US 12,293,310 B2
Methods for shared vehicle access
Thomas James Wallis, Kitchener (CA); and Benjamin John Gordon Gaffney, Wellesley (CA)
Assigned to Geotab Inc., Oakville (CA)
Filed by Geotab Inc., Oakville (CA)
Filed on Aug. 19, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/808,462.
Application 18/808,462 is a continuation of application No. 18/134,372, filed on Apr. 13, 2023, granted, now 12,093,854.
Application 18/134,372 is a continuation of application No. 17/725,675, filed on Apr. 21, 2022, granted, now 11,657,338, issued on May 23, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/270,844, filed on Oct. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0412120 A1, Dec. 12, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/00 (2023.01); G06Q 10/02 (2012.01); G06Q 30/0645 (2023.01)
CPC G06Q 10/02 (2013.01) [G06Q 30/0645 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for managing shared access to a vehicle including a vehicle device, the method comprising:
storing, by a first at least one non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of the vehicle device, a plurality of virtual keys, each virtual key associated with a respective list of at least one user from a plurality of lists of at least one user, and each virtual key associated with a respective set of vehicle access privileges, wherein users included in each respective list of at least one user are entitled to the respective set of vehicle access privileges associated with a respective virtual key to which the respective list of at least one user is associated;
in response to an interaction event with the vehicle device by a user device of a candidate user, where credentials for the candidate user are received by the vehicle device from the user device, determining by a first at least one processor of the vehicle device, whether the candidate user is included in a list of the plurality of lists;
if the candidate user is included in a list of the plurality of lists:
determining, by the first at least one processor of the vehicle device, a virtual key associated with the list in which the candidate user is included and a set of vehicle access privileges associated with the determined virtual key; and
providing vehicle access to the candidate user in accordance with the determined set of vehicle access privileges, comprising providing a vehicle access mechanism which controls access to the vehicle with control instructions from the first at least one processor; and
if the candidate user is not included in a list of the plurality of lists:
receiving, from the user device, an indication of vehicle access privileges of the candidate user; and
providing vehicle access to the candidate user in accordance with the vehicle access privileges indicated in the received indication of vehicle access privileges, comprising providing the vehicle access mechanism which controls access to the vehicle with control instructions from the first at least one processor.