Method and system for pulling information from a mobile vehicle within a mobile vehicle communications system

• US 20040203969A1
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Videtich, Matt C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,950,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/512
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18567 Arrangements for providing additional services to the basic mobile satellite telephony service
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/70 characterised in that receivers can be addressed
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85

Abstract

A system and method is directed to obtaining information from a mobile vehicle within a mobile vehicle communication service. The method provides creating a mobile vehicle contact list based on an information request, determining a time period to transmit the mobile vehicle contact list and the information request, transmitting the mobile vehicle contact list and the information request to the mobile vehicle at the determined time period, and receiving the information from the mobile vehicle, at a specified time, based on the information requested. The system further provides means for creating a vehicle contact list based on the information request, means for determining a time period to transmit the mobile vehicle contact list and the information request, means for transmitting the mobile vehicle contact list and the information request to the mobile vehicle at the determined time period, and means for receiving the information, at a specified time, from the mobile vehicle based on the information requested.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining information from a mobile vehicle within a mobile vehicle communication service, the method comprising:

creating at least one mobile vehicle contact list based on at least one information request;

determining at least one time period to transmit the mobile vehicle contact list and the information request;

transmitting the mobile vehicle contact list and the information request to the mobile vehicle, utilizing a satellite radio service, at the at least one determined time period; and

receiving the information from the mobile vehicle based on the information requested.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the method of creating the at least one mobile vehicle contact list comprises:

identifying the information to be obtained;

selecting a mobile vehicle database that corresponds with the information to be obtained; and

producing the mobile vehicle contact list from the selected mobile vehicle database.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the mobile vehicle database is selected from a group consisting of:

a satellite radio identification number, a mobile vehicle identification number, a mobile vehicle communication unit identification number, a satellite radio user characteristic, and a geographic characteristic.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the method of producing the mobile vehicle contact list comprises:

comparing criteria of the information to be obtained to the mobile vehicle database; and

identifying elements of the mobile vehicle database that match the criteria of the information to be obtained.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the method of determining at least one time period to transmit the mobile vehicle contact list comprises:

analyzing one or more portions of the information to be obtained to determine a timing element for each portion;

associating a time period with each timing element;

comparing each associated time period with a current mobile vehicle communication service time period;

releasing for transmission the one or more portions of the information to be obtained possessing an associated time period matching the current mobile vehicle communication service time period; and

delaying the one or more portions of the information to be obtained not possessing an associated time period matching the current mobile vehicle communication service time period.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information request comprises:

user requested information; and

at least one optional user assigned timing priority for receiving the information from the mobile vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method of transmitting the mobile vehicle contact list to the mobile vehicle further comprises utilizing at least one terrestrial digital radio network.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is transmitted from the mobile vehicle based on a mobile vehicle contact list determination, the mobile vehicle contact list determination comprising:

determining, within the mobile vehicle, whether criteria of the at least one transmitted mobile vehicle contact list matches criteria of the mobile vehicle; and

acquiring, within the mobile vehicle, requested information when the criteria within the at least one transmitted mobile vehicle contact list matches criteria of the mobile vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting information from the mobile vehicle comprises:

analyzing the information request, at the mobile vehicle, to determine a timing priority for each portion of the information request;

associating the timing priority for each portion of the information request;

comparing each associated priority with a current mobile vehicle communication service call volume;

releasing for transmission, from the mobile vehicle, the one or more portions of the information to be obtained possessing a specified priority; and

delaying transmission of the one or more portions of the information to be obtained not possessing the specified priority.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving information from the mobile vehicle comprises:

transmitting, from the mobile vehicle, the requested information utilizing a wireless medium; and

receiving the requested information utilizing the wireless medium.

