Motor Vehicle

• US 20090315695A1
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Bonfert, Andreas, Heitz, Andreas, SYKORA, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,203,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements

Abstract

A motor vehicle is provided having a wireless interface to a mobile terminal, a storage unit in which information about vehicle functions is stored, and a control unit, which is set up such that information about terminal functions is transmitted from the terminal to the control unit via the wireless interface. The information about vehicle functions is compared to the information about terminal functions, and information about corresponding vehicle functions and terminal functions is stored in the storage unit.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a wireless interface operatively configured to interface with a mobile terminal;

a storage unit, in which information about vehicle functions is stored;

a control unit operatively configured such that;

(i) information about functions of the mobile terminal is transmitted via the wireless interface from the mobile terminal to the control unit,

(ii) information about vehicle functions of the vehicle is compared to the information about terminal functions; and

(iii) information about vehicle functions and terminal functions corresponding to one another is stored in the storage unit.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit arranged in the vehicle; and

wherein, based on the information about corresponding vehicle and terminal functions, at least one display object representative of one corresponding vehicle and terminal function is shown on the display unit.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein information about an identity of the mobile terminal is received by the wireless interface from the mobile terminal and transmitted to the control unit via the wireless interface, and

wherein the display object on the display unit is shown in association with a terminal display object, representing the information about the terminal identity.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein content data, generated by at least one active terminal function of the mobile terminal, is received by the wireless interface and transmitted via the wireless interface to the control unit, said receipt and transmission occurring via a partial protocol of the wireless interface corresponding to the terminal function;

and

wherein the display object representing the active terminal function is shown on the display unit in a highlighted form.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein content data, generated by at least one active terminal function of the mobile terminal, is received by the wireless interface and transmitted via the wireless interface to the control unit, said receipt and transmission occurring via a partial protocol of the wireless interface corresponding to the terminal function;

and

wherein the display object representing the active terminal function is shown on the display unit in a highlighted form.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein information about a terminal identity is received by the wireless interface from the mobile terminal and transmitted to the control unit via the wireless interface;

and

wherein information about an active terminal function is stored in association with the information about the terminal identity.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 5, wherein information about the active terminal function is stored in association with the information about the terminal identity.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 6, wherein:

after receiving information about the terminal identity, checking whether information about an active terminal function is stored in association with the information about the terminal identity, and, if necessary, carrying out at least one of;

automatically activating the corresponding terminal function;

automatically transmitting content data generated by the terminal function to the control unit via the wireless interface; and

highlighting the display object representing the corresponding terminal function.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein:

after receiving information about the terminal identity, checking whether information about an active terminal function is stored in association with the information about the terminal identity, and, if necessary, carrying out at least one of;

automatically activating the corresponding terminal function;

automatically transmitting content data generated by the terminal function to the control unit via the wireless interface; and

highlighting the display object representing the corresponding terminal function.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein after receiving information about multiple terminal identities, the control unit checks which terminal identity was last active and whether information information about the last active terminal identity;

and, if necessary, carrying out at least one of;

automatically activating the corresponding terminal function;

automatically transmitting content data generated by the terminal function via the wireless interface to the control unit; and

highlighting the display object representing the corresponding terminal function on the display unit.

11. A method of operating a motor vehicle having a wireless interface operably configured to interface with a mobile terminal, and a storage unit in which information about vehicle functions is stored, the method comprising the acts of:

transmitting information about functions of the mobile terminal to the control unit via the wireless interface;

comparing information about functions of the vehicle to the transmitted information about the terminal functions; and

storing in the storage unit information about those vehicle functions and terminal functions that correspond to one another.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the act of displaying a display object representative of a vehicle function and terminal function that correspond to one another based upon the information about the corresponding vehicle and terminal functions on a display unit in the motor vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the acts of:

transmitting information about an identity of the mobile terminal to the control unit via the wireless interface; and

displaying the display object in association with a terminal display object representing the terminal identity information on the display unit.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the acts of:

receiving content data by the wireless interface, said content data having been generated by at least one active terminal function of the mobile terminal;

transmitting the content data via a partial protocol of the wireless interface corresponding to the terminal function to the control unit; and

highlighting the display object representing the active terminal function on the display unit.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the act of storing information about the active terminal function in association with the terminal identity information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein:

after receiving the terminal identity information, checking whether information about an active terminal function is stored in association with the terminal identity information; and

if needed, performing at least one of the following;

automatically activating the corresponding terminal function;

automatically transmitting content data generated by the terminal function via the wireless interface to the control unit; and

highlighting the display object representing the corresponding terminal function on the display unit.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

after receiving information about multiple terminal identities, checking which terminal identity was last active;

checking whether information about an active terminal function is stored in association with the information about the last active terminal identity; and

performing at least one of the following if needed;

automatically activating the corresponding terminal function;

automatically transmitting content data generated by the terminal function to the control unit via the wireless interface; and

highlighting the display object representing the corresponding terminal function on the display unit.