Method for providing weather information to a mobile vehicle

• US 20060022846A1
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Tummala, Pavani
• Application Number:
  US10/909,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20060022846A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/995.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A method of providing weather information to a mobile vehicle includes receiving a weather request including a GPS signal from the mobile vehicle at a call center, determining a map based on the GPS signal, associating at least one weather icon with the map and displaying the map with the icon at the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of providing weather information to a mobile vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a weather request including a GPS signal from the mobile vehicle at a call center;

determining a map based on the GPS signal;

associating at least one weather icon with the map; and

displaying the map with the icon at the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather request is transmitted from the vehicle responsive to an activation of a vehicle weather request service over a wireless communication link established responsive to the activation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the activation of a vehicle weather request service includes pushing a weather option button in the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

transmitting the GPS signal and a GPS-based map request to a map server; and

receiving the map from the map server responsive to the GPS-based map request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the GPS-based map request comprises a request for an extended-area map.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating comprises:

transmitting the GPS signal and a GPS-based weather data request to a weather server; and

receiving a weather data from the weather server responsive to the GPS-based weather data request.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the associating further comprises:

retrieving a weather icon representative of the received weather data.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the GPS-based weather data request comprises a request for weather data for an extended time range.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the weather server includes a map server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the map with the icon at the vehicle comprises:

transmitting the determined map to a telematics unit for display; and

transmitting the associated weather icon to the telematics unit for display with the displayed map.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon on the displayed map includes more than one icon and wherein each icon is displayed with an associated time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon on the displayed map includes at least one icon for a weather forecast for an extended-area.

13. A system to provide weather information to a mobile vehicle, the system comprising:

means for receiving a weather request including a GPS signal from the mobile vehicle at a call center;

means for determining a map based on the GPS signal;

means for associating at least one weather icon with the map; and

means for displaying the map with the icon at the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for determining comprises:

means for transmitting the GPS signal and a GPS-based map request to a map server; and

means for receiving the map from the map server responsive to the GPS-based map request.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for associating comprises:

means for transmitting the GPS signal and a GPS-based weather data request to a weather server; and

means for receiving a weather data from the weather server responsive to the GPS-based weather data request.

16. The system of claims 13, wherein the means for displaying comprises:

means for transmitting determined map to a telematics unit for display; and

means for transmitting the associated weather icon to the telematics unit for display with the displayed map.

17. A computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising:

computer readable code for determining a map based on a GPS signal;

computer readable code for associating at least one weather icon with the map; and

computer readable code for displaying the map with the icon at a mobile vehicle.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable code for determining comprises:

computer readable code for transmitting the GPS signal and a GPS-based map request to a map server; and

computer readable code for receiving the map from the map server responsive to the GPS-based map request.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable code for associating comprises:

computer readable code for transmitting the GPS signal and a GPS-based weather data request to a weather server; and

computer readable code for receiving a weather data from the weather server responsive to the GPS-based weather data request.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable code for displaying comprises:

computer readable code for transmitting the weather icon to a telematics unit; and

computer readable code for transmitting the determined map to the telematics unit.