Method and system for providing wireless connection conditions along a navigation route

• US 20070112504A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Krause, Kevin, Italia, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,437,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for providing wireless connection conditions to a mobile vehicle, including receiving navigation route information at a call center; determining wireless connection conditions associated with the received route; and transmitting a message including wireless connection conditions associated with the navigation route to the mobile vehicle. Another example provides a computer usable medium and program code, including program code for receiving navigation route information at a call center; program code for determining wireless connection conditions associated with the received route; and program code for transmitting a message including wireless connection conditions. Another example provides a system including means for receiving navigation route information at a call center, means for determining wireless connection conditions associated with the received navigation route, and means for transmitting a message including wireless connection conditions.

Claims

1. A method of providing wireless connection conditions to a mobile vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving navigation route information at a call center;

determining at least one wireless connection condition associated with the received navigation route; and

transmitting a message including wireless connection conditions associated with the navigation route to the mobile vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless connection conditions are stored in a geographic information systems (GIS) database.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the wireless connection conditions stored in the GIS database is selected from the group consisting of:

1×

RTT/packet data coverage, Evolutionary Data Only, High Speed Data Packet Access, 802.11, broadband wireless, instant messaging, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, and General Packet Radio Service.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the wireless connection conditions associated with the received navigation route are determined by comparing a navigation route GIS database layer containing the navigation route information with a wireless connection conditions GIS database layer containing the wireless connection conditions.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining at least one probable off-route condition based on the navigation route;

wherein the message includes digital map information based on the determination of the at least one probable off-route condition.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination of wireless connection conditions associated with the received navigation route is responsive to a comparison trigger, the comparison trigger selected from the group consisting of:

route receipt event, a mileage traveled event, a mileage until zone-event, a time elapsed event, a time until zone event, an off-peak time event, an advisor intervention event, or a change of conditions event.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmission of any wireless connection conditions associated with the navigation route to the mobile vehicle is responsive to a transmission trigger, the transmission trigger selected from the group consisting of:

a completion of comparison event, a mileage traveled event, a mileage until zone event, a time elapsed event, a time until zone event, an off-peak time event, an advisor intervention event, or a change of conditions event.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the message further comprises an alert, the alert selected from the group consisting of:

text message, automated voice message, an audible alert, a text-based alert, a graphical display, or an alert directly from an advisor in the call center.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the message further comprises an alert trigger, wherein the alert is responsive to the alert trigger, the alert trigger selected from the group consisting of:

a data receipt event, a mileage traveled event, a mileage until zone event, a time elapsed event, a time until zone event, an advisor intervention event, or a change of conditions event.

10. A computer usable medium comprising computer readable program code for providing wireless connection conditions to a mobile vehicle, the medium comprising:

computer readable program code for receiving navigation route information at a call center;

computer readable program code for determining wireless connection conditions associated with the received navigation route; and

computer readable program code for transmitting a message including wireless connection conditions associated with the navigation route to the mobile vehicle.

11. The medium of claim 10 further comprising a computer readable program code for storing and retrieving the wireless connection conditions in a geographic information systems (GIS) database.

12. The medium of claim 11 wherein the wireless connection conditions stored in the GIS database is selected from a group of:

1×

RTT/packet data coverage, Evolutionary Data Only, High Speed Data Packet Access, 802.11, broadband wireless, instant messaging, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, and General Packet Radio Service.

13. The medium of claim 11 wherein the wireless connection conditions associated with the received navigation route are determined by a computer readable program code comparing a navigation route GIS database layer containing the navigation route information with a wireless connection conditions GIS database layer containing the wireless connection conditions.

14. The medium of claim 10 further comprising computer readable program code for determining at least one probable off-route condition based on the navigation route;

wherein the message includes digital map information based on the determination of the at least one probable off-route condition to the telematics unit via a wireless connection.

15. The medium of claim 10 further comprising computer readable code for a comparison trigger, wherein the determination of wireless connection conditions associated with the received navigation route is responsive to the comparison trigger, the comparison trigger selected from the group consisting of:

route receipt event, a mileage traveled event, a mileage until zone event, a time elapsed event, a time until zone event, an off-peak time event, an advisor intervention event, or a change of conditions event.

16. The medium of claim 10 further comprising computer readable code for a transmission trigger, wherein the transmission of any wireless connection conditions associated with the navigation route to the mobile vehicle is responsive to the transmission trigger, the transmission trigger selected from the group consisting of:

a completion of comparison event, a mileage traveled event, a mileage until zone event, a time elapsed event, a time until zone event, an off-peak time event, an advisor intervention event, or a change of conditions event

17. The medium of claim 10 wherein the message further comprises an alert, the alert selected from the group consisting of:

text message, automated voice message, an audible alert, a text-based alert, a graphical display, or an alert directly from an advisor in the call center.

18. The medium of claim 10 wherein the message further comprises an alert trigger, wherein the alert is responsive to the alert trigger, the alert trigger selected from the group consisting of:

a data receipt event, a mileage traveled event, a mileage until zone event, a time elapsed event, a time until zone event, an advisor intervention event, or a change of conditions event.

19. A system for providing wireless connection conditions to a mobile vehicle, the system comprising:

means for receiving navigation route information at a call center,

means for determining wireless connection conditions associated with the received navigation route; and

means for transmitting a message including wireless connection conditions associated with the navigation route to the mobile vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for determining at least one probable off-route condition based on the navigation route;

wherein the message includes digital map information based on the determination of the at least one probable off-route condition to the telematics unit via a wireless connection.