Method and System for Operating Mobile Applications in a Vehicle

• US 20120079002A1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Boll, David P., Santori, Nello Joseph, Alexander, Thomas Richard, Ross, Joseph N.
• Granted Patent: US 10,163,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

In various embodiments, a user interacts with remotely executing mobile applications from a vehicle. The vehicle may include at least one computer that includes a human machine interface (HMI) for control by the user. The mobile applications may be executing on an application server that is remote from the vehicle and communicating with the at least one computer. Further, the mobile applications may be configured to receive inputs from and transmit outputs to the at least one computer. An HMI application executing on the at least one computer may enable the provisioning of one or more services of the HMI to the mobile applications so that inputs and/or outputs to the mobile applications may be exchanged. Vehicle-based operation of the mobile applications from the at least one computer via the HMI may thus be enabled.

Claims

1. A system for enabling user interaction from a vehicle with one or more remotely executing mobile applications, the system comprising:

at least one computer at a vehicle comprising a human machine interface (HMI) for control by a vehicle occupant;

an application server remote from the vehicle and communicating over a communication network with the at least one computer, the application server executing one or more mobile applications configured to receive inputs from and transmit outputs to the at least one computer; and

an HMI application for execution on the at least one computer and comprising instructions for;

providing one or more services of the HMI to the one or more mobile applications to enable the exchange of inputs and/or outputs to the one or more mobile applications; and

enabling vehicle-based operation of the one or more mobile applications from the at least one computer via the HMI.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the HMI is selected from the group consisting of a microphone, one or more sets of vehicle speakers, one or more in-vehicle buttons, and one or more in-vehicle displays.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the HMI is selected from the group consisting of an audio channel on a nomadic device, one or more BLUETOOTH profiles, and speech recognition.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more web-based service systems communicating with the application server that provides the mobile application services.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one computer publishes the one or more services of the HMI and the one or more mobile applications subscribe to the one or more services.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more mobile applications are associated with one or more application profiles, the application profiles being associated with a mobile identification number, a vehicle identification number, or both.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the HMI server is also a data relay.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one computer is a vehicle infotainment computer.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one computer is a nomadic device and a vehicle infotainment computer.

10. A method for operating one or more remotely-executing mobile applications comprising:

receiving one or more application events from one or more mobile applications executing on one or more application servers remote from a vehicle which define a request for input from or an output transmission to at least one computer at the vehicle, the at least one computer having a human-machine interface (HMI) for control by a user;

facilitating provision of one or more services of the HMI of the at least one computer to the one or more mobile applications in response to the request for input or the output transmission; and

enabling vehicle-based operation of the one or more mobile applications using the HMI of the at least one computer based on the provision of the one or more services.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

utilizing authentication credentials for identifying one or more application profiles associated with the one or more mobile applications; and

if an application profile is identified based on the authentication credentials, enabling use of the one or more mobile applications associated with the application profile.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the authentication credentials include a mobile identification number, a vehicle identification number, or both.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the inputs may include at least one of tactile inputs or vocal inputs.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the outputs may include at least one of speech, audio, video, text or graphics.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a request for the one or more services of the HMI;

determining the one or more services available from the HMI; and

providing the one or more services of the HMI based on the services available.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein determining the one or more services available from the HMI is based on the at least one computer publishing the services that are available.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising monitoring the one or more mobile applications for the request for one or more services of the HMI.

18. A system comprising:

a computer in a vehicle configured to;

communicate with a server storing mobile applications outside of the vehicle;

provide service of the vehicle'"'"'s microphone or speakers to the mobile applications for verbal input to the mobile applications or presenting output from the mobile applications, respectively; and

enable mobile application operation via the input from and the output to the computer.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the mobile applications are in communication with a web-based service system for facilitating provision of the web-based services via the mobile applications.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the mobile applications are a client and the computer is a server with respect to provision of the services of the vehicle'"'"'s microphone or speakers.