Method for obtaining product feedback from drivers in a non-distracting manner

• US 10,068,390 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tamp, Fabian
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jha, Abdhesh K
• Application Number:
  US15/140,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20160240019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/148 Instrument input by voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A feedback system for a motor vehicle infotainment system is disclosed in which information about the state of the motor vehicle, including the infotainment system, and the mobile device may be collected and sent to a remote server that is responsible for receiving and/or organizing such feedback. A user may initiate a feedback process by pressing a dedicated button, issuing a voice command, performing a specific gesture, or other input action. The feedback system may collect a variety of data and create a notice on the mobile device so that a user may submit feedback at a time during which the user will not be operating the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device connected to a vehicle infotainment system, a first request from a user to initiate a feedback process, the infotainment system and the mobile device comprising a projected architecture that displays, on the infotainment system, at least a portion of an application provided by the mobile device;

in response to the first request, storing, by the mobile device, at least a portion of content presented by the vehicle infotainment system as stored content;

determining, by the mobile device, that the mobile device has been disconnected from the vehicle infotainment system;

in response to determining that the mobile device has been disconnected from the vehicle infotainment system, outputting, by the mobile device to the user, a notification indicating an aspect of the stored content;

receiving, by the mobile device, a second request from the user to present the stored content to the user;

in response to the second request, presenting, by the mobile device, at least a portion of the stored content to the user;

receiving, by the mobile device, feedback about the content from the user; and

transmitting, by the mobile device to a server remote from the mobile device, the feedback about the content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the mobile device, the content to the vehicle infotainment system for presentation by the vehicle infotainment system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a gesture, a voice command, a dedicated button indication, and a touch screen indication.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the first request, providing, by the mobile device, an indicator of initiation of the feedback process.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the first request, providing, by the mobile device, at least one selected from the group consisting of;

an instruction for a speaker of a motor vehicle to emit an audible tone, an instruction for a display screen of a motor vehicle to display a visual indicator, an audible tone from a speaker of the mobile device, a visual indicator on a display screen of the mobile device, and a vibration from the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a video, an image, and audio.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the content comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of;

an image from an application executing on the mobile device, a video from an application executing on the mobile device, audio from an application executing on the mobile device, an image of status data of a motor vehicle connected to the vehicle infotainment system, and an image of status data of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback comprises a comment by the user about the content.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the mobile device, a snapshot comprising the stored content, wherein the feedback comprises a comment by the user about the content and the snapshot.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle infotainment system is connected to a motor vehicle, the method further comprising:

in response to the first request, storing by the mobile device, status data comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of;

data from the motor vehicle and a data from the mobile device; and

generating, by the mobile device, a snapshot comprising the status data and the stored content, wherein the feedback comprises a comment by the user about the content and the snapshot.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle infotainment system is connected to a motor vehicle, the method further comprising:

in response to the first request, storing by the mobile device, status data from the motor vehicle, the status data comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of;

sensor data from a sensor component of the motor vehicle, a log from a sensor component of the motor vehicle, an indicator of a vehicle setting of the motor vehicle, an indicator of an interface component of the vehicle infotainment system, an indicator of the user'"'"'s interaction with the vehicle infotainment system, a log of the vehicle infotainment system, an indicator of operation of the vehicle infotainment system, an indicator of execution of software operating on the vehicle infotainment system, a date, and a time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the first request, storing by the mobile device, status data from the mobile device, the status data comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of;

an indicator of operation of the mobile device, an indicator of execution of software operating on the mobile device, a log of the mobile device, an indicator of the user'"'"'s interaction with the mobile device, a date, and a time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle infotainment system comprises a display screen of a motor vehicle; and

the display screen is integrated into a dashboard of the motor vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle infotainment system comprises a display screen of a motor vehicle; and

the display screen is separate and distinct from a dashboard of the motor vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by an application executing on the mobile device, the content to the vehicle infotainment system for presentation by the vehicle infotainment system,

wherein;

the content comprises a video,

the presentation by the vehicle infotainment system comprises displaying the video on a display screen of the vehicle infotainment system,

the presentation by the mobile device comprises displaying at least one image of the video on a display screen of the mobile device, and

the feedback comprises a comment by the user about the video.

16. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

in response to a first request from a user to initiate a feedback process, storing, by a mobile device, at least a portion of content presented by a vehicle infotainment system as stored content;

determining, by the mobile device, that the mobile device has been disconnected from the vehicle infotainment system;

in response to determining that the mobile device has been disconnected from the vehicle infotainment system, outputting, by the mobile device to the user, a notification indicating an aspect of the stored content;

receiving, by the mobile device, a second request from the user to present the stored content to the user;

in response to the second request, presenting, by the mobile device, at least a portion of the stored content to the user;

receiving, by the mobile device, feedback about the content from the user; and

transmitting, by the mobile device to a server remote from the mobile device, the feedback about the content,

wherein the infotainment system and the mobile device comprise a projected architecture that displays, on the infotainment system, at least a portion of an application provided by the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing, by the mobile device, the content to the vehicle infotainment system for presentation by the vehicle infotainment system.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing, by an application executing on the mobile device, the content to the vehicle infotainment system for presentation by the vehicle infotainment system,

wherein;

the content comprises a video,

the presentation by the vehicle infotainment system comprises displaying the video on a display screen of the vehicle infotainment system,

the presentation by the mobile device comprises displaying at least one image of the video on a display screen of the mobile device, and

the feedback comprises a comment by the user about the video.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the first request, storing by the mobile device, status data comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of;

data from the motor vehicle and a data from the mobile device; and

generating, by the mobile device, a snapshot comprising the status data and the stored content, wherein the feedback comprises a comment by the user about the content and the snapshot.

20. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable medium in communication with the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

in response to a first request from a user to initiate a feedback process, storing, by a mobile device, at least a portion of content presented by a vehicle infotainment system as stored content;

determining, by the mobile device, that the mobile device has been disconnected from the vehicle infotainment system;

in response to determining that the mobile device has been disconnected from the vehicle infotainment system, outputting, by the mobile device to the user, a notification indicating an aspect of the stored content;

receiving, by the mobile device, a second request from the user to present the stored content to the user;

in response to the second request, presenting, by the mobile device, at least a portion of the stored content to the user;

receiving, by the mobile device, feedback about the content from the user; and

transmitting, by the mobile device to a server remote from the mobile device, the feedback about the content,

wherein the infotainment system and the mobile device comprise a projected architecture that displays, on the infotainment system, at least a portion of an application provided by the mobile device.