Vehicle access control services and platform

Abstract

Vehicle access control is disclosed. In various embodiments, a vehicle reservation from a wireless communication device is received, the vehicle reservation is authenticated, and access to the vehicle is provided after authenticating the vehicle reservation. In various embodiments, a system for vehicle access control includes a vehicle access control component that is configured to provide access to a vehicle and a communication interface for communication with a wireless communication device, a communication interface for communication with a wireless communication device. Access to the vehicle is provided when a vehicle reservation is received from the wireless communication device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A vehicle access control system, comprising:
 a communication interface communicates with a wireless communication device; and   a vehicle access control component executed on a processor, wherein the vehicle access control component performs:
 update the vehicle access control system based on an update to vehicle access control system information received from the wireless communication device via the communication interface; and 
 provide access to a vehicle using the updated vehicle access control system information, wherein access to the vehicle is provided by the vehicle access control component when receiving a vehicle reservation from the wireless communication device. 
   
     
     
         3 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control system is included in the vehicle during manufacturing of the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control system is included in the vehicle after manufacture of the vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control system is configured to communicate with the vehicle via a physical port. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle reservation includes a reservation for a specified time period. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle reservation includes a reservation time slot and vehicle identifier identifying the vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle reservation includes a vehicle rental reservation. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle reservation includes an unlimited time period for access to the vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle reservation is shared among members of a group or entity. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control component further performs the following operation: send the vehicle reservation via a long-range wireless communications link from a data network to the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle reservation is included in a verified communication. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle reservation is included in an encrypted communication. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 13 , wherein the vehicle reservation is encrypted using a public key for the vehicle access control system. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 14 , wherein the vehicle access control component decrypts the encrypted vehicle reservation using a locally stored private key. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 14 , wherein the vehicle access control component decrypts the encrypted communication to verify the vehicle reservation is authentic. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the communication interface is a wireless communication interface communicates with the wireless communication device via a short-range wireless communications link. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the communication interface comprises a physical access port adapted to communicate with the wireless communication device via a wired connection. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control component communicates a symmetric key back to the wireless communication device via the communication interface. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 19 , the symmetric key is associated with the vehicle reservation and its validity term is associated with a reservation time period of the vehicle reservation. 
     
     
         21 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the update includes a new private key for the vehicle access control component. 
     
     
         22 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , the vehicle reservation includes a unique increment. 
     
     
         23 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 22 , wherein the unique increment is selected from the group consisting of counter and time stamp. 
     
     
         24 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control component communicates the vehicle access control system information to a central server via a secured communication channel/protocol that runs from the vehicle access control system to the wireless communication device and from the wireless communication device to the central server. 
     
     
         25 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control component emulates a key fob. 
     
     
         26 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control component includes a vehicle bus adaptor for communicating with a vehicle bus coupled to a vehicle controller. 
     
     
         27 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 26 , wherein the vehicle access control component includes a CAN-bus adaptor for communicating with a vehicle CAN-bus or a LIN-bus adaptor for communicating with a vehicle LIN-bus. 
     
     
         28 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control component further performs the following operation: deny access to the vehicle when the wireless communication device loses communication with the vehicle access control component. 
     
     
         29 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control component further performs the following operation: tether the vehicle access control component to a long range wireless communication interface of the wireless communication device for tethered wireless network access. 
     
     
         30 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 29 , wherein the tethered wireless network access provides for automatic tracking of geographical location of the vehicle. 
     
     
         31 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , the vehicle access control system further includes a central server that advertises the vehicle reservation using a social network site, wherein the advertised vehicle reservation includes geolocation information. 
     
     
         32 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle access control component further comprising an accelerometer that monitors acceleration of the vehicle during one or more trips, wherein the vehicle access control component further performs the following operation: monitor acceleration of the vehicle during one or more trips to provide vehicle usage data and report the vehicle usage data periodically to a central server. 
     
     
         33 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 32 , wherein the accelerometer is a tethered accelerometer created by tethering to an accelerometer of the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         34 . The vehicle access control system recited in  claim 33 , wherein the vehicle access control component further performs the following operations:
 associate the vehicle usage data to one or more vehicle users; and   communicate the vehicle usage data associated with the one or more vehicle users to an insurance agency for offering pay-as-you-drive insurance to the one or more vehicle users and/or an owner of the vehicle based on the vehicle usage data.   
     
     
         35 . The system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the communication interface is a first short-range wireless communication interface and the vehicle access control component further includes a second short-range wireless communication interface dedicated to ad hoc networking communication with one or more other vehicles. 
     
     
         36 . The system recited in  claim 35 , wherein the ad hoc network relays location information, traffic related information, and/or emergency or accident information to a central server. 
     
     
         37 . The system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the wireless communication device includes one or more of the following: a USB puck, a smart phone, a mobile handset, a PDA, a laptop, a smartbook, and/or a netbook. 
     
     
         38 . The system recited in  claim 2 , further comprising a GSM radio that performs the following operation: communicate with a data network via a long-range wireless communication protocol. 
     
     
         39 . The system recited in  claim 2 , further comprising a microphone system that performs the following operation: identify a sound signal based on a signature sound signal, wherein the system transitions from a low power mode to a normal power mode after the signature sound signal is identified. 
     
     
         40 . The system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the wireless communication device includes a location tracking, wherein the wireless communication device updates vehicle location and availability via wireless communication to a reservation system, and wherein the update of the vehicle location and the availability is initiated automatically or manually by a user of the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         41 . A method for vehicle access control, comprising:
 communicating, using a communication interface, with a wireless communication device; and   updating, using a vehicle access control component executed on a processor, a vehicle access control system information based on an update received from the wireless communication device via the communication interface; and   providing, using the vehicle access control component, access to a vehicle using the updated vehicle access control system information, wherein access to the vehicle is provided by the vehicle access control component when receiving a vehicle reservation from the wireless communication device.   
     
     
         42 . The method recited in  claim 41 , wherein the vehicle reservation includes a reservation time slot and vehicle identifier identifying the vehicle.