Method and system for managing wireless network information collection utilizing a telematics unit

• US 20050164695A1
• Filed: 01/28/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Kamdar, Hitan S., Veliu, Shpetim S., Reeser, Brad T., Sumcad, Anthony J., Patenaude, Russell A.
• Application Number:
  US10/767,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20050164695A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for managing wireless network information collection utilizing a telematics unit within a telematics equipped mobile vehicle. The method includes detecting at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal, generating wireless network information based on the detected wireless network identification signals, and communicating the generated wireless network information to a service provider. The wireless short-distance communication network identification signal may include an internet protocol address, a location identification tag, GPS coordinates, points of interest, venue capacity, venue size, or category. The step of detecting the wireless short-distance communication network identification signal includes receiving at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal, determining a unique device identifier associated with each received wireless short-distance communication network identification signal, and storing the determined unique device identifier.

Claims

1. A method for wireless network data collection utilizing a telematics unit within a mobile vehicle communication system, the method comprising:

detecting at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal;

generating wireless network information based on the at least one detected wireless network identification signals; and

communicating the generated wireless network information to a service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal comprises:

receiving at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal;

determining a unique device identifier associated with each received wireless short-distance communication network identification signal; and

storing the determined unique device identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless short-distance communication network identification signal includes information selected from the group consisting of:

an internet protocol address, GPS location, a location identification tag, points of interest, venue capacity, venue size, and category.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the wireless network information comprises:

associating a GPS coordinate with the detected wireless short-distance communication network identification signal; and

storing the wireless short-distance communication network identification signal and the associated GPS coordinate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the GPS coordinate is based on the location of the telematics unit at the time of reception.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the GPS coordinate is included within the at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal is selected from the group consisting of:

radio frequency identification data, a short message service signal, an IEEE 802.11 standard compliant signal, and a Bluetooth compliant signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the generated wireless network information to a service provider comprises:

detecting a wireless network information upload trigger; and

initiating a wireless network information transmission to the service provider responsive to the detected wireless network information upload trigger.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the wireless network information upload trigger comprises:

receiving a wireless network information request; and

processing the wireless network information request to identify the wireless network information upload trigger.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting the wireless network information to a service provider.

11. A computer readable medium for operating a telematics unit within a mobile vehicle, comprising:

computer readable code for detecting at least one wireless short- distance communication network identification signal;

computer readable code for generating wireless network information based on the at least one detected wireless network identification signals; and

computer readable code for communicating the generated wireless network information to a service provider.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code for detecting at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal comprises:

computer readable code for processing the received at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal;

computer readable code for determining a unique device identifier associated with each received wireless short-distance communication network identification signal; and

computer readable code for storing the determined unique device identifier.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code for generating wireless network information based on the at least one detected wireless network identification signals comprises:

computer readable code for associating a GPS coordinate with the detected wireless short-distance communication network identification signal; and

computer readable code for storing the wireless short-distance communication network identification signal and the associated GPS coordinate.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the GPS coordinate is based on the location of the telematics unit at the time of reception.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the GPS coordinate is included within the at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal is selected from the group consisting of:

radio frequency identification data ,a short message service signal, an IEEE 802.11 standard compliant signal, and a Bluetooth compliant signal.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code for communicating the generated wireless network information to a service provider comprises:

computer readable code for detecting a wireless network information upload trigger; and

computer readable code for initiating a wireless network information transmission to the service provider responsive to the detected wireless network information upload trigger.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code for detecting the wireless network information upload trigger comprises:

computer readable code for processing a received wireless network information request to identify the wireless network information upload trigger.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable code for transmitting the wireless network information to a service provider.

20. A system for operating a telematics unit within a mobile vehicle, the system comprising:

means for detecting at least one wireless short-distance communication network identification signal;

means for generating wireless network information based on the at least one detected wireless network identification signals; and

means for communicating the generated wireless network information to a service provider.