Mobile Terminal for a Traffic Information System, and Method for Activating an Access Control Device in a Mobile Terminal

• US 20090165120A1
• Filed: 09/03/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Kamalski, Theodor
• Application Number:
  US12/084,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20090165120A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/17
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/092 Coding or decoding of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/094 Hardware aspects; Signal processing or signal properties, e.g. frequency bands

Abstract

Disclosed is a mobile terminal characterized by a first manipulation unit (7) which is designed to modify control data (CD) contained in a received piece of traffic information (TI) in such a way that a decoding device (5) and an access control device (9) are activated by an evaluation unit (8) also when the traffic information (TI) has a non-encoded location designation (LC). The access control device (9) can thus use user control designed for encoded location data (cLC) also for traffic information services in which the location designations are not encoded.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A mobile terminal for a traffic information system, comprising:

a receiver for location-based traffic information, the traffic information comprising control data and one of an unencrypted location identifier or an encrypted location identifier;

an evaluation unit for evaluating the control data;

a memory facility storing at least one tabular map containing location entries;

an access control apparatus activatable by the evaluation unit and configured to permit or prevent access to the at least one tabular map based on prescribed use authorization;

a decryption device activatable by the evaluation unit for decrypting the encrypted location identifier, the evaluation unit configured to utilize the control data to one of activate the access control apparatus and the decryption device if the traffic information contains an encrypted location identifier and deactivate the access control device and the decryption device if the traffic information contains an unencrypted location identifier; and

a first manipulation unit configured to alter the control data such that the evaluation unit activates the decryption device and the access control apparatus if the traffic information contains an unencrypted location identifier.

11. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a second manipulation unit configured to switch the decryption device into a special mode in which a location identifier output by the decryption device is identical to the location identifier which is supplied to the decryption device.

12. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a comparator connected to at least one of the first manipulation unit and the second manipulation unit, the comparator being configured to compare received control data with prescribed control data and to one of activate and deactivate the first and the second manipulation unit based on the comparison;

wherein at least one of the first manipulation unit and the second manipulation unit is activatable and deactivatable.

13. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first manipulation unit is connected to the receiver and the evaluation unit such that the control data received by the receiver is alterable by the first manipulation unit before being routed to the evaluation unit.

14. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to receive and process traffic information in accordance with a Radio Data System-Traffic Message Channel system.

15. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 14, wherein the receiver is configured to receive control data which comprise a first selection number and a second selection number for selecting the at least one tabular map;

and

wherein the first manipulation unit is configured to store a received value for the first selection number as a second selection number and to set the first selection number to a value of zero for altering the control data.

16. A method for activating an access control apparatus for a tabular map in a mobile terminal in a traffic information system, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a receiver for location-based traffic information, the traffic information comprising one of an unencrypted location identifier, an encrypted location identifier and control data, a memory facility for at least one tabular map containing location entries, an access control apparatus which is activatable by the evaluation unit and which is confirming to permit or prevent access to the at least one tabular map based on prescribed use authorization, a decryption device which is activatable by the evaluation unit for decrypting the encrypted location identifier, a comparator for the control data, and a first manipulation unit for the control data, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving traffic information comprising control data and one of an unencrypted location identifier or an encrypted location identifier, the control data indicating whether the traffic information contains one of the unencrypted location identifier and the encrypted location identifier;

comparing the control data with prescribed control data;

altering the control data in a segment of traffic information which contains the unencrypted location identifier based on the comparison such that the control data indicate an encrypted location identifier; and

activating the decryption device and the access control apparatus if the control data indicate the encrypted location identifier.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the step of:

switching the decryption device into a special mode in which a location identifier output by the decryption device is identical to the location identifier supplied to the decryption device base.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the received control data comprise a first selection number and a second selection number for selecting one of the tabular maps;

and

wherein a received value for the selection number is stored as the second selection number and the first selection number is set to a value of zero for altering the control data.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the received control data comprise a first selection number and a second selection number for selecting one of the tabular maps;

and

wherein a received value for the selection number is stored as the second selection number and the first selection number is set to a value of zero for altering the control data.

20. A method for activating an access control apparatus for a tabular map in a mobile terminal in a traffic information system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving traffic information comprising control data and one of an unencrypted location identifier or an encrypted location identifier, the control data indicating whether the traffic information contains one of the unencrypted location identifier and the encrypted location identifier;

comparing the control data with prescribed control data;

altering the control data in a segment of traffic information which contains the unencrypted location identifier based on the comparison such that the control data indicate an encrypted location identifier; and

activating a decryption device and an access control apparatus if the control data indicate the encrypted location identifier.