Method and Computer Program for Personalizing Adjustable Functions in a Vehicle

• US 20080306652A1
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Heinrich, Christian, Boger, Metta
• Application Number:
  US10/574,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20080306652A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a computer program and a data carrier with this computer program for personalizing adjustable functions in a vehicle. The method provides that first a user profile in the form of stored, person-related settings and/or data of the functions for a current user of the vehicle is activated. To this extent, this method is basically known from the prior art. In order to restrict the access rights of other users to the user profile of the current user, the invention provides a configuration step, in the scope of which the current user can define which other user he would like to permit to access his person-related settings and/or data of functions within a previously defined group of functions. The access is respectively configured in a standardized way for all the functions within the group. The functions within a group are at least similar in terms of their requirement for personalization and/or their requirement for confidentiality.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A method for personalizing adjustable functions in a vehicle, said method comprising:

activating a user profile in the form of stored, individual-related settings or data for implementing vehicle functions for a current user of the vehicle;

allocating vehicle functions into groups of vehicle functions which are at least similar in terms of their requirement for personalization or confidentiality; and

configuring future access to said groups of at least some of the functions of a currently activated user profile;

wherein the current user defines individually, for each of said groups, which other user he permits access to his individual-related settings or data of the functions in a respective group.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein if the current user is identical to a default user whose user profile is activated automatically when the control device starts, the user profile of the current user is activated automatically when a control device for the personalization starts.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the activation of the user profile for the current user is triggered by the following, preceding steps:

starting a control device for the personalization process, wherein first the user profile for a default user is activated; and

if the current user is not identical to the default user, registering the current user in the form of an identification of his person by inputting a user number which represents him or his name.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the user profile of the current user is activated in a standardized way for a multiplicity of operator control units.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein for operator control units in the vehicle with a user profile which is activated in the standardized way, simultaneous changes to the user profile are prohibited if they are performed simultaneously from various operator control units.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the user profile of the default user continues to be set at those operator control units in the vehicle at which the current user profile is not activated.

20. Method according to claim 14, wherein the configuration of access to a currently activated user profile also comprises at least one of the following definitions:

whether future access is to be permitted after merely inputting a password which is specified when registering, and if so, definition or changing of said password;

users to which future access to the currently activated user profile is to be permitted in principle for the purpose of deleting said profile;

users who, within the scope of access to the current user profile, are to be permitted to change the assignment or the distribution of available storage capacity for at least individual users;

a time period after the control device has been shut down for the personalization process, during which time period the user profile of the user who was active last is set automatically, and rather than the user profile of the default user, when the control device restarts;

whether registration of the current user is to be made by using his name or by using his user number, and if so, specification of said name;

restrictions on access rights and operator control possibilities for the currently activated user profile for selected operator control units, in the vehicle, if necessary differently for individual users;

reservation of a storage capacity by the current user for the person-related data and/or settings of his user profile; and

definition of whether the user is to be identified thereafter by means of the vehicle key or the user'"'"'s mobile telephone when the control device starts.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the current setting of the user profile of the current user represents either an original presetting which is carried out at an assembly place for the vehicle or a change in the setting which was last carried out by the current user and is permissible within the scope of the configuration.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein presetting of the user profile which was carried out at the assembly place comprises at least one of the following:

a definition of settings for functions of the individual groups, and an assignment of these presettings to the user profile of the default user;

a provision that no password is necessary for access to the settings;

a provision that for registration, the current user need not be identified either by his name or by his key;

a provision that the access rights and operator control possibilities for individual operator control units in the vehicle are not restricted; and

a provisional that 100% of the storage capacity is assigned to the default user for personalization purposes.

23. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

reducing or deleting of the data or settings of a currently non-activated user profile.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein a warning message is output to the currently activated and/or the currently non-activated user.

25. A computer readable medium having a computer program encoded therein, said computer program containing the following steps for personalizing adjustable functions in a vehicle:

activating a user profile in the form of stored, individual-related settings or data for implementing vehicle functions for a current user of the vehicle;

allocating vehicle functions into groups of vehicle functions which are at least similar in terms of their requirement for personalization or confidentiality; and

configuring future access to said groups of at least some of the functions of a currently activated user profile;

wherein the current user defines individually, for each of said groups, which other user he permits access to his individual-related settings or data of the functions in a respective group.