System and method for transferring information to a motor vehicle

• US 20050278080A1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Diedrich, Nathaniel W, Pilgrim, Michael, Goeppner, Andrew T., Vilkinofsky, John, Miller, Ross C., Dutter, Jason A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,467,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P

Abstract

A system and method for transferring information to a motor vehicle is disclosed. The system and method can send music files from a computer to an on board unit associated with a motor vehicle. The music files can be sent in a variety of different ways, including wirelessly. In some cases, the on board music collection can also be remotely managed from a computer in wireless communication with the on board unit.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a central unit including;

a display configured to display information and configured to be visible within a portion of the passenger compartment, an input device, a storage device, and a wireless antenna port configured to communicate with a wireless antenna;

wherein the wireless antenna is configured to communicate with a wireless network; and

wherein the central unit receives a music file from the wireless antenna port and wherein the central unit stores the music file on the storage device.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the wireless antenna is configured to communicate with a broadband wireless access network.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the central unit can receive an instruction through the wireless antenna.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the central unit includes provisions to communicate with a second wireless network.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the provisions include a second wireless antenna port in communication with a second wireless antenna, wherein the second wireless antenna is configured to communicate with the second wireless network.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the provisions include a local wireless antenna port in communication with a local wireless antenna, wherein the local wireless antenna is configured to communicate with a wireless telephone.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the music file is a compressed file.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the music file is an uncompressed file.

9. A method for sending a music file from a computer to an on-board unit (OBU) associated with a motor vehicle comprising the steps of:

receiving a first identifier corresponding to OBU identifying information associated with the OBU, the first identifier including information uniquely associated with the OBU;

comparing the first identifier with a second identifier; and

permitting access to the OBU if the first identifier is substantially similar to the second identifier.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein access to the OBU is denied if the first identifier is different than the second identifier.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first identifier is related to a Vehicle Identification Number associated with the motor vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second identifier is received from a user.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the method is executed by an application running on a computer.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the application is stored on a disk provided to a user and the second identifier is also stored on the disk.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the second identifier is retrieved from a memory associated with a computer.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein a second opportunity to enter the second identifier is provided if a first attempt to enter the second identifier was unsuccessful.

17. A system for managing music files stored on a storage device associated with a motor vehicle comprising:

a central unit including;

a display configured to display information and configured to be visible within a portion of the passenger compartment, an input device, a storage device, and a wireless antenna port configured to communicate with a wireless antenna;

wherein the wireless antenna is configured to communicate with a wireless network;

an application associated with a computer; and

wherein the application transfers a music file from the computer to the motor vehicle using the wireless network, and wherein the music file is stored on the storage device associated with the motor vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the application includes a file transfer function.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the application includes a graphical user interface including a first listing portion and a second listing portion.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the application includes an interface program that permits a directory viewing program to recognize the storage device associated with the motor vehicle as a virtual hard disk drive.

21. A motor vehicle comprising:

a central unit including a display configured to display information and configured to be visible within a portion of the passenger compartment;

the central unit in communication with a storage device;

the central unit receiving an instruction via a first wireless port;

the central unit processing the instruction and making a change to a data structure on the storage device.

22. The motor vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the change in the data structure on the storage device is the addition of a file.

23. The motor vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the change in the data structure on the storage device is the deletion of a file.

24. The motor vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the change in the data structure on the storage device includes moving a file from a first directory to a second directory.

25. The motor vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the change in the data structure on the storage device includes the modification of a tag associated with a file.