System and method for managing an on-board entertainment system

• US 20060004788A1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• 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 7,685,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system and method for managing an on board entertainment system is disclosed. The system and method can wirelessly receive music files from a computer and store those music files on an on board unit associated with a motor vehicle. The system and method can also include provisions to associate music information with a received music file and can include provisions to manage the music collection on board a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for creating a local database including music file tags comprising the steps of:

receiving a first music file having a corresponding first tag;

storing selected portions of the first tag;

receiving a second music file having a corresponding second tag;

storing selected portions of the second tag;

analyzing the portions of the first tag and the portions of the second tag to determine if a pattern exists;

retrieving bulk music tag information from a remote comprehensive music tagging resource; and

storing the bulk music tag information locally to establish a second the local music tagging database.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of preparing a request for the bulk music tag information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the pattern exists comprises a comparison of first artist information associated with the first tag and second artist information associated with the second tag.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern is determined to exist if two or more tags include the same artist.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a request for every available tag including the artist is prepared.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the pattern exists comprises a comparison of first genre information associated with the first tag and second genre information associated with the second tag.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern is determined to exist if two or more tags include the same genre.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a request for every available tag including the genre is prepared.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of contacting the remote comprehensive music tagging database.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of contacting the remote comprehensive music tagging database includes a step of attempting to access a first wireless network.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first wireless network is a wireless broadband access network.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of contacting the remote comprehensive music tagging database includes a step of attempting to access a second wireless network if the first wireless network is not available.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second wireless network is a wireless cellular telephone network.

14. A motor vehicle comprising:

a storage device including a second database;

wherein the motor vehicle receives a music file and searches the second database connected to the motor vehicle for a tag corresponding to the music file; and

wherein the motor vehicle attempts to contact a first database, which is separated from the motor vehicle, to request the tag corresponding to the music file if the corresponding tag is not found on the second database.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the music file is received through a wireless network antenna port.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the motor vehicle attempts to contact the first database using a first wireless antenna port.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the motor vehicle attempts to contact the first database using a second wireless antenna port if the attempt to contact the first database using the first wireless antenna port is unsuccessful.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the motor vehicle attempts to contact the first database using a personal area wireless network to contact a wireless telephone.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein personal area wireless network uses a Bluetooth protocol.

20. A motor vehicle comprising:

an on board unit (OBU);

wherein a music file is received by the OBU and the OBU searches a second database located on a storage device for a tag corresponding to the music file;

wherein the OBU attempts to contact a first database if the tag is not found on the second database; and

wherein the OBU retrieves the tag from the first database and stores the first tag if contact is made with the first database.

21. The motor vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the first tag is stored on the storage device.

22. The motor vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the first tag is stored on the storage device.

23. The motor vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the OBU stores a request for the tag if contact is not made with the first database.

24. A method for synching information associated with a motor vehicle with information associated with a computer comprising the steps of:

determining if a current time is substantially similar to a predetermined synch time;

determining if access to a wireless network is available from an OBU associated with the motor vehicle;

conducting a synching operation if access to the wireless network is available to the OBU associated with the motor vehicle; and

wherein the synching operation updates information associated with the motor vehicle.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the synching operation updates information associated with the computer.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein an application associated with the computer is used to program parameters of the synching operation.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein an application provides details of past synching operations.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein the synching operation includes a step of matching updated information associated with a directory on the computer with information associated with a directory on the motor vehicle.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein an application includes provisions to conduct a manual synch operation.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein an application can interact with multiple motor vehicles.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the application can control the synch schedules of each of the multiple motor vehicles.