METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SELECTING, IN A VEHICLE, AN ACTIVE PREFERENCE GROUP

• US 20080275990A1
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Giuli, Thomas J., Prasad, Krishnaswamy Venkatesh, Siciak, Raymond C., Skaff, Ryan J.
• Application Number:
  US11/742,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

An occupant of a vehicle is presented with discussion groups of interest to the occupant. The discussion groups are selected based on the degree to which interests of friends of the occupant coincide with the interests of the occupant. Once a discussion group is chosen, a telematics gateway connects the occupant to the discussion group.

Claims

1. A method for selecting, in a vehicle including a communication module, an active preference group, the method comprising:

receiving an occupant identifier;

retrieving members of a social network associated with the occupant identifier;

retrieving interest information associated with the occupant identifier;

retrieving interest information associated with the members of the social network;

retrieving preference groups associated with the members of the social network;

determining common interest metrics between an occupant associated with the occupant identifier and each member of the social network;

selecting preference groups based on the common interest metrics;

determining whether the selected preference groups are active;

presenting active preference groups;

receiving input selecting one of the active preference groups; and

connecting the communication module with a host of the selected one active preference group.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the common interest metrics are based on the interest information associated with the occupant identifier and the members of the social network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein determining common interest metrics between the occupant and each member of the social network includes determining a number of interests shared by the occupant and a member of the social network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the active preference groups are presented based on a predetermined policy.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined policy is based on a state of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the state of the vehicle comprises vehicle speed.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined policy comprises a limit on the number of active preference groups presented.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined policy comprises a user specified policy.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising ranking the active preference groups.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the common interest metrics are a measure of a number of interests shared by the occupant and the members of the social network.

11. A system for selecting, in a vehicle, an active preference group, the system comprising:

an identification module configured to receive an occupant identifier;

a communication module configured to

retrieve members of a social network associated with the occupant identifier,

retrieve interest information associated with the occupant identifier,

retrieve interest information associated with the members of the social network,

retrieve preference groups associated with the members of the social network, and

connect with a host of a selected active preference group;

a processing module configured to

determine common interest metrics between an occupant associated with the occupant identifier and each member of the social network,

select preference groups based on the common interest metrics, and

determine whether the selected preference groups are active;

a presentation module configured to present active preference groups; and

an input module configured to receive input selecting one of the active preference groups.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the common interest metrics are based on the interest information associated with the occupant identifier and the members of the social network.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the processing module determines the common interest metrics between the occupant and each member of the social network based on a number of interests shared by the occupant and each member of the social network.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the active preference groups are presented based on a predetermined policy.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the predetermined policy is based on a state of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a vehicle speed sensor wherein the state of the vehicle comprises vehicle speed.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the predetermined policy comprises a limit on the number of active preference groups presented.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the predetermined policy comprises a user specified policy.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the processing module is further configured to rank the active preference groups.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the common interest metrics are a measure of a number of interests shared by the occupant and the members of the social network.