Restoring Connectivity To A Desubscribed Telematics Unit

• US 20100248695A1
• Filed: 03/26/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Cepuran, Lawrence D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

Aspects of the invention include a method and system for restoring connectivity from a telematics service provider to a desubscribed telematics unit, and therefore, restored a capability of providing telematics services to a vehicle owner. A vehicle owner with a lapsed subscription and a desubscribed telematics unit installed in his vehicle may have the need to request certain telematics services from the telematics service provider. Aspects of the invention provide for a vehicle owner with a lapsed subscription and a desubscribed telematics unit to request certain “a la carte” services from a telematics service provider using the vehicle owner'"'"'s personal cellular telephone connected to the desubscribed telematics unit across a personal wireless link.

Claims

1. A system for restoring connectivity to a telematics unit, the system comprising:

a personal cellular telephone external to the telematics unit, the cellular telephone being communicatively linked to a service provider, the link to the service provider being enabled by the telematics unit;

a personal wireless link connected between the cellular telephone and the telematics unit; and

a vehicle communication processor within the telematics unit comprising a telematics communications unit, whereby the telematics unit receives services indirectly from the service provider via the personal wireless link.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personal cellular telephone external to the telematics unit includes a personal wireless transceiver associated with the personal cellular telephone.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the personal wireless transceiver is integrated into the personal cellular telephone.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personal wireless link is enabled by a short-range wireless protocol for exchanging data between devices.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the wireless protocol is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth™

, WiFi, and WiMAX.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a computer network;

at least one database connected to the at least one computer server across the computer network; and

at least one software application running on the at least one computer server for providing telematics services to the telematics unit, wherein the at least one computer server accesses and stores information into the at least one database using the at least one software application.

7. A method for restoring connectivity to a telematics unit, the method comprising:

activating the telematics unit;

enabling a personal wireless transceiver within the telematics unit to support a personal wireless link;

activating the personal wireless link between the telematics unit and an external personal cellular telephone; and

establishing communications between the telematics unit and a service provider via the personal wireless link in communication with the telematics unit, user'"'"'s personal cellular telephone and the telematics unit.

8. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising:

receiving a request for a telematics service at the telematics device from the user; and

delivering the request to the telematics service provider from the telematics device via the personal wireless link and personal cellular phone.

9. The method according to claim 8, the method further comprising:

receiving the telematics service from the telematics service provider at the telematics device via the personal cellular phone; and

delivering the telematics service from the telematics device to the user.

10. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising renewing a telematics service subscription for the user.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the personal wireless link is enabled by a short-range wireless protocol for exchanging data from one or more devices.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the wireless protocol is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth™

, WiFi, and WiMAX.

13. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-executable instructions for restoring connectivity to a telematics unit, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions for activating the telematics unit in response to a prompting event;

instructions for enabling a personal wireless transceiver within the telematics unit to support a personal wireless link;

instructions for activating the personal wireless link between the telematics unit and an external personal cellular telephone; and

instructions for communicating between the telematics unit and a service provider via the external personal cellular telephone.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, the computer-executable instructions further comprising:

instructions for receiving a request for a telematics service at the telematics device from the user; and

instructions for delivering the request to the telematics service provider from the telematics device via the external personal cellular telephone.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, the computer-executable instructions further comprising:

instructions for receiving the telematics service from the telematics service provider at the telematics device via the external personal cellular telephone; and

instructions for delivering the telematics service from the telematics device to the user.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for renewing a telematics service subscription for the user.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the personal wireless link is enabled by a short-range wireless protocol for exchanging data from one or more devices.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the wireless protocol is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth™

, WiFi, and WiMAX.