CENTRALIZED MANAGEMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES

• US 20110093154A1
• Filed: 05/11/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karma Automotive LLC (Wanxiang Group Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Airbiquity Incorporated
• Inventors: Zhao, Lee, Hong, Leon L., Moinzadeh, Kamyar
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device

Abstract

In one example, a network device stores a mapping of application operation modes to vehicle conditions such as a first condition of the vehicle powered but not moving and a second condition of the vehicle moving. The network device receives a wirelessly transmitted request for a particular application to utilize an interface powered by the vehicle. The network device compares an application identifier specified by the received request to the mapping. The network device then identifies a portion of the vehicle interface according to the comparison and signals control software on the vehicle to grant the particular application access to only the identified portion of the vehicle interface itself. The application can reside on the mobile device and utilize the vehicle interface as an extended interface, or the application can reside on the vehicle.

Claims

1. A memory encoded with instructions that, if executed, result in:

storing a mapping of application operation modes to vehicle conditions, wherein the vehicle conditions include at least a first condition of the vehicle powered but not moving and a second condition of the vehicle moving;

receiving a wirelessly transmitted request for a particular application to utilize an interface powered by the vehicle, wherein the received request includes an application identifier;

comparing the received request to the mapping and identifying a portion of the vehicle interface according to the comparison;

signaling control software on the vehicle to permit the particular application to access only the identified portion of the vehicle interface;

probing the control software or the vehicle interface to correlate the vehicle interface to a particular one of a plurality of vehicle interface configurations; and

causing the vehicle interface to display a particular one of a plurality of graphical user interfaces based on a result of said probing.

2. The memory of claim 1, wherein said probing elicits a response specifying a make, model, and year of the vehicle, and wherein the instructions, if executed, result in selecting the particular graphical user interface according to the specified make, model, and year.

3. The memory of claim 1, wherein said probing elicits a response specifying parameters of the vehicle interface including at least a native resolution of a display of the vehicle interface, and wherein the instructions, if executed, result in selecting the particular graphical user interface according to the specified native resolution.

4. The memory of claim 1, wherein said probing elicits a response specifying a particular predefined code value corresponding to a configuration of the vehicle interface, and wherein the instructions, if executed, result in selecting the particular graphical user interface according to the predefined code value.

5. The memory of claim 1, wherein the instructions, if executed, result in:

identifying a remote desktop viewing server of a portable mobile device according to signaling from the control software; and

signaling the control software on the vehicle to permit or deny displaying of a current view of the portable mobile device on the vehicle interface, the current view from a remote desktop viewing client running on the vehicle, wherein said permission or denial is based at least in part on a value of the application identifier.

6. The memory of claim 5, wherein said permission or denial is further based at least in part on whether the vehicle is currently in the first condition or the second condition.

7. The memory of claim 6, wherein the instructions, if executed, result in:

receiving a wirelessly transmitted signal including a telephone number;

wherein said permission or denial is further based at least in part on a value of the telephone number.

8. The memory of claim 1, wherein the instructions, if executed, result in:

receiving an indication of a new application to utilize the head unit as an extended interface for a portable mobile device or to install on the head unit;

checking for a graphical user interface update corresponding to the application identifier in response to receiving the indication; and

pushing a new graphical user interface to the vehicle according to said checking, wherein the new graphical user interface is to be installed and displayed on the vehicle interface.

9. The memory of claim 1, wherein the instructions, if executed, result in:

in response to the vehicle interface communicatively coupling to a mobile device that includes a battery, obtaining a phone number of the mobile device;

matching the obtained phone number to one of a plurality of profiles;

determining whether the matched profile is subject to parental control; and

transmitting a parental control message to the vehicle according to said determination.

10. The memory of claim 9, wherein the parental control message identifies a blocked application.

11. The memory of claim 9, wherein the parental control message identifies a conditionally blocked application, wherein the condition is based on a caller ID field value of an incoming call.

12. The memory of claim 1, wherein the particular application resides on a head unit of the vehicle.

13. The memory of claim 12, wherein the instructions, if executed, result in:

generating a first list of applications by accumulating applications submitted by third parties for operation with the vehicle;

generating a second list that is a subset of the applications from the first list based on vehicle manufacturer selections from the first list;

configuring an internet accessible user web portal with a web interface populating each of the download directories with a different combination of selections from the second list, wherein the second list is displayed on the internet accessible user web portal; and

configuring the internet accessible user web portal with a login procedure to identify a user and provide the user control over a particular one of the download directories based on the identification.

14. The memory of claim 13, wherein the instructions, if executed, result in:

setting a profile for a particular one of the identities as having parental control over a profile of a different user.

15. A method, comprising:

storing a mapping of application operation modes to vehicle conditions, wherein the vehicle conditions include at least a first condition of the vehicle powered but not moving and a second condition of the vehicle moving;

receiving a wirelessly transmitted request for a particular application to utilize an interface powered by the vehicle, wherein the received request includes an application identifier;

comparing the received request to the mapping and identifying a portion of the vehicle interface according to the comparison;

signaling control software on the vehicle to permit he particular application to access only the identified portion of the vehicle interface;

communicating with the control software or the vehicle interface to correlate the vehicle interface to a particular one of a plurality of vehicle interface configurations; and

causing the vehicle interface to display a particular one of a plurality of graphical user interfaces based on a result of said communicating.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein communications of said communicating specify at least one of a make, model, and year of the vehicle, a parameter of the vehicle interface including at least a native resolution of a display of the vehicle interface, and a particular predefined code value corresponding to a configuration of the vehicle interface, and wherein the instructions, if executed, result in selecting the particular graphical user interface according to the communications.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying a remote control capability of a portable mobile device according to signaling from the control software; and

signaling the control software on the vehicle to permit or deny displaying of a current view of the portable mobile device on the vehicle interface, wherein said permission or denial is based at least in part on a value of the application identifier.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

checking for a graphical user interface update corresponding to the application identifier in response to receiving the request; and

pushing a new graphical user interface to the vehicle according to said checking, wherein the new graphical user interface is to be installed and displayed on the vehicle interface.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

in response to the vehicle interface communicatively coupling to a mobile device that includes a battery, obtaining a phone number of the mobile device;

matching the obtained phone number to one of a plurality of profiles;

determining whether the matched profile is subject to parental control; and

transmitting a parental control message to the vehicle according to said determination.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the parental control message identifies a blocked application or a conditionally blocked application.