Method and Device for Providing Information About a User of a Social Network in the Social Network

• US 20120197463A1
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Herrero, Mariano, BRENNAN, Ronan, Strassberger, Markus, Weyl, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method and device for providing information about a user of a social network in the social network are provided. In order to enable the driver of a vehicle or a passenger to communicate with an IT social network with as little distraction as possible, the information is acquired using at least one status recognition device, which is provided in a vehicle used by the user of the social network. The status recognition device delivers status information that indicates a specific status of the vehicle, a specific driving situation, and/or the status of one or more users of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for providing information about a user of a social network in the social network, the method comprising the acts of:

acquiring the information with at least one status recognition device operatively arranged in a vehicle that is used by the user of the social network; and

delivering, by the status recognition device, status information indicative of at least one of a specific status of the vehicle, a specific driving situation, and a status of one or more users of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

creating, by way of a message generating device operatively arranged in the vehicle, a message using the status information, said message matching the status information; and

transmitting, by way of the message generating device, the created message to the social network.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the created message is a text message.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of transmitting the message from the vehicle to the social network only occurs after an approval authorization by the user of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the approval authorization occurs via a corresponding manual actuation or a speech input by the user of the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of visually displaying the created message to the user of the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the act of visually displaying the created message to the user of the vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the created message is modifiable by the user of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the created message is modifiable by the user of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the created message is modifiable by the user of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of messages are created by the message generating device and provided for transmission to the social network, the user of the vehicle selecting one or more of the plurality of messages for transmission via a manual actuation or a speech input actuation.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of messages are created by the message generating device and provided for transmission to the social network, the user of the vehicle selecting one or more of the plurality of messages for transmission via a manual actuation or a speech input actuation.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the corresponding manual actuation, the selection of one or more of the provided messages, and the modification of the created message is performed via a rotary pushbutton, wherein a letter is selected via rotation and the selected letter is entered onto a display by pushing the rotary pushbutton.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of transmitting the created message further comprises the act of transmitting the created message to the social network which comprises one of:

Twitter, Facebook, StudiVz, XING, an instant messaging platform including MSN or Skype, and a weblog.

15. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the acts of:

recognizing, by the status recognition device, at least one of the following pieces of status information;

an open or closed state of a vehicle roof top;

a speed of the vehicle;

a geographical position of the vehicle;

a road on which the vehicle is currently travelling;

a vehicle'"'"'s driving past a predetermined geographical position;

an expected reaching of a predetermined destination;

an outside temperature of the vehicle; and

an actuation of windshield wipers of the vehicle; and

said status recognition device providing the status information to the message generating device for creating a corresponding message, based on the provided status information, for transmission to the social network.

16. A device for providing information about a user of a social network in the social network, the device comprising:

a status recognition device operatively arranged in a vehicle used by the user of the social network;

a message generative device operatively arranged in the vehicle; and

wherein the status recognition device acquires the information and delivers status information indicative of at least one of a specific status of the vehicle, a specific driving situation of the vehicle, and a user status of the vehicle; and

wherein the message generating device uses the status information to create a text message matching the status information for transmission to the social network.

17. A vehicle, comprising:

a device operatively arranged in the vehicle for providing information about a user of a social network in the social network, the device comprising;

(a) a status recognition device operatively arranged in the vehicle used by the user of the social network;

(b) a message generative device operatively arranged in the vehicle; and

wherein the status recognition device acquires the information and delivers status information indicative of at least one of a specific status of the vehicle, a specific driving situation of the vehicle, and a user status of the vehicle; and

wherein the message generating device uses the status information to create a text message matching the status information for transmission to the social network.