US Patent 9769627 Position-based limited-response mode operation in a vehicle communication system

A communication system for facilitating control over a function of a vehicle (102) comprises a base station (104) positioned in the vehicle (102) and a mobile communication unit (122). The base station (104) comprises a first transmitter for transmitting a signal to the mobile communication unit (122) and a first receiver for receiving a signal from the mobile communication unit (122). The base station (104) is configured to determine a location of the mobile communication unit (122) relative to the vehicle (102) and to cause the mobile communication unit (122) to operate in accordance with a limited-response mode when the location of the communication unit relative to the vehicle (102) remains substantially unchanged for a predetermined period of time.