SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NOTIFYING BACK OFFICE PRIOR TO END OF TELEMATICS UNIT STANDBY PERIOD

• US 20120140688A1
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Hering, Carl J., Nixon, Timothy R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,873,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The described method and system provide for notification to network applications by a telematics unit in standby mode of when the telematics unit is switching away from standby mode and will be come unavailable for communication with the network applications. The network application may include mobile applications for mobile devices (such as smartphones) and web applications accessible through web pages. The telematics unit may communicate with the back office(s) of the network applications. If the vehicle is a plug-type vehicle, the telematics unit or network application may further extend the standby period of the telematics unit or vehicle when the vehicle is plugged in.

Claims

1. A method for processing a standby period of a telematics unit connected to a vehicle, the method comprising:

switching, at the telematics unit, to a standby mode, wherein network applications are able to communicate with the telematics unit in standby mode;

transmitting, at the telematics unit, data to at least one network application prior to the end of the standby period, wherein the data includes a notification that the telematics unit is going to switch away from standby mode; and

switching, at the telematics unit, from standby mode to a different mode, wherein network application are not able to communicate with the telematics unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted data further includes data relating to a function of the network application that the data is transmitted to.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the switching to the different mode occurs after the telematics unit determines that the telematics unit has spent a predetermined amount of time in standby mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one network application further informs a user of the at least one network application that the telematics unit is going to switch away from standby mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the vehicle is a plug-in type vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined amount of time is extended when the vehicle is plugged in.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined amount of time is extended continuously while the vehicle is plugged in until the vehicle is unplugged

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined amount of time is extended for a second predetermined amount of time when the vehicle is plugged in.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the amount of time spent in standby mode is monitored by a time counter and the time counter is reset when the vehicle is unplugged.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the telematics unit communicates only with a back office of the at least one network application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network application is at least one of a mobile application accessible through a mobile device and a web application accessible through a web page.

12. A method for processing a standby period of a telematics unit connected to a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, at a network application, a notification from a telematics unit in standby mode that the telematics unit is switching away from standby mode and will be unavailable for communication with the network application; and

informing, at the network application, a user of the network application that the telematics unit is switching away from standby mode and will be unavailable for communication with the network application.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the network application is at least one of a mobile application accessible through a mobile device and a web application accessible through a web page.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the network application further receives information from the telematics unit relating to a function of the network application.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the vehicle is a plug-in type vehicle and the method further comprises:

determining, at the network application, whether the vehicle is plugged in.

16. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

extending, if the vehicle is plugged in, the length of time that the telematics unit is in standby mode.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the telematics unit communicates with a back office of the network application.

18. A system for processing a standby period of a telematics unit connected to a vehicle, the system comprising:

the telematics unit, connected to the vehicle, adapted to communicate with network applications while the telematics unit is in a standby mode and notify the network applications that the telematics unit is switching away from standby mode before the telematics unit switches away from standby mode to another mode; and

at least one network application, adapted to communicate with a telematics unit in standby mode and to inform a user of the at least one network application when the telematics unit is switching away from standby mode.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein one of the at least one network application and the telematics unit is further adapted to determine whether the vehicle is a plug-type vehicle or not and is further adapted to extend the standby period if the vehicle is a plug-type vehicle.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one network application is at least one of a mobile application accessible through a mobile device and a web application accessible through a web page.