Using a vehicle's on-board diagnostic (OBD) system for audio reminders

• US 10,410,181 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamby, Benjamin, Akula, Sneha
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US15/831,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20190172015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/563 Vehicle displaying mobile device information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• 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: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/26 using acoustic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/265 Voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method, performed by an on-board diagnostic (OBD) interface coupled to a diagnostic port of a vehicle, including receiving, via a wireless network, a message containing text from a user device associated with a user; converting the text contained in the message into an audio file that corresponds to an audio reminder; detecting a key-on event for the vehicle; establishing, responsive to the key-on event, a first wireless connection to a speaker device located in the vehicle; sending, via the first wireless connection, a notification to the speaker device that the audio reminder is pending; terminating, after the notification is sent, the first wireless connection; establishing a second wireless connection to the speaker device; and transferring the audio file to the speaker device via the second wireless connection.

Claims

1. A method, performed by an on-board diagnostic (OBD) interface coupled to a diagnostic port of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, by the OBD interface via a wireless network, a message comprising text from a user device associated with a user;

converting, by the OBD interface, the text into an audio file that corresponds to an audio reminder;

detecting, by the OBD interface, a key-on event for the vehicle;

establishing, by the OBD interface responsive to the key-on event, a first wireless connection to a speaker device located in the vehicle;

sending, by the OBD interface via the first wireless connection, a notification to the speaker device that the audio reminder is pending;

terminating, by the OBD interface after the notification is sent, the first wireless connection;

establishing, by the OBD interface, a second wireless connection to the speaker device; and

transferring, by the OBD interface, the audio file to the speaker device via the second wireless connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the OBD interface responsive to the notification, a request for the audio reminder, wherein terminating the first wireless connection is responsive to receiving the request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting, at the OBD interface, vehicle information from one or more sensors, wherein detecting the key-on event is based on the vehicle information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the vehicle information comprises vehicle operation data associated with the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by the OBD interface, the audio reminder;

receiving, at the OBD interface and from the speaker device, an indication that the audio reminder has been presented via the speaker device; and

deleting, by the OBD interface, the audio reminder from storage responsive to the indication that the audio reminder has been presented.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the OBD interface, a first location associated with the vehicle;

receiving, at the OBD interface, a second location associated with the user device; and

determining, at the OBD interface, that the first location and the second location are a same location, wherein sending the notification to the speaker device is responsive to the determination that the first and second locations are the same location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the OBD interface, a first location associated with the audio reminder;

determining, at the OBD interface, a second location of the vehicle;

comparing, by the OBD interface, the first location to the second location; and

determining, by the OBD interface and based on the comparing, that the first and second locations are a same location, wherein sending the notification to the speaker device is based on the determination that the first and second locations are the same location.

8. An on-board diagnostic (OBD) interface to couple to a diagnostic port of a vehicle, the OBD interface comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory storing instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions to;

receive, by the communication interface via a wireless network, a message comprising text from a user device associated with a user;

convert the text into an audio file that corresponds to an audio reminder;

detect a key-on event for the vehicle;

establish, responsive to the key-on event, a first wireless connection to a speaker device located in the vehicle;

send, by the communication interface via the first wireless connection, a notification to the speaker device that the audio reminder is pending;

terminate, after the notification is sent, the first wireless connection;

establish a second wireless connection to the speaker device; and

transfer, by the communication interface via the second wireless connection, the audio file to the speaker device.

9. The OBD interface of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to:

receive, responsive to the notification, a request for the audio reminder, wherein termination of the first wireless connection is responsive to the receipt of the request.

10. The OBD interface of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to:

collect vehicle information from one or more sensors, wherein the detection of the key-on event is based on the vehicle information.

11. The OBD interface of claim 10, wherein the vehicle information comprises vehicle operation data associated with the vehicle.

12. The OBD interface of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to:

store the audio reminder;

receive, from the speaker device, an indication that the audio reminder has been presented via the speaker device; and

delete the audio reminder from storage responsive to the indication that the audio reminder has been presented.

13. The OBD interface of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to:

receive a first location associated with the vehicle;

receive a second location associated with the user device; and

determine that the first location and the second location are a same location, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to send the notification to the speaker device is responsive to the determination that the first and second locations are the same location.

14. The OBD interface of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to:

determine a first location associated with the audio reminder;

determine a second location of the vehicle;

compare the first location to the second location; and

determine, based on the comparison, that the first and second locations are a same location, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to send the notification to the speaker device is based on the determination that the first and second locations are the same location.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor of a computational device of an on-board diagnostic (OBD) interface coupled to a diagnostic port of a vehicle, which when executed cause the computational device to:

receive, via a wireless network, a message comprising text from a user device associated with a user;

convert the text into an audio file that corresponds to an audio reminder;

detect a key-on event for the vehicle;

establish, responsive to the key-on event, a first wireless connection to a speaker device located in the vehicle;

send, via the first wireless connection, a notification to the speaker device that the audio reminder is pending;

terminate, after the notification is sent, the first wireless connection;

establish a second wireless connection to the speaker device; and

transfer, via the second wireless connection, the audio file to the speaker device.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein executing the instructions further cause the computational device to:

receive, responsive to the notification, a request for the audio reminder, wherein termination of the first wireless connection is responsive to the receipt of the request.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein executing the instructions further cause the computational device to:

collect vehicle information from one or more sensors, wherein the detection of the key-on event is based on the vehicle information, and wherein the vehicle information includes vehicle operation data associated with the vehicle.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein executing the instructions further cause the computational device to:

store the audio reminder;

receive, from the speaker device, an indication that the audio reminder has been presented via the speaker device; and

delete the audio reminder from storage responsive to the indication that the audio reminder has been presented.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein executing the instructions further cause the computational device to:

receive a first location associated with the vehicle;

receive a second location associated with the user device; and

determine that the first location and the second location are a same location, wherein the computational device executes the instructions to send the notification to the speaker device is responsive to the determination that the first and second locations are the same location.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein executing the instructions further cause the computational device to:

determine a first location associated with the audio reminder;

determine a second location of the vehicle;

compare the first location to the second location; and

determine, based on the comparison, that the first and second locations are a same location, wherein the computational device executes the instructions to send the notification to the speaker device is based on the determination that the first and second locations are the same location.