Method and Device for Demonstrating Features of a Vehicle Navigation System

• US 20070276584A1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Veliu, Shpetim S., Oesterling, Christopher L., Fraser, Ronald W., Kamdar, Hitan S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A demonstration method and module for demonstrating various features of a vehicle navigation system without activating the system at a back-end facility, such as a remote call center. The demonstration module comes with a variety of pre-established navigation demonstrations, each of which is designed for a particular geographic area. The demonstration module obtains a vehicle position reading from the vehicle navigation system, and then utilizes this reading to select the most appropriate demonstration experience for that area. The selected navigation demonstration is then played through one or more output devices in the vehicle, such as speakers and a graphical display. This enables a prospective customer to experience a local or familiar navigation demonstration, without taking the steps and incurring the expenses associated with activating the vehicle navigation system at the call center.

Claims

1. A method for demonstrating features of a vehicle navigation system installed within a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of navigation demonstrations, each of which is associated with a geographic location;

(b) obtaining a vehicle position reading relating to the position of the vehicle;

(c) selecting one of said navigation demonstrations based at least partially on said vehicle position reading; and

(d) using one or more output device(s) to play said selected navigation demonstration and thereby illustrate features of the vehicle navigation system.

2. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of automatically determining the configuration of a network bus and one or more vehicle hardware component(s).

3. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of automatically determining the key position of a vehicle ignition, and performing steps (b)-(d) in a power mode that is selected based on said key position.

4. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of automatically determining the state of a vehicle transmission, and halting said method if said state is other than ‘

PARK’

.

5. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of automatically selecting a particular frequency, and wherein step (d) further includes playing an audio component of said selected navigation demonstration over a vehicle audio system using said selected frequency.

6. The demonstration method of claim 5, wherein said automatic selection of said frequency further includes conducting a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) test involving a plurality of frequencies.

7. The demonstration method of claim 6, wherein said signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) test further includes receiving wireless updates of local frequency information.

8. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of receiving wireless updates of said navigation demonstrations.

9. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of alerting a user when an electronic module carrying said plurality of navigation demonstrations is still present in the vehicle following said demonstration.

10. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further includes providing said plurality of navigation demonstrations on a portable, electronic demonstration module that connects with the vehicle navigation system.

11. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further includes providing said plurality of navigation demonstrations on an integrated, electronic memory device that is part of the vehicle hardware.

12. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further includes providing navigation demonstrations that include turn-by-turn directions.

13. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further includes obtaining a vehicle position reading from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver located in the vehicle navigation system.

14. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further includes controlling said play of said selected navigation demonstration by using one or more electronic control(s) in the vehicle.

15. The demonstration method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle navigation system is a telematics-based system that communicates with a back-end facility, and wherein said method demonstrates features of the vehicle navigation system without activating the system at the back-end facility.

16. A method for demonstrating features of a vehicle navigation system by providing turn-by-turn directions without activating the system at a back-end facility, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of pre-established turn-by-turn navigation demonstrations, each of which is associated with a particular geographic location;

(b) obtaining a current vehicle position reading from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver that is part of the vehicle navigation system;

(c) selecting one of said turn-by-turn navigation demonstrations based at least partially on said current vehicle position reading; and

(d) using one or more speaker(s) and/or display(s) to play said selected turn-by-turn navigation demonstration and thereby illustrate features of the vehicle navigation system.

17. A portable electronic demonstration module for use with a vehicle navigation system installed within a vehicle, comprising:

a protective casing;

a communications port for electronically coupling said demonstration module with hardware on the vehicle;

one or more electronic memory device(s) for storing a plurality of navigation demonstrations, and;

an electronic processing device for executing electronic instructions, wherein execution of said electronic instructions causes one or more output device(s) to play one of said navigation demonstrations without activating the system at a back-end facility.

18. The demonstration module of claim 17, wherein said communications port physically connects said demonstration module to a network port on the vehicle.

19. The demonstration module of claim 17, wherein said communications port wirelessly connects said demonstration module to a wireless port on the vehicle.

20. The demonstration module of claim 17, wherein said demonstration module further includes a rechargeable energy storage device for receiving and storing a charge over said communications port.