link is established then determining whether the mobile wireless device corresponds to a pre-established communal group, and (D) deactivating the wireless power transmitter when the mobile wireless device does not correspond to a pre-established communal group. Consequently, the power reserve in a vehicle battery is protected against depletion.
1 . A vehicle for providing wireless charging to a mobile wireless device outside of the vehicle, comprising:
a perimeter interface responsive to a request action by a person outside the vehicle to initiate charging of the mobile wireless device;
a wireless power transmitter configured to remotely charge the mobile wireless device;
a wireless transceiver configured to provide a wireless communication link with the mobile wireless device; and
a controller coupled to the perimeter interface, the wireless power transmitter, and the wireless transceiver, wherein the controller is configured to respond to the request action detected by the perimeter interface by (A) attempting one or more times to communicate with the mobile wireless device until a link is established, (B) before the link is established, then activating the wireless power transmitter to remotely charge the mobile wireless device, (C) when the link is established and while the wireless power transmitter remotely charges the mobile wireless device, then determining whether the mobile wireless device corresponds to a pre-established communal group, and (D) deactivating the wireless power transmitter when the mobile wireless device does not correspond to a pre-established communal group.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the determination of whether the mobile wireless device corresponds to a pre-established communal group is comprised of receiving a communal group ID from the mobile wireless device and comparing the received communal group ID to a plurality of stored communal group IDs.
3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of stored communal group IDs include user-selected communal group IDs.
4 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of stored communal group IDs include manufacturer-defined communal group IDs.
5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to (E) continue activating the wireless power transmitter according to predetermined parameters corresponding to the pre-established communal group.
6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined parameters include making charging available according to at least one situational metric selected from a group comprising timespan of charging, geographic location, time-of-day, and vehicle battery state of charge.
7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the pre-established communal group is comprised of a fleet of vehicles.
8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the fleet of vehicles have a common manufacturer.
9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the mobile wireless device is an unrecognized mobile device; and
continue activating the wireless power transmitter according to predetermined restrictions for unrecognized mobile devices.
10 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined restrictions for unrecognized mobile devices comprise at least one of: (i) a restriction based on a GPS location of the vehicle, (ii) a restriction based on a time of day, and (iii) a restriction based on a state-of-charge of a battery of the vehicle.
11 . A method of providing wireless charging to a mobile wireless device outside of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
detecting, by a perimeter interface of the vehicle, a request action by a person outside the vehicle to initiate charging of the mobile wireless device;
causing, by a controller of the vehicle, a wireless transceiver in the vehicle to attempt one or more times to communicate with the mobile wireless device until a link is established;
causing, by the controller, before the link is established, a wireless power transmitter of the vehicle to activate to remotely charge the mobile wireless device;
determining, by the controller, when the link is established and while the wireless power transmitter remotely charges the mobile wireless device, whether the mobile wireless device corresponds to a pre-established communal group; and
deactivating, by the controller, the wireless power transmitter when the mobile wireless device does not correspond to a pre-established communal group.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the determination of whether the mobile wireless device corresponds to a pre-established communal group is comprised of receiving a communal group ID from the mobile wireless device and comparing the received communal group ID to a plurality of stored communal group IDs.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of stored communal group IDs include user-selected communal group IDs.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of stored communal group IDs include manufacturer-defined communal group IDs.
15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of continuing to activate the wireless power transmitter according to predetermined parameters corresponding to the pre-established communal group.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined parameters include making charging available according to at least one situational metric selected from a group comprising timespan of charging, geographic location, time-of-day, and vehicle battery state of charge.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pre-established communal group is comprised of a fleet of vehicles.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the fleet of vehicles have a common manufacturer.
19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller, that the mobile wireless device is an unrecognized mobile device; and
causing, by the controller, the wireless power transmitter to continue to activate according to predetermined restrictions for unrecognized mobile devices.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined restrictions for unrecognized mobile devices comprise at least one of: (i) a restriction based on a GPS location of the vehicle, (ii) a restriction based on a time of day, and (iii) a restriction based on a state-of-charge of a battery of the vehicle.