Vehicle wireless information system

• US 10,140,781 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Blakemore, Bruce Carvell, Gale, Allan Roy, Chander, Bala, Schultz, David W, Momcilovich, Paul Theodore, Gilman, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US12/424,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20100268401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,513 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22, 701 29, 701211
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

A vehicle wireless information system includes a vehicle, an onboard vehicle computer provided in the vehicle and at least one external access point adapted to wirelessly access the onboard vehicle computer.

Claims

1. A vehicle wireless information system, comprising:

a vehicle;

an onboard vehicle computer provided in said vehicle;

at least one external access point configured to wirelessly access said onboard vehicle computer, said wireless access by an operator external to said vehicle, said wireless access by wireless communication between a wireless transceiver onboard said vehicle and said external access point, said wireless transceiver communicatively connected with a vehicle computer central processing unit (CPU), said CPU operationally connected with a plurality of vehicle system components said vehicle system components including components configured to operate and control said vehicle; and

,

wherein said at least one external access point is configured to remotely operate and control via asymmetric communication through said onboard vehicle computer central processing unit (CPU) by said operator at said external access point said plurality of vehicle system components, said remote operation and control including uploading and downloading information respectively to and from said vehicle, said information comprising at least one of streaming video, streaming audio, vehicle operating and diagnostic data, and vehicle component update software, said remote operation and control by said wireless access further comprising remote vehicle start and climate control, said wireless access by direct wireless transmission, said direct wireless transmission comprising wireless communication from said external access point to said wireless transceiver, said external access point comprising a Wi-Fi enabled asymmetric client-server connection comprising at least one of a local area network, a mobile device, and an internet portal;

said remote operation and control by said wireless access further comprising operation and control by said vehicle system component via asymmetric communication through the external access point of functions of network components, said network component functions comprising operating at least one of video and audio content stored in said vehicle system component.

2. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 1 further comprising a data storage device interfacing with said onboard vehicle computer.

3. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 2 further comprising a human machine interface interfacing with said onboard vehicle computer.

4. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle comprises an electric vehicle.

5. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 4 wherein said electric vehicle comprises a hybrid electric vehicle.

6. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 5 wherein said hybrid electric vehicle comprises a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

7. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle comprises an internal-combustion vehicle.

8. A vehicle wireless information system, comprising:

a vehicle;

an onboard vehicle computer comprising a central processing unit provided in said vehicle and a plurality of vehicle system components connected to said central processing unit; and

a plurality of external access points configured to wirelessly access said plurality of vehicle system components of said onboard vehicle computer, said wireless access by an operator external to said vehicle, said wireless access by wireless communication between a wireless transceiver onboard said vehicle and said external access points, said wireless transceiver communicatively connected with a vehicle computer central processing unit (CPU)), said CPU operationally connected with a plurality of vehicle system components said vehicle system components including components configured to operate and control said vehicle; and

wherein said at least one external access point is configured to remotely operate and control via asymmetric communication through said onboard vehicle computer central processing unit (CPU) by said operator at one of said external access points said plurality of vehicle system components, said remote operation and control including uploading and downloading information to and from said vehicle, said information comprising at least one of streaming video, streaming audio, vehicle operating and diagnostic data, and vehicle component update software, said remote operation by said wireless access further comprising remote vehicle start and climate control, said wireless access by direct wireless transmission, said direct wireless transmission comprising wireless communication from said external access point to said wireless transceiver, said external access point comprising a Wi-Fi enabled asymmetrical client-server connection comprising at least one of a local area network, a mobile device, and an internet portal;

said remote operation and control including vehicle system component activation and remote testing of said vehicle system components and vehicle system component activation and control including operation and control by said vehicle system component via asymmetric communication through the external access point of functions of network components communicating through the external access, said network component functions comprising operating at least one of video and audio content stored in said vehicle system component.

9. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 8 further comprising a data storage device interfacing with said onboard vehicle computer.

10. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 9 further comprising a human machine interface interfacing with said onboard vehicle computer.

11. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 8 wherein said vehicle comprises an electric vehicle.

12. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 11 wherein said electric vehicle comprises a hybrid electric vehicle.

13. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 12 wherein said hybrid electric vehicle comprises a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

14. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 8 wherein said vehicle comprises an internal-combustion vehicle.

15. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 8 wherein said plurality of external access points comprises at least one of a home wireless network, a mobile device, a service center, an office wireless network and the Internet.

16. A vehicle wireless information system, comprising:

a vehicle;

an onboard vehicle computer comprising a central processing unit (CPU) provided in said vehicle and a data storage device, a wireless transceiver and a plurality of vehicle system components connected to said central processing unit, said central processing unit communicatively connected with a vehicle computer central processing unit (CPU), said CPU operationally connected with a plurality of vehicle system components said vehicle system components including components configured to operate and control said vehicle;

wherein said plurality of vehicle system components further comprises at least one of an audio component, a maps/GPS component, an images component, a video component, a navigation system component, an audio player component, a satellite radio component and a vehicle service component; and

at least one external access point external to said vehicle configured to wirelessly access and remotely operate and control through said onboard vehicle computer central processing unit (CPU) by an operator at said external access point said plurality of vehicle system components of said onboard vehicle computer, said remote operation and control including uploading and downloading information respectively to and from said vehicle, said information comprising at least one of streaming video, streaming audio, vehicle operating and diagnostic data, and vehicle component update software, said wireless access by wireless communication between a wireless transceiver onboard said vehicle and said external access point, said remote operation and control by said wireless access further comprising remote vehicle start and climate control, said wireless access by direct wireless transmission, said direct wireless transmission comprising wireless communication from said external access point to said wireless transceiver, said external access point comprising a Wi-Fi enabled asymmetrical client-server connection comprising at least one of a local area network, a mobile device, and an internet portal;

said remote operation and control by said wireless access further comprising operation and control by said vehicle system component via asymmetric communication through the external access point of functions of network components, said network component functions comprising operating at least one of video and audio content stored in said vehicle system component.

17. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 16 wherein said at least one external access point comprises at least one of a home wireless network, a mobile device, a service center, an office wireless network and the Internet.

18. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 16 further comprising a human machine interface interfacing with said central processing unit of said onboard vehicle computer.

19. The vehicle wireless information system of claim 16 wherein said vehicle is an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or an internal combustion vehicle.