Computer peripheral device method and apparatus

• US 20070100507A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Simon, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A vehicle peripheral device system comprising: a first peripheral state manager that manages a persistent connection between a computer and a vehicle; and a second peripheral state manager that manages on-demand connections between the computer and the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is presented to a user of the computer as a persistent peripheral device when either the persistent connection or the on-demand connection is available, wherein at least some of the on-demand connections are initiated by the computer requiring access to the vehicle device.

Claims

1. A computer peripheral device system comprising:

a peripheral device installed on a vehicle; and

software running on a computer for connection to the peripheral device, the software including

an actual connection manager for maintaining a connection to the peripheral device when the vehicle is in a location capable of either wired connection to the computer or persistent wireless connection with the computer; and

a virtual connection manager for maintaining a virtual connection to the peripheral device by selectively connecting to the vehicle using a remote connection function when the computer requires services of the vehicle peripheral device, wherein during virtual connection the vehicle is presented as an available peripheral device to a user of the computer.

2. A computer peripheral device method comprising the steps of:

initiating a first connection from a computer to a vehicle wherein the first connection is a wired or a short-range wireless connection;

designating on the computer the vehicle as a peripheral device if the first connection is achieved;

initiating a second connection from the computer to the vehicle if the first connection is not available, wherein the second connection is not a short-range wireless connection or a wired connection;

designating on the computer the vehicle as the peripheral device if the second connection is achieved;

disconnecting the second connection while maintaining the vehicle as the peripheral device, and reestablishing connection to the vehicle upon computer demand for services from the vehicle.

3. A vehicle peripheral device system comprising:

a first peripheral state manager that manages a persistent connection between a computer and a vehicle; and

a second peripheral state manager that manages on-demand connections between the computer and the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is presented to a user of the computer as a persistent peripheral device when either the persistent connection or the on-demand connection is available, wherein at least some of the on-demand connections are initiated by the computer requiring access to the vehicle device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the required access is in response to a user input.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the on-demand connection is a remote connection.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the on-demand connection is initiated by the vehicle located out of reach of a short range direct connection to the computer.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the on-demand connection is initiated in response to the vehicle accessing an access point to an extended network.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a computer spatially separated from a vehicle;

a device driver software on the computer, wherein with the device driver software installed on the computer, the computer

recognizes the vehicle or a device in the vehicle as a peripheral of the computer, operates a first connection to the vehicle when the vehicle is in proximity of the computer allowing a short range connection, and operates a second connection to the vehicle when the vehicle is not in proximity of the computer and the short-range connection is not available.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a computer; and

a device in a vehicle, wherein the device in the vehicle is selectively connected to the computer over a short range connection and selectively connected to the computer over a long range connection, wherein, in a hierarchy of the computer, the device in the vehicle is a peripheral device of the computer during both the short range connection and the long range connection.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, also comprising a vehicle driver software installed on the computer.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, also comprising a device control application on the computer for controlling operation of a plurality of devices for managing the short-range connection and the long-range connection.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the long-range connection is selectively released while the computer maintains the device as an available peripheral.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the long-range connection is reconnected upon a demand by the computer for services from the device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the long-range connection is reconnected upon request of the device for services from the computer.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the short-range connection is obtained during synchronization with a wake-up cycle of the device in the vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a sleep cycle of the device is discontinued while services are required of the device by the computer.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein if the short-range connection is lost the long-range connection is established.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein requested services are rejected if both the short-range connection is not available and the long-range connection is not available.

19. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein following startup of the computer, the short-range connection is established.

20. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein following startup of the computer, the long-range connection is established if the short-range connection is not available.