Vehicle control system

• US 20060038447A1
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bruelle-Drews, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel

Abstract

A vehicle control system of a vehicle configured to communicate with an external device, such as a portable digital assistant or mobile phone for the purpose of sending and receiving external data regarding a user'"'"'s personal settings for vehicle components. As an example, the user data may correspond to the position of the driver'"'"'s seat. The user data may be retrieved from the external device and transferred to the vehicle control system of a second vehicle to configure the second vehicle to the user'"'"'s personal settings. The user data may be, as and example, transferred using the vCard data format for personal data interchange.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system for communicating user-settings to at least one vehicle component, the control system comprising:

a controller;

an internal data communication device for communicating data corresponding to a value of a user-programmable setting with at least one vehicle component; and

an external interface for communicating with an external device;

where the controller is configured to send user data to an external device via the external interface, the user data including information corresponding to a current value of the user-programmable setting;

where the controller is configured to receive user data from the external device via the external interface, the user data including information corresponding to a desired user-programmable setting; and

where the controller is configured to communicate data corresponding to the user-programmable setting to the vehicle component.