11. A system for obtaining information from a mobile vehicle within a mobile vehicle communication service comprising:

means for creating at least one vehicle contact list based on at least one information request;

means for determining at least one time period to transmit the mobile vehicle contact list and the information request;

means for transmitting the mobile vehicle contact list and the information request to the mobile vehicle, utilizing a satellite radio service, at the at least one determined time period; and

means for receiving the information from the mobile vehicle based on the information requested.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the means for creating the at least one mobile vehicle contact list comprises:

means for identifying the information to be obtained;

means for selecting a mobile vehicle database that corresponds with the information to be obtained; and

means for producing the mobile vehicle contact list from the selected mobile vehicle database.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the means for determining at least one time period to transmit the mobile vehicle contact list comprises:

means for analyzing one or more portions of the information to be obtained to determine a timing element for each portion;

means for associating a priority for each timing element;

means for comparing each associated time period with a current mobile vehicle communication service time period;

means for releasing for transmission the one or more portions of the information to be obtained possessing an associated time period matching the current mobile vehicle communication service time period; and

means for delaying the one or more portions of the information to be obtained not possessing an associated time period matching the current mobile vehicle communication service time period.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the means for receiving the information from the mobile vehicle is based on a vehicle contact list determination, the vehicle contact list determination comprising:

means for determining, within the mobile vehicle, whether criteria of the at least one transmitted mobile vehicle contact list matches criteria of the mobile vehicle; and

means for acquiring, within the mobile vehicle, requested information when the criteria within the at least one transmitted mobile vehicle contact list matches criteria of the mobile vehicle.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the means for receiving the information from the mobile vehicle comprises:

means for transmitting, from the mobile vehicle, the requested information utilizing a wireless medium; and

means for receiving the requested information utilizing the wireless medium.

16. A computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising:

computer readable code for creating at least one vehicle contact list based on at least one information request;

computer readable code for determining at least one time period to transmit the mobile vehicle contact list and the information request;

computer readable code for transmitting the mobile vehicle contact list and the information request to the mobile vehicle, utilizing a satellite radio service, at the at least one determined time period; and

computer readable code for receiving the information from the mobile vehicle based on the information requested.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein creating the at least one mobile vehicle contact list comprises:

computer readable code for identifying the information to be obtained;

computer readable code for selecting a mobile vehicle database that corresponds with the information to be obtained; and

computer readable code for producing the mobile vehicle contact list from the selected mobile vehicle database.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the mobile vehicle database is selected from a group consisting of:

a satellite radio identification number;

a mobile vehicle identification number, a mobile vehicle communication unit identification number, a satellite radio user characteristic, and a geographic characteristic.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein producing the mobile vehicle contact list comprises:

computer readable code for comparing criteria of the information to be obtained to the mobile vehicle database; and

computer readable code for identifying elements of the mobile vehicle database that match the criteria of the information to be obtained.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein determining at least one time period to transmit the mobile vehicle contact list comprises:

computer readable code for analyzing one or more portions of the information to be obtained to determine a timing element for each portion;

computer readable code for associating a priority for each timing element;

computer readable code for comparing each associated priority with a current mobile vehicle communication service time period;

computer readable code for releasing for transmission the one or more portions of the information to be obtained possessing an associated time period matching the current mobile vehicle communication service time period; and

computer readable code for delaying the one or more portions of the information to be obtained not possessing an associated time period matching the current mobile vehicle communication service time period.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the information request comprises:

user requested information; and

at least one optional user assigned timing priority for receiving the information from the mobile vehicle.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein transmitting the mobile vehicle contact list to the mobile vehicle comprises utilizing at least one terrestrial digital radio network.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the information is transmitted from the mobile vehicle based on a mobile vehicle contact list determination, the mobile vehicle contact list determination comprising:

computer readable code for determining, within the mobile vehicle, whether criteria of the at least one transmitted mobile vehicle contact list matches criteria of the mobile vehicle; and

computer readable code for acquiring, within the mobile vehicle, requested information when the criteria within the at least one transmitted mobile vehicle contact list matches criteria of the mobile vehicle.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein transmitting information from the mobile vehicle comprises:

computer readable code for analyzing the information request, at the mobile vehicle, to determine a timing priority for each portion of the information request;

computer readable code for associating the timing priority for each portion of the information request;

computer readable code for comparing each associated priority with a current mobile vehicle communication service call volume;

computer readable code for releasing for transmission, from the mobile vehicle, the one or more portions of the information to be obtained possessing a specified priority; and

computer readable code for delaying transmission of the one or more portions of the information to be obtained not possessing the specified priority.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein receiving the information from the mobile vehicle comprises:

computer readable code for transmitting, from the mobile vehicle, the requested information utilizing a wireless medium; and

computer readable code for receiving the requested information utilizing the wireless medium.