Method and system for communicating between a communications source and a mobile platform

• US 20080032685A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Talty, Timothy J., MacDonald, Andrew J., Saraydar, Cem U., Ames, Michael B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A mobile platform is equipped with a broadcast signal receiver to receive a broadcast signal and with a two-way wireless communications device. Messages within the broadcast signal are received. Other messages between the communications source and the mobile platform are wirelessly communicated via the two-way wireless communications device.

Claims

1. Method for communicating between a communications source and a mobile platform, comprising:

equipping the mobile platform with a broadcast signal receiver device to receive a broadcast signal and a two-way wireless communications device;

receiving a first message broadcast from the communications source within the broadcast signal at the mobile platform via the broadcast signal receiver device; and

,

wirelessly communicating a second message between the communications source and the mobile platform via the two-way wireless communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast signal further comprises the first message incorporated into a broadband broadcast signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising opportunistically incorporating the first message into the broadband broadcast signal during a period of available bandwidth.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the first message at the communications source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein forming the first message comprises assembling message content originating from a plurality of content providers at the communications source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly communicating the second message from the mobile platform to the communications source.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising forming content of the first message based upon the second message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform comprises a handheld device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the handheld device comprises a transportable device adapted for docking with at least one of a docking structure on a vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform comprises a motor vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first message at the mobile platform further comprises caching a portion of the first message in an electronic memory storage device associated with the mobile platform.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

equipping the mobile platform with a software update coordinator, and,

opportunistically updating executable code of the mobile platform when a portion of the first message cached in the electronic memory storage device comprises executable code for the mobile platform.

13. Method for communicating between a communications source and a mobile platform, comprising:

equipping the mobile platform with a transceiver device operative to receive a broadband broadcast signal and execute two-way wireless communications;

receiving the broadcasted broadband signal at the mobile platform by way of the transceiver;

interpreting the first message from the received broadcasted broadband signal;

forming a second message; and

,

wirelessly communicating the second message between the communications source and the mobile platform by way of the transceiver.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising enabling the communications source to form a first message at the communications source, generate a broadband signal based upon the first message, and, broadcast the broadband signal from the communications source.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising enabling the communications source to incorporate the first message into the broadband signal during a period of available bandwidth in the broadband broadcast signal.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising equipping the mobile platform with:

an electronic memory storage device;

a processor; and

, a human-machine interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving the first message at the mobile platform further comprises caching a portion of the first message in the electronic memory storage device of the mobile platform.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising communicating the portion of the first message cached in the electronic memory storage device to the human-machine interface.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

equipping the mobile platform with a software update coordinator, and,

opportunistically updating executable code contained in the mobile platform when the portion of the first message cached in the electronic memory storage device comprises executable code for the mobile platform.

20. System for communicating a message to a mobile platform, comprising:

an enterprise service manager, operative to receive authenticated inputs from the mobile platform, structure a broadcast signal comprising the message, and communicate with a broadcast station; and

,

the broadcast station operative to selectively broadcast the broadcast signal comprising the message to a communications transceiver of the mobile platform.