Method and system for managing promotional telematics services

• US 20050177478A1
• Filed: 12/15/2003
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Mazzara, William E. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/736,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for managing promotional telematics services within a telematics equipped mobile vehicle. The method includes receiving a request to initiate at least one telematics service, determining if the at least one requested telematics service is associated with a special billing plan, and implementing the special billing plan responsive to the determination. The method may further include operating the telematics unit within the at least one requested telematics service. The step of implementing the special billing plan responsive to the determination may include determining if a remaining special time value of the special billing plan is not equal to zero, decrementing the remaining special time value when the remaining time value is not equal to zero, and incrementing a special billing time value when the remaining time value is zero. The remaining time value may be a predetermined time value.

Claims

1. A method for operating a telematics unit within a mobile vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a request to initiate at least one telematics service;

determining if the at least one requested telematics service is associated with a special billing plan; and

implementing the special billing plan responsive to the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

operating the telematics unit within the at least one requested telematics service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing the special billing plan responsive to the determination comprises:

determining if a remaining special time value of the special billing plan is not equal to zero;

decrementing the remaining special time value when the remaining time value is not equal to zero; and

incrementing a special billing time value when the remaining time value is zero.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the remaining time value is a predetermined time value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein requested telematics service is a promotional service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

implementing a standard billing plan when the determination is negative.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a transmission mode of the telematics unit.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmission mode is selected from the group consisting of:

a data mode and a voice mode.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an updated telematics service account value to a call center.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the updated telematics service account value is selected from the group consisting of:

a special time value and a special billing time value.

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

computer readable code for processing a request to initiate at least one telematics service;

computer readable code for determining if the at least one requested telematics service is associated with a special billing plan; and

computer readable code for implementing the special billing plan responsive to the determination.

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

computer readable code for operating the telematics unit within the at least one requested telematics service.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code for implementing the special billing plan responsive to the determination comprises:

computer readable code for determining if a remaining special time value of the special billing plan is not equal to zero;

computer readable code for decrementing the remaining special time value when the remaining time value is not equal to zero; and

computer readable code for incrementing a special billing time value when the remaining time value is zero.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the remaining time value is a predetermined time value.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein requested telematics service is a promotional service.

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

computer readable code for implementing a standard billing plan when the determination is negative.

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

computer readable code for determining a transmission mode of the telematics unit.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the transmission mode is selected from the group consisting of:

a data mode and a voice mode.

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

computer readable code for sending an updated telematics service account value to a call center.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the updated telematics service account value is selected from the group consisting of:

a special time value and a special billing time value.

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

means for receiving a request to initiate at least one telematics service;

means for determining if the at least one requested telematics service is associated with a special billing plan; and

means for implementing the special billing plan responsive to the determination.