Vehicle smart key systems and methods
Methods, systems, and apparatus for a vehicle preconditioning system. The vehicle preconditioning system includes a vehicle and an associated wireless key for the vehicle. The wireless key is configured to measure biometric data (e.g., heart rate, temperature, and the like) of a user of the wireless key to determine a physiological state of the user. The wireless key can transmit a signal including the biometric data of the user to the vehicle. The vehicle can receive the signal and precondition the vehicle based upon the signal. Preconditioning can include adjusting climate control settings, lighting settings, and/or audio settings, among other settings. The wireless key can transmit location data of the wireless key, which can be used to precondition the vehicle (e.g., to detect the wireless key is approaching or to determine a current activity of the user).
1 . A system comprising:
a wireless key including at least one of a biometric sensor or a GPS, the wireless key is configured to:
determine a location of the wireless key using the GPS and biometric data of a user of the wireless key using the biometric sensor; and
transmit a signal including the location of the wireless key and the biometric data of the user of the wireless key; and
a vehicle including:
a communication module configured to receive the signal from the wireless key; and
a controller including a vehicle preconditioner module stored in memory and executable by a processor, the vehicle preconditioner module configured to:
determine a target value for at least one vehicle system based on both (i) the location of the wireless key and (ii) the biometric data of the user of the wireless key; and
precondition the vehicle by adjusting the at least one vehicle system to the target value.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the biometric data includes at least one of a heart rate of the user and a body temperature of the user, and wherein the vehicle preconditioner module is configured to adjust the at least one vehicle system using a lookup table, and the lookup table receives as input at least one of the heart rate or the body temperature.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless key further includes a gyro sensor whereby the wireless key is configured to determine a movement of the user, and the vehicle preconditioner module is configured to determine the target value further based on movement of the user measured by the gyro sensor.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the signal further includes movement data of the user measured by the gyro sensor, and the target value is further determined based on the movement data.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless key further includes a precondition button, the wireless key is configured to transmit the signal in response to the user engaging the precondition button.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the preconditioning of the vehicle based upon the signal includes adjusting at least one of:
an interior lighting of the vehicle;
a climate control of the vehicle; or
an audio setting of the vehicle.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein adjusting the interior lighting of the vehicle includes adjusting a color of the interior lighting.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is further configured to:
determine that the wireless key is approaching the vehicle; and
in response to determining the wireless key is approaching the vehicle, precondition the vehicle.
9 . A vehicle comprising:
a communication module configured to:
broadcast a beacon to prompt a wireless key to send a signal; and
receive the signal from the wireless key that includes biometric data of a user of the wireless key and a location of the wireless key; and
a controller including a vehicle preconditioner module stored in memory and executable by a processor, the vehicle preconditioner module configured to:
determine a target value for at least one vehicle system based on both (i) the biometric data of the user and (ii) the location of the wireless key; and
precondition the vehicle by adjusting the at least one vehicle system to the target value.
10 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein:
the at least one vehicle system comprises at least one of a climate control system, an interior lighting system, or an audio system; and
the target value is at least one of a climate control setting, a lighting setting, or an audio setting.
11 . The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the adjusting the interior lighting system of the vehicle includes adjusting at least one of a color or a brightness of the interior lighting based, at least in part, on a vehicle data including a time of day or an ambient brightness.
12 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the biometric data includes at least one of a heart rate of the user and a body temperature of the user.
13 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle preconditioner module is further configured to:
determine whether the wireless key is inside of a preconditioning zone of the vehicle; and
the precondition the vehicle to the target value is performed in response to the vehicle preconditioner module determining that the wireless key is inside of the preconditioning zone of the vehicle.
14 . The vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising an ambient light sensor, and wherein the vehicle preconditioner module is configured to adjust a brightness of the interior lighting system based on an amount of ambient light measured by the ambient light sensor.
15 . A method comprising:
receiving, via a communication module of a vehicle, a signal from a wireless key that includes a location of the wireless key and biometric data of a user of the wireless key;
determining, by a controller of the vehicle, target value for a vehicle system based on a combination of the location of the wireless key and the biometric data of the user; and
preconditioning, by the vehicle system, the vehicle.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising measuring, with a biometric sensor of the wireless key, a physiological state of the user, wherein the physiological state of the user is included in the biometric data.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the physiological state of the user includes at least one of a heart rate of the user or a body temperature of the user.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the vehicle system includes at least one of a climate control system, an interior lighting system, or an audio system; and
the preconditioning the vehicle includes at least one of:
adjusting an interior lighting of the vehicle;
adjusting an interior cabin temperature of the vehicle; and
adjusting an audio setting of the vehicle.
19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
detecting, with a GPS of the wireless key, the location of the user.
20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller of the vehicle, an arrival time of the user; and
the preconditioning the vehicle is further based upon the arrival time of the user.