Context-aware systems and methods location-aware systems and methods context-aware vehicles and methods of operating the same and location-aware vehicles and methods of operating the same

• US 20050050201A1
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Reus, Edward F., Parupudi, Gopal, Evans, Stephen S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

Context-aware systems and methods, location-aware systems and methods, context-aware vehicles and methods of operating the same, and location-aware vehicles and methods of operating the same are described. In various embodiments, a context or location service module, implemented in software, determines a vehicle context or a vehicle location based upon information that it receives from various context providers or location providers respectively. Software executing on a vehicle'"'"'s computer can then cause one or more applications that are associated with a vehicle computer to be modified in a manner that changes their behavior. The behavior modification is based on the current context or location of the vehicle and thus provides a context-specific or location-specific user experience. The context or location can be ascertained through the use of one or more hierarchical tree structures that comprises individual nodes. Each node is associated with a context or location. The nodes are traversable by the vehicle'"'"'s software to ascertain a more complete context or

Claims

1. A user-aware vehicle comprising:

a computer having one or more processors; and

at least one data store accessible to the computer and being configured to contain user information pertaining to user preferences that are associated with one or more vehicle contexts, the computer being configured to access the one data store, retrieve user preferences, and configure a vehicle in accordance with a user'"'"'s preferences.

2. The user-aware vehicle of claim 1, wherein said at least one data store is located on the vehicle.

3. The user-aware vehicle of claim 1, wherein said at least one data store is not located on the vehicle.

4. The user-aware vehicle of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to wirelessly access the one data store.

5. A user-aware vehicle comprising:

a computer having one or more processors; and

at least one data store accessible to the computer and being configured to contain user information pertaining to user preferences that are associated with one or more vehicle locations, the computer being configured to access the one data store, retrieve user preferences, and configure a vehicle in accordance with a user'"'"'s preferences.

6. The user-aware vehicle of claim 5, wherein said at least one data store is located on the vehicle.

7. The user-aware vehicle of claim 5, wherein said at least one data store is not located on the vehicle.

8. A method of operating a vehicle comprising:

maintaining a data store that contains user preferences associated with one or more vehicle contexts;

accessing the data store;

retrieving from the data store one or more user preferences associated with a vehicle user; and

configuring a vehicle in accordance with the retrieved user preferences.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said maintaining comprises maintaining the data store on a vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said maintaining comprises maintaining the data store remote from a vehicle that is configured in accordance with preferences that are contained in the data store.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said accessing comprises wirelessly accessing the data store.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said accessing comprises wirelessly accessing the data store via a computer that is located on a vehicle that is to be configured in accordance with user preferences that are contained in the data store.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the user preferences are associated with one or more vehicle locations.

14. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 8.

15. A method of operating a vehicle comprising:

accessing a data store that contains user preferences associated with one or more vehicle contexts;

retrieving from the data store one or more user preferences associated with a vehicle user; and

configuring a vehicle in accordance with the retrieved user preferences.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said accessing comprises wirelessly accessing the data store.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said accessing comprises wirelessly accessing the data store via a computer that is located on a vehicle that is to be configured in accordance with user preferences that are contained in the data store.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said accessing comprises wirelessly accessing the data store via the Internet using a computer that is located on a vehicle that is to be configured in accordance with user preferences that are contained in the data store.

19. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 15.

20. A system comprising:

means for maintaining a data store that contains user preferences associated with one or more vehicle contexts;

means for accessing the data store;

means for retrieving from the data store one or more user preferences associated with a vehicle user; and

means for configuring a vehicle in accordance with the retrieved user preferences.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said means for maintaining comprises means for maintaining the data store on a vehicle.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said means for maintaining comprises means for maintaining the data store remote from a vehicle that is configured in accordance with preferences that are contained in the data store.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said means for accessing comprises means for wirelessly accessing the data store.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein said means for accessing comprises means for wirelessly accessing the data store via a computer that is located on a vehicle that is to be configured in accordance with user preferences that are contained in the data store.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the user preferences are associated with one or more vehicle locations.

26. The system of claim 20 embodied on a vehicle.

27. A system comprising:

means for accessing a data store that contains user preferences associated with one or more vehicle contexts;

means for retrieving from the data store one or more user preferences associated with a vehicle user; and

means for configuring a vehicle in accordance with the retrieved user preferences.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said means for accessing comprises means for wirelessly accessing the data store.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said means for accessing comprises means for wirelessly accessing the data store via a computer that is located on a vehicle that is to be configured in accordance with user preferences that are contained in the data store.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein said means for accessing comprises means for wirelessly accessing the data store via the Internet using a computer that is located on a vehicle that is to be configured in accordance with user preferences that are contained in the data store.

31. The system of claim 27 embodied on a vehicle